by Tammy Stoner

Created on: December 06, 2009   Last Updated: January 01, 2011

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall", spoke President Reagan.

While the words were first spoken by President Reagan, the message has been communicated by the Teachers without Borders Teacher Network for years. Teachers Without Borders is teaching without walls. The intent is that through sharing cultural knowledge, political knowledge, and styles of teaching, that all teachers become better teachers, and as a result the world becomes a better place. The "walls" come tumbling down.

Through networking with other teachers in the world, all teachers learn. Through networking, resources are shared. Through networking, the teacher teaching in Africa is able to learn new approaches, and styles of teaching, that would be unavailable without sharing. Through combining resources, all teachers, and all students gain wisdom and information that would be lacking, when separated by "walls."

The greatest gift that a teacher gives is transfer of knowledge, so that the next generation has a better life, than the one that preceded it. This is the gift that the Teachers Without Borders network gives to teachers. The expectation being that the next generation of teachers will be more skilled, more able, more apt at teaching then the one that preceded it.

Teachers Without Borders does this through sharing resources, skills and access to information that might be abundant in one community, and shares it with another.

Through online networking, placing teachers on temporary teaching assignments in other countries, and sharing resources and access to resources, all teachers become better teachers. The walls come tumbling down.

If I as a teacher am able to learn from you, and you from me, then we both become more skilled as teachers.

If I can see and experience what its like to live in a developed region of the world, and you can see and experience living in a developing area of the world, each of us adds to our repertoire of experience. Each of us becomes a better teacher.

If I as a teacher can be challenged to discover what it is you know through your culture and politics, and educational style of teaching, and you can learn from me, we both become more skilled as teachers.

When networking occurs between teachers, as it does with the Teachers Without Borders network, we remove borders and boundaries, increasing the educational experience, and wisdom for all. We remove walls.

Teachers Without Borders says it in a nutshell. "Tear down this wall", and the walls come tumbling down.

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