Teacher Professional Development Trainings Must Be Relevant to His/Her Needs

ou can't give what you don't have. Yes, in every aspect of our lives, this is true. As a teacher with 25 years of experience, I still believe that continuous learning is a must so as to give justice to our learners' journey. Liken to a school bus driver where lives of school children are entrusted to him/her everyday. Parents don't have any fear that one day their kids will be endangered due to drunk driving, and so on. However, there are other things contributing to road safety and all.

More of such trust be given to their children's teacher. As a second parent to my learners, seeing them safe and sound and sane with their tasks and all, is a top priority. Giving them all the needed support, academically and all must be second-nature to a conscientious teacher like me.

That's why, upskilling is a must-do. Prior to COVID-19 pandemic, where face -to-face was normal scenario and online was somewhat advanced; today, there's a reversal of this role. Online became the new normal and face-to-face is regarded as a choice based on the safety issues of learners and teachers alike, in a school setting. Each one must be healthy enough to interact with one another, so vaccination is required, strict health protocol measures are in placed.

Online trainings, workshops, and the like through Google meet, Zoom and other apps are the only feasible manner of gaining new skills, knowledge and all about trends in pedagogy and the like. Navigating varied websites for content, ideas, and feedback about a new teaching/learning strategy, is a good thing for a new coping up with this New Normal situation, where classes are being held online or virtual or blended and so on.

Handling online class takes a lot of skills to making learners knowledgeable and skillful about real-life skill applications. Yes, deep learning is expected from the end point of the lesson. Actually, the commencement of a lesson is the start of a fun and meaningful journey. Every child must get something worthwhile of his/her time through interactions with co-online learners, especially during pocket discussion, small break away group of learners discussing about their experiences of or reactions to the issue being tackled in plenary session. Yes, this kind of small group break away is a good strategy to give each learner a chance to participate in a discussion, give opinion or suggestion something to a given project or task at hand.

Great teachers are aplenty, given all the motivations to excel in performing task/s assigned them. And, attending upskilling seminar, workshop and the like are best ways toward gaining competence and passion toward their job.

Larry Icabandi Nabiong

Grade school teacher, published author/article writer, grape nook grower, environment/IP advocate, social entrepreneur wannabe, among other great endeavors.

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