From July 10-28, PH's Intensive Course for Teachers of English program implemented the Teacher Training Summer Camp (TTSC) for 20 Georgian English language teachers and 60 students aged 13-17 from across the country. The Summer Camp took place in Tskaltubo - a resort seven kilometers away from the city of Kutaisi.
TTSC participant teachers were selected through a merit-based competition that included online application and Skype or telephone interviews with PH International and World Learning-SIT representatives. Students for the Summer Camp participation were selected from among the 258 economically and socially disadvantaged youth enrolled in the English Access Micro-scholarship (Access) Program, implemented by PH International throughout Georgia. Among the main criteria for student selection were students’ attendance record and performance scores throughout his/her participation in the Access Program, discipline record and leadership potential.
Designed to give the teachers the opportunity to enhance their language teaching skills, gain confidence in their use of English while teaching, and practice their new skills with Georgian students from around Georgia, the first week of TTSC consisted of an intensive 30-hour residential program just for the English language teachers, who came from public schools across the country. This first week focused on training them in the basics of learner-centered instruction, language instruction around content themes related to American and western culture and civics, and classroom management. The second week included an English language summer camp with 60 children in grades 7-12 and provided teacher trainees with an opportunity to apply their learning, observe others, critique performance, and have an additional 20 hours of instruction to advance their mastery of core skills. Upon the completion of the program, participating teachers received the World Learning SIT Essentials in TESOL Certificate.
The English Immersion Summer Camp for students combined four elements: an observed practicum where teachers applied their learning and students got English lessons (3 hours each morning), additional training for teachers (3 hours in the afternoon), and the recreational activities (all in English) for students.
In Week 2 of the TTSC, teacher participants applied what they had learned during the first week by conducting 3-hour classes with Georgian students. In the mornings, participants worked in teaching teams, each delivering one portion of each day’s English language lessons to camp students. Trainers and peers observed the lessons, and provided feedback after each teaching session. All the teachers were given a video recorder to keep a digital diary of their learning, and of best practices observed on the course.
In the afternoons, teachers worked with their teaching teams to plan the next day’s lessons, and to practice core skills they started to develop. For three hours each afternoon, the master trainers provided guidance to the Georgian English teacher participants, helping them to become more independent and confident as they moved through the cycle of planning, teaching, reflecting, receiving feedback and setting meaningful action plans each day.
While teachers were being trained by teacher trainers, students were engaged in recreational, artistic and educational English language summer camp activities organized and run by an international team of camp counselors and recreation director.
On completion of the teaching practicum and after students returned home, teachers spent an additional three days reflecting on what they learned, and started to plan their professional engagement in local communities.
“I have attended many training workshops in my long history of teaching English, but I have never been a part of such an effective and wisely thought out training.” admitted Maya Kemoklidze, English language teacher at Tbilisi Public School #75. “We not only received a lot of information and new materials, but also got a chance to apply the knowledge we got in the training through conducting English lessons to camp participant students, observed each-other's lessons and what is more, received qualified feedback from our trainers. I am eternally thankful!” she concluded.
“This was the best week in my life” exclaimed Ketevan Katamadze, Access Program student from Batumi. “I would never believe it was possible to learn this much while having fun! Of course we did have English classes every day, but even those were far from boring. Our teachers tried their best to make the lessons as interesting and interactive as they could. I loved having the opportunity to speak English with my friends and our camp counselors, who came from nearly all over the world! Now I know Access kids from other regions and we will sure do some joint activities when the school year starts! We have also talked about organizing enrichment activities in order to share our experiences with other Access students, who did not have a chance to participate in this camp”, she chimed.
Georgia | 
