ITI Articles

Angela Captein graduated fromBethlehem Tertiary Institute in 2008 with a Bachelor of Education in Primary Teaching and has been teaching in the Waikato ever since.  Earlier in the year, BTI bought young Australian Humanitarian, Hugh Evans to NZ where he spoke about the Global Poverty Project’s plan to eradicate extreme poverty – in line with the Millenium Development Goals.  Angela - inspired by Hugh’s passion and conviction – was challenged to do what she could to help in the area of achieving universal primary education.  

In June, as part of New Zealand organisation, RATA Teacher Support, Angela travelled with four other teachers to Ghana, Africa where they worked to equip, inspire and encourage untrained teachers.  The schooling there is hugely prescribed and they are taught primarily through rote. 

“When we arrived, they had no resources apart from tatty old workbooks and pencils”, says Angela.  “We worked with the teachers through modelling of lessons and professional dialogue, especially in the use of big-books and reading lessons, teaching writing and maths games and number strategies as well as effective teaching strategies and techniques. The most exciting thing for me was to see the teachers begin to get excited about alternative ways of teaching and the possibility of learning being fun and allowing the children to be involved in their education and giving them the ability to think for themselves.  It was awesome seeing the teachers we had been working with using the resources that we had given them with their children and to see the children smiling and having fun with their learning”.

Back in Cambridge, Angela is even more determined to use all of the fabulous resources she and her students have access to.  Her goal is to equip children with all that they need to live a full and wonderful life.  “I love teaching and I love even more to pass that passion on to others” says Angela. “Africa is dear to my heart and I would love to go back again next year with RATA to continue our work with the schools in Ghana”.