My name is Rebecca Akinyi Migwambo, a passionate teacher and an education enthusiast. Currently, I am a Professional Learning Community Coordinator at Kenya Connect , a not-for-profit organisation, and Commonwealth Education Trust partner, in Kenya, working to break barriers in education.
I began my Teach2030 journey after joining the Kenya Connect Organisation. As part of my duties, I coordinate professional teacher learning communities that are undertaking Teach2030 courses. I personally went through the courses and, while at it, I was so excited to learn different strategies that were detailed in the “Practical Active Learning in your Classroom” course. This would have been a lifesaver for me when I was seeking ways to help me improve my teaching practice and better learning experiences in my classroom, such as increasing student engagement in poetry class.
The “Practical Active Learning in your Classroom” course takes you through various great strategies that you may use in your classroom for learning facilitation as well as formative assessment! The course is embedded in great research and practical experiences; giving one an authentic impression and a reason to try it in their classrooms. I tried the “No Hands Up” strategy and since then, I know best how to ensure all the learners in the classroom participate actively in a learning session for it keeps them alert all through.
Such challenges like the one I mentioned above are likely experiences that any teacher can go through at any point in their teaching career. Having opportunities for professional development helps teachers to learn from other teachers while providing continuous lifelong personal professional development, which are key in the 21st century.
Teacher Professional Development (TPD) can help teachers develop in areas such as classroom management, which is becoming a great challenge with the 21st century. Learners who have diverse needs, teacher roles within and without a learning environment, learning approaches and strategies, assessment, use of technology in teaching and learning, social emotional learning – among others – are areas a teacher can improve and upskill on through TPD. The impact of taking TPD courses are far reaching and beneficial to both the teacher and the learners.
In our ever-changing world, teachers need to constantly be up to date with content mastery and updated with facts regarding different subject areas and disciplines for them to be able to facilitate learning efficiently – and effectively -in their classrooms.
The ease of access to professional development that has come with digital and online TPD courses such as Teach2030 is a blessing to many teachers around the globe! Digital TPD allows for flexible and self-paced learning for every teacher. All a teacher needs to do is to create some time within their busy schedule to learn more that would make them better teachers… Every teacher’s dream!
A teacher who goes out of their way for professional development is the best teacher you could have for your school! John Cotton Dana once said, “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn!”
Register for a professional development course at www.teach2030.com use the coupon code RMKENYA to access part 2 of the courses for free!