A Silent Revolution – Asim Chowdhury

Asim Chowdhury and Rumi Mondal doing excellent ..

Asim Chowdhury is the head teacher of Laxminathpur FP School under Baduria Block of North 24 Parganas. In 2004, he met our Primary supervisor,  Prosanto Mondal and his teammates in a TLM workshop in Fatullapur. He was so spirited in that workshop, he requested Prosanto to visit his school.  

Gradually, he became one of the regular participants of our trainings and workshops. He had participated in a number of trainings on Language (Bengali and English for class I-IV) and Mathematics teaching methodology and also in TLM workshops. He also got especial inputs from M. Flannagan on English teaching.

He has not only taken these trainings but also has successfully implemented these methodologies in the classrooms. He took initiative to hold a TLM workshop in his schools in 2006. 20 Govt primary school teachers joined in that workshop and made TLMs. He is also supported by his colleagues. Now, his children are hosting special days, like 15^th August, 23^rd January, Rakhi etc and organizing Sahitya Sabha in the school. All the walls of the school are pained by the children. Always, they are using TLMs and practicing arts and crafts in the school.

His activities and initiatives have also moved the parents. Parents meetings are being held on regular basis and for the above reasons the number of drop out is almost nil in that school. The school is now became a model primary school in Bauria-East circle.

Reported By,

Prosanto Mondal

Primary Education Department, Swanirvar

                                               

A Silent Revolution – Chandra Ganguli Mondal

Chandra in the class

For the last few years, Swanirvar is working with Govt. Primary school teachers.  With our continuous support and trainings, some of the Govt teachers are now showing extra ordinary performances in their schools and some of them have became master trainers!

Chandra Ganguli Mondal, a teacher of Jashikati FP School has started her career as an ordinary teacher. She joined in her service in 1998 and doing routine classroom teaching. In 2002, she met Mr. Amal Krishna Dutta, an innovative primary school teacher and recipient of Presidential Aware for innovative teaching. She was motivated by him but did not receive any training on teaching till 2005. In 2005, she met our primary supervisor, Prosanto Mondal in a seminar cum TLM workshop hosted by Swanirvar on Mathematics for class-I&II. In that workshop, she learnt about the utility of TLMs in classroom and also made a number of TLMs and got some ideas to deals with weak and disable children.

Learning with TLMs

In, June, 2006 she received a training of English teaching for the Dept. of Primary Education, Govt. of West Bengal and that training module was designed by Ray Macow. In, Dec, 2006, she met M. Flannagan(a retired British school teacher working for Swanirvar) in Swanirvar and got extensive inputs on English for class-I-IV. Gradually, she got training cum orientation in the following subjects, Language, Mathematics, Environmental Science, Classroom Management, sahitya sabha, children committee etc.

Wall painting 

Now, she has introduced many types of children committees in her schools also her children are now hosting special days, like 15^th August, 23^rd January, Rakhi etc and organizing Sahitya Sabha and running library in the school. All the walls of the school are pained by the children. Always, they are using TLMs and playing with colours.   

Initially, she was criticized by her colleagues and higher authorities but now she is supported not only by her colleagues but also SIS, Dipankar Karmakar patronizes her. For the last three years (2008-10), she is giving inputs as a master trainer in Baduria North Circle. She is also trying to introduce cultural activities, like recitation, drama, dancing, singing in the classroom.

Reported By,

Prosanto Mondal

Primary Education Department, Swanirvar

Training given to the primary school teachers of PRADAN (25-29 Oct, 2010):

PRADAN , one of the leading NGOs working in the district of Purulia, West Bengal requested us to give training to their teachers working in their primary schools. They were looking for some training and met with the coordinator of Shikshamitra(our city based resource cum learning centre). To conduct training we send our trainers for a pre-training visit so that they could assess the need and made necessary arrangements for them. On 23rd September, our trainers, Gopal and Julkalam went to Purulia for a pre training exposure visit and met with some the teachers and also met Ms. Ananya, Project Manager of GOAL ( GOAL had funded PRADAN for that project). They visited 4 primary schools run by PRADAN.

On 25th October, 2010, 28 staff teachers and 1 supervisor of PRADAN came to Swanirvar for 5 days residential Phase-I training. One local Govt. primary teacher and one newly appointed Swanirvar primary teacher joined with them. That phase-I training was based on Mathematics, Bengali, English, Art & Crafts and Environment science for class-I & II.

Day: 1



TLMs made by the trainees



Training session was started with some chorus and interactive games. After that, the trainees expressed their expectations from us. After the tea, the subjective training started- on the 1st day there was session on Mathematics – introduction to numbers, place value, addition and subtraction. In the evening, Prosanta Mondal(Supervisor, Primary Department, Swanirvar) took session on Bengali- aspects of learning language, introduction to letters, sound recognition, framing words from nature.

Day: 2

In day2, trainees got lessons on Mathematics and Bengali. In Math they learnt multiplications and division, problem solving etc. In Bengali session they got ideas on sentence making and framing sentences.

Day: 3
The teachers were divided in three groups and they were taken to our primary schools so that they could see how we were implementing these techniques (which they learnt) in our schools and also to see the class room management. They also made a notes based on their observations.

In the evening, there was a session on English and this session was conducted by the two Govt teachers from our partner Govt. Primary schools.

Govt primary teacher(Chandra Ganguli Mondal) conducting Phase-I English training





Trainee teachers in Swanirvar's school- interacting with student and teachers





























Day: 4

It was a day of colour. They learnt how to introduce arts and crafts in the classes. Our staff, Biswanath took session on environment. The trainees made many experiments on basic science. There was a field trip, in which they learnt how to bring the sense of classifications (doing hand held classifications on leaves, animals, trees etc) .

Day: 5

It was just a small session and trainees submitted their next three months planning.

Each day, there was a 2 hrs handheld session/workshops on TLM making. The trainees made a number of TLMs during their training days. Very soon, we will send 2 of our trainers to assess the impacts of the training and also to rectify their problems during implementations in the classroom.

Reported by,

Nilangshu

A radical change of a teacher after taking training from us

       In June, 2010, 32 govt teachers of Baikuntapur Maipit Gram Panchayat took Phase-I training from us. This training session was based on Bengali and Mathematics for class-I&II. There was also a special session on Art& Craft. The entire programme was sponsored by the Baikuntapur Sishu Seva Kendra( BSSK), of Kultali Block under South 24 Parganas. These trainee teachers also came for a pre training exposure in Swanirvar in December, 2009. In that visit, the teachers were taken to 3 of our own Primary schools and also taken to 2 of our grade A Govt. primary schools. They learnt the use of TLMs in the class rooms and group activities and overall classroom management.

      Manash Maity, a govt teacher of Binodpur Baikuntapur FP School came with them and he was excited after the exposure visit. During their return journey, he purchased a lot of card boards from Kolkata and made many TLMs after returning back to his school.

Later, he also joined in the 3 days phase-I training programe at BSSK (in June,2010) and got practical training on TLM making and also learnt its utility. After learning these, he persuaded his colleagues about the necessity of group work and TLM use in the classrooms. He and two other govt teachers and two volunteers made a number of TLMs for class-I&II. They made TLMs on Bengali and Mathematics and English. They are mow regularly using TLMs in their classroom. They also made TLMs from Jute sticks, bamboo sticks and clay which are very cheap and locally available.

       The headmaster (principal) of that institution was so impressed that he had allotted funds for buying some other models. Now they have max-min thermometer, microscope, human skeleton etc in their schools. Mr. Maity maintains regular contact with our training team and has become one of the most popular teacher in that Kultali south circle .

Training of Sishu Sikha Kendra (SSK) Teachers at BSSK, South 24 Parganas from 12 -14 Sep,2010

        On 11th July, 2010 our Primary staff, Prosanto, Gopal and Julkalam gave Phase-I training to the govt primary school teachers of two gram panchayat( GP) at Baikunthapur Sishu Seva Kendra (BSSK), South 24 Parganas. That training session was jointly organized by the BSSK and the two local Gram Panchayats (Maipit Bikanthapur GP, Gurguria Bhubaneswari GP ). The BSSK managing body and the Panchayat officials were so impressed by that training programme, they requested the SSK ( Shishu Shiksha Kendras – the govt of West Bengal’s alternative primary schools ) teachers of these two Gram Panchayats to visit Swanivar to see our schools. On 2nd September, 2010, the BSSK officials informed us that a group of SSK teachers would come to see our schools on 11th September and they would also visit some the local govt primary schools and SSK where we had been giving various inputs and we classified them as A grade . They would also meet with some the government Primary teachers.

        But 11th September,2010 was EID and their exposure visit was cancelled as all the schools would remain closed on that day. In that situation, the BSSK officials requested our primary supervisor, Prosanto to organize a training session for these SSK teachers at BSSK.
        But before the training , BSSK officials and the Pradhans of Maipit Bikanthapur and Gurguria Bhubaneswari Gram Panchayats, SSK supervisor and SSK teachers sat for a meeting at BSSK office. BSSK management told them that they were going to organize that training session and would bear all the expenses . But there were three conditions
       i) the training would be strictly residential – as they had seen in most of the cases the trainees failed to reach in time ii) There would be a joint action team consisting BSSK official, SSK supervisor, Panchayat representatives who would carry out the monitoring and follow ups after the training iii) SSK teachers would use maximum number of TLMs ( Work Cards and other Teaching Aids ) ) in the class room. All of these conditions were accepted by the Panchayats and the SSK supervisors and teachers.
      On 12th September our training team (Prosanto, Gopal, Julkalam) went to BSSK for the Phase-I training of the SSK teachers. 37 SSK teachers from 19 SSKs and 6 BSSK staff took Phase-I training on Bengali, Mathematics, Art & Crafts ( Class I and II levels ) There were special sessions on TLM making and as a result lots of TLMs were made by the SSK teachers. The training ended on 14th September, 2010.
      Some of the SSK teachers were so inspired that they requested our trainers to visit their schools and were confident of using TLMs in their classes. Some of the teachers were very innovative and showd impressive creativity in Art & craft session. At the end of the training the SSK supervisor also expressed his gratitude to us and requested us and the BSSK officials to organize Phase-II training as soon as possible.

Nilangshu

Phase-I training at BSSK

          Baikantapur Sishu Seva Kendra (BSSK) is one of the renowned nonprofit organizations of South 24 Pargans. They are doing excellent works in the field of school education and community development. In 2009, their officials, staff working in education department and some village education committee members of Baikanthapur Gram Panchayat came to Swanirvar. They went to our pre-primary and primary schools and also met with some of the Government primary schools with whom we were working for last few years. They also met with our pre-primary staff and visited one Panchayat and observed our process of strengthening local bodies.
         They were so impressed by our works and requested us to organize a training programme (Phase-I: Bengali, Mathematics and Art & Crafts for Class-I &II) for the Government Primary Teachers in their project areas. This programme was held on 11th July, 2010 to 13th July, 2010 at the training hall of BSSK. Prosanto, Gopal and Julkalam went there as trainers from Swanirvar. On the 1st day, 19 teachers from the local 12 Primary schools came to attend the training session. It was a rainy day and the July is regarded as the month of monsoon, so the organizer (BSSK) was little depressed due to the absence of large no of teachers in that training programme. But the 19 teachers who attended our 1st day training session were so impressed and were so spirited, they informed other teachers about the training and requested them to come in the programme. In the next day, it was raining from the dawn and our trainers and organizers were thinking to postpone but 26 teachers came on that day! Among them some were school mistress who came from more than 3 km away on bare foot and were drenched in the shower. 6 village Education Committee members also attended on that day. They were given hand held training on making TLMs, group works and were taught teaching methodologies on Bengali, Mathematics for class-I&II. There was an especial session on Art & Crafts. The training ended on 13th July, 10.
          In October, we will send one of our trainers for a follow up and monitoring visit. After that visit we will decide for Phase-II training programme.

Nilangshu
25.08.10

Trainings given by the Primary Department

Swanirvar’s Primary Education Department has conducted a number of training programmes for Non Government and Government Teachers from 2004. Kindly click on the Training details  to get the detailed reports of these trainings.