Samiah Millycent

English Language Instructor, Akilah Institute

Coming to Akilah was a God-given opportunity because I can give my services to a variety of students at a very personal level. On top of that, the academic model we use requires students to conduct assignments and projects in groups. One of the things I enjoy most is that it prepares them for the professional world. Sometimes, I deliberately put two people who have very opposite characters on one team. I need them to learn how to work together, and I expect results. At first it’s challenging, but at the end of the day, they are able to give me the results I want. The team always holds them accountable. With that, I also get to see some character development throughout the period that I am with them.

The students understand that as an individual, I am valuable, but as a team, we are more valuable. So they learn an aspect of synergy at an early stage, and that’s a unique element of Akilah.

As faculty, we also give each other feedback on the performance of the students. Sometimes we invite each other to our classes. I could ask a faculty member who taught one group in the past to come and observe my class. He or she is already familiar with the students and can tell me how they’ve grown and what needs to be reinforced. We also cross-train positions so that if I’m not there, another faculty member can access my work, see what I planned for the day, and deliver the content to the class. As faculty, we show the students how to work as a team. Showing them that we can step into each other’s gaps reinforces the importance of teamwork.