The Ripple Effect

Imagine you are reclining in a small boat on still, calm water with little to no breeze on your face. Then suddenly you feel the boat rocking back and forth, back and forth. You sit up, look around, and wonder what caused the waves. And far away, you spot another boat that has now passed you by.

What difference does one teacher really make? At first glance, it may seem small. But in reality, the development of one teacher, or one teacher’s coach, can ripple out to hundreds, even thousands, of children.

This is the story of Ivan Timothy Wandera, a teacher coach with Teach For Uganda. Ivan supports 33 teachers across different schools, most of them working in classrooms with more than 80 pupils each in underserved communities. That means the way Ivan grows in his role has the potential to transform learning for over 2,400 children.

A year ago, Ivan signed up for a professional development course, TTT’s Becoming A More Effective Teacher. What struck him was how practical it was because complex teaching principles were broken down into simple strategies that teachers could actually use. “During my coaching sessions,” Ivan shares, “I help teachers appreciate the gradual release of responsibility and why it matters. As a result, I’ve seen them pay closer attention to student engagement and I’ve seen a shift in their learning outcomes. This is something I picked up from the course.”

That shift may sound small, but in classrooms packed with 80 learners, it’s game changing. When a teacher or coach learns about how to release responsibility gradually for the learning outcome, learners suddenly find themselves active, engaged, and confident to try tasks on their own. And when that happens, learning outcomes improve.

Ivan’s story is not unique. It is one example of what happens when we invest in teachers, support them, and give them tools that work. Continuous professional development (CPD) creates ripples of change in at least four key ways:

• It builds teacher confidence. This confidence doesn’t just make teaching easier; it makes learning more engaging and less intimidating for students.
• It improves student outcomes. At the heart of professional development is the learner. Research consistently shows that teacher quality is one of the biggest factors influencing student success. Every new skill a teacher gains translates into more effective learning moments for their pupils.
• It fosters collaboration and community. Teaching can sometimes feel isolating, especially in schools with limited resources. Teachers who learn new strategies often share them with colleagues, creating a ripple effect across the staffroom.
• It inspires long-term growth. Professional development is not a one-off event; it’s a journey. For underserved communities especially, this long-term growth is critical because each teacher who grows becomes a steady source of hope and excellence for countless children over the years.

At Teaching Training Together, we believe in the power of training and in its ripples. When one teacher grows, every learner has a brighter chance to thrive. And when coaches like Ivan grow, the ripple multiplies beyond our imaginations. TTT offers training courses to a world of educators with the hope that many ripples will gently rock the boat in rhythm to effectively teach the next generation of students.

You turn your head to observe the waves move on through the water, amazed at their capacity to rock the next boat, back and forth, back and forth.