Kupang, July 18-19, 2025 and Ngada regency, August 1-2, 2025 — In high dedication and commitment to improve the quality of English language teaching in the region, a Deep Learning Training and Workshop was successfully held on Friday and Saturday, July 18-19, 2025, at Universitas Kristen Artha Wacana (UKAW) Kupang, and on Friday and Saturday, august 1-2, 2025 at SMPS St. Yoh Berkhmans, Mataloko, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
The two-day professional development events gathered committed ELT teachers from across NTT to explore and apply the principles of Deep Learning—a student-centered approach that promotes meaningful, mindful, and joyful learning experiences. This program was specially designed to equip English educators from elementary school (SD) up to junior high schools (SMP), and senior/vocational high schools (SMA/SMK), with strategies that foster deeper thinking, critical reflection, and real-world application in English language classrooms.
The training in Kupang was mentored by 3 master trainers of deep learning from Universitas Kristen Artha Wacana: Dr. Peggy M. Jonathans, S.Pd., M.A. (TESOL), Zuvyati A. Tlonaen, S.S., M.Pd., and Tiarma Marpaung, M.Pd., their advice and ideas gave a solid basis for comprehending and applying Deep Learning in many educational contexts. Whereas the training in Ngada regency was facilitated by 2 master trainers, including Dr. Jonathans, and another one from SMPS St. Yoh Berkhmans Mataloko, P. Antonius Waget, SVD., S.Pd.
Enhancing Teachers’ Capacity Through Practice and Critical Reflection
Through the sessions of the workshop, participants actively involved in dual way of discussions, collaborative lesson plan of deep learning, and critical reflection. They studied thoroughly the lesson plan template provided by TEFLIN and the sample of deep learning lesson plan and how deep learning differs from their daily teaching practices. The facilitators highlighted the importance of classroom English use as the teachers as one of English exposures for students to acquire the language within classroom encounters. In addition, the trainers underlined 3 deep learning principles and 3 deep learning experiences that the teachers should explicitly making them to happen in the plan and teaching.
The practical focus of the workshop was one of its main advantages. The training was not only displaying the complete deep learning framework but was also giving the teachers rooms to develop concrete ELT skills. They comprise of planning lesson for each English macro skill, integrating 3 deep learning principles, 3 deep learning experiences, comprehensive classroom English, critical reflection, and teaching stages for their teaching practice based on each learning model.
Encouraging Teacher Professional Networking and Best Practice Sharing
The training and workshop wrapped up with the highlights of deep learning and the teachers’ dedication to re-visit their teaching practices and classroom English. To benefit the teachers and the students in English classroom, the teacher participants are now called to invest time and efforts in teacher professional recharging by build networking for growing, learning and sharing the best practices in ELT through ELT teachers’ forums.
A Bright Atmosphere for ELT Teachers in NTT
The event triggers hope and inspiration for the province to elevate education quality. By enriching the ELT teachers with deep learning approach, through similar events or alike, will give great impact towards the province’s education escalation and human resources especially teachers. All parties involved expect in the near future, there will be several follow up programs alike.
Once the seeds of hope through deep learning training and workshop by TEFLIN in the region has been planted, it needs continuous nourishment for its potential of growth and gets rooted in the teachers’ new mindsets and their refreshed attitudes in classroom. Education transformation starts from the teachers’ critical thinking, while it is invisible, the thinking is powerful.
