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My Journey as a Learner

 

I can yet recall the days when I was in a dilemma on deciding which  career I would take. My parents wanted me to enter into teaching profession. I unwillingly managed to do B.Ed. I remember the first day of my encounter with students. It wasn’t a fruitful experience. I didn’t lose hope, I gave myself time. As the days passed I started building rapport with students. They are pure souls who are very curious to explore the world around them. It was fun to be around kids and talking to them. I started enjoying my work and I realized that this is what I want.

 

During my initial years of teaching I had misconceptions of teaching and learning which I have lately realized being in IAAT (I Am A Teacher). I had a notion that teacher is a knowledge provider. Initially I wanted my students to be knowledgeable with the content taught in the class. Most of the time my class was monotonous where, the students were silent listener. They didn’t have active role. Their grades which was based on rote learning determined the capabilities and compared the child. I was always on the quest of discovering ways in which I could make my lessons more engaging. The biggest challenge that I faced was the vast content which  I had to cover in limited time and the resources available didn’t cater to the needs of the child. I tried to make it engaging to some extent by following constructivist approach, however I couldn’t create an opportunity to have them hands-on-experience, letting them explore their curiosity and understanding  and  develop  the  skills  that  will  be  utilized  in  the  situations of  daily  life. I used to discuss with my colleagues and heads to try on creative ways to make learning engaging and fun.  Most of us were facing the same challenge. The challenge of covering the content in the available time. I didn’t find peace in my work. I was always daunted by the question  ‘ Am I doing justice to my work? Am I reaching out to all my students? Am I catering to their needs?’

 

I found IAAT; I wanted to give it a try. I wasn’t much sure if this course would help me learn new strategies to help the students motivate in learning the skills for life. As the course unfolded I could connect the theories in my practice teaching .I can now truly say  that,  IAAT is what it claims to be ‘ Creating critical mass of educators who are mindful, passionate and can lead change in and through classrooms.’ Through IAAT I am learning various strategies to reach out to all the students. Teaching and learning process should make a child happy at the same time teacher should also have a peace of mind at the end of the day that she has justified the work. I have realized that it is very important to make learning purposeful which can be achieved by creating an experiential learning environment. Students learn best when the content is connected to the experiences in their life. Their curiosity increases when given the opportunity to discover the unknown through inquiry based learning. The teacher has to act as a facilitator and redirect the students in the right direction. Connecting the child’s interest with the content by integrating different subject areas. It is important for a teacher to understand that if students make mistake it will provide an opportunity for a teacher to refine the ideas and understanding of the child. Learning starts with curiosity. Observations and questions create a climate of discovery. Encouraging questions helps the teacher understand students thought process. The teacher should not give direct answers but cross question to help them provoke their thinking and find the answers themselves.

 

I have also learnt that teacher’s language plays a crucial role in having an impact on the child. The responsive classroom language creates a positive learning environment. Putting the child in spot may demotivate the child. The teacher should avoid using value words. Every child learns at their own pace. One size doesn’t fits all, one strategy may not work for all. Differentiated learning should be created. Depending on each child’s need the teacher should be prepared to cater the needs of individual child. I always used to think that core subjects like Math, science social studies and literature are the only important  areas to be focused but, now I have come to a realization that special areas like visual arts , performing arts and sports are equally important for overall growth of the child and the ways it could be integrated with the core subjects.

 

As a teacher I have seen myself growing each day. In a day a teacher has to wear different caps be it a care taker, a nurse, a counsellor, peace maker, and more. Everyday is a new learning for a teacher. When a teacher is in class she is accountable of making learning fruitful and exciting by providing hands-on-experience and making it meaningful. She is on a journey with her students. A journey on a quest of finding new knowledge and skills which will prepare them for a happy life.

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