Teachers advised to embrace continuous learning

Aug 01, 2019

The advice was given by Qassim Ssemogerere the President of Uganda National English Language Teachers’ Association (UNELTA), during a teachers’ training workshop held at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute.

EDUCATION

KAMPALA - Teachers have been advised to bring the contemporary world into their classrooms to benefit learners with their personal experiences. 

The advice was given by Qassim Ssemogerere the President of Uganda National English Language Teachers' Association (UNELTA), during a teachers' training workshop held at Buziga Islamic Theological Institute.

Ssemogerere noted that learners understand more when their teachers draw examples from their personal experiences as they teach them.  He also advised teachers to engage in continuous professional development programmes.

He noted that whereas teaching-learning contexts are fast changing with the global dynamic contexts, in Uganda there are limited opportunities for teachers to continuously enhance their teaching competence.

"The tendency is to ‘teach as one was taught' irrespective of the difference in context to our learners," Ssemogerere said. "Society is evolving and we cannot adequately prepare learners for the world that exists today or will exist tomorrow if we continue preparing them for the world that existed yesterday."

Rodney Rugyema, a trainer and English language lecturer at Makerere University, Department of Linguistics, reiterated the need for teachers to align what they teach with the interests of their learners, guided by the curriculum.

"The role of education is to prepare learners to become active, successful and contributing members of society," So he said.

The Program Coordinator, Amon Kitooke noted that the training was designed to create a sustainable, friendly teaching and learning environment where teachers and learners have enough esteem to reach their full academic potential among other things.

The training; a one-year mentorship program for 50 teachers at Buziga Theological Institute ran under the theme, "Continuous Professional Development." 

It was organized by UNELTA with support from the US Embassy in Kampala. The program seeks to explore 21st-century teaching methods and techniques as well as professionally appropriate school practices.

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