Teachers polish skills for new school year
What is it that makes a great teacher? You know, the one you remember twenty years later who made history come alive, taught you to appreciate great literature or somehow managed to unravel the mystery of algebra. Some of these great teachers may be born, but most are made, often by summer training. Jacqueline Woods reports on one class that is helping to make the classroom more interesting.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Teachers were not required to attend the workshop, but two hundred and sixty-one educators from across the country did make the effort to strengthen their skills in the classroom.
Elena Smith, Pres., Belize District Branch, B.N.T.U.
“We had a team from the Ministry of Education going out assessing school and they realised that teachers need help in certain areas. And as a result of that we had this workshop. We chose the subject areas based on their evaluations.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What areas are these?”
Elena Smith
“Creating writing, expressive arts, which includes art, drama, music puppetry, we’re doing special Ed, counselling. We have a set of teachers doing English, Spanish and social studies.”
Some of the participants have been in the classroom for as little as one year. Licia Andrewin says as a new teacher it would be in her best interest to attend.
Licia Andrewin, New Teacher
“For me, I haven’t had the experience to be in a classroom yet, I’m going to be a teacher in September and I have learnt a lot of things that I didn’t know and, so I can utilise them in the classroom.”
This afternoon, the participants had the opportunity of creatively putting together a programme based on the lessons they have received.
Elena Smith
“I think it has been very great. They’ve had a chance to work with different teachers from different schools and they have gathered information from each other, so that they can take back to their school a lot of new ideas, a lot of methodologies that they can use in the classroom to help their children. It has been great, teachers are really having fun.”
In September, the teachers will be reporting to their respective schools. At the end of the school year, the teachers will be evaluated based on the training they have received at the workshop.
Elena Smith
“And based on that evaluation they are going to get their increments. And based on that too, it’s gonna determine if they’re gonna get a license or not. So principals will help the ministry to do that assessment after this workshop has been done.”
Jacqueline Woods reporting for News 5.
This evening the teachers attended closing ceremonies and each received a certificate of participation.
