“Does each student in my room understand the lesson?” and “What can I do when a student doesn't learn the lesson I have just taught?” These are the guide questions teachers from different Philippine international schools learned when they attended a seminar on “Checking for Understanding” here Friday. “Five or six students dominate a class recitation and the teacher doesn't seem to realize that the rest ... do not have a clue,” Fernando B. Orines, the seminar's speaker said. “Checking for understanding and reteaching should be an integral part of teaching a lesson,” he added. The management of the Second Philippine International School (SPIS) invited Orines' group from Manila to share his thoughts about ways and approaches in dealing with this problem. Orines is an author of several mathematics books used by both public and private schools in the Philippines. “Actually, the plan was only for SPIS teachers, but we decided to invite other schools to seize this rare opportunity,” said Anthony Mesina, SPIS principal. Filipino teachers in Saudi Arabia do not enjoy the same opportunities as those of their counterparts back home where such seminars are available. So, educators said, they resort to their stock knowledge, which, is often outdated. Jojit Marcelo-Abejar, a teacher from Palm Crest International School said teachers need to be updated and seek opinions from other teachers. She added that since the speaker is an author of a book, they could get some ideas on the latest teaching strategies that they can impart to their students. “We have very good teachers in Riyadh but we lack opportunities to grow intellectually. So we need exposures, trainings, and seminars like this one,” said Marnette Luna, a teacher from Future Generation Philippine International School. Teachers from Al-Danah International School (ADIS), Future Generation Philippine International School (FGPIS), Palm Crest International School (PCIS), Riyadh International School (RIS) and Second Philippine International School (SPIS) attended the seminar. Also present were representatives of Phoenix Publishing House who helped Orines promote his books on Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry.
