Dakar School Visits

Our morning started at John F. Kennedy High School, a public secondary school with a long-standing reputation, particularly for its role in the education of girls in Senegal. I was placed in a classroom with a masterful educator who, despite limited resources, had all students engaged in her English lesson. 

Given that English is a second language (many times the third or fourth language) for Senegalese students, she ensured all students understood the vocabulary, practiced their pronunciation, and knew how to communicate clearly. She had a great sense of structure in her classroom as well as lots of well-behaved students. Seriously, they didn't even whisper. They just tapped each other, but only if they needed to borrow a ruler or pencil. I'm hoping my students are reading this and taking notes 😊

Later in the day, we visited an elementary school in Dakar, meaning I was so excited to get to work with younger students. I got to join an English lesson for students who were 6 to 8 years old. So far they have mastered greetings and questions such as "How are you?". Today they learned, "Who is your Mother" and "My mother is _____." I even practiced with them on the school year, which is a large patch of dirt, after class got out. Even in classrooms with limited resources, there was no shortage of enthusiasm, participation, or joy in learning.

Across both schools, one idea continued to stand out, students here are already building global competencies every single day. They are learning in multiple languages, navigating different cultural contexts, and engaging with ideas that connect them to a wider world. It’s a reminder that global learning doesn’t require perfect conditions, yet it grows from experience, exposure, and opportunity.

In the afternoon, we gathered back at the hotel to prepare for our upcoming host community visits. The conversation shifted from observation to reflection: What are we noticing? What are we still wondering? And how do we carry these experiences forward in a meaningful way? Until tomorrow, as I am off to Saint-Louis!