In partnership with the Bhutanese Ministry of Education (MoE), the Bhutan Canada Foundation is supporting the capacity of Bhutanese teachers through COVID-19 and beyond through online professional development workshops. In 2020 BCF completed a needs assessment with Bhutanese teachers to understand their current professional development needs. This needs assessment formed the basis of workshop topics that was facilitated by qualified experts starting in May and through June 2021.

Workshop Topics:

• 21st century pedagogy
• Writing for online learners and readers
• Collaborative learning
• Understanding giftedness and characteristics of gifted students

Learning outcomes:

1. Increase knowledge of diverse pedagogical and education management methods through professional development workshops
2. Increase confidence to apply knowledge from professional development workshops into teaching practice
3. Increase capacity of Bhutanese teachers to facilitate the continuity of learning during COVID-19, teach diverse learners, and apply diverse pedagogical and education management methods.

This initiative is in line with the Bhutan Professional Standards for Teachers which is a framework of seven standards that encompasses teachers’ competencies and practices.  The seven standards are:

1. Diversity of learners
2. Learning environment
3. Content and pedagogical knowledge
4. Planning and teaching
5. Assessment and reporting
6. Personal growth and professional development
7. Professional engagement and Bhutanese values