Junior teachers better equipped for classrooms – MoE

In a bid to ensure junior teachers grasp their roles and responsibilities within the education sector, the Education Ministry recently concluded a two-day induction workshop.
Over 100 teachers who recently graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and will be working in the 28 primary schools within the Georgetown Education District participated in the workshop, which was held at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) located in Kingston, Georgetown.

The initiative, which served as an orientation for the teachers provided them with pertinent information on the structures and functions of the education ministry and professional conduct, including appropriate behaviour and attire, both within and outside the school environment, among others.
Education Officer, Wendy Johnson, who assisted in facilitating the workshop, explained that the workshop is part of efforts to better equip new teachers for the classroom.
According to Johnson, equipping junior teachers with the skills necessary for success in the education sector is paramount.

On this point, she 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.
“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, and we are encouraging them to go to our website where everything that concerns teachers, resources for learning that they can implement in the classroom can be found there,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, several teachers shared lauded the ministry for organising the workshop, which they expressed, helped them understand various procedural and activity-based approaches essential for effective teaching as well as adapt tailored teaching practices to help educate diverse students.
According to Deochand Bridgemohan, a teacher at the St. Margaret’s Primary School, the workshop has helped him develop ways to better interact with students and parents, as well as collaboration among colleagues and school leadership.
“This programme is based on things we should know and put into practice now as a trained teacher now. The way we should perform, the way we should behave, our expectations, how we treat our students, how we treat the parents that approach us and how we treat the headteacher,” Bridgemohan said.
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.
“Both days were really informative, we learnt the benefits of the teaching profession, we learnt the hierarchy of the Ministry of Education. But what stood out to me most was inclusivity in the classroom. 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.