Teach2030 Ambassador Adanna Williams was recently part of a prestigious children’s spelling bee in Trinidad and Tobago where her application of a variety of methods of learning from Teach2030 courses enhanced the progress and inspiration of the students who took part.
This is what she shared with us.
“As a Teach2030 Ambassador, one of the most impactful lessons I have learned from the Practical Active Learning courses is that students thrive when learning becomes interactive, purposeful, and student-centred. I had the opportunity to apply many of these strategies through the MINDSTAR National Spelling Bee & Tech Park 2026 in Trinidad and Tobago, and the results were truly inspiring.
The Practical Active Learning courses helped me understand the importance of moving students from passive listeners to active participants. During the MINDSTAR programme, students were constantly engaged through:
- peer collaboration,
- vocabulary games,
- interactive spelling drills,
- group challenges,
- public speaking opportunities,
- technology demonstrations,
- and team-based activities.
Instead of focusing only on memorisation, students were encouraged to think critically, communicate confidently, and support one another throughout the learning process.
One of the most rewarding experiences was seeing students take ownership of their learning. Many students practised beyond classroom hours, encouraged their teammates, and became more confident participating in front of large audiences.”
It is great to see how the Independent Learning course has supported Adanna’s students and Adanna’s leadership.
Creating a Culture of Learning
Creating a strong culture of learning begins with creating an environment where students feel motivated, supported, and valued.
At MINDSTAR, I intentionally focused on:
- celebrating improvement and effort,
- encouraging teamwork,
- giving students leadership opportunities,
- and making learning exciting and relevant.
The Teach2030 strategies reminded me that students engage more when they understand why learning matters. I consistently connected literacy and communication skills to real-world opportunities such as leadership, careers, technology, and personal growth.
Steering Students Towards Engagement
One strategy that worked especially well was giving students active responsibilities during sessions and competitions. Students were not just spectators — they became presenters, team leaders, innovators, and ambassadors for their schools.
I also ensured that the learning environment remained positive and encouraging. Students were praised for participation, persistence, creativity, and teamwork, not just for winning. This created a safe space where students felt confident to contribute and challenge themselves academically.
As a result, many students who were initially shy became more expressive and engaged over time. Teachers and parents also shared positive feedback about increased confidence, stronger vocabulary skills, and greater enthusiasm toward learning.
The MINDSTAR National Spelling Bee & Tech Park 2026 has shown me the power of active learning in transforming student engagement. By applying the strategies from Teach2030, I was able to create an educational experience where students felt inspired to learn, collaborate, and grow.
Most importantly, students began to see education not as a task, but as an opportunity.
That shift in mindset is what truly creates a culture of learning.
Practical Active Learning has featured broadly for Adanna in her work and we are proud to support our users in the teaching professional development.
It is great to see how hard our Teach2030 Ambassadors work in demonstrating their upskilling in the classroom and the development and successes of the students as a result of this professional development.
The Commonwealth Education Trust truly believe that all children deserve a quality education from a transformative and supportive teacher. The Commonwealth Education Trust invests in teachers in low- and middle-income settings by providing accessible teacher professional development. Teach2030 is applicable to classrooms of any age group and subject. It focuses on strategies to increase learning outcomes and teaching knowledge and as Adanna has shown leads to outstanding success for students.
