MANILA, Philippines - Ten public school teachers are on their way to the United States this month to attend a prestigious international reading conference after their successful English teaching strategy was adjudged as a model for other countries.
The ten English teachers gained the all-expense paid presenter slot to the 55th International Reading Association (IRA) convention in Chicago, Illinois this April 25 to 28 in recognition of their “Mentoring the Mentors” program which was recognized as an international model for effective English teaching.
The delegation which will be headed by Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador will be composed of five elementary, five secondary and four consultants from the National English Proficiency Program (NEPP).
“This is another source of pride for us — that our best practices have gained notice in other parts the world,” said Education Secretary Mona Valisno.
The “Mentoring the Mentors: The Philippine DepEd Model to Enhance Teaching and Learning” presented by the teachers showcased the program’s effectiveness through increased English literacy in pilot areas.
The success of the mentoring program is attributed to its comprehensive one-on-one training of teachers so that they can train other teachers who can become excellent teachers of more non-native English speaking Filipino pupils.
The complete mentoring program is implemented over three years. The first year is on basic training on English communication skills. The second year is an enhancement of the first year program, and the third year is a further deepening of the skills or “broadening the horizon”.
Dr. Rosalina Villaneza, DepEd-NEPP director, said that the mentoring program helps develop teachers’ skills and self-confidence.
DepEd piloted the mentoring program in Regions IX, XII, and the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and in Regions 1 and IV-B for the national pilot.
It subsequently found out that Grade 6 pupils who took the National Achievement Test (NAT) in English subjects had improved performance after the mentoring program.