Last Thursday and Friday we had a blast working with 30 Day Care and K1 teachers (teachers of 2-4 year-olds) from various different nursery schools in Gulu. Over two afternoons we led teachers through 10 different stations focusing on how to make and use play dough; how to make paint and different painting activities; puppet making; storytelling; letter formation and sound identification; weaving; independent play; cutting skills; and a creative gluing and sticking station. We, as well as the teachers, had a great time doing it. We received really positive feedback and are now planning to adapt the training for K2 teachers this week (teachers of 4-5 year-olds).
Teacher Catherine demonstrating using local resources to develop fine gross motor skills.
Nursery teachers making play dough balls.
Nursery teachers making a sunflower with pegs and cardboard to practise developing fine gross motor skills.
Nursery teachers putting ‘washing’ on the line using pegs – under the direction of Teacher Catherine at her fine gross motor skills station.
A nursery teacher practising letter formation skills led by Teach Caroline.
Nursery teachers practising cutting skills for young children.
Nursery teachers practising letter formation and sound identification activities for their classrooms.
Nursery teachers exploring with paint.
Teacher Jody, with her paint smock on, teaching nursery teachers how to make paint from local resources.
A nursery teacher working on her artwork.
Teacher Abby (Peace Corps volunteer) teaching nursery teaches about ideas for storytelling in the classroom.
Teacher Katie (right, with Peace Corps) demonstrating how to develop fine gross motor skills with locally made play dough.
Dan and Jodes... in Gulu, Uganda 
Looks like fun and a good turn out! Do they get training to become pre-school teachers over there? And now all those craft/art activies from my school days are making sense, lol, I didn’t like rolling up crepe paper into tiny balls and gluing it onto the paper, had no idea of course as a kid that it was for fine motor skills etc….very cool and interesting.
Hey Cassie, Thanks! Yeah there is training to be a preschool teacher, however it isn’t quite in depth training. Yes – all those art and craft activities make sense after all, not a total waste of time in hindsight, lol. You might find you getting some crepe paper for Christmas 🙂
Looks Great! What an amazing effort to get so many to come in their own time and without pay! Although maybe a bit like here, early childhood teachers are often very flexible. Excellent having some extra hands to help out. Well done, well done, try again another day you very good girl!! (do they do this in Uganda, with hands on hips as they sway to and thro?? it is done in Kenya.)
Hey Jan, Thanks so much. There was such a great energy and buzz about the training. The teachers are flexible, but a lot more tricky with family commitments here (and cooking/washing time,etc). Yep, trying again another day – don’t worry we have many training schedules planned 🙂 And yes, we do sing that song here too, with our hands on our hips, lol. Thanks! xxx