In an interview yesterday, she said since they started the regular training three years ago, “the teachers have grown professionally.”
In the past, she said teachers were lacking in certain skills.
The training, which is held every last Wednesday of the month, is part of WSR’s plan of action to address professional development issues.
Throughout the school year, WSR looks for resource persons who can conduct workshops.
These can be veteran teachers, those who teach in college or education professionals from the U.S.
At least 65 teachers attended the workshop on Wednesday in which a firefighter from the Department of Public Safety was invited to show teachers the proper use of a fire extinguisher.
Geri Lynn Willis, CNMI education specialist, gave the teachers hands-on interactive exercises on multiple intelligences — for example, how music can be utilized as an effective tool of learning.
The training, Willis said, went really well. The participants were excited about the topic.
She said teachers came out with their own great ideas.
“Then we took those ideas and incorporated them to create another tool that can be taken to the classrooms,” she said.
Villagomez said the teachers were also provided more training on how to enhance the reading skills of students in higher grades.
Over the past three years, she saw how these training sessions were applied to classrooms.
“And when we look at the student learning results, it shows us that the training sessions are working,” Villagomez said.
She added that the teachers are asking for more.
“We need continuous training in order to continue to grow and provide effective instruction to our students,” she said.
