26 Pakistani English language teachers depart for US on 6-week exchange
The TEA programme provides secondary school teachers with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject area, enhance their teaching skills, and engage with American teachers and students
June 05, 2018
ISLAMABAD: Twenty-six Pakistani English language teachers departed for the United States on Monday to participate in the Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Programme.
The TEA programme provides secondary school teachers with unique opportunities to develop expertise in their subject area, enhance their teaching skills, and engage with American teachers and students. The six-week programme includes intensive training in teaching methodologies, lesson planning, teacher leadership, and exposure to new technologies.
The US Embassy sponsors English language programmes in Pakistan for both teachers and students. Each year, the programmes educate over 3,000 students via direct teaching to help them develop leadership skills. Additionally, the programmes support more than 300 teachers annually via face-to-face trainings, online courses, and exchanges like TEA.
American Embassy Regional English Language Officer Maria Snarski met with the Pakistani educators during the pre-departure orientation over the weekend and encouraged them to take full advantage of their experience during their six-week programme to help inform and transform their classroom.
“The TEA programme will not only provide insight into a variety of effective educational practices in secondary school and university that can use to transform your classroom,” Snarski said, “It will also provide first-hand experience of the United States to bring back to your students, your family, and your community. This type of exchange truly helps bring our two nations closer together.”
TEA Alumni are eligible to compete for small grant awards to share what they learned with other teachers via collaborative projects between participating American schools and their home schools.
Sara, a 2017 TEA programme alumna from Taxila, told the outgoing participants, “TEA not only expanded my vision of class beyond the traditional boundaries, but it also gave me courage and confidence to explore new dimensions of language teaching.”
A second cohort of TEA programme participants will depart for the United States in July.
