Participants at the Teachers’ Winter School. Educators benefit from UKZN’s Winter School
The Teaching and Learning Unit at the College of Law and Management Studies recently hosted a three-day Teachers’ Winter School aimed at enhancing educational methodologies in the education fraternity.
The Winter School is part of the College’s ongoing development initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationship between the University and the education sector through the sharing of knowledge and skills development to ensure that pupils are well prepared for the transition from high school to tertiary level.
Generous sponsorship from the Citi Foundation ensured the workshop was provided at no cost to the educators.
UKZN academic and Winter School co-ordinator, Dr Angela James, said the initiative aimed to cultivate quality educators who in turn would deliver quality education to pupils thus improving their opportunity for access to Higher Education and the province’s pass rate.
‘It is incumbent on teacher professional development institutions to initiate and engage teachers from quintile 1 and 2 schools. Feedback received from the teachers really indicates the depth of this need,’ said James.
‘I have learnt so much from this workshop which has led me to realise that it is because of us educators that learners fail. We need more workshops of this nature and more often, perhaps twice a year, because there is so much that we can learn from one another as educators.’
The workshop covered professional development issues and subject specialisation development, including literacy aspects across the curriculum.
The workshop allowed the educators to:
* Reflect on pedagogical approaches and practices to inform the quality of teaching and learning
* Extend their subject specialisation knowledge, skills and attitudes to teaching English, Mathematics and Accounting
* Develop knowledge about and inform on the impact of the EMS Winter School that the Grades 11 and 12 learners attended and provide constructive feedback
* Explore and develop their professional identities and skills in the use of a computer, leadership and learning strategies
* Inspire teachers to study further at UKZN.
Another Teachers Workshop is being planned for the September school holidays.
Thandiwe Jumo
