Over the six to seven years in which we have run our two Early Learning Centres we have experienced that there is a strong need to have a sound approach how the children coming to our centres are prepared for their start into schooling and last not least for their lives. Many of the children come with difficulties in basic skills e.g. they have never had the chance to grasp a pen nor were they given things to play with so that their fine motor skills were developed. Some are also behind in their language development.
We also saw the need to equip our staff members teaching the children. Since 2011 I have undergone training in Montessori and through that I started teaching our staff in basic Montessori philosophy. At the beginning of 2014 I came across a course offered by the South African Montessori Society in collaboration with the Sustainability Institute in Stellenbosch near Cape Town. After a lengthy process our five staff members were accepted to be trained in a 2 week long course, they were even offered bursaries.
On the 1st October they left for Cape Town together with the 4 month old baby of Motlalepula. All of them were flying for the first time in their lives. After two days being at the course I heard through rumours and sms that they were struggling to adapt to the vegetarian food which was offered at the Sustainability Institute but otherwise they were fine. They were impressed that vegetables, fruits, paper, water recycling, electricity were made on that plot where the institute is situated. The NGO is also running a guesthouse where they were accommodated for the 2 weeks. The Montessori Early Learning Centre which is run by the Sustainability Institute was for great importance for the participants of the course because they could see and experience what they were taught in class.
They came back to work on 20th October . The newly built classroom had just been finished in time to move in and start the new Montessori classroom there. ( Thanks so much to all our donors who made it possible to build this classroom!) But also the old classroom was changed: a book corner was prepared. I made comfortable cushions on which the children now lie and enjoy looking at books which they had never touched before.
When I visited Rebaone Early Learning Centre I could see and hear already that things were changing : all material was taken out of the cupboard where it was kept before and it was displayed on shelves so that they children had access to it. The next step followed.
Jane explained to me: “We need to cut some cm off the legs of the tables and chairs, the children need to sit comfortably at their height.” “ Ok “, I said, let’s start. At the weekend Florian/Thabang our volunteer from Germany and myself we headed for Rebaone implementing some of the changes. Florian cut two tables so that bowls cut fit in. In future the children would wash their dishes after the meals themselves and they would need equipment in their size.
But it did not end there , the daily routine has changed. Twice a day one of the teachers sits with a group of approximately 10 children in a circle where they are shown how to use the Montessori material. Most of the time outside the circle time children sit at tables or on the floor and work individually with the material and try out what they have been shown. The level of noise has dropped tremendously.
When I asked Monei what impressed her most while she attended the course, she said: ”I have realized that my approach of teaching children was focused on my own view instead of putting the children first. I could not see the needs of the children. Now I want to adapt to their needs and to put myself on their level. At the end of the workshop I felt like asking all the children for forgiveness for where I have done wrong to them.”