Headteacher makes Teach2030 courses mandatory for teachers’ professional development at Baby Steps School in Republic of Congo!

Benic Mbanwie is Education Director at Baby Steps International School in the Republic of Congo. The headteacher course is part of our free Teach2030 Whole School Programme, which allows leadership to implement Teach2030 professional development throughout a school successfully. Benic tells us how she uses our Teach2030 courses to improve standards of teaching. 

Baby Steps is a school located in Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo. Our school uses the English National Curriculum but diverts in some aspects of History and Geography, to consider the continent of Africa. Considering that our school is in a French speaking country, the language barrier prevents our teachers from participating in professional development seminars organised by the Ministry in charge of Education.

As we strive to provide quality education, it is important that the teachers continuously improve themselves so that they can also improve their learners. I came across Teach2030 on Facebook and decided to take some of the courses myself, before introducing it to the teachers at Baby Steps.

I noticed that the courses on Teach2030 were easier to understand, the examples or stories in the courses were relatable, and I was convinced that the courses would be appropriate for our teachers. Thus, I decided to introduce these courses as mandatory for new joiners as a pre-requirement and for teachers in the school each term.

During the teaching holidays the school organises a training session using Teach2030 courses. One of the teachers is appointed as the facilitator and will need to complete the selected course before the training session. One of the courses that has been taken by all the teachers and has had a remarkable impact is that on Growth mindsets for teachers and learners. The teachers unanimously agreed that this course has made them see the value in continuous professional development, change the way they give feedback to the learners and their language in the classroom toward the learners.

In addition to taking a Teach2030 course each term, the teachers decided to include a specific date to follow the 15-minute training each month. This is because (in their words) they appreciate the content of the courses provided by Teach2030.

Baby Steps, we also have our own Teach2030 Ambassador, Bantar! Read more about Bantar on our Teach2030 Ambassador page.

If you wish to sponsor a school –  and ensure that every teacher within it receives professional development – then please email partnerships@commonwealtheducationtrust.org