embassy events 2008 

Embassy Warsaw Co-sponsors Conference on Innovative Teaching Methods

21 April 2008

Jennifer Holder

Margaret Cholodecki

The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, together with the National In-Service Teacher Training Center and the Young Learners Resource Center in Warsaw organized a conference on April 14 on innovative English teaching methods for elementary teachers of grades1 to 6. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Mary Curtin, spoke at the opening of the conference about the U.S. Embassy English teaching program and the development of a new network of Young Learners Resource Centers in Poland. English Language Fellow Jennifer Holder who works in Pecs, Hungary gave an opening lecture titled "Reaching All Students in Inclusive Classrooms" discussing the difficulties of teaching to the diverse language abilities of a classroom of students.

This one-day conference in Warsaw concentrated on methods of classroom management, teaching methods in an integrated classroom, and interactive and innovative methods of teaching. The program consisted of plenary sessions and various simultaneous workshops.  English Language Fellow Margaret Cholodecki who currently works in Poland, taught a workshop titled "Songs, Chants, and Games: the Core of the Lesson" which promoted active learning teaching methods and the resources available in theYoung Learners Resource Centers. Holder's workshop "Teaching to the Strengths of our Students" discussed the idea of using learning centers within a classroom to better teach the different learning styles of students. Representatives from the University of Warsaw Centre for Foreign Language Teacher Training and European Education, and representatives from the Young Learners Resource Center taught workshops at the conference as well. The workshop was attended by over 130 teachers throughout Poland and many participants had a chance to learn about the Young Learners Resource Center for the first time which had a stand at the entrance to the conference.