[Background info: Our training group (M78) is being trained to go to our different sites and work primarily as co-teachers. This way we still get to come in and contribute our knowledge/skill set/experience, but it is a sustainable exchange since hopefully our co-teaching counterparts will take on some of our practices as their own after we leave. In order to train for this, our Training Facilitators have paired us up with local teachers. Most of them are education students at the local community college. They get credit for teaching and going through training with us, while we get a rough idea of what it's actually like to teach with a Micronesian.] Training for the first 3 weeks was pretty much split up into 2 blocks. Morning training would go from 8:15-12 and focus primarily on teaching us to teach English. We would have sessions like "Grammar Assessment" "4mat Lesson Planning," and "Teaching Introductory Writing." We go through all of these workshops with our co-teaching counterparts. Lunch from 12-1:30.
After lunch, PCTs regroup for afternoon sessions from 1:30-5. Most of these varied among the topics of "Health/Medical" "Cross-Cultural Understanding" and "Safety/Security". Specific sessions include: "Host Family Debrief" "Emergency Action Plan" and "Diarrhea/Constipation" (This is something us M78s talk about quite casually. It's just part of being in the Peace Corps- nothing's off limits.) Like I said, this 2-block format lasted the first 3 weeks. Last week we wrapped up all of our teacher training sessions and this week and next week we spend our mornings doing "Model School".
Model School is basically a 2-week half-day summer school, open to all of the kids in the area free of cost. During enrollment, each child would answer a set of questions in English, and be assigned to 1 of our 4 levels (Turtles, Manta Rays, Lorikeets, and Dolphins) based upon their oral skills. Each co-teaching duo is assigned a level, and for the next 2 weeks we split our mornings into 3 45-minute sessions to focus on Reading Comprehension, Math Word Problems, and Oral Skills. Each class has anywhere from 8-14 students, and one class even has students ranging in age from 9-18 years old. More often than not, we have trainers that sit in on our class and offer tips/suggestions at the end of the period. Friday we have Permanent Site Announcements which all of us are VERY eager and antsy about. Once we know what island we’re assigned to, afternoon sessions shift focus and we can start language training.
After lunch, PCTs regroup for afternoon sessions from 1:30-5. Most of these varied among the topics of "Health/Medical" "Cross-Cultural Understanding" and "Safety/Security". Specific sessions include: "Host Family Debrief" "Emergency Action Plan" and "Diarrhea/Constipation" (This is something us M78s talk about quite casually. It's just part of being in the Peace Corps- nothing's off limits.) Like I said, this 2-block format lasted the first 3 weeks. Last week we wrapped up all of our teacher training sessions and this week and next week we spend our mornings doing "Model School".
Model School is basically a 2-week half-day summer school, open to all of the kids in the area free of cost. During enrollment, each child would answer a set of questions in English, and be assigned to 1 of our 4 levels (Turtles, Manta Rays, Lorikeets, and Dolphins) based upon their oral skills. Each co-teaching duo is assigned a level, and for the next 2 weeks we split our mornings into 3 45-minute sessions to focus on Reading Comprehension, Math Word Problems, and Oral Skills. Each class has anywhere from 8-14 students, and one class even has students ranging in age from 9-18 years old. More often than not, we have trainers that sit in on our class and offer tips/suggestions at the end of the period. Friday we have Permanent Site Announcements which all of us are VERY eager and antsy about. Once we know what island we’re assigned to, afternoon sessions shift focus and we can start language training.