Seatbelts Off, Minds Open: Adventures in Education with Dragonfly and The British Teaching Diploma
Hi, I’m Jakob Werdelin, and my journey with Dragonfly Training began in 2017. It’s been a fascinating ride, full of unexpected twists and turns. My first assignment? A trip to Iraq. I often joke that they sent me because, as the new guy, I was the most expendable. But, to my surprise, it turned out to be a fantastic experience. The people I met were kind, welcoming, and eager to learn, and it set the tone for what has been a rewarding journey ever since.
That said, it wasn’t without its moments of tension. I remember one particular incident as we approached one of the many military checkpoint that still pockmarked Baghdad after the war. My driver turned to me and said, “Take off your seatbelt.” My blood ran cold. I was absolutely certain we might need to make a run for it, and all the shoddily dressed soldiers with assault rifles seemed to make that a not very realistic proposition. As it turned out, my driver wasn’t preparing for a dramatic escape—he just didn’t want me to be spotted as a foreigner. Apparently, only foreigners in Iraq at that time would wear seatbelts. Turns out this was by no means an unusual story
That’s one of the things I’ve appreciated most about working with Dragonfly—being part of a team with such a wide range of expertise. You can really tell when you sit in a pub with the Dragonfly team. It’s like listening to a group of World War Two veterans exchanging stories, each one more crazy and exhilarating than the last. I’ll spare you the details out of shyness, but let’s just say you’d be hard-pressed to find an educational training scenario Dragonfly hasn’t had to cope with. On a more serious note, learning from others with more experience and different areas of interest is something I’ve really benefited from throughout my time at Dragonfly. Before I was working alone, specialising uniquely in Cooperative Learning, and while I’m passionate about my work, it’s easy to get a bit stuck in your own bubble.
Actually, one of the things I admire most about Dragonfly is how open they are to new ideas and collaboration. They’re always looking for opportunities to grow and create mutual benefit. For example, when I came up with the (objectively rather naive) idea for the British Teaching Diploma—a cost-effective international alternative to a PGCE—Steve Chapman, the CEO, was immediately supportive. He threw his weight behind the idea and helped bring Cardiff and Vale College on board. Without their involvement, it would never have gotten off the ground. Now, the programme is operating across multiple continents, and it’s been incredible to see the impact it’s had.
So far, most of our cohorts have come from The Middle East via our colleagues at ISHRAQ and the ever wonderful Dr Umair Aljihazi. These teachers are inspirational to work with. One lady used to regularly cross the border from Palestine to Jordan to join her colleagues on the programme (this was before the recent catastrophic events) and her unending enthusiasm as well as incredible knowledge were a real source of inspiration to me.
Sadly, we could only afford to send out Steve Chapman and Alun Rees to Jordan for one of the graduation ceremonies (well that’s what they said…) I haven’t mentioned Alun so far, but he’s another one of the outstanding people involved in the British Teaching Diploma. He’s a ex rugby player who used to play for Bath when they were arguably the best team in Britain. He’s now the Head of International at Cardiff and Vale college. He’s one Steve Garnett and I work with regarding the Level 7 assessments, levelling and working with AIM (our OFQUAL awarding body). He is meticulous, forensic, thoughtful but a whole heap of fun as well.
Needless to say. I hope to make it to the next graduation ceremony…hint hint.
Influence on me is Steve Garnett. (Not to be confused with Steve Chapman, who has already been lauded above). Steve Garnett and I really created the British Teaching Diploma together, and it was a rewarding experience.. In fact, he’s been instrumental in shaping the programme. Steve’s expertise is next-level—he’s sat with John Swellein person and virtually co-written his book on cognitive load theory.
Looking back, I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with Dragonfly. From that nerve-wracking checkpoint in Iraq to working with talented colleagues like Steve Garnett and seeing the British Teaching Diploma flourish, it’s been a journey of learning, collaboration, and growth. If you’re passionate about teaching and looking to develop your skills, The BTD is definitely worth exploring. Here’s to continuing the journey, one step at a time.
Jakob Werdelin Bio
After taking over as Head of English in an underperforming school in Copenhagen, Jakob raised attainment to meet national average in two years and exceeded national average in four. Aside from being a teacher of ESOL and Danish, he has extensive experience teaching Religious Education at Key Stage 2 and 3.
Now one of the UK’s most innovative specialists in increasing student engagement and Cooperative Learning Jakob has spearheaded a number of initiatives, from raised student engagement in the tertiary sector to his recent collaboration with Shared Future CiC in the promotion of Participatory Budgeting in Key Stages 2 to 5 to promote civic engagement and 21st century skills.
He has worked as a trainer and consultant since 2006 and delivered a range of tailored courses to thousands of teachers across Europe and the Middle East.
Jakob is not only an expert teacher trainer, but also holds a degree in psychotherapy from Bodynamic International. Today finds Jakob currently working with Dragonfly to promote Cooperative Learning to the public and private sector in partnership with David Gurteen, the world's leading expert in the field. Jakob’s first book in English, ‘The Beginner’s Guide to Cooperative Learning’ has been an outstanding success, and he constantly seeks to bring one of the world’s most effective pedagogies out from its natural home in Northern Europe, to the rest of the world. Jakob is one of the original course authors of The British Teaching Diploma, and has been one of its Senior Trainers since its inception.
