BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN an effort to enhance the ability of teachers to deliver knowledge effectively, the Ministry of Education held a Professional Development Day (PDD) for the teachers of Sandy Point High School yesterday (Mar. 9) at the Ocean Terrace Inn.
Yesterday’s session was held under the theme “Educators Making a Difference” and addressed issues relevant to teaching such as Coping with today’s social challenges, Technology – the modern teaching tool, and Healthy lifestyles for increased productivity.
According to Senior Education Officer Rita Cable, the PDD is an ongoing initiative by the Ministry to facilitate capacity-building of the nation’s teachers. She revealed that teachers from every primary and secondary school would be able to attend a PDD session.
Cable called on the teachers assembled to implement the ideas and recommendations coming out of the PDD. She noted that teachers are “the moulders of characters and attitudes, the moulders of families and communities, and the moulders of the nation overall”.
Sandy Point High Principal Lorozine Williams deemed the PDD “a timely activity which promises to be a rewarding retreat for teachers”. She stressed the importance of the personal development of teachers as a critical component in the overall improvement of schools.
“There is normally not enough time in a teachers’ busy work schedule for their own personal development. This workshop allows for workplace concepts including trust, teamwork, shared resources and interpersonal relationships to be factored into daily routines.
“Schools cannot be improved without teachers improving themselves. Regardless of the level of technology, the academic standards, how innovative the programmes or how clear the vision, a school is only as good as its teachers,” Williams said.
