DEH Holds Teachers’ Professional Development Program

DEH Holds Teachers’ Professional Development Program

Publish Date: 
Thursday, March 16, 2023

The Department of English and Humanities (DEH) at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) organized an extensive day-long Teachers’ Professional Development Program on March 16, 2023 where English teachers from 16 schools and colleges of Dhaka participated. In this workshop, different teaching methods, outcomes, and their implementation were discussed. With remarks about the importance of active and lifelong learning, Professor Imran Rahman, the Vice-Chancellor of ULAB, initiated the program and welcomed the participants. The introductory session was moderated by Nadia Rahman, Assistant Professor, DEH, and the participant teachers introduced themselves. Professor Kaiser Haq, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, welcomed the participants and spoke about the need for schools/colleges and universities to collaborate to ensure the best outcome for students.

The first workshop on “Online Teaching and Student-Centered Learning” was conducted by Ms. Arifa Ghani Rahman, Head and Associate Professor, DEH. In this session, the use of different types of LMSs (Learning Management Systems) in facilitating student-centered teaching to enhance the experience of online teaching and learning process was discussed. The usefulness of a blended teaching method constituting both online and physical classes was emphasized.

The second workshop was conducted by Professor Kaiser Haq on “How to Teach Literature in the Classroom.” During the workshop, Prof. Haq emphasized the teaching of English literature through the basic features of the English language. He stressed on giving importance to internalizing literature and integrating it into the everyday life of the English language and literature learners. Finally, he shared three criteria for teaching literature in the classroom: introduce the literary background, connect the author’s biographical background, and lastly, closely read the literary text.

The third workshop, titled “Materials Development: An Introduction,” was facilitated by Mohammad Mosiur Rahman, Senior Lecturer, DEH. The workshop focused on the development of materials and their evaluation. The necessity of blending authentic text with literary texts, developing additional material for innovation, and whether to adopt and adapt materials were also discussed.

A round table discussion followed the workshops where the issues and problems concerning the current English teaching curriculum were elaborated on by the participants. Professor Kaiser Haq remarked that school teaching should be made a respectable job to attract graduates in this sector. The discussion revolved around the need for structural and cultural changes in implementing a better teaching-learning environment. Lastly, Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, in a video message, suggested developing language skills as a necessary part of 21st-century skills, allowing students to relate to literature, and end education inequality in the country.

The concluding remarks were delivered at the end of the day by Arifa Ghani Rahman with the anticipation that these kinds of interactive sessions will assist in reaching the ideal phase of the education systems in the future. The daylong training program concluded with the distribution of official certificates to the participants.

Report by Sanjida Akter (222055008)