Galapagos ICE aims to empower the local teachers to teach English successfully. This strategy not only creates a meaningful sense of fulfillment and achievement within the community, but also enhances the sustainability of English instruction on the Islands. We believe that the locals should be able to take charge of their own advancement rather than perpetuating a worldview of themselves as solely recipients of aid. To understand more about the current lack of training for teachers in the Galapagos Islands and the context in which our volunteers work, please read this Assessment of Teacher Training, prepared by one of our volunteers.
Teacher training workshops focus on the methodology and theory of teaching, in particular in relation to teaching English. Workshops given by volunteers may cover the following topics:
- Classroom management,
- The role of the teacher,
- Language theories,
- English language teaching methodologies
- How to teach vocabulary & grammar
Workshops may also cover English language skills to help the teachers improve their own levels of English language.
An overarching goal of the workshops is to show how to use the strategies being discussed by implementing them in real-world situations. For example, to demonstrate the effectiveness of positive reinforcement in classroom management, a sticker reward system for the teachers can be used to encourage participation and attendance during the workshops.
One of our volunteers, Prudence Ingerman, a Senior Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator in the Intensive English Program at Juniata College in Pennsylvania, USA, conducted an assessment and provided us with some recommendations for how volunteer EFL teachers can help. If you are interested in helping find out more about volunteering with Galapagos ICE.
Galapagos ICE also offers workshops for teachers covering math activities, Environmental Education activities and exchange of ideas about general teaching methods.
