Empowering Educators: Four-Day Barefoot Teachers’ Training on Holistic Teaching Approaches

From 3rd to 8th April 2025, Kolkata Mary Ward Social Centre (KMWSC) successfully conducted a four-day intensive Barefoot Teachers’ Training Programme as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of education delivered at the grassroot level to underprivileged children. The training, which took place on the 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th of April, was meticulously designed to strengthen the pedagogical skills and classroom presence of community-based educators working with children from disadvantaged sections.

One of the core components of the training was classroom management. Teachers were guided through practical, experience-based strategies to foster an organised, inclusive, and stimulating learning environment even within the limited infrastructure of temporary classrooms.

The program also placed a strong emphasis on positive behavioural approaches — encouraging teachers to engage with students with empathy, patience, and constructive discipline. This was aimed at nurturing trust and openness, which are especially vital when working with vulnerable children who often face instability and hardship.

Another vital element of the training focused on the innovative use of Teaching-Learning Materials (TLM). Through hands-on demonstrations and collaborative activities, teachers explored new methods to make lessons more interactive, child-friendly, and relevant to the lived experiences of their students.

A standout feature of the training was the module on storytelling as a medium to address social issues. Teachers learned how to use stories not just for entertainment, but as a tool to spark critical thinking, build empathy, and introduce children to important values and real-life challenges in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner.

This training reinforced KMWSC’s commitment to empowering grassroots educators with the tools and confidence needed to transform temporary classrooms into spaces of hope, learning, and change.

“When we train a teacher, we touch a hundred lives.”