Teacher Ambassador Programme (TAP)

Our Faculty has always valued collaborative and generative partnership between schools, teacher educators and researchers, but we are also keen to reimagine what “Partnership” means by adding greater flexibility to our existing relationships and to foster more dialogue between the Faculty and schools. In short, our Faculty want to develop a true partnership that is based on reciprocity and trust. As one of the new strategies following the setting up of the Academy for Leadership in Teacher Education (ALiTE) aimed at promoting professional learning at different career stages, the Teacher Ambassador Programme (TAP) has been in place since 2019 and school principals have been invited to nominate passionate and committed teachers/middle-managers /experienced teachers in various disciplines from their schools to serve as TAP Teachers to take part in the programme, A total of 66 student (inclusive of UG and PGDE students) have benefitted from the TAP, to date. Specific subjects for the TAP 2023-24 include Secondary Chinese Language, Secondary English Language, Secondary Mathematics, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.

The TAP is comprised of two parts. First, the TAP Teachers will have the chance to attend two to three workshops/training sessions (including one to two subject-based workshops) on how to conduct subject-based professional lesson observations, including post-lesson conferencing supported by theory and practice. Second, the TAP Teachers would be invited to work alongside (through a process of co-learning) our own Faculty colleagues to conduct Professional Practicum lesson observations during semester 2 between February and April (to support undergraduate and/or postgraduate student-teachers) as well as visiting our teacher education classes at HKU, offering insights and advising to beginning teachers.

We envision that the TAP will not only enable TAP Teachers to develop professionally by broadening their supervisory and leadership skills, but will also empower them to broaden their repertoire through understanding other school settings and cultures. As such, professional dialogue and capacity could be enhanced across different educational sectors and schools.