Mr Duan, the training centre caretaker, was a great help to us during our time in Ninger. As well as filling the hot water dispenser up before we arrived every morning and afternoon, and emptying our waste-paper baskets, he helped us break into the TDC when the keys got locked inside. When it came to clearing things up on the last day he spent an hour with Ali, peeling sellotape off the wall where our photo exhibition had been. What's more, he was always the first smiling face we saw in the morning and he was usually the last to leave, locking up the classrooms and tidying up ready for the next day.
Cooperation and skills-sharing was one of the key topics of the training course in Ninger. Although teachers came in pairs from 13 different schools and centres, they still managed to find out a lot about eachother and I feel confident that they will return as a stronger team. One exercise, used as an 'ice-breaker' is 'Helping Hands'. In pairs they draw round one of each of their hands. They then have to find out skills that their partner has that they don't, which get written in the fingers of their hand. Confused? These activities are much easier to demonstrate than to describe!