Classroom set-up (Unit 8)
Classroom management (Unit 8)
Ensure that your classroom practices help to develop mutually supportive interactions between students, teachers and parents. Use systems and structures that cultivate safety and an inclusive learning environment for all students such as the collective development of group
norms. Incorporate activities that develop the emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills for students to interact well together. Take intentional steps to encourage participation by all students. Sexual and Reproductive Health (Unit 9)
School facilities often do not provide for the means to manage menstrual hygiene like privacy, water, incinerators, sanitary towels and bins. Ideally, schools offer separate facilities for girls that accommodate their needs. Additionally, gender responsive teachers and schools should provide effective sexual and reproductive health information through a human rights framework that support boys and girls in a healthy sexual maturation process. Gender-based violence (Unit 10)
Understand the causes and impacts of different forms of gender-based violence for both girls and boys. Develop trauma-informed teaching practices and a referral process that allows teachers to provide adequate support for victims of gender-based violence, sexual harassment, conflict, emergencies and other traumainducing experiences that might limit students’ access and participation in education.
4. 3 LEARNER-CENTRED PEDAGOGY
Pedagogical approaches that are top-down and assume that teachers hold and transmit all the knowledge are common but can result in student passivity and conformity. To develop the life skills and multiple intelligences of each student, it is important to engage more innovative curricula and pedagogical approaches that improve student learning and promote gender equality. The main objective of teachers should be to foster in students the motivation to become lifelong learners and to choose learning activities that maximize their capacity to do so. Drawing from the theory of popular education, first developed by Paolo Freire (2000), teachers and schools can value, acknowledge and build on the inherent knowledge, creativity and experience of the learner. One of the root words that education comes from is educare, a Latin word that means to bring out, to draw forth (Tollesfson, & Osborn, 2008). Teachers should focus on bringing out what children have to offer and drawing
Following is an example of an interactive tool that solicits the knowledge and critical reflection of the students about issues that are relevant to their lives. This tool also supports students to take action as engaged citizens.
GENDER RESPONSIVE & LEARNER-CENTRED PEDAGOGIES
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gender responsive pedagogy: a toolkit for teachers & schools
forth the interests, talents and questions that students bring – rather than directing or controlling children. Learner-centred pedagogy uses experiential education and dialogue to empower students to reflect critically on our world so they can become engaged citizens and contribute meaningfully to their community. The education of engaged citizens also requires inclusion and respect for diversity, meaning that each individual should be recognized and respected for their own abilities, interests, ideas, needs, and intersecting social identities (Tollesfson, & Osborn, 2008). By striving to inspire and include every student, teachers can stop the perpetuation of gender inequality and other disparities that limit the future for millions of children across Africa and globally.
TEACHERS SECTION 3 UNIT 4
TEACHERS SECTION 3 • UNIT 4
Consider the typical classroom arrangement in which desks are lined up in neat rows facing the teacher. A big drawback of this arrangement is that it can reinforce many traditional socialization processes. The teacher is seen as the expert bestowing knowledge to the students, rather than actively engaging students with more learnercentred pedagogies. Those who are less comfortable speaking out sit at the back of the class and are less likely to participate unless the teacher makes a special effort to involve them. A different arrangement such as breaking the class into smaller groups or sitting in a circle may encourage all students to participate actively. Where this isn’t possible, consider rotating seats to ensure all learners are engaged. Additionally, how are the students seated? Are girls and boys sharing desks? Encourage opportunities for girls and boys to share desk space in order to break down barriers, understand and respect one another, and work together toward a common goal.