Working with Teachers: A Handbook for Teacher Educators

‘The education and training of teachers represent one of the greatest challenges for education systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. TESSA is an imaginative and creative response to that. Most importantly, it stresses the value of raising standards through international co-operation.’

Prof Jophus Anamuah-Mensah, TESSA Executive Chair

Why TESSA and this handbook?

TESSA provides collaboratively developed open educational resources (OERs) for teachers to use in their own classroom to support active learning methods and reflective practice.

This handbook is for teacher educators and others involved in planning and delivery of teacher development whether formal or less formal, and in a range of settings. It provides guidance and starting points on using TESSA materials to improve teachers’ classroom practices and raise pupil levels of achievement. This handbook draws on examples of TESSA use from across Sub Saharan Africa and in particular from TESSA consortium institutions. The guidance here complements TESSA: Working with Pupils (A Guide for Teachers).

‘The best thing about the TESSA materials is the fact that the strategies selected form a very practical part of it. Because each strategy you have is clear, and it is clear why that strategy is important and how to use it… In TESSA the strategies are explained so the teacher learns them...’

Prof Sinada, Open University of Sudan

‘The focus is on active learning and that is why I think I find myself comfortable with them [the activities]. This is the emphasis of TESSA, its strength.’

Prof F Keraro, Egerton University, Kenya

‘This is to say that I really enjoy going through TESSA modules. They are challenges that the new Emerging Africa teachers must avail themselves of. TESSA has made it clear to classroom teachers that the era of chalk and talk, excessive talk and boring lecture is gone. Our classroom practices should be activity learning based right from the beginning of the class to the end. Children want to do, act and enjoy lessons. The best way to know that your class is a failure is when the bell goes; if your pupils jump up and say hurray and run out of your class, they are indirectly saying thank God for the freedom from the bondage of a dull and weary lesson. Your class lessons should attract pupils to your class, not drive them away. The bell should make them say ouh ouh, not hurray we are free.’

Professor I.A. Olaofe, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

Working with the TESSA materials