They teach ABCs and 123s but over the last three months - 55 primary school teachers learnt their DDMs. That stands for dance, drama, and music. That's what the teachers from across the Belize District have been spending their Friday afternoons doing for the past 10 weeks. And like all students do - they got the chance to show off what they've learnt to an audience. 7NEWS was front row.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The roles were reversed this morning at the Bliss as it was the children in the audience cheering - and their teachers were on the stage performing. These teachers are part of the 55 that graduated this morning from a 10 week expressive arts course.
Leroy Green, Expressive Arts Coordinator
"This workshop lasted ten weeks, one hour each Friday from October fifth to this Friday in drama, dancer and music. It is to equip teachers to go back into the schools and teach expressive arts as a subject - not just something that they hurry up and do for the Festival of Arts."
Tracy Gillett who teaches music at Belize Elementary School participated in the music workshop.
Tracy Gillett, Belize Elementary School
"I'm an experienced music teacher but the workshop taught me some new techniques in teaching music. It showed me as a teacher that when I am teaching I need to have patience, take my time, in music and not rush. As a teacher it was important for me to attend this workshop because as I said I gained from it in the sense that I learnt new teaching methods and I think I could take this with me into the classroom."
And while Gillett did music - Marina Kelltlou who teaches a standard four class at Hattieville Government School did drama.
Marina Kelltlou, Hattieville Government School
"It was something that my principal brought up to me and she knows that I love the expressive arts. As a teacher we only push the books, books, books but we need to leave that system alone. W e need to get our children incorporated into the arts. Many of them learn that way as a result of them learning abilities as we know that at school, children don't just learn from books anymore. Let's move away from, I am not saying to leave academics alone but let's try to move away from that part and more into the expressive arts."
Marlett LaCayo - a standard six teacher at Wesley Upper School - participated in all three workshops - dance, drama, and music.
Marlett LaCayo, Wesley Upper School
"It is important to me because I believe that as teachers we need to grow just not intellectually as in the book work but in all other areas."
And though today was a graduation day of sorts - expressive arts coordinator Leroy Green says this is step one.
Leroy Green,
"Expressive arts is an integral part of a child's wholistic development because it leaches them how to express themselves, how to be creative, it gives them self-confidence and self-esteem, and it helps them to function as a person. It is not finished here. This is stage one. They have to come back next year to get stage two to rise to another."
And given the enthusiasm of these educators to be educated - they'll be back for stage 2.
Stage two of the training will commence early next year.
