Although there was a power outage during the first half of day one, the English Teachers’ Training held last June 7-8, 2013 was alive and buzzing with laughter. Up in the mountainous region of Itogon, Benguet, 164 participants composed of teachers, principals and DepEd supervisors listened attentively to the wonderful stories told by, expert storyteller, Prof. Shirley Equipado. It was as if the participants were transformed into young children when they started listening to her stories, feeling giddy and wearing huge grins.
This scenario where children are having fun and exploring ideas, is the best state in which children will learn, Prof. Equipado explained. She advocated for the use of stories, instructional tools and for teachers to be great storytellers so that the students’ imagination and vocabulary will be enhanced while they are learning how to read. Aside from demonstrating how to properly tell stories, she also demonstrated how to use different instructional materials to boost students’ enjoyment and encourage their participation. Afterwards, she asked the participants to use the various materials and stories to demonstrate what they have learned.
The workshop ended fittingly with a session on values formation for effective teaching. Prof. Shirley reminded teachers of their rights using the “Magna Carta for Public School Teachers” or R.A. 4670. But, most importantly, she reminded them of their responsibilities to the country, their respective communities, and especially to their students. She challenged the teachers to be the best they can be and to never stop learning to which the participants answer was a resounding “YES!”
