US Peace Corps Volunteers Facilitate English Teachers' Training

FOR IMPROVED TEACHING. Peace Corps Volunteers (standing) from left - Katie Sheppard, Bryan Barnett-Woods, Lynn Debilzen, Beth Irvin, Megan Orsini, Shauna Masura, Vicki Browne, and (seated) - Mary Manouchehri and Becky Ort, with Fe G. Peralta and William A. Villare during the DSSETT opening program, May 20, 2010.

One of them, Mary R. Manouchehri, who is an Education Volunteer assigned in the Bikol Region, was co-organizer of the said training, along with Fe G. Peralta, English department head in PNHS. They shared innovative strategies in teaching writing, and teaching heterogeneous classes, respectively, during the alternative sessions at the two-day training.

Manouchehri was born and raised in California and has a degree in Bachelor of Arts and Multiple-Subject Teaching in Elementary Education with focus in Language and Literacy.

Bryan Barnett-Woods of California lectured on Assessment Tools/Rubrics; and Common Errors in English/Filipinisms. He co-teaches English in a school in Northern Luzon to develop students' fluency, reads to elementary pupils once a week, and will be facilitating a waste management program in his current community. He studied at Chapman University and plans of attending graduate school for Urban Planning and Public Policy.

Vicki Browne, another Californian, gave workshops, and shared information on Teaching Remedial Reading. In addition to teaching English, she also does HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns and leads an Environment Club at her school in Central Luzon.

Katie Sheppard, from Florida, and Beth Irvin, from Tennessee, both Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Volunteers who are working to protect the Philippines' vast coastline and educating Filipinos on ways of preserving it, stationed at an LGU in Bikol Region and in Luzon, respectively, took charge of the sessions on Debate and Environmental Education.

Shauna Masura, from Chicago, taught Critical Thinking processes and teaching strategies. She is currently based in the Bikol Region helping students develop English fluency. She majored in Religion, Dance and Psychology at Hope University

Megan Orsini, from Florida, assisted in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Fundamentals and ICT Advanced Techniques. She is a stationed at a high school in Eastern Visayas and teaches dance to students.

Becky Ort from Ohio and Lynn Debilzen from Wisconsin, increased the trainees' awareness about HIV and AIDS and Republic Act 8504, a law directing the conduct of massive information campaigns in schools and institutions in the country.

Ort teaches English at a high school in Western Visayas but also dedicates her time to HIV/AIDS awareness. She helped organized the annual World AIDS Day in December.

Meanwhile, Debilzen works at a community-based NGO in the Central Visayas as a Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) Volunteer, and teaches the community members about HIV/AIDS awareness and other community development projects.

Held on May 20-21, 2010, with 47 participants from 30 high schools in the five congressional districts of the province, the training aimed to enable participants to learn new skills to improve their teaching, to enhance ideas they already have, and to share ideas with one another.

William A. Villare, Ed. D., principal of the host school/venue, stressed the importance and timeliness of enriching the teaching skills of English teachers to help ensure better performance of students in academics, and in division and national achievement tests.

The participants, composed of young, new teachers, as well as seasoned, experienced mentors, admitted that the training was a welcome and helpful refresher that provided them with informative and creative ways of facilitating teaching-learning activities.

Brenda S. Avila of Ocampo National High School, Ocampo, Camarines Sur, remarked that, "For starting teachers like me, this training is very necessary for building up my confidence and my skills."

"I learned a lot; and I enjoyed the activities during the workshop sessions", said Imelda F. Sopena, who has been teaching at Ombao High School, Bula, Camarines Sur for 27 years already.

Sherwin A. Borre of Binobog High School, Pili District expressed thankfulness that he was able to attend, because he learned a lot that he can use in his teaching during the coming school year.

"We also recognized the efforts of the organizers and the peace corps volunteers to share useful and applicable teaching skills and strategies that we can adopt and adapt in our respective classrooms", stressed Franklin Dacuba, and this writer, the only trainees coming from technical-vocational high schools.

When asked how and why they conceptualized the training, Peralta answered that it was to realize the goals of Education Peace Corps Volunteers to train teachers in methodologies to improve their English teaching.

"We decided to ask for a very minimal registration fee (P200.00) to encourage more people to attend. We are very grateful for the active participation of those who attended", Manouchehri added.

The DepED Camarines Sur issued Division Memorandum No. 79, series 2010 in support of the DSSETT.