TRC News
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

TRC was invited by Haque Academy to give a talk to parents of 6-8 year olds on October 28, 2009. Due to shortage of time, it was decided that an informal conversation would be held with the parents on how they can understand challenging behaviour exhibited by their children. The talk, given by TRC’s Nida Alavi, highlighted the role of the adult and the larger environment in explaining why children engage in what is considered “bad” behaviour in the first place. Eager to share, parents who attended the talk actively participated in the conversation. Issues explored included how to define and  identify causes of challenging behaviour. Inevitably, the conversation led to discussions on related issues like  developmentally appropriate practices, labeling and the pressure of meeting expectations – indicating just how complex a subject challenging behaviour is. The parents (and a few teachers who decided to join us) all gave positive feedback and have requested further conversations in the future on various issues of concern. Haque Academy will get in touch with TRC in this regard.

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Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 12th – 13th, 20th – 21st, 26th – 27th Nov & 4th – 5th Dec 2009 | Time: 2:30 – 5:30 pm | Seats Remaining: 22

This workshop will focus on ideas for planning and implementing developmentally appropriate activities.

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Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 16th Nov – 19th Nov 2009 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Seats Remaining: 22

This workshop will provide an opportunity to improve one’s Urdu handwriting.

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TRC News
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

The Anita Ghulam Ali Award for Teachers, constituted in 2008, recognizes teachers’ efforts and excellence in teaching. The Iconic stature of Anita Ghulam Ali in Education in Pakistan and the teaching community in particular, symbolizes a continuous struggle for social change through teaching and learning. It is for this reason that the first award for Excellence in Teaching in Pakistan is named after her. The award, initiated and coordinated by Idara Taleem o Agahi (ITA) is merit-based where the applications and nominations are assessed and judged by an eminent panel of judges.

In its second year, the 2009 AGA Award aims to recognize Excellence in teaching at the Early Childhood Education level. Given that ECE sets the foundation for learning, teachers have an immensely important role to play at this stage. The nature and quality of early care a child receives from parents, pre-school teachers and care givers determines how a child learns and relates to school and life in general. It is during the early years that a child develops confidence, curiosity, purposefulness, self control, connectedness, the capacity to communicate and cooperate – all the elements required for becoming a life-long learner.

The AGA Teachers’ Award for 2009 acknowledges efforts for promoting Early Childhood Education in Pakistan, both by teachers and teacher educators. ITA is inviting applications with a complete portfolio of work. Eligibility criteria, important dates and registration forms can be accessed at www.itacec.org.

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The Film Club
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

Children_of_HeavenSynopsis:
Children of Heaven, is an Oscar nominated Iranian film with English subtitles. An extraordinary piece of filmmaking, Children of Heaven engages people from all backgrounds in revisiting and reflecting on their childhood.

The story concerns a 9-year-old boy Ali, and his 7-year-old sister Zahra, who live with their parents in a one-room flat in the south of Tehran. At the outset, Ali is sent to have his sister’s shoes repaired, but on the way home the repaired shoes are mistakenly taken away by a city rag picker while Ali is dutifully shopping for some potatoes that his mother needs. This establishes the “problem” that drives the rest of the story. Ali is mortified by having lost the shoes, knowing that his family cannot afford to replace them and that he will be severely punished for his error. He and his sister take the only option that appears: since they attend school at different times, they must share Ali’s sneakers, without telling their parents. While a novel arrangement, we know that it is not sustainable and something will have to give.

Children of Heaven is a simple, realistic window into the emotional ups and downs of childhood. It invites us to experience the myriad of fears, dreams and expectations that a child has to navigate through on a daily basis – the desperate need for approval from ‘grownups’, the desire to meet their expectations and the ever-present fear of punishment.

The movie has been selected for screening at TRC for its relevance to the times we live in. In a world of impossible demands and a never-ending series of often-frightening encounters with intolerant adults, this powerful film prompts us to revisit and realize the enormity of every experience for a child, and our role as ‘grownups’ in influencing the impact of those experiences.

Facilitator: Sadiya Azeem
Date: Friday, October 30, 2009
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: TRC
Duration of Film: 90 minutes
Discussion Time: 45-60 minutes
Fee: Rs. 200 per participant

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Workshop
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

On September 25th, 2009 – TRC’s Institute of Early Childhood Education buzzed with eagerness and inquisitiveness as our fourth cohort of students arrived for the ECE-CP (2009-2010) Orientation. Having already completed a busy first week of classes in Term 1, we thought we’d bring you up to speed on what we’ve been upto.
Orientation provided participants the opportunity to become familiarized with the specifics of ECE-CP, through an informal question and answer dialogue with the Academic Coordinator and faculty members. The discussion was interactive and students walked out feeling a lot more secure and comfortable with what lay ahead.

This year, we also conducted a short module on “Study Skills” for the benefit of our students. An overview of useful strategies in reading and writing was provided, to facilitate more meaningful engagement with the readings and assignments students will be completing over the coming year. A first time endeavour, the feedback was positive and we look forward to seeing how the “Study Skills” module enhances participants’ learning experiences throughout the course.

The first week of classes is always both exciting and challenging. Both feelings come from curiosity about the unknown and our students have displayed remarkable energy in keeping up with the potentially dizzying pace of this initial week! We wish them the absolute best for the weeks to come.

This year has brought together a diverse group of students, from both pre-service and in-service backgrounds. Of particular note has been the jump in enrollments from individuals seeking to complete the course before stepping into their first ‘formal’ classroom. This is especially encouraging because it represents a pivotal shift in people’s attitudes towards ECE and the need for professional development. A wonderful note to begin a new year of ECE-CP on

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TRC News
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre

The Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) is holding its 25th Annual Conference in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan and Abbottabad.

Interested persons can download details from the following link:

SPELT Flyer

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Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 15th Oct – 16th Oct 2009 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Seats Remaining: 11

This workshop is designed to promote a positive relationship between parents and teachers of young children.

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Workshops
Written by Teachers' Resource Centre
Dates: 12th Oct – 14th Oct 2009 | Time: 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Seats Remaining: 15

This workshop will focus on the development of language skills in preschool children.

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