Sethu's mission is to be a bridge between children and their communities at large. Schools and teachers form an important part of this caring circle. Gnyandeep, our preschool teachers’ training program, aims to create environments that foster the development of ALL children. The fact that children with special needs are often identified first in their balwadis and preschools guided our decision to focus on training teachers who work at the grass root levels i.e. balwadis. Starting in 2015, we have trained the balwadi teachers and helpers from 26 anganwadis across all 12 talukas in Goa, giving them a thorough understanding of child development and behavior, multiple intelligences and common disabilities. It was heartening to hear that the teachers and the helpers found the training very practical and relevant. The teachers could add many ideas to their repertoire of teaching activities, to make them more child friendly and multisensory. The helpers particularly appreciated the information on how to handle children's tantrums and misbehavior without beating them. Many said that they have never been trained before and were initially reluctant to attend. However once they started the training they found it extremely useful and learned a lot. One helper said that for the first time she felt a sense of self-worth.
The training phase of the project was followed by on-site visits to each of the balwadis. We traversed the length and breadth of Goa to observe our trained teachers apply their new knowledge and continue to refine this model. The helpers played a proactive teaching role in their balwadis which was refreshing to observe. The project training and following onsite visits highlighted the need for training and ongoing support for the helpers and teachers who need to play multiple roles within their balwadis. They are willing and able to understand and use what they learned. However the work overload proves a deterrent to proper teaching. A majority of helpers and teachers took the initiative to print visual aids for teaching, use grouping and implement buddy systems to encourage learning and better classroom management. However there were some teachers that stuck to traditional methods of teaching that encourage passive listening and memorization. This highlighted the essential need for ongoing training, mentorship and monitoring of the balwadi staff. We have decided to train the Mukhiya Sevikas or supervisors who conduct ongoing training and site visits to the balwadis under their care. These Mukhiya Sevikas themselves would need the support and guidance of trained personnel which leads to the need for a cadre of chld development workers as additional project staff that would be trained for this purpose.
