The Free Classes' February Teacher Development Workshop took place on Sunday 5th Feb. Led by JWOC's Child Development Coordinator and Librarian Sonesa Khuon, it focused on 'Facilitation Skills using Creative Art Techniques', we caught up with her to find out how it went.
Please can
you describe the training that you did in today’s teacher development workshop?
The training in
today’s Teacher Development Workshop was named ‘Facilitation Skills using Creative
Art Techniques’. As art class team leader and library class teacher the
training can help our scholarship student teachers to build ideas, think creatively
and in turn apply such skills into their lessons and classrooms. I focused on
sharing methods to build closer relationships between teachers and students
(and scholarship student peers), from what I saw the students enjoyed the
training, finding it interesting, meaning they can apply it in the classroom.
What methods
did you use in the training to support your class?
To start, I
asked all students to stand in a circle, stand next to a member of the opposite
gender before asking them to hold hands. They felt shy and awkward, but I did
this to break barriers and to get them to better know each other. We played the
‘name game’, so everyone knew each other’s name, more than 60% already knew
each other. Such games are very good in building up relationships in the
classroom, especially as the new term starts and students don’t know each other.
Beside games, I asked them to meditate and to think about the teachers (in
school and university) they liked and disliked and then what those teachers did
right and wrong. This reflection allowed them to realize how they act in the
classroom and to understand what they should do to ensure their students enjoy
learning with them. This is great way for the students to reflect in a peaceful
environment, something most had not done before.
Why is
creativity in the classroom important? How do you think it will help the
teachers in the classroom and the student’s learning?
Creativity in
the classroom is very important as it helps the teacher to introduce new
techniques and make the lesson more fun and engaging. It is a modern teaching
method practiced in more developed countries. It helps teachers to teach in different
styles and make the lesson more interactive so students will not feel bored with
the same kind of lessons.
How can the
teachers encourage creativity in the classroom?
There are many
ways, including playing games, teaching them through songs, changing the
classroom layout; as well as different styles of teaching through textbooks, projectors/slideshows,
tablets, and changing the classroom environment (teaching inside and outside)
etc. These are just a few that we discussed.
Why is
creativity important for the next generation of Cambodians? How will it help
Cambodia grow?
It is very
important for the next generation of Cambodians because it is a new strategy
for students and teachers to participate in the learning process. Students will
learn through having fun, making the class more interesting, building skills in
communication, collaboration, creative and critical thinking. This will help
Cambodia grow by making a more reliable human resource which has more creative
skills to help people in communities, encouraging innovation and helping
Cambodia to develop faster.
