Arianne Pingledis, Program Manager – July 15, 2013
The 2013 Hope for Haiti Summer Institute, a training unlike any we’ve offered before, was an intensive three-day seminar led by two teachers from the U.S. who graciously volunteered their time and resources. Teacher trainings in Haiti often focus on subjects such as French, Math, and Science, but we wanted to offer something a bit different. Instead, this training focused on topics such as: Differentiated Instruction, Reading and Writing Fluency, Classroom Management, and Problem Solving.
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A teacher is happy to receive
his certificate of completion! |
A teacher reviews the concepts
with his fellow trainees. |
The trainers, Emma Caris François and Yves Bataille, were both born and raised in Haiti, and now reside and teach in Miami. They each have more than a decade of experience inside and outside of the classroom, providing trainings to teachers in the U.S. Ms. Caris François and Ms. Bataille were eager to put their skills to use in their home country by training teachers in Haiti. Ms. François explained why she chose to volunteer for this training, “I wanted to be part of the people who have the desire to make differences in others’ lives. And since I completed my elementary education in Haiti, I wanted to hear from the teachers… I was excited to listen to their point of view and to share my teaching experiences with them.”
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Instructor Emma Francois discusses a
group activity with several teachers |
Instructor Yves Bataille explains
reading and writing comprehension. |
The teachers were incredibly receptive to the training and are already asking when the next one will be. “I am very thankful for this training because it will allow me to better help my students learn. I hope we will have the chance to have another training like this one,” says one teacher who participated in the seminar. “I believe that the information they received will allow them to create room to improve their strategies of teaching, to spend more time to learn about students’ different learning styles, and also to create an environment where all students will feel welcome in their classroom,” adds Ms. François.
When I visit schools, I always end my visit with the same question: “What are the three most important things this school needs right now?” “Fòmasyon pwofesè,” or teacher trainings, is the response I hear most frequently. They asked; now Hope for Haiti is answering! Thank YOU Ms. Bataille and Ms. Caris François!