Life Skills Education Toolkit

LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA• 47

• Encourage children to ask questions, not just
  answer them;


• Share personal experiences if required and
  act comfortably around the children;


• Have a sense of humor;


• If you do not know an answer, frankly admit
  it. Tell the group you will find out and
  inform them the next time. Follow through
  with your promise!


• Be aware of the general developmental
  characteristics for the sex and ages of the
  group, and treat every child as an individual;


• Speak less and encourage the children,
  especially girls, to speak more. Help children
  learn to respect different ideas and viewpoints;


• Be prepared for your session. Adequate
  preparation and reading must be done by
  the facilitator;


• If a child dominates the group, politely say
  that everyone must get a chance and point to
  the ground rules;


• Do not criticize the child, only the behavior;


• Be positive, build on the child’s strengths
  (and he or she has many strengths!);


• Since most of the activities are group
  activities, sitting in a circle is useful.
  The facilitator should be at the same “level”
  as the participants. If the children are sitting
  on the ground, so should the facilitator;


• If you are using flip charts and have noted
  things down, keep them on the walls so that
  the children can see them;


• Be aware and be responsive to different literacy
  levels. Make sure no one is embarrassed by not
  being able to read or write;
  
  
  • If you are using the Bridge Model, place it
    where it can be seen;
  
  
  • Keep the group awake with energizers and
    warm-ups, and sometimes a snack;
  
  
  • Make maximum use of visual aids and
    creative media to help the learning process;
  
  
  • Warm ups, such as introductory remarks,
    examples, a topical event or short exercise
    can be used to introduce the session if
    required. These must help to focus on the
    main activity and should be brief; and
  
  
  • Do not plan two sessions per day even if
    there is time. The children need to assimilate
    what they have learned.
  
  
  
  

Experience from the field

When things do not work out, I try again in a

different way. My rapport with children has

increased and I am willing to listen more.

Children now talk a lot, and do not fight and

quarrel so much. In fact, mothers are asking

me what I am teaching the children in the Life

Skills Education Program! (Facilitator, CCDT)

We have to talk very little, then children talk more!

Facilitator Training

Facilitators need to undergo training before

working with children. A pre-training

questionnaire (or interview) can be administered

to assess the capacity and attitudes of the

facilitators. The training can then be tailored

according to these needs and progress can be

evaluated. The competencies and attitudes

needed by facilitators are described in the pre-

training questionnaire below: