Jumpstart! Teacher Profile – Irene
March 13, 2015
Irene, 21, has been working at Anaka P7 School since the beginning of the 2015 academic year, teaching the first years of nursery; K1, K2 and K3. She told us: “I like my job because, we, the care-givers, learn so much from children. It is a privilege to love the children, take care of the children, and to show them good behaviour”.
When Irene started work at Anaka P7, she had not completed any teacher training, so the ECD training course she has completed through Jumpstart! has been invaluable in terms of equipping her with the skills needed to excel in teaching and optimize her pupils’ learning. Here, Irene shares the highlights of what she has learnt during the ECD training course:
“When I joined the school, I didn’t really know anything about teaching, but when I came on this course, I learnt the importance of welcoming and loving nursery students; to gather the little ones to you when they are nervous, singing and rhyming together. I am so glad African Revival enabled me to go on this course, so that I could learn how to be a good nursery teacher to my pupils.”
“This week I learnt that the first thing you should do when a child comes into a classroom or school for the first time, you should show love to that child, care for that child. When K1s arrive, they come crying and don’t want to enter the class so you have to carry the child and give him/her good care. Once the child is in the classroom, new pupils learn by doing- for example, learning songs with actions. I have also learnt that you need to plan short lessons so that the children don’t get tired and stop learning. Again, using rhymes and songs is a great way for children to learn.”
“In maths, you need to use creative materials, like bottles to count, or use songs like ‘ten little ducklings go out to play’, which helps teach children subtraction. Finally, I have also learnt the importance nurturing the full development of a child: so helping with their physical needs, helping the children to wash their hands, making sure they have food to eat and develop good eating habits”.
We are delighted to hear that the training course has been so beneficial to Irene; we are looking forward to visiting her classrooms soon!
