US GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES TEACHING EXCELLENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM

Baku, 09 0ctober ,(AzerTAj)Three secondary school teachers from Azerbaijan will travel to the United States in fall 2009 to participate in a 6-week professional development program (Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, TEA) at a US university, said Andrea Callan, head of IREX Baku office.

The professional
development program will include coursework and intensive training in teaching
methodologies, lesson planning, teaching strategies for the participants` home
environment, educational leadership as well as use the computers for Internet, word
processing and as teaching tools. The 6-week program also will include a 2 to 3-week
internship at a secondary school to actively engage participants with American
teachers and students. Trips to US cultural sites and academic support will be
provided for participants throughout the program.
In spring 2010 a cohort of 40 US teachers will reciprocate the visits of the
international teachers. Each US teacher will be hosted by a TEA alumni school in the
participating country where they will team-teach and discuss best teaching
practices, curriculum and educational issues in the host country. The trip will
include visits to the local school, NGOs and local government offices.
TEA will provide follow-on-grants to the international teachers to purchase
essential materials for their schools, to offer follow-on training for other
teachers.
TEA is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US
Department of State and implemented by IREX, Washington, DC-based non-profit
organization.
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