UoG helps NMI teachers on PRAXIS

Yesterday marked the end of the PRAXIS training conducted by teachers from the University of Guam for the benefit of their counterparts in the Commonwealth.

Pam Eastlick, UoG planetarium director, together with six others, have been on island since last week, serving as mentors for close to a hundred teachers from Saipan, Rota and Tinian who have yet to take the PRAXIS exam.

Eastlick said the nine-day training was intended to help the teachers prepare in taking the standardized test.

“We are here to help them understand and build their confidence,” said Eastlick.

Teachers from the middle and high schools had their last day of training yesterday at the Saipan Southern High School. Eastlick said the trainers are also conducting presentations and sample tests to determine how the teachers would fare in the upcoming test.

Eastlick said they are preparing the teachers in the general aspect of the PRAXIS test. As for the specific content subject preparation, it would be the teachers themselves who would have to prepare for that part, she added.

So far, Eastlick has been very impressed with the teachers of the CNMI. She said all participants have been very enthusiastic and eager to equip themselves with what is needed before they take the actual exam.

The training assesses the teachers aptitude and point the areas where they are deficient and in need of focus and improvement.

Rota Junior High School teacher Maria Sablan said the training has been very educational. “It will definitely help us in preparing for PRAXIS,” she said, adding that she is grateful for the Public School System for providing the training.

The Board of Education recently amended its regulations governing PRAXIS requirement and teacher certification, making PRAXIS II a compulsory requirement for all public school teachers in the CNMI. This is on top of regulations mandating that PSS teachers should also pass PRAXIS I.

The ongoing training is sponsored by the Professional Development Lifelong Learning Center at UoG in cooperation with PSS.

The six other teachers from Guam helping out in the training are Bonnie Brandt, Judy Won Pat, Joe Nededog, Patrick Leddy, Arlene Diaz, and Carla Dulay.

Eastlick said the training would also not have been possible without the assistance of Rita Edwards, the director of PDLLC at UoG.