Workshop Methods
Three Times Three Method
In Children for Health workshops we start teaching people about children’s participation using the memorable Three Times Three Method.
The first of the Three Times Three are the key words that need to be linked to everything you are doing with the children and these are:
- INTERESTING
- RELEVANT
- FUN
The second of the Three Times Three is the key dynamics which highlight the distinctions between teaching children at schools in a traditional way and working with children in a less formal way or in a less formal setting, for example a Children’s Club:
At School:
- I Tell
- I Teach
- They Listen
At the Club:
- We Talk
- We Guide
- We Listen
The third of the Three Times Three is the process we use to promote participation:
- To Understand
- To Act
- To Reflect
The Ten Threes: Training Tips for Teachers
The Ten Threes distil all our experiences into easy to understand concepts and distinctions. We have session plans to help trainers work with teachers to learn, practice and apply each of The Ten Threes.
The Ten Threes have been testing in many different countries and settings. They are fun to do and help trainers and teachers work though important but complex concepts. In some places they adapt the Threes to their own context and this makes the ideas stronger.
T-Shaped Teacher
Behind every high-quality programme in which the children are participating and really feeling empowered is what we call a ‘T-shaped teacher’!
When we are training teachers or trainers, we tell them that we are developing a T-shaped person.
The vertical axis, represents the skills that the teacher of trainer needs to possess that allows them to make a real contributions to the programme. This axis is like the trunk of a tree.
The top horizontal axis (with the arms outstretched) represents open and flexible thinking. Ideas come from the lives of children and their families must always be a part of what we do and how we do it.
The T-shaped person shows curiosity, optimism, a tendency toward learning through doing, and experimentation – and getting others to do the same.
The teacher at the front in this photo is Mika, an outstanding teacher in Mozambique, who has been implementing the PCAAN programme at his school in Mozambique well after funding stopped.