For Mariam Sawadogo, teaching is about more than just a subject—it’s about creating a bond with her students. Discover her story from Burkina Faso, where she manages a large public school with 1,400 students. She discusses her teaching methods and explains why making every student feel valued and respected is the key to classroom engagement. Mariam is also an alumna of the AFS Effect+for the Classroom program.
AFS: Welcome, please introduce yourself to our readers!
Mariam: My name is Mariam Sawadogo. I am from Burkina Faso, province of Kourittenga. I teach English at Lycée Municipal of Koupéla. I am teaching in form I, form II and upper sixth form this year.
AFS: How long have you been a teacher, and what brought you to the profession?
Mariam: I have been teaching for eleven years and what brought me to the profession is my love of teaching and children. My first motivation is contributing to the education of children (my best friends) and sharing what I know is my second motivation. For me doing what I love with the persons I love the most would be the best choice that’s why I chose to be a teacher.
AFS: Can you share about your students and school with us?
Mariam: My students speak varied languages (Mooré, bissa, gulmatchema, daafi, lele ….) and they are from different ethnic groups. Their religious affiliations are Christianity, Islam and Animism. They are from different socio-economic backgrounds (the majority belong to the lower social class). My school is a public school with approximately 1,400 students. We have 23 classes.
The school is vocational school and is a gender-mixed school.
AFS: What is a challenge that you feel many teachers in your area have to face?
Mariam: The challenge that I feel many teachers in my area have to face is handling large classes and integrating refugee students.
AFS: Can you share with us a success story or moment that made you feel valued as an educator?
Mariam: A success story that made me feel valued as an educator is having three of my former students choose me as godmother. They come from different schools and choosing me as their “mom” made me feel valued because they have seen something worth in me up to them.
AFS: How have you tried to incorporate Global Citizenship Education (GCED) into your classroom and have your students enjoyed that?
Mariam: Before attending the cohort of AFS Effect+ for the Classroom, I incorporated social-emotional learning in my classes because it is one of the values we shared in our community. I took advantage of what I already did to incorporate intercultural learning and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with the permission of the administration and advisors.
My students have responded well to this kind of learning. They were even motivated to learn new things which make them feel valued. They appreciated knowing SDGs and some of the 21st century skills.
AFS: What is one teaching tool or method you find very effective that you would recommend to other teachers?
Mariam: The teaching tool I find very effective that I would recommend to other teachers is the speaker. For classroom management, I assign a role to every student, so they do their best to honor their words. For content retention, I usually use the KWL chart and it works. As far as engagement is concerned, I incorporate inclusive learning (I grant the same importance to anyone) and once students feel important and respected by the teacher they are engaged.
AFS: If you could give one piece of advice to a new teacher starting their career next school year, what would you say?
Mariam: For a new teacher starting their career next school year, I would tell them to master the content of their lessons first and be the best friend of their students without any limits. Students learn best when they notice their voices are the most important ones in the classroom.
AFS: If readers want to contact you, how can they do so?
Mariam: You can reach me at my email: [email protected]