During the month of March, 2013, KLDF welcomed two new
volunteers to support their Montessori Projects in schools: Ria Hidveghy, from
London, England, who will be based mostly in Mae Sot and Jenna Anderson from the
US, who will is currently working at Bayan, our network school in Pai and will be
helping us with the next Montessori project in Chiang Rai later in April.
Also, Khom Loy is pleased to have on board three Thai
Montessori Teacher Trainers : Kwanrutai, Nalinthip
and Auiporn. All will participate in
the forthcoming training to be held in Chaing Rai later this month.
The academic year at the Burmese
Parami Learning Centre, Mae Sot, ended
with a two week training course, between March 11 – 22nd , led
by Diyanti (Silo) Tumada and supported by Ria Hidveghy.
Six teachers from Parami Learning Centre and two teachers
from Hsa Mu Htaw attended the first week’s theoretical training, which focused
on an overall theme of ‘Communication’, covering
different features on a daily basis.
One of these aspects included
Discipline in the Montessori Classroom - how it can be achieved, without an
authoritative figure or using techniques for controlling behaviour. One of the main reasons of success in the
Montessori classroom is freedom within the limits of very clear ground rules,
which, when simplified, results in “be
respectful of everyone and of everything”.
Participants
also learnt strategies in providing young children techniques to independently
resolve their own conflicts. One of the
examples was demonstrated by the use of the ‘Montessori Peace Rose.’
Another
feature covered was the Environment – and the ways in which the qualities of
the Montessori approach could be
applied for any classroom. Some
suggestions put forward for the KG A/B classes were the introduction of plants,
to observe nature inside and outside.
Requests could be made for the children/their parents/ teachers and
staff to donate a growing plant, however small, to allow the children to care
for them. Additionally, by providing
each class with their own set of cleaning materials (bin, brush and pan) the
children would be encouraged to be responsible for their learning environment.
Furthermore,
the KG teachers agreed that they would try and include a Circle Time in their
daily schedule, in order to educate the children, in simple ground rules,
teaching lessons that demonstrate socially acceptable behaviour and these
special skills are taught through the Montessori
Grace and Courtesy lessons. Also,
the teaching of the names of the weekdays and months of the year, using the
classroom calendars made during the practical activities week would be another
positive aspect to incorporate into their favourable learning environment.
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Group
preparing teaching materials.
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The final
topic of the week’s theory was Parental Involvement and ways in which parents
can be included in their child’s school life.
Some of the ideas proposed included: Parent observations – encourage visits to the
classroom - concrete evidence of work completed that the
child can take home (not to be seen as junk material) - Parent workshop day/session - Child assessment/observations and also a
Newsletter, which was drafted out in the session by the teachers following an
example provided for them.
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| Teachers creating the Burmese Language materials |
During the
second week of training, the Burmese teachers were joined by five teachers from
the Baan Tha Aad and two from Baan Mae Tao Pae Schools. All
were occupied with creating and demonstrating the Montessori materials for the
Burmese language to be used for the next Montessori project in the above
schools starting in May 2013.
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| Burmese Sandpaper Letters prepared by the teachers during the practical week. |
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Yin Min Soe
presenting a Three-Period Lesson using the Montessori Burmese Language material
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The training session concluded with everyone sharing and
exchanging songs and rhymes, both in Burmese and Thai languages, with one or
two provided in English!
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Burmese teaching staff demonstrating
one of their Circle Time Songs.
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