As any educator knows, constant learning is the key to effective teaching. In order to help the teachers at Mandela Park Community Creche (Pre-School) and QQ Section Community Creche best respond to the needs of their children, CHOSA helped them connect with an Early Childhood Development (ECD) training program. The course will run for the entire year, and the teachers are alternating which days they attend so that the pre-schools stay open and the children are taken care of by a portion of the staff even while others attend the course.

The teachers say they are really enjoying the training thus far, both for the information being reviewed and new lessons being learned. They are learning new techniques in caring for children, and specific ways to communicate most effectively with children of different ages. The teachers are also learning more about child psychology and how their brains process information and emotions at different stages of development.

To further aid in the teacher’s training, Community Coordinators Zukie Mabuya and Jared Sacks met recently with the teachers at Mandela Park Community Creche to discuss strategies to increase parental involvement. Zukie and Jared discussed strategies to directly involve parents in their children’s education, and also spoke with the teachers about fundraising in their community to help fund the pre-school’s operation.

At QQ Section Community Creche, the ECD trainings are especially helpful because new teachers have been hired in the spirit of empowering unemployed members of the community and giving them the opportunity to develop skills for working with children. The previous crop of  teachers have found new jobs, and thus the transition has gone well. We look forward to sharing more great news with you as the year progresses!