GLOBAL GOALS

Three-year teacher training program bridges pandemic education gaps

Sixty elementary English and Mathematics teachers from Security Bank Foundation Inc.’s classroom beneficiary schools nationwide attended the Year One training program held at Ateneo de Iloilo

DT · Oct 9, 2023, 12:20 AM

Teachers from beneficiary schools of Security Bank Foundation, Inc.’s classroom donation program attend the first in-person teachers’ training program of SBFI and Ateneo Center for Educational Development at Ateneo de Iloilo.(PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SBFI )

To help mitigate the long-lasting impact brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic on the education system, Security Bank Foundation Inc., the social development arm of Security Bank Corporation, launched a three-year training program for teachers in August 2023.

Sixty elementary English and Mathematics teachers from SBFI's classroom beneficiary schools nationwide attended the Year One in-person training program at Ateneo de Iloilo on 22-24 August 2023.

"Academics say that the learning loss from the pandemic resulted in all students being 'minus two' from their current grade levels. To address this, SBFI took on a three-year long-term structured approach to improve teachers' expertise," said Atty. Grace Ayson, Security Bank assistant corporate secretary and Security Bank Foundation training programs adviser.

The "Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation Building" program was created to improve teacher pedagogy to develop students' 21st -century skills, create effective lessons for struggling and advanced learners, develop effective assessments and engage stakeholders to improve student performance.

SBFI and its partner Ateneo de Manila University designed the program to be sustainable by creating a three-year roadmap that targets the Self in Year One, the School in Year Two and the Community in Year Three.

Teachers are expected to produce model lesson plans and learning improvement programs throughout the three years. After their training, participants will have the opportunity to be mentors of other teachers from other schools as a part of professional fellowship.

"The new teaching methodologies aimed at improving 21st-century skills helped us in becoming better educators. It also ignited our passion as educators to share our learnings with our fellow teachers," said Jane Angeli Gavasan, an English teacher from Catalunan Pequeño Elementary School in Davao City.

"We want the beneficiaries of Security Bank's classroom donation program to have teachers equipped with meaningful training in content and pedagogy before they return to their teaching stations prior to the start of classes," said Dr. Carmela Oracion, managing director of the Ateneo Center for Educational Development.