“We focus on teachers as much as on our students,” – Rajesh Bhatia

Equipping teachers with requisite training is critical, believes the founder of the preschool chain TreeHouse
Teachers are the bedrock of our education system but often they have to deal with inadequate resources, dated infrastructure, and excessive workload. This could lead to burnout or an inability to keep up with the diverse needs of the students. Rajesh Bhatia, the founder of online and offline preschool chain TreeHouse says, “When I was ideating TreeHouse, I thought from the perspective of a parent and asked myself just what kind of a teacher I would want for my own child. I also realised that the conventional system of education demands too much from teachers and does not really support their practice, and everyday needs in the classroom. This is one of the reasons why we focus on teachers as much as on our students at TreeHouse.”
TreeHouse, says Bhatia, works hard to ensure that teachers are well-equipped with digital tools and offline teaching resources and also undergo teacher training programs to update their skills.
Bhatia explains, “The foundational years are the most critical for a child and so we have a teacher training program for Kindergarten teachers. They are trained in early childhood education (ECE) and care once a week and this goes on for a whole year and then a diploma is issued. If undertaking such a long program in person is not possible then an online module is also available. Teachers also have practical and theory classes in the preschool and they get insights into child psychology and the best behavioural techniques to deal with young children patiently. They also learn art and craft which helps them to engage with the children. And because our curriculum is slightly different, they learn the methodologies we use.”
Bhatia feels that valuing the contributions of teachers is also an important priority and at TreeHouse, educators are given the respect and attention they deserve so that they can give their best to the students.