Teacher Training

Head Trainer and Materials Writer, British Council Nigeria - Teaching at the Right Level

This programme, in Kano state in the north of the country, involves more than 100 primary schools. The initiative uses the "Teaching at the Right Level" methodology, and is being delivered in association with Pratham, an Indian NGO. The training model used is a cascade model containing three tiers – Master Trainers, Mentors and Primary Teachers. I worked at all levels of the cascade in supporting trainees. Specifically, my role in each tier was as follows:

• At the master trainer level, to create and deliver a six-day training course which supports the master trainers (senior education administrators and experienced teachers), focusing in particular on the dual language approach used in the training, and developing a facilitator’s guide.

• At the mentor trainer level, to support the master trainers in delivering the training to mentors, and provide top-up / refresher training.

• At the teacher level, to help mentors deliver the training to teachers, and provide top-up / refresher training.

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I have also developed many of the classroom-focused teaching booklets for use in schools.

Head trainer and materials writer, British Council Occupied Palestinian Territories

The aim of the @Palestine programme is to develop 21st Century Skills with Higher Education teachers, lecturers and managers from Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. As part of the introductory phase of the programme, I delivered workshops in Amman (Jordan) and Ramallah. The one-day workshop in Amman was for teachers from Gaza, while the workshop in Ramallah was a more detailed, three-day workshop. The key objectives of the training was to:

• Upgrade the participants’ theoretical and academic understanding of 21st century skills;

• Provide opportunities (through tasks and activities) for participants to develop their own 21st century skills;

• Introduce participants to the whole programme (which includes synchronous and asynchronous online elements)

 

I subsequently delivered the remainder of the training remotely, both synchronously (through Zoom) and asynchronously (e-moderating Moodle content).

Teacher Training, Cambridge University Press / Kingswood School International 

I have delivered teacher training sessions to primary and secondary English language teachers in many cities across China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, Taiyuan, Shuozhou and Hong Kong. This training was both in smaller groups on specific products (e.g. the Cambridge Unlock series) as well as giving demonstration lessons to audiences of 100+ attendees. 

Teacher Training and Curriculum Developer, Multi-Aid Programmes 

In addition to helping develop learning materials for thousands of children in Syrian refugee camps with the Syrian non-governmental organisation MAPS, I support teacher development via both face-to-face and remote initiatives.

Workshop facilitator and teacher training, British Council Syria

Given the high demand for teacher development opportunities, but the considerable challenges of working in Syria, the British Council Syria (based in Lebanon) held a one-day workshop in Beirut for around 25 educationalists from Homs, Aleppo, Lattakia and Damascus. They represented a range of INGOs, NGOs and CBOs working in education. I facilitated this discussion throughout the day. 

Teacher Training: Syrian Refugees in Bath, with Julian House

Working with the local charity Julian House in Bath, I have trained three Syrians now settled in the UK to develop the English language skills of newly-arrived migrant Syrians. The teachers have good English skills themselves, but have little or no experience of teaching. The overall aim of the programme is to support this group as they navigate some of the challenges faced when moving to a new country, and having fairly low level language skills. As migrants coming from a conflict area, this group faces additional difficulties in this process.

 

One of the main advantages of this programme is that the teachers experienced similar challenges, and understand how language can play a crucial role in leading a good life in the UK. They also know the situations – and the kind of language needed in those situations – which may be particularly important, for example at the doctor’s, at the dentist’s, talking to parents at the school gate, getting buses, in the supermarket and so on.

 

My role in this programme has been to support the three teachers, and help develop their pedagogic skills through face-to-face training, and lesson observation and feedback.

Online teacher training and materials development, British Council Tunisia

I created and co-delivered  a teacher training programme for A2 level primary teachers to be delivered remotely to >5000 teachers across every region of Tunisia. The project is designed to equip teachers working in public schools with the skill, knowledge and confidence to teach English more effectively through child-centred, activity-based classroom approaches.