Nonprofit lesson planning

Nathan and I have arrived in Les Cayes, where we will be teaching at the Bishop Tharp Institute. We both signed up to teach two English classes, as well as a special course each: Nathan will teach micro economics and I'll teach Nonprofit management.

A great teacher of mine from IU had her class donate some Nonprofit books that I'll be using for lesson planning and articles.

I also just finished a brutal book about that topic. It's called "Travesty in Haiti" and gives examples of how aid (especially thoughtless food aid) has been a disaster in Haiti. If you want to hear another side of the aid story, read this book. It'll make you think again about where you put your money.

I hope to use examples in this book as discussion starters in my NGO class. For example, is foreign food aid a helpful way to feed more people in Haiti, or does it destroy Haiti's own system of farming and selling?

I've been warned many times that Haitian schooling is based on an old French system of memorization and repetition. Teacher talks. Students listen and write down everything. They regurgitate it for the test.

I'm not crazy about this method. There needs to be discussion, especially for students learning about NGO power in their own country.

I'm trying to plan lessons that will allow for some memorization--terms, policies, etc. But I'm hoping to think of engaging discussion questions and group activities. That's one of my tasks for today and this semester and would love any advice from friends and teachers.