Teacher Professional Development (TPD) Annual Report:
English Committee (2025)
I. Our Core Goal & Rationale
The English Committee’s TPD for 2025 was uniquely centered on a year-long dedication to the 90th Birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. We chose to study and share ‘An Abridged Biography of His Holiness’ to develop our professional skills in Values-Based Education and Visible Leadership. This project allowed us, as teachers, to model reading habits and cultural respect while fostering a deep interest in English within the school community.

II. Professional Journey & Growth
1. Establishing Collaborative Systems (March – April)
This year, our committee moved away from individual study and toward a visible, collaborative model.
• Accountability and Presentation: We began by building a structured foundation. Mr. Tenzin Dhondup took the lead on professional presentation by preparing the book cover for display, while Mrs. Tenzin Dolma established a ‘Special Corner’ in the main corridor.
• Outcome: This required us to coordinate our schedules and take ownership of a shared public space, developing our skills in committee synchronization.
2. Adaptability & Peer Learning (May – June)
One of our biggest areas of growth was learning how to balance our TPD with the school’s busy calendar.
• The Writing Festival: During this period, teachers collaborated to analyze ‘student taste’ and interests in writing. This acted as a form of action research, where we learned to adapt our prompts to increase student engagement.
• Refining the Process: Based on our reflections in June, we realized that posting content twice a week was more effective than three times. This showed our ability to evaluate our own work and make data-driven changes for better impact.
3. Integration & Event Planning (August – September)
We successfully integrated our personal development with school-wide operational needs.
• Application of Skills: We used TPD time to plan English Day. This was a practical application of the cooperation and dialogue skills we practiced during our book discussions. We managed large-scale activities while keeping our “reading and posting” project active in the background.
4. Moving Toward Reflective Practice (October – November)
The final phase of our TPD saw a shift from ‘doing’ to ‘reflecting.’
• The Sharing Circle: We began a new tradition where the teacher in charge of the week’s reading shares their insights with the group before the session starts. This has significantly built our confidence in speaking and listening as professionals.
• Pedagogical Discussion: We now spend time discussing classroom ‘energizers’ and student reactions, bridging the gap between teacher development and classroom joy.

III. 2026 Program Planning & Continuity
Having built a strong foundation of teamwork this year, our committee has spent the November sessions planning a 2026 program that focuses on:
• Interest and Confidence: Moving toward Elocution, Debates, and Extempore to help students ‘face the world.’
• Academic Foundation: A systematic focus on the ‘Three Forms of Verbs’ across all grades.
• Recognition: Celebrating ‘Best Readers and Writers’ to maintain the interest we’ve built.
• The Model-First Strategy: Teachers will provide a ‘Model Display’ on the corridor boards for one week before students put up their own work.
IV. Conclusion and Key Outputs
The 2025 TPD period has resulted in several tangible outputs for the English Committee:
1. A Shared Pedagogical Toolkit: We have developed a collection of ‘energizers’ and reading strategies that all department members can now use.
2. Visible Teacher Leadership: By establishing the ‘Special Corner,’ we successfully shifted the perception of teachers from ‘instructors’ to ‘active learners.’
3. Team Coordination: The successful coordination between different grade-level teachers (Primary through Senior) has created a more unified English curriculum.
4. Value-Integrated Teaching: We successfully proved that academic English can be taught effectively while honoring the life and legacy of His Holiness.
Our TPD this year has transformed the English Department into a more reflective and collaborative unit. We are no longer working in isolation; we are a team of professionals committed to modeling the confidence and curiosity we wish to see in our students.

Submitted by: Tsering Lhakit