Queen Rania Discusses Professional Development Programs with Teachers at QRTA

(Office of Her Majesty, Press Department- Amman) Her Majesty Queen Rania, on Tuesday, met with trainers, teachers, principals and supervisors at the Queen Rania Teachers Academy (QRTA) to discuss the Academy’s achievements, the effectiveness of its professional development programs, and future plans for growth.

Launched last year by Her Majesty Queen Rania in an effort to strengthen teacher quality in Jordan, QRTA’s outreach activities are implemented in cooperation with a range of regional and Jordanian educational partners through the support of Columbia University’s Teachers College.

To date, the Academy’s programs for teachers have benefited a total of 750 participants. This year, QRTA aims to target 1,200 new teachers for the Network Program, which offers workshops in the areas of science, English writing, math and leadership. In addition, 300-600 teachers will be participating in QRTA’s Induction Course, and 200 teachers will attend the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program.

The Academy will also aim to expand its reach to the south in coordination with the Madrasati initiative, launched by Her Majesty in 2008.

Accompanied by Safwan Masri, Director of the Queen Rania Teachers Academy, Queen Rania listened to teachers as they shared their experiences, insights, and the challenges of implementing what they learn at the Academy in a class-room setting.

Also today, Queen Rania passed by one of the science workshops organized by the Academy, where over 100 teachers were conducting a science experiment.

Queen Rania then stopped by another workshop conducted by the Columbia University Middle East Research Centre (CUMERC) focused on the problem of family violence. During the workshop several participants voiced their opinions on the issue of violence, citing the factors which lead to abuse, and the alternative methods adopted to overcome challenges existing in schools. This specialized Social Work Education for Excellence Program (JSWEEP) included 45 participants who have been exposed to cases of domestic violence and have already completed the introductory course “Foundations for Social Work Practice,” offered last year by CUMERC. The participants included representatives from diverse Jordanian institutions and Ministries.