Salvation Army Educare – Inclusive Centres Project (funded by ApexHi)
Putting pieces together: Gathering necessary information towards improved holistic support.
In spite of the cloud of violence that hangs over the Manenberg community, it is reassuring to find ECD Teachers and staff who are putting their energy into creating a welcoming space of belonging at Salvation Army Educare. Having a symbol that matches their name on their lockers, tables and on the walls, finding their names on the birthday chart and being part of a small group within a larger class, all goes a long way to making children feel welcome and included. From discussions with the Teachers, it is clear that close observation takes place daily as they are able to describe the strengths and challenges of each of their learners. This enables them to offer appropriate support where necessary.
In addition, the Principal sets up Caregiver / Parent Interviews to assist in gathering comprehensive background information. This is aimed towards offering individual children appropriate support in order to enable holistic learning.
Ocean View 2 Day Inclusion Workshop (funded by DSD)
In this 2 day workshop with Valley Development Projects, Teachers from various ECD Centres in Ocean View and Masiphumelele considered what behaviour they would like to see in their classrooms and wrote this up. They then used these ideas to formulate five positive classroom rules. They will use these rules, in discussion with the children at their centres, to come to agreements on what kind of behaviour is expected in the classroom.
Those whose colleagues had been through training previously had clearly shared their learning, as those attending were able to offer insights into how they had used the various tools provided and what difference this had made to their teaching.
One Teacher commented, “From doing the training myself, I now have a broader understanding of what Inclusion means, and am clear about the changes I need to make in my practice as a teacher”.