TEACHERS CONTINUE GETTING WORKSHOPS AS THEY GET RETOOLED IN MORE NON- CONVEENTIONAL INNOVATIVE METHODS OF TEACHING / LEARNING ENGLISH LANGUANGE (25TH FEB- 18TH MARCH)

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect teachers are continuing to get follow ups on the non-conventional innovative methods of teaching / learning English language.

Much as the four skills of language are still being expounded, this year great consideration is on reading focusing on teaching of sounds.

This decision was made by teachers themselves during the 2012 workshops. Teachers confessed that they could not for example teach pupils to use a dictionary for they could not also use it comfortably. Besides reference materials on phonology are not easily accessible. It is this missing gap that made 2013 be declared a phonetic year.

 The workshops are targeted the English language teachers as well as teachers of other subjects because mistake in English are common to all teachers.

 

Figure above shows Teaching sounds (phonetics)

The target number to be reached this year is 75.

This workshop in particular was meant to lay foundation on the importance of going phonetic. The activity will enroll to all EPP schools as the year goes by.

The workshops ended with the handing over of certificates to those who had completed training on the non- conventional innovative methods of teaching/learning English language.                 

                     Members receiving certificates from CFSU officer (right)

ACHIEVEMENTS

By the end of workshop the foundation of phonology had been built.

A warding of certificates of completion motived the teachers

CHALLENGES

It was discovered that the teachers needed a lot of time to grasp phonology materials.

Reference materials are scarce meaning that the teachers cannot access it easily and if accessed it is too expensive for schools to buy.

  

A REPORT ON SUPPORTING CHILD TO CHILD MONITORING SKILLS HELD ON 28TH JUNE 2013

It is common belief that children learn faster from their peers this is why it is important to encourage child to child attachments.

Child to child monitoring skills simply refers to the ability of children to encourage and teach one another.

Among the many things that they pass onto one another may include interpersonal skills like communication, good performance both in class and outside class.         

EPP as an advocator of English language mainly advocates for the communication skill.

 The target classes for this activity were primary 4,5,6 in all of the 15 schools.

One of the resource person Mr. Bright Robert a teacher of Bukuuku Primary        demonstrated to the pupils and teachers how they could make pupils influence one another. 

        

Pairing method

He got a child who had a good language command and let him have a chat about a football game they had watched together. 
 The conversation was so interesting and it made teachers and pupils laugh off their heads.
Both pupils had a common interest in football one was able to express himself while the other was kind of unable.

 As the conversation went on, there were moments when the poor communicator would fall short  of a word and quickly the good Communicator would chip in the word for him and the conversation would continue.

By the end of the conversation, one would tell that the poor communicator had at least learnt a word or two.

The reward method:

This was mainly handled by Gafabusa Michael and his message was directed to the teachers

The teachers were encouraged to reward the poor communicators with something. He gave an example when he himself was given a fountain pen by his teacher the day he pronounced the word mosquito property. He said since that day he permanently learnt to write it and pronounce it properly.

Instant correction.

Mr. Kajura Nelson a teacher from Buhinga primary school also encouraged teachers to correct any mistake whether written or spoken there and then. He also encouraged pupils who are good at English language to correct their colleagues whenever they make mistakes.

  Class room arrangement

He finally encouraged teachers to plan the sitting positions in such a way that the pupils who know better sit with those are still struggling as this would encourage child to child monitoring.

                                        

The activity was applauded by many schools and they asked for more sessions at least quarterly.

The total number of pupils reached out was 4,831 (2,365 girls, 2466 boys) 236 Teachers (152 female and 84 males)