Master and senior ranked elementary Math teachers from Visayas and Mindanao classroom beneficiary schools of Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) were trained on Singapore methods of teaching Math as they went through the Year 2 “Transforming the School” phase of the 3-year Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building training program. The in-person training for Year 2 covering 30 Math teachers was conducted by SBFI and Ateneo Center for Educational Development last July 15-19, 2024 at the Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu.
Facilitated by Ng Swee Fong, a former Associate Professor of Mathematics at the National Institute of Education in Singapore, Math teachers were taught how to use images, manipulatives, and storytelling to enable students to visualize abstract mathematical concepts. Training activities included the use of a balancing toy to understand balancing of equations, use of number lines to illustrate odd and even numbers, and use of stories of animals to teach the concepts of sorting, sequencing, addition, subtraction, and problem solving.
Teachers were also trained to use ‘prompt, probe and wonder why technique’ to challenge students to ask how and why certain Math computations were arrived at, thereby triggering their critical thinking.
The Year 2 in-person training was capped with a demo teaching where teachers presented a Math concept applying the strategies they have learned. Throughout the training, facilitator Ng emphasized that “as a teacher, you may understand the Math concepts and know the answers, but if you cannot properly communicate your thoughts in precise terms that all children will understand, then you will never be effective as a teacher.”
Teachers were surprised that when they received their training certificates, they were also handed with a bag containing a set of manipulatives which included an equalizer (the balancing toy), cat puzzles, fraction tiles and chart.
The session ended with a call from SBFI Chairman Rafael Simpao, Jr. for teachers to reflect on the following questions:
- How have I improved as a teacher from year 1?
- How can my personal improvement reflect on my teaching methodology so that my students will now have a better understanding and appreciation of their English and Mathematics subjects?
- What learnings and realization did I get from my Year 2 training?
- How can my personal learning and improvement serve as an inspiration for the other teachers in my own school?
- How can / share my learnings and experience with my fellow teachers?
- What are my immediate quick wins that I can immediately implement when I get back to my school?
- What are my medium term plans to help improve the Mathematics and English proficiency scores of the students in my school?
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