“During the 25 years of my pedagogical experience I have participated in numerous training programs, but I am overly happy that in probably the final stage of my pedagogic path I had the chance to be part of such a development program.”
Kima Ohanesyan, chemistry teacher from Vayk High School, was one of the 97 teachers from Armenia and Artsakh that were certified as Araratian Baccalaureate teachers on June 27.
In March 2017, 300 brave teachers applied to the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development Program, took the subject training and participated in an interview. Only 110 of them overcame the admission stage and were then involved in the 1-year professional development program delivered free of charge.
“In the last year, we saw teachers that were not afraid to take the risk, overcame all admission stages and participated in a program that was a totally new culture of adult education in Armenia. They learned to be brave, open to collaboration and learned to learn from each other. I am very happy and proud of you,” said Hasmik Kyureghyan, Head of the Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Department, in her opening speech.
Dr. Jacek Brant, Senior Lecturer at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE), and Fr. Mesrop Aramian, Director of the National Program for Educational Excellence, also addressed the event.
“It is a pleasure to be with you and I have come to Yerevan to celebrate your success. What we have achieved together over the last year is remarkable. There is an Armenian saying “ջրի բերածը ջուրը կտանի” (Easy come, easy go), but in our case it is not the case as no one can take away our success or our learning,” said Dr. Jacek Brant.
Dr. Brant’s speech was then followed by the solemn ceremony of handing over the certificates to the participants. The certificates were awarded by Mary Mamikonyan, the acting Executive Director of the Ayb Educational Foundation.
“Teaching is a profession that requires a serious development program, because the future is in the hands of teachers. Teachers should give wings to new generations,” concluded Fr. Mesrop Aramian.
About Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program
The Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development Program is a new and one-year development program meeting international standards. The program consists of theoretical and practical courses and is designed for both existing and budding teachers.
Participation in the program is mandatory for all teachers and specialists wishing to teach the Araratian Baccalaureate.
The first phase of the program is delivered through face-to-face and online learning, and the second part is a probation period, when participants teach, testing the skills and knowledge they acquired during the program, and collaborate with their mentors.
Throughout the program, all participants create a portfolio, the most significant component of which is the practitioner’s inquiry. The portfolio is aimed at gathering the testimonies of the participants’ work and evaluating their progress in compliance with the AB teacher standards. The final evaluation and certification is done based on the portfolio.
The Araratian Baccalaureate Teacher Professional Development and Certification Program has been developed within the framework of the National Program for Educational Excellence, by the Ayb Educational Foundation, in collaboration with the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (IoE).
