Education Ministry empowers junior teachers with induction workshop

Recognising the crucial need for junior teachers to grasp their roles and responsibilities within the education sector, the Ministry of Education recently organised a two-day induction workshop.

The workshop, which commenced on Monday, aimed to equip educators who have recently graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education with the skills to foster resilience both within and beyond the classroom.

Over 100 teachers from nearly all primary schools within the Georgetown Education District participated in the event held at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) located in Kingston Georgetown.

Deochand Bridgemohan, a teacher at the St. Margaret’s Primary School, lauded the workshop’s focus on various procedural and activity-based approaches essential for effective teaching.

He emphasised its contribution to enhancing teaching practices, interactions with students and parents, as well as collaboration among colleagues and school leadership.

“This programme is geared at helping to better the way we perform, the things we should do, our expectations, how we treat our students and their parents and even our colleagues including the headteacher,” the teacher told the Department of Public Information (DPI).

Bridgemohan highlighted his newfound understanding of the structures and functions of the education ministry.

Sherlyn Pantlitz of West Ruimveldt Primary School appreciated the workshop’s emphasis on professional conduct, including appropriate behaviour and attire, both within and outside the school environment.

Pantlitz expressed optimism about the workshop’s potential to elevate the education system and uphold the dignity of the teaching profession.

Similarly, Anthony Clarkson of North Georgetown Primary shared his enhanced appreciation for the vital role teachers play in national development, citing the workshop’s focus on inclusive teaching practices tailored to diverse student learning styles.

“We learned that inclusivity plays a major role in the evolution of a child. For example, all student learning styles wouldn’t be the same, some may be fast learners while some may be slow learners. So, we as teachers have to get different activities and teaching strategies to benefit our students,” Sir Clarkson explained.

Meanwhile, Education Officer Wendy Johnson, who assisted in facilitating the workshop, emphasized the significance of equipping junior teachers with the skills necessary for success in the education sector.

“Based on what we taught them these are the things we expect to stand out among our teachers so that they can represent our profession well,” Johnson said.

Johnson affirmed the ministry’s commitment to ongoing training initiatives aimed at empowering educators at all levels of the education hierarchy, thus fostering continuous professional development and excellence within the sector.