Bethel Preparatory School
When school proprietor Rebecca Amoako signed up for the Techniques for Effective Teaching (TFET) program, little did she know how personally the training would touch her.
One module in particular, Module 12: Ensuring an Inclusive Learning Environment, validated her entire childhood struggles.
I was a very quiet child growing up because I couldn’t talk. My parents thought I was intentionally not speaking, and my teachers did not understand me and would either make fun of me or try to force me to say something” -Rebecca Amoako
Rebecca was able to overcome her speech issues over time, but not before enduring years of torment and feeling misunderstood and unsupported. She withdrew and found solace in books, becoming an avid reader and an excellent student.
Despite her learning difficulties, Rebecca’s skills expanded as she got older. She excelled at dressmaking and, as a young adult, opened her own shop and taught other women in the community to sew. It was during these times that she discovered her love for teaching.
Today, Rebecca is the proud owner of her own school, Bethel Preparatory School in Cape Coast, providing education for over 200 low-income children aged 6 months to 13 years old. Her own son, who also experienced similar speech difficulties, is now the head teacher at the school.
Her involvement in the IDP Rising Schools Program led her to the TFET training program. While she appreciates all 14 of the program’s modules, Rebecca says she is especially grateful for the inclusive learning module because it acknowledges and addresses the challenges faced by students with special needs and exposes teachers to alternative supportive teaching techniques.
“The TFET training is (the) best because there are a lot of children like me and my son out there who are not being understood and (are) neglected. Many kids would have been helped by now if we had received this training and intervention some years ago. I am going to personally ensure that this training is totally transferred to all of my teachers and that every teacher that comes in will implement it going forward,” Rebecca said.