Supporting teachers working at the Pupil Referral Unit (PRU), and the Workshop Initiative for Support in Education (WISE) programmes of the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School, attended a professional development day, under the theme “ Adopting a positive frame of mind for working with children with behavioural challenges,” on Wednesday, 22nd February 2017. The day’s events allowed for morning sessions by Dr. Oluwakemi M. Linda Banks focusing on covering a message of encouragement and positive discipline that works. Dr. Banks, through her sessions, provided an opportunity for participants to evaluate their adolescent experiences. She also guided teachers in developing effective ways of talking and listening to their students. Her final presentation allowed her to work on enhancing the coaching skills of the teachers to ensure the internalization and exhibition of positive attitudes and behaviours of their students.
One of the afternoon sessions was facilitated by the Department of Probation, more specifically, Senior Probation Officer, Ms. Christine Brooks and Probation Officer, Ms. Toya Carty. This session was entitled Conflict Resolution, and focused on the elements of conflict, conflict styles and responding to conflict.
Later in the afternoon, the teachers engaged in a paint session facilitated by Ms. Canita Ruan. This was preluded by an activity, by counsellor Ms. Emma Ferguson, on looking beyond the masks of children.
– Contributed
