REHEARSAL: GETTING READY FOR THE PERFORMANCE

Training young people
Before starting classes, young people go through a training process. As well as preparation for the lessons, this procedure helps the young teacher grasp aspects and particularities of the universe of the third age.

Training prepares young people for their functions through lectures, seminars, debates, reflections, dynamics and classroom simulation.

Training for young people includes four stages:
Stage 1 - Group integration;
Stage 2 - Contact with the seniors' universe;
Stage 3 - Planning and preparing lessons;
Stage 4 - First day of class

First stage: Group integration
The first day of training looks at integration of the group of young people through dynamics or activities adapted to local culture. The dynamics and activities shown here were created and/or adapted by educators of the Cidade Escola Aprendiz Association.

To consult dynamics for the first encounter, click below:
Inverted presentation
Preparing a presentation for seniors

Second stage: getting to know the seniors' universe
The second day of training is used to have young people get to know the universe of the third age.

In this respect, activities may be proposed so that the young people get to know the seniors' peculiarities, needs and difficulties, physical and emotional aspects of aging, issues involving motor coordination, memory, and level of attention, sight and hearing. Together with the educator, a specialist in the subject (geriatrician, psychologist, social worker, etc.) may be asked to speak or chair debates.

To consult dynamics for the second encounter, click below:
Feeling old
Devise a dictionary for the senior
Project your own aging process
Creating stories with photos
The senior in the media

Third stage: planning and preparing classes
In this encounter, the young people are invited to prepare their first computer class for seniors. It is important to point out that this preparation includes selection of content, the means of transmitting and devising didactic material.

This class should meet the following requirements:
Clear title;
Appropriate type font size;
Clear explanation, preferably with the aid of analogies or metaphors to facilitate understanding;
Use of examples;
Use of images illustrating the contents;
Whenever possible, to organize explanation in the form of topics, with step by step instructions;
Follow a logical order in the presentation of new content;
Prepare regular review lessons (periodicity will be defined depending on the needs of each senior).

While preparing lessons, the educator and monitor should guide, assist and supervise the young teacher in making materials, adapting and making adjustments as required.

Useful tips:

Organization is better if the monitor creates folders in the computer (and has them on a network), with each teacher's name to file lesson materials they produce, so that everybody can access these contents. The monitor should also create a folder for each senior with the aim of storing a portifolio of their work.

Fourth stage: first day of class
The first class with seniors is also considered part of the training phase for the young people.

Before the seniors' arrival, pairs are decided, in other words, which young person will teach which senior.

This first class is usually atypical, because the objective is not only transmitting content, but also introducing seniors to their young teachers, thus starting a process of integration.

This integration is facilitated by using group dynamics for young people and seniors. We suggested the dynamics known as Reverse introductions.  Click here to consult the dynamic.

After this activity, each young person presents to their student the material prepared on the first day of training, during the dynamic known as Preparing a presentation for the senior. Click here to consult the dynamics.