Teachers urged to be innovative, creative
Teachers need to be innovative, practical and creative in their teaching. This was the main subject of discussion by participants in a seminar organised by the KAMA Education Project (KEP) in Kumasi.
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That, they said, was necessary to motivate their students to acquire entrepreneurial skills after graduation.
The seminar, attended by 300 teachers from 20 second-cycle institutions in the Kumasi metropolis, was also meant to sensitise the participants to be abreast of the entrepreneurship revolution taking place in the 21st Century.
Besides the presentations that offered the participants insight into the topics treated, there were practical and demonstrative activities on how to prepare assorted fruit juices and other local food items to give Home Economics teachers among the participants an insight into varieties of businesses opportunities for their students.
The Visual Arts, Science, Geography and Mathematics teachers were also taken through various teaching methods to introduce modernity and practical application of their teaching to link business opportunities which are available in the country.
In his presentation, the President of the KEP, Dr Michael Agyekum Addo, expressed concern about the growing unemployment rate among young graduates in the country, saying that “unemployment among the youth would be worsened in the next 10 years if we continue to apply the old ways of teaching in the classroom.”
On the lack of innovation and creativity in the methodology of teaching from the basic to the tertiary level, Dr Agyekum Addo noted that “the time has come for teachers to keep abreast of the entrepreneurship revolution by linking classroom work with business opportunities to give students a fair idea of how to start and grow their own businesses after graduation.”
Dr Agyekum Addo, who is also the Chief Executive of the KAMA Group of Companies, said just as he started his company without any capital, students, irrespective of their background and gender, could also start and grow their own businesses if teachers would give directions and mention available job opportunities in the course of teaching.
“ We have no cause to complain that there are no jobs in the country. Ghana is well endowed with numerous natural resources and we have a lot of best brains in the classrooms,” he added.
Dr Agyekum Addo said teachers could do a lot of things to curb the unemployment rate in Ghana, stressing that they should know that colour, rhythm and music were all opportunities they could harness for job creation.
He stated again that it was equally important for teachers to address the challenges of shyness, fear of failure, pride and arrogance, among their students and help build their self-esteem and also equip them with positive attitudes, creative ideas, honesty, truthfulness, discipline and God fearing principles.
“As teachers, you should also be very good listeners; ask the opinions of your students during lessons, motivate them to solve problems in the class, and provide positive feedback,” he stressed.
By George Ernest Asare/Daily Graphic/Ghana