A large banner with a poem titled The Star Polisher will be the first thing a prospective Montessori teacher will see as she steps into Senfers- Teacher Training and Activity School.
“As I buff, polish, train and teach my little stars,
I tell them that the world cannot do without them.
I tell them that they can do anything they set their minds to do.
I tell them, they can be the brightest stars in the sky,
And the world will be a better place because of them…
As I have said, my job is to shine them, buff them and send them into the sky.”
“Although the general thinking is that teaching preschoolers is an easy job, once you gain a little experience, you come to realize that it is one of the most challenging occupations,” says Shirlene Kawiratna, the directress of the school which is to open on September 15.
With this in mind, Senfers hopes to offer teachers quality training that distinguishes an average teacher from an exceptional one. Six qualified lecturers led by Shirlene herself will handle the one year course. It will include Basic Montessori and Preschool Methods, Creative approach to the development and implementation of novel teaching methodology, facilitating active learning techniques, special attention to practice- aspects and normalization and special needs.
“Each child is handled differently,” says Shirlene. “We never give up on children no matter how difficult they are. Our main job is to teach our trainers to get through to the most difficult of children. We feel that this by itself is an achievement for a teacher.”
Three partners, all qualified in the field, were behind the Senfers project. The main partner Padmini Senanayake has been teaching in the USA for nearly two decades.
The course will be conducted in English, from Monday to Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and will also include a month’s training at a recognized Montessori. Candidates would need the basic qualifications such as GCE O/L’s with fluency in English.
For further details, please contact the Course Co-ordinator on 060 2158151. |
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