How do teachers benefit from Fursa kwa Watoto training?
The majority of teachers that attended the FkW training suggested that the most important aspect of FkW was receiving specialized training on teaching and understanding young children.
“[The training] has really helped because I have understood child’s growth, which stage does s/he start and reaches what stage. I also learned that the child learns by themselves and that the teacher is only there to help them progress further.”
— Paraprofessional teacher in Ilemela“The important aspect was on the overall teaching part, because honestly I was teaching preprimary but I did not have the technical capacity to teach them. So when I attended the training we were given the approaches and methods that we could use to control the preprimary children. In the beginning it was very difficult we talked until we were tired, but there are ways that we could use such as interacting with them, the use of tools more and everything goes well.”
— Teacher from Mwanza“There are changes; when you give students freedom to do things on their own it makes it easy for them to understand things rather than the teacher to take control. Before the teacher would lead all the activities for example on how to stay health; you teach them how to keep their bodies clean; we are going to wash the face and as a teacher you do that and not a child but if you allow them to do that they understand more.”
— Teacher from Moshi
By developing a better understanding of child development, teachers are able to use age-appropriate lessons and employ varied pedagogical techniques.
“Well there are some greatest changes in the classroom because the teacher cannot rely on one instructional practice; you must use mixed instructional practices as sometimes the children do not understand and so the teacher have to change the techniques depending on the changing context. Therefore, one instructional practice cannot be used over and over in a classes the children are young it needs the teacher to using different participatory instructional practices and techniques.”
“The approach has changed since the training. In the past we would silence them by putting a figure on the lips and saying shshsh. Now we use a pictures, stories and songs to draw their attention and refocus their energy to productive learning.”
— Teacher from Moshi
Many teachers reported that learning how to make and use learning materials was the most important aspect of the training.
- “My earlier teaching was not right because I used to speak, believing that these children in preprimary do not understand but when you use materials these children understand well.”
— Teacher from Mwanza
A few teachers also reported that teaching is enjoyable as a result of the support and materials provided by Fursa.
- “[An interactive classroom] is important because it makes me feel better because children are ready to study and are enjoying, so I feel motivated to keep on teaching them.”
—Teacher from Mwanza
How do children benefit from Fursa training?
One purpose of the training was to instruct teachers on developing a classroom in which there are more opportunities for child-to-child and child-to-teacher interactions. Nearly all teachers said that classroom interactions increased after the training. Teachers reported that this produced a number of positive outcomes for the children:
Children engage with the improved classroom environment. As a result, they understand and retain more material.
“Changes have been made as you can see for yourself….eh you can see children sit on a mat, when they want to read they look at the wall, because we want walls that talk and as you can see are my walls talk, don’t they?”
— Teacher from Moshi“The learning areas are important because they enhance learning. The students are stimulated to learn once they get to the learning areas. When they get to the learning areas their main objective will be to learn, so at the end of the learning session the students say what they would have learnt. I also probe them to tell me what they would have learnt and they do so with enthusiasm.”
— Teacher from Mwanza
There are more opportunities for positive child-teacher interactions
“After the training I changed to the participatory teaching techniques. The class is more attractive and the students recognize me as their teacher. They are free to tell me about their problems and I always help them. Those are the changes I noticed after the training.”
— Teacher from Mwanza
Children have increased confidence and become more aware of their capabilities:
“[An interactive classroom] is very important because the students know become aware of their capabilities. They work together to complete tasks depending on their learning environment that they will be in.”
— Teacher from Mwanza“Children were able to learn by themselves at the mathematical corner according to the specific materials, example all the red items were arranged to be in their corner and for those children were able to learn to count. And in another corner children were writing, they were able to draw and paint also they were able to write their names. Others were learning to read pictures stories and I saw efforts although they were not able to read but they managed to explain the stories by using pictures.”
— Teacher from Kilimanjaro
Remaining challenges
While the training has equipped teachers to instruct young children, teachers still face a number of challenges. One of the most common issues teachers face are overcrowded classrooms. The majority of teachers said that the most important changes needed are improvements to school and classroom infrastructure, and more classroom materials.
“The main challenge is a big number of students in the classroom because normally it is said that the standard class should have at least 25 students and two teachers as per government instructions. However the reality is our classroom has 119 students and two classrooms. This poses a challenge.”
—Paraprofessional from Ilemela“There are new lesson plans which are difficult to acquire. I have to travel to get them. It would be better if those lesson plans are prepared and kept handy just like what they do for the upper classes. When the lesson plans have been used up, the teacher has to draw the lesson plan framework in a new exercise book and this is laborious.”
— Teacher from Moshi Rural“Important change? Ah! There is need of replacing the glass panel. We found it broken one morning. I told the head teacher and he said we would buy once we receive the capitation grant. We have received the grant but the money is so little, it cannot cater the basic needs of the school.”
— Teacher from Mwanza
