When she returned to Bangladesh after completing six weeks of professional development in the United States with the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA), Musammat Badrunesha was determined to do something to benefit her fellow English language teachers in Moulvibazar District. After obtaining funding and support from the Deputy Commissioner and District Education Officer, three outstanding TEA alumni—Musammat Badrunesha, Ayan Chowdhury, and Debobroto Shaha—conducted a two-day workshop for 140 teachers, representing every secondary school in the Moulvibazar District.
The training covered communicative language teaching (CLT), which is an approach that emphasizes interaction as both the means and the ultimate goal of learning a language; problem-based learning (PBL), in which students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences; and the theory of multiple intelligences, which argues that traditional conceptions of intelligence do not sufficiently encompass the wide variety of abilities that students may display.
Through a combination of multimedia presentations, group discussions, and anecdotal storytelling about their time in the United States, the three TEA alumni generated significant interest among a large audience of English teachers about new teaching methodologies and concepts. Similar opportunities are supported through the TEA program’s alumni grant opportunities. The grants encourage alumni from around the world to develop and deliver relevant teacher training workshops in their own communities.
