The Government of Liberia, with funding from the European Union in Liberia and the Government of Sweden for the Youth Rising Project, is working to strengthen the national system for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in order to ensure social-economic empowerment of youth. The Youth Rising project is being implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The training of TVET teachers in teaching methodology and professional practice is one of the areas that have been identified for strengthening the system. For many months, UNIDO has been working with the Commonwealth Education Trust to train and upskill the TVET teachers using the Teach 2030 online based training package.
As part of our working collaboration with UNIDO, teachers in Liberia have been attending live, interactive workshops with our Education Lead, Eleanor Sykes. Today, we hear from several attendees about the impact the most recent ones have had on their classrooms.
Varney J. Kolubah, Junior, who works with the Booker Washington Institute (BWI), Kakata, Margibi County, Liberia.
‘From what I have learnt from the workshop, I will change my practice by:
- Doing extensive research on the subject matter before going to class.
- Making my classroom very interactive and allowing students ask questions.
- Going to class on time and encouraging students to do same.
- Sharing the course outline with the students and the recommended text books.
- Evaluating my students’ work through quizzes, tests, exams, etc.
- Making sure that I return my students their assignment, quiz, and test papers.
- Allowing the students to evaluate me through questionnaires.
- Setting ground rules in the class that everybody, including me, will abide by.
- Showing respect to the students at all times.
- Always recapping the previous topic before introducing the new topic.
- Allowing the students to always express their mind freely in the class.
- Always taking attendance in class.
- Engaging my students when I notice that their performance rate has dropped.
- Providing pieces of advice to my students and motivating them as well.
- Putting into practice what I have learnt from the workshop and sharing with the students.‘
Emmanuel Saye, a TVET teacher in Liberia
I enjoyed the language of mindsets because it helps me in guiding my learners in challenges not to give up and to always have a strong belief that their intelligence can be developed. I will change my teaching practice from giving feedback that doesn’t encourage the learners to think or believe they can improve their own performance.
Varlee M.Kromah
The parts of the workshop that I enjoyed was how to create your Teach 2030 platform on their digital learning program and how to log in to your platform.
I am deeply convinced that anybody can learn anything at any time.
Flomo Kollie, a TVET teacher in Liberia
The four fingers teaching strategy tells you if the learners are learning or your teaching objectives are going through to them. I started practising the four fingers teaching strategy because it will help me to find out those learner’ who are not following or not understanding the lesson.
The UNIDO TVET teachers have also been taking our Teach2030 courses. Press play on the video below to hear Flomo’s reflections on what he has learnt from the ‘Fresh Thinking For Your Classroom‘ course and how it has impacted his classroom.
Workshops are a part of Teach2030’s focus on communicating more with our worldwide community. Teachers do not need to be associated with UNIDO to attend our free, live, monthly events on Facebook and Zoom. Sign up easily by visiting our workshop sign up page.