Meet Teacher Mentor Mary from Ghana who inspired our staff and field travellers as she shares her transformative journey
Mary is a regular teacher in Ghana who like many other teachers in public schools across Africa are struggling with identity issues and how to live a decent life. Again, like every other teacher in the region, she is not teaching for the fortune, but for the passion to see many of her students excel and have a meaningful future; for her, this is her pride and her dream!
Every day, Mary goes to school to teach students as her daily routine has been over the years but she still feels there is more to teaching than the regular classroom sessions. She has a burning desire to work more with her students to see them become better people in society but she hardly knows how to bring this dream to reality.
According to Mary: “Being a teacher is sacrificial – you are paid little, but then you do more”. With smiles beaming from her face, she describes how being a Teacher Mentor is a different experience entirely. When asked what is the distinguishing factor between the two, she said “I never knew I could become so aware of myself enough to lead others. Being a Teacher Mentor allows you to acquire new skills and knowledge to impact the lives of others and the community. You learn every day and learning never makes you grow old, rather it makes you younger”.
Mary also feels very excited and proud of herself because she can now support her family by generating positive attitude that her children could emulate. Affirming this she said “Being a Teacher Mentor is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to my family. I never knew I could lead until I was given the opportunity to lead others. Now, my family is more organized and exciting things are beginning to happen”
Transformation begins from self-awareness and this is the primary experience of Mary. She is not only confident of herself; she is constantly inspiring her students (Scholars) also. She now has a clear vision for the future and focused on achieving her goals. As a teacher, she believes she can now inspire others to become change agents in their community and the world as a whole.
For Teacher Mentor Mary, the opportunity to be a teacher selected to be part of the Transformative Leadership Program (TLP) is life transforming for her, her family, her students (Scholars) and the community where she lives.
