Because of Covid, Barbara Porter, HELP‘s teacher trainer has not been able to undertake any of her normal teacher training workshops. It was wonderful for her to be able to visit all our partner schools once more, and to undertake teacher training again. For the third time, in partnership with SASA (Serve & Share Association) in Uttarakhand, HELP financed a four day workshop in a retreat centre in Dehradun for 18 teachers who came from 15 different schools in remote rural areas of Uttarakhand.
During these workshops Barbara focuses on giving the teachers practical ideas that they can use in their classrooms. It is an active, participative course, the teachers work as students and are encouraged to talk about what the student experience was like and study how Barbara teaches, organises activities and manages the students. Demonstration is a key part of how the workshops are delivered. Activities include the existing course books in new ways to include more oral work and chances for the students to think and use their imaginations. Also included are strategies to cope with large mixed ability classes, to support weaker students using group and pair work, and of course, plenty of new songs and games for the students to practise English in a fun and motivating way. Once again Barbara was joined by Jyoti David (wife of the SASA Chairman, Mr Shailender David) who taught a number of practical and fun activities to teachers of younger students.
As well as the 4 day workshop in Uttarakhand, Barbara also ran two workshops in Ladakh, A full day one in Leh and a half day in our partner school, Lamdon Khalse.
The feedback for all these workshops was enthusiastic and appreciative. It was wonderful to be able to run these again after the long gap.
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