COLE BAY:---- Understand your subject and know what you want your students to learn was the underlying message at this week’s Teacher Orientation Workshop, organized by St. Maarten Academy.
Teachers of three of the four high schools on the south of the island that offer examinations through the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) on Thursday and Friday participated in a two-day workshop to allow them to better prepare them to sit the regional examinations.
Close to 100 teachers and administrators from St. Maarten Academy’s academic campus, St. Dominic High School, and Charlotte Brookson Academy gathered at The Little Well Oasis in Cole Bay for the sessions. The workshop was a collaborative effort between the three School Boards (Foundation for Academic and Vocational Education, Catholic School Board, and Charlotte Brookson Academy) and the Head of Examinations Division and the Local Registrar of the Ministry of Education, Ms. Yvette Halley.
The workshops were facilitated by CXC curriculum developers Mrs. Alsian Brown-Perry and Dr. Annette Piper who reminded educators of what is needed in order to achieve the best results at both CSEC and CAPE.
Educators were urged to read the rationale of their specific subject syllabuses, interpret them for students, and develop the aims and specific objectives accordingly. “Get students and parents to download all their CXC Syllabuses,” Mrs. Perry urged.
Local Registrar Yvette Halley during the opening lauded Academy’s Principal Drs. Tallulah Baly-Vanterpool who took the bold initiative to make contact with CXC’s Registrar to bring the training to St. Maarten. She urged teachers to take the knowledge and tools imparted during the workshop to enhance the classroom experience for students.
“At the end of the day, no matter which school we represent, we are partners in education. This workshop is not about us, it is about the success of the young people of St. Maarten”, said Baly-Vanterpool. “We are all serious about education and this workshop is a step in that direction, especially since we see the collaboration of the other high schools. This workshop is not about us, but what we can do to help the youth of St. Maarten.”
During the first day, the visiting facilitators analyzed the CAPE (Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination) and CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) syllabuses, planning to finish before the May/June examinations, and the role of the teacher in the School-Based Assessment (SBA), among other things.
Day two emphasized the importance of developing the table of specifications, differentiated instruction, dealing with multiple intelligences, ICT and curriculum implementation, and the impact teachers have on how students learn. Teachers were urged to teach students how questions should be answered.
The sessions also provided clarity about CAPE and allowed for teachers at that level to receive feedback, since the programme was only introduced through St. Maarten Academy in September 2014. The interactive workshop saw educators networking, sharing ideas, and resources. They were also encouraged to apply to become CXC markers in their particular subject areas, especially since the body is moving more and more to e-marking.
“It will inform the way you teach, the way you set your assessments,” said Mrs. Perry.
CXC offers examinations in 33 subjects in 19 territories, including Suriname, in January and May/June every year.