June 7, 2012
The second session of Ensemble witnessed participation of faculties of Choithram School, Manik Bagh and Choithram School, North Campus on June 7, 2012 at Choithram School, Manik Bagh premises. The programme commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Mr. Dilip Vasu, Principal Choithram International and Mr. Srinivasa Rao, Principal Choithram School, North Campus and Mr. Rajesh Awasthi, Principal of the host school.
Mr. Dilip Vasu while elucidating about ‘Work Culture’ emphasized on the teachers updating themselves on a regular basis to reach out to the students. According to him the present generation is a key-board generation who feel interested only in a lively and interactive class. Apart from subject teaching, he reminded the teachers to communicate effectively with the students on day-to-day affairs and the problems connected with life. Each child must be well known to the teacher. He advised teachers to be voracious readers. The feeling of belongingness towards school should be palpable on the faces of the teachers who must consider their profession a hobby. Lastly, the teachers must exhibit an aura of zeal, vigour and be honest to their profession.
Shedding further light on ‘Work Culture’, Mr. Srinivasa Rao drew the attention of the teachers towards the present education system which is more research oriented. He felt that the curiosity of students is curbed by mechanical and stereotyped teaching. Teachers must be passionate about their work and it is paramount to have a sound work culture and vision. This can be achieved by keeping a check on negative talk amongst the teachers pertaining to students as well as the institution. Numerous factors play a key role in creating an organization for the next generation, viz., team work with synergetic effort, developing lateral and critical thinking amongst teachers as well as implementation of best practices. He strongly recommended that the attitude window of the teacher must be bright and clear. Inspiring the teachers, he concluded with the words, ‘Act now, get involved, be awakened and find the goal.’
Thereafter, all the teachers assembled for subject-wise discussion in different classrooms and shared their ideas, information and knowledge. Curriculum teaching, methodology, assessment measure scale, rubrics, activities conducted and worksheets were discussed. A Follow Up session was arranged, wherein teachers shared the multi-fold pedagogies implemented in their classrooms.
The faculty meet offered an excellent platform to share views, expertise and resources for enhancing better teaching learning atmosphere. The day ended with a refreshing cultural programme, recharging everyone with exhilarating performances.
JUNE 09, 2011
INTRODUCTION
Choithram Group of Schools embarked on yet another milestone by successfully hosting Ensemble on June 9, 2011 at Choithram School, Manik Bagh campus. As the French word Ensemble suggests, ‘A group producing a single effect’, similarly Ensemble is envisaged to be a platform for Choithram Group of teachers to come and step together for a common goal. Such an exercise will foster greater interaction and collaboration among the teachers of the sister schools and will provide a rich insight into various problems encountered during the teaching-learning process, making learning a fruitful process. Sharing each others’ ideas will enable teachers to chalk out an agenda beneficial for everyone. The first session of Ensemble witnessed participation of teachers of Choithram School, Manik Bagh and Choithram School, North Campus.
SESSION I
Mr. M. Srinivasa Rao, Principal Choithram School, North Campus in his address on ‘Teacher Empowerment’ stressed on the importance of teachers having faith in themselves and in their students. He elucidated education as life changing, a paradigm shift from examination to critical and multi-dimensional pedagogy, laying emphasis on four corners of a learning pyramid that encompasses the development of cognitive, psychomotor, emotional and true spiritual skills in students. He advised the teachers to adopt various techniques for slow learners as well as enable the students to shift from rote learning to learning with understanding. Teachers alone can create positive changes and students must be provided ample opportunities during teaching learning process so that knowledge is generated together. Strengthening the need of a ‘child-centred pedagogy’ he exhorted the teachers to be creative, friendly, communicative, participatory and empowered. He concluded his address by guiding the teachers to lay less emphasis on pedantic and rote learning and more on learning as an interactive process.
SESSION II
Shedding light on ‘Educational Realities’, Mr. Rajesh Awasthi, Principal, Choithram School, Manik Bagh emphasized that education must bring behavioural changes in a student; changes which are society oriented. Believing in qualitative education, he felt that the objective of education should not be content based but should enable the students to become good human beings. He asserted that the class must not be converted into a robotic lab by imposing conditions upon children where they do not use their brain. Endorsing child friendly education, he highlighted that the learners must be provided an environment where they are free to learn without imposition of any boundary of learning. Only teachers according to him can bring about such a change. He accentuated the teachers to be collaborative and not competitive and promote analytical and critical thinking of the students as well as positive inter-personal relationship. He believes that we the teachers of Choithram Group comprising of five schools and nearly 400 teachers can start sharing our resources and expertise and create an environment of learning. He summed up by saying that, ‘Let education be for life, not for earning livelihood.’
SUBJECT-WISE DISCUSSIONS
Teachers of both the schools then proceeded to the various venues for subject-wise discussions which lasted for one and a half hours and again resumed after lunch for an hour. The objective of this faculty meet was to discuss the syllabus covered in both the institutions and to propose a common scheme of teaching and learning. The teachers explored multifarious innovative ideas for reaching academic excellence through child centered education.
The meeting began with the introduction of teachers of both the schools. The details of the prevailing method of teaching–learning, syllabus followed, curriculum mapping, teaching aids, teaching methodologies adopted, formative assessments, work sheets, practice sheets, activities conducted, scheme of practicals were discussed.
A follow up session was conducted in the new AV Hall with the staff members of both the schools sharing the multi-fold pedagogies implemented in their classrooms.
The faculty meet offered an excellent platform to share views, expertise and resources for enhancing better teaching learning atmosphere. With a hope that the manifestation of this interaction would bear fruits in actual class room teaching and fortify the learning process, the first session of Ensemble concluded prolifically.
