Teachers training

Last year we had a brain wave. We decided we would train teachers. We would tell them the innovative techniques that can be used to teach children. The entire onus was taken up by Vallabh bhai, who also decided that he would conduct a test before the training began just to see what is the level of the teachers.

It turned out that the teachers themselves did not know much. It did not matter whether they had done Inter or B.A. or M.A. The level of most of the teachers was abysmal.

Then the training began. They were taught the use of Flash cards, to play games with the children, to sing songs...oh, the entire gamut. They were also taught that children should be allowed to read books and that library was not for locking up.

This year when I went around the projects I asked each and every teacher whether they had been to teachers training program and if so, were they using the methodologies.

"Yes we have been to Kaithi for the program."
"Do you use the teaching methodologies."
Sheepish grin. A shake of their head. No, we do not use them.
"Why?"
"I am not able to do it."

The problem is that while teaching the children, one has to bridge the barrier between the adult and the child. The child has to learn to trust you. You, the adult, has to become the child. If the child is intimidated by the teacher, learning becomes boring and something that is being forced upon the child. Empathy, I think that is the word I am groping for.

None of the teachers I met were able to relate to the child. They would not play with them. How can they maintain the dignity if they stooped down to that level? No, I think I am wrong with that assessment. I think it is just that they have never behaved like that even with their own children. So it becomes difficult for them to change their behavior suddenly.

There was one teacher, who however embodied the qualities that I was searching for. Her name is Sangeeta Misra. She would hold up flash cards for children and then sing out: Bh is Bhavan alishan.
Then she would stop and explain what a alishan bhavan is.
The children she was teaching were confident and not scared. When we asked them to pick up a card and tell us what was the alphabet written on it, they happily did so.

I then asked Sangeeta whether she had ever been to teachers training program.
"No."
"Then how did you learn about this technique?"
"The teacher who had been to the training program got these flash cards. And then it is written in the books, no?"

That is what we need in teachers. I am sure there are many Sangeetas. The key is to finding them.