The television, radio and newspaper teams of the Laos Information Media Center (IMC), together with the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), and the support of the Government of Australia and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have just released a new episode of the documentary series Role Model (“model to follow”). It tells the story of an inspiring principal of a public school in Muang Kham, in the Laotian province of Xiangkhouang.
Ajan Bounthien Thammavongseng became a teacher in 1999. Passionate and dedicated, he has received the “Award of Merit” from the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports on several occasions. He taught for many years in very rural areas before becoming headmaster of a school in Muang Kham.
The school also has a vegetable and flower garden, and chickens. Teachers organize lessons in the garden to put knowledge into practice in different subjects. In kindergarten math classes, students learn to calculate areas. In Lao language classes, students learn the names of different plants and how to spell them. Teachers also use the garden to help students learn about the life cycle of a chicken.
Ajan Bouthien promotes health and hygiene at the school and has created a handwashing station using locally available materials: “it was easy to build and very affordable. I want students to understand that they should wash their hands regularly. Hygiene is very important. “You can’t learn well if you’re sick.” Students also receive guidance on how to brush their teeth properly every day after lunch.
Several neighboring schools came to the school for advice and with projects to build their own handwashing stations. Ajan Bounthien values collaboration with other schools. «I think it is important to share knowledge, experiences and resources with teachers from other schools through visits or group meetings. Recently, I gave tips on how to organize tables to prepare for different pair or group work activities for a visiting group of teachers. “One of our teachers is good at English and he demonstrated how to teach English using the phonics approach in the last group meeting.”
In the documentary, Ajan Bounthien emphasizes the importance of principals supporting teachers. With the new primary curriculum now being taught in all grades, teachers need time and ongoing support to fully embrace the new way of teaching.
Hold regular meetings to ensure your team is working together to create learning resources, solve challenges, and plan. He constantly engages with his teachers and encourages them to continually expand their knowledge, skills, and experience. Ajan Bountien uses several techniques to support his teachers. He organizes co-teaching between two teachers of different grades, or with himself, since he is also a teacher. “I like co-teaching because this method exposes teachers to different classroom practices and helps them reflect on each other’s teaching approaches.” He also uses classroom observation to help his teachers resolve challenges and improve the quality of their teaching.
Ajan Bouthien said that “motivation is key; That’s why I always praise my teachers. I provide feedback in a positive and constructive manner, taking care not to hurt feelings. “I want my team to know that I am always open to discussing challenges with them, honestly and without prejudice.”
Ajan Bounthien believes that involvement with the community and parents is key. He organizes parent meetings, especially at the beginning of the school year. He and his teachers provide regular feedback to parents about their children’s learning and progress.
Passionate and inclusive principals like Ajan Bounthien can have a great impact on the quality of education and the future of new generations. They are inspiring role models for other teachers and principals. Ajan Bounthien said that he strongly believes in education: “I became a teacher because I was inspired by my own former teachers who developed me as a person. “I want to be the person who helps young children develop, flourish and reach their full potential.”
The story of Ajan Bounthien can be seen on the YouTube channel ວິດໂອສໍາລັບການພັດທະນາຄູ (Video for Teacher Development). The documentary series project Role Model is supported by the Australian Government and the United States Agency for International Development through the BEQUAL program. The aim of these interview-based videos is to promote and share best practices to drive implementation of the new curriculum and highlight innovative ways to address teaching and learning challenges.
(Fuente: Lao News Agency)
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2024-05-06 02:05:25