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By Courtney Llewellyn Reminder Assistant Editor WILBRAHAM M. Martin O'Shea, principal of Minnechaug Regional High School, said it is becoming increasingly important for students to have a global perception. That's why he is both pleased and honored to have teachers involved with the high school participating in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program has helped approximately 23,000 teachers and administrators open an educational dialogue between the United States and the rest of the world. The program was established by Sen. J. William Fulbright. The exchange program allows for U.S. teachers to trade places with a counterpart in another country for six weeks, a semester or a full academic year. Thomas Potter, a French and German teacher from Minnechaug, is currently in Dakar, Senegal, teaching English to French-speaking high school students. In his place is Daouda Thiam, who is teaching French to English-speaking students. "The Fulbright Program is one of the most prestigious programs for English teachers in my country as it gives the opportunity to go to the USA and teach for a year," Thiam told Reminder Publications. "After teaching for 18 years it is [a] wonderful opportunity to come to the country that I teach [about] so as to be able to talk about it from personal experience and not just from knowledge through books." Thiam earned a master's degree in English with a concentration in American Literature and Civilization from the Dakar University School of Education English Department in 1990. He has been teaching at Blaise Diagne High School in Dakar since 2001. In addition to teaching, Thiam is also very active in the domain of information technology. He is a member of SchoolNet Africa, an African non-governmental organization whose aim is a good integration of information and computing technology to education. He also coordinates the national branch of one of its flagship programs, Mtandao Afrika. Through this program, he organizes an African Web page contest supported by training for students and teachers. "Minnechaug is a great place of learning and communication of values," Thiam said. "People are very nice and very professional. Before coming here I knew already a lot through e-mails with my exchange partner, Mr. Thomas Potter, and the principal, Mr. O'Shea, and his staff." He teaches French I, II and III. He said his students are very motivated and that he likes his classes very much. "I try to develop students' skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) ... with a cultural insight for them to know more about Africa and the French speaking world," Thiam stated. The Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program has a cultural dimension which encourages grantees to make their cultures known in the country they are assigned to, according to Thiam. His aim in this regard is to make Senegal known through education and culture. He is also learning about the culture of Western Massachusetts during his stay here. "I knew a bit about Massachusetts through civilization and literature classes I took at university. But now it is all different than being in the place meeting real people and living among them," he said. "I do really appreciate the 'African-ness' of the people that is, their sense of hospitality and openness." And, even though classes have only been in session for a month, Thiam has already learned some lessons he'll be taking back to Senegal. "I should say [I'll be bringing back a lesson about] a better management of the school with better and more regular communication," he said. "At Minnechaug your mail box is never empty." "He is enriching the Minnechaug community," O'Shea said. "We're fortunate to have him on our staff for a year." He added that Thiam has been very well-received by his students and that the teacher has "a great sense of humor, a great personality." Dr. Paul Gagliarducci, Superintendent of Schools, noted that Thiam isn't the only teacher from Senegal in the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District. Abdoulaye Ngom is currently serving as a foreign language teacher at Wilbraham Middle School. "This is a nice exchange for us, a nice way to expand the cultural horizons for our kids," Gagliarducci said. Parents of students taking French who did not meet Thiam during this fall's open house the high school will have the chance to speak with him during the second open house, to take place in January. To learn more about the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program, visit www.fulbrightexchanges.org. | ||||||
