I’ve been with Wings of Change since the first cohort started up in February 2021. I had never heard of Nosy Be and I certainly did not know what I was getting myself into when I applied to teach English online.

It was a vision for purposeful work and teaching for Creativity that enabled the stars to align and serendipitously connect with Wings of Change.

Life’s too short and the opportunities are too great. I got a ticket and off I went, to a place I came to know through a computer screen.

My previous experience teaching online during COVID did prepare me somewhat. Still, teaching to 50 adults literally on the other side of the world would test me. I was confident and excited. I knew how to align creative process with education as a pedagogy and I was keen to put it to the test.

Wings of Change is a Vocational Hospitality School and hotel operation on Madagascar’s premier holiday destination, Nosy Be, an island some five miles off the mainland. It’s a stunningly beautiful place. It feels lost in time. Locals continue to live a rural and traditional life while tourism hugs the coast. Hotels are stylised in a cool, understated tropical vibe that invites you to chill, and then chill some more.

After teaching online for two years from the US, I decided I had to check it out. A tropical island far far away? Yeah, it was a pretty easy decision to go. The student community is tempered, kind and hungry to learn. Malagasy culture is friendly and mild mannered, and also highly musical. Traditional and modern dance instantly transform the atmosphere. This is a place where people dance all night just because.

My goal in teaching was to bring creative process into education. Fifty students for any teacher is quite a task. Add to this cultural differences, language barriers, heat, environment, jet lag and it’s a potpourri for opportunity.

Collaboration, communication and creative process formed the backbone and framework for teaching English. At Wings of Change, students learn from educators like me who Zoom in from all over the world. It’s a terrific opportunity for us all. How to render classes dynamic and engaging was a challenge I took to heart and I was energized by 21st century education and particularly the creative process alongside content as a pedagogy.

I began teaching online with a somatic practice for teaching concepts in a way that I thought would resonate and get students more connected to each other and to their work. Translation- a lot of active learning made classes fun and memorable.

Students have a very full educational program, beginning with a six month English course before graduating over to the six month hospitality school. The days are long for them. The content is rich. Teachers share so much education. It truly is an international community of people committed to making the world a better place for the young adults in Nosy Be.

We also have work to do in the community. Plastic waste is a real issue. We started cleaning the village once a week.

From my personal experience, I too got an education. There are power outages. Not everything works all the time. Resources are limited. How to be creative and make it all work in a way that does not have to be screen-based all the time?

I gifted the school chalkboards and put the students to work. They could draw whatever they wanted to represent their life. Wowza. I could not have anticipated what would happen.

Beautiful, colorful and amazing images of everyday life, unfiltered and of the highest quality chalk money could buy. The results were stunning.

When I realized that through their art, I connected to the student community in a way that was vibrant and rich from which I could teach in a way that was relevant to them, the class became a fun dynamic space. We bonded. We shared the learning. This work became a self study on teaching for Creativity.

There are some keystones to 21st century teaching. Intrinsic motivation, when empowered through the extrinsic structure of the organization in a way that is relevant to the community, opens the door to best work. I found community with my students because we taught each other through communication and collaboration in newly created content which was their artwork.

The students started to teach each other.
We broke down barriers of intimidation. We corrected each other’s work anonymously.

And beyond all that, I was able to experience everyday life in beautiful Nosy Be among the cows, the chameleons and the community of villagers who welcomed me warmly.

None of this would be possible but for the vision and fierce leadership of Mme Afsana who is dedicated to the transformation of a generation well beyond words.

Any chance at any time when any one of us has an opportunity to do good in a far off place…I say do it. It may change your life. And it certainly has the potential to change the lives of others.

Thank you Wings of Change. I truly look forward to returning soon to teach in person!

Tanya Knudsen