Author: Tengchong Payun preschool teacher: Gao Huanrun

Since the implementation of the project of HPP’s ‘Preschools of the Future’(POF) project, the opportunities for training and learning of our rural preschool teachers have increased. After pre-job training, monthly training and holiday training, I have mastered the essentials and methods of Learning-Through-Play teaching, and know how to use teaching aids to lead children to explore and discover.

What impressed me the most was: "Education needs to combine reality and teach students in accordance with their aptitude". Unexpectedly, the training with the theme of "green" in January this year brought me unexpected changes. Amazing that old clothes can still play like this!

During the training, the project staff asked, "How to integrate ecological civilization education into rural preschool education?"

When asked this question, we were all at a loss, without any thoughts or ideas.

Then, under the leadership of the project staff, we all discussed the current environmental situation, how to protect the earth and what we can do to cope with climate change.

Combined with the actual situation of preschool classes, I learned that in preschool classes, we can make low-cost indoor and outdoor teaching aids by using common natural materials and waste materials, such as making plum blossom piles from stumps, converting waste tires into tire carts or swings, and decorating the environment with waste cardboard. The most interesting thing is the practice class in the training. We made all kinds of environmental protection bags from old clothes collected in advance.

After the training, I gradually got a new inspiration for ecological civilization education, that is, in daily teaching activities, children and parents can be mobilized to participate in environmental protection through eco-environmental classes, reuse of old things and parent-child activities, so that our preschool classes can also add some "green".

Just do what you say, and I will take action when the new semester comes. Discuss with the parents' committee, organize a parents' meeting to mobilize everyone to participate in the parent-child activities of "hand-made environmental protection bags for waste clothes" in our preschool class. After my demonstration and explanation, parents and children in rural areas easily mastered the method of making environmental protection bags.

With the help of parents, all the children have their own new "schoolbags", and they carry them to the preschool to show them. They also share the source and making process of the "new schoolbags" with me and other friends.

"This not only saves money, but also recycles old clothes. The most important thing is that children like it very much. This idea is really great!" Parents have said.

Instead of telling children how important it is to protect the earth, I prefer to let them really protect the earth in practical actions.

Education comes from life and practice. Handmade environmental protection bags have brought me unexpected gains and changes.

Project introduction:

Tengchong POF is funded by Tin Ka Ping Foundation, and HPP cooperates with Tengchong Education and Sports Bureau to assist in the implementation of the "One village, One preschool" policy. The project takes early education as the entry point, improves the hardware facilities and teaching aids of preschool classes and organizes professional and systematic training for teachers regularly. The project team regularly supervises preschool classes to help teachers solve difficulties and problems in daily teaching activities. In addition, the preschool classes have set up the parent committee, carried out parent training and promoted preschool-home co-education. The project focuses on game-based teaching, provides tools such as teacher management kits and teaching materials, improves the coverage of preschool education in rural areas, and improves the quality of preschool education in rural areas, so that more children can receive high-quality preschool education.

This article represents the views of the author and does not represent the views or positions of the donor.