20-Oct-2009 CENTEX sponsors annual teacher training workshop
Seventy-five teachers from CENTEX, Food for Hungry Minds School and Buklod Bahayan Day Care Center participated in the 2009 CENTEX teacher training seminar held on October 16 to 18 at the Meralco Management and Leadership Development Center (MMLDC) in Antipolo City.
Conducted under the partnership of Ayala Foundation, Inc (AFI) and MMLDC, this year's teacher training theme was: "Heart of the Matter: Revolutionize, Renew, Rekindle."
On the first day, AFI Consultant Carol Atacador used the movie The Wizard of Oz to discuss the teachers' need for courage, passion and brains to re-examine their roles as nurturers and beholders of their students’ future. CENTEX promotes the philosophy that genuine teaching truly cares and nurtures. The module on Discipline with Dignity allowed the teachers to revisit this discipline technique that helps students develop into happy, responsive and mature individuals.
The second day saw a group of teachers from Assumption College led by Mary Ann Eala present various aspects of "Brain-Friendly Teaching". The team highlighted the importance of exposing the students to a variety of experiences (down to the kind of music, lighting, colors and seating arrangement) that can stimulate the brain optimally and yield maximum learning in them.
The last day highlighted the practical application of what had been learned, through a demonstration lesson by Romelyn Cabugsa, a Language Arts teacher at CENTEX Manila. Her class of 25 third graders actively participated in the discussion and learning centers. The students were then treated to an aviary tour at the training venue at the end of the demonstration lesson. In the workshop that followed, teachers were given the chance to use what they had learned, by developing a lesson plan that incorporated the principles of Discipline with Dignity and Brain-Based Education while seeking to develop critical thinking skills among the students.
The teachers' journey was not all cerebral for they were treated to fun and relaxation as they bonded with fellow educators, viewed the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, and indulged in a night of games, singing and socializing. MMLDC's recreational facilities such as the swimming pool and gym were also much used after the academic sessions.
CENTEX aims to replicate its teacher training offerings to include teachers and principals from the regular public schools. AFI, through CENTEX, is now working on toward developing a training program that will have a greater impact on our educational system.
In the coming year, CENTEX will aim to replicate its teacher training offerings to include teachers and principals from the regular public schools. AFI, through CENTEX, is now working on toward developing a training program that will have a greater impact on our educational system.
