The Benefits of Attending Seminars and Conferences

Seminars and conferences are opportunities for teachers to enrich themselves with knowledge and other skills required for teaching. They are a venue for teachers to learn and practice their professional skills. As teacher trainee level and even as full-fledged teachers, attending seminars and conferences at various levels has its own significance. They not only provide an opportunity for all the researchers in a particular field to gather at a place and discuss the contemporary issues, but also provide a platform for the emerging thinkers to come out with their ideas. Through the platform of these conferences, the teachers learn to be professional in a variety of ways: they learn the skills of organizing such events, they learn to work in collaboration with others, they can pick up the professional skills of presenting a topic, and most importantly, they can interact with the intellectual and get in touch with them.

In my opinion attending the seminars and conferences has these following advantages for a teacher or to a trainee teacher. A teacher can learn other ways of teaching to substantiate one’s own skills. Teachers may have a difficulty with the strategy of a teaching a particular class, and by meeting the experts such teachers can get different perspectives in solving the issue. For a trainee teacher, these meetings with expert scholars may be even more important as it can be of use while finding a job after the course. Conferences and seminars also provide information about the advancements in science and technology and in the field of education. Further, these can provide opportunities to new ideas which can be used in classrooms. Thus, through conferences and seminars, a teacher improves his/her mastery in the profession. Conferences are very helpful to all teachers. They help every teacher learn more about their profession so that they can be more effective. In this manner, teachers master their professions in ways that are beneficial to their students and to the classroom environment in general.

In Christ (Deemed to be University), the department of education organizes various seminars and conferences at various levels. As a trainee teacher, I have been privileged to attend a few of these. We had a national conference on “Education, Neuroscience, Technology And Pedagogy: Neuro-Systemic Influence On Learning” in the month of November, 2019. It was very unique experience for me as I not only took part in it, but also contributed my effort in organizing it. It was a learning experience to get to know the details involved in organizing an event of that level and I was more than happy to chip in with any help required. During this conference, the advancements in education technology were discussed in detail and I tried to gather as much information as possible. More than 60 papers were presented by scholars including the students from senior batch of B.Ed. It was especially a wonderful experience to see the students present their views so confidently and clearly. It instilled a love for educational research in me. As I was also part of the technical team for the conference, I had the chance of closely following a few scholars and to help them out in their presentations, and this allowed me to intently listen to their views. Finally, the three days of national conference was a time for me to meet and interact with many experts and scholars in the field of education. It was one of the most valuable moments of life for me.

My Challenges as a Teacher

I have been inspired by a number of teachers in my life who have been instrumental in forming me. It is through the example of some of my teachers that I have been able to choose teaching as my profession. Teaching has been my passion from a very young age and I have felt at ease with the students at various levels. During these my experiences of interaction with students, I have tried to replicate some of the skills of my teachers. I’ve succeeded in developing some of these skills while I’m still figuring a way to cultivate other skills. Even before joining the B.Ed. course I have had the experience of teaching, and I have been faced with a number of challenges.

I’ve spent a couple of years in two different schools, teaching biology, social science and English language to high school students. Since I was teaching in the rural schools, expressing myself in English was a great challenge. Teaching biology and social science and translating every word to local language was a tough task as I had to concentrate on completing the syllabus as well. Managing the classroom of about 70 students was a challenge in itself. It was challenging to discipline the students and not to hurt them at the same time. I had a tough time evaluating the answer sheets as the board prescribed certain minimum criteria for allotting marks. Staying true to the expectations of the institution and of parents were my other challenges. During this stint, I learnt that it is one thing to have a total knowledge of the subject; but to teach that effectively to students requires a whole different set of communication skills.

The one month internship at Redbridge International Academy during my B.Ed. course brought a few challenges of its own. The first challenge was the expectations from my group as we were perceived as a talented group of trainee teachers. Being an international school, the classrooms were not crowded. The transition from facing bigger classrooms to such small classes was challenging. At the same time, the students in this school were very active and not shy of asking questions. There were times when I felt that my knowledge level was not up to the mark. The students at this school are exposed to the modern media and use a number of gadgets both at home and in the school, and are well informed. It required a greater effort from me to answer their questions. I took it as a challenge, rather than facing it as a question and eventually I felt confident to interact with the students.

The school has students from multicultural backgrounds. There are students from various states of India. It was rather challenging to establish a healthy connection with some of them. Being a multicultural group, they displayed a variety of interests and mindsets. I was not really prepared for it. The classrooms also had a few children with special educational needs. Since it was my first experience with such children, I found it challenging to interact with them. Finally, the school has students of various educational boards such as ICSE, IGCSE and IBDP each of which have different levels and requirements. It was quite challenging to take classes as I had to constantly change my teaching strategies as I switched from one class to another.

Marianne Williamson says: “The challenges we face in life are always lessons that serve our soul’s growth.” I have experienced various challenges in my experience as a part-time teacher and as a trainee teacher. But all these experiences have taught me great things in life. Instead of taking them as problems, I have accepted these challenges as opportunities for growth and this helped me to grow as a professional teacher. These have helped me to self-reflect and to be open-minded, responsible and to dedicate myself whole heartedly. All these challenging experiences have made me strong, and with the help of my colleagues, teachers and mentors, I have been able to grow into a better teacher.

A Need for a Professional Teaching Strategy

“I think the teaching profession contributes more to the future of our society than any other single profession.” – John Wooden

This above mentioned statement sums up the importance of teachers in our society. We have heard that teaching is the noblest of all professions. A teacher is the torchbearer for a bright future for all students. In Indian tradition, a teacher, a Guru, has been revered and given the greatest position. But in the modern age the role and functioning of schools in the society is changing and so what is expected from the teachers has also changed. Today teachers are asked to do multiple roles in the classrooms. They have the challenge of teaching with effective use of information and communication technologies; they need to engage more in planning within evaluative and accountability frameworks; they also need to involve parents in schools. Thus it becomes imperative for the teachers to develop professional skills to effectively manage the classrooms and other expectations.

In the modern world, technology has made information available easily. The students don’t really need a teacher to gain knowledge as they themselves can easily access to various sources online. At times it may seem that the students know more than the teacher does. It is in this situation that a teacher needs to act professionally. The teacher needs to understand that some students do have access to information while the others do not. It is important for the teacher to make all students feel belonged in the class. By conducting various activities in the class, the learning can be made interesting. But at times, those who know information already can create a problem. By making such students help the others, the teacher can create a better atmosphere in class. The professional conduct of the teacher in such situations is in including both slow learners and quick learners equally in the activities of class.

The students of contemporary times are equipped with all the modern gadgets. They spend a lot of time daily on the internet and access the information that is available. They prefer this information more than what they gain from the classroom. It is important for a teacher to understand this mindset of the students and adjust accordingly. A professional teacher modifies his/her content and strategies according to the needs and disposition of the students. If a teacher cannot adjust with the changing world, then such a teacher can easily be branded ‘old-fashioned’ by students. To make the classrooms effective, the need of the hour is to use technology in the class. The smart-boards have already made their way into practically every class rooms while only a few teachers are equipped to use them. The lessons can be presented to the teacher through power-point media and relevant videos can be used too. Technology has made virtual laboratories possible and it is time very teacher gets to know how to use them. Usage of chalk and black-board may seem outdated, but a good teacher can still use it effectively.

Technology has brought tremendous transformation in about every aspect of our life. It has changed the way we think, the way we communicate, the way we do everything. There is practically no profession in the world that has not adopted itself to the technological boom. Education needs to adopt itself to this too and the teachers need to lead the way. When the students observe the teacher moving ahead with time professionally, they take their example and learn to adopt themselves to the ever changing world.

Towards Becoming a Reflective Teacher

“Self-reflection is the school of wisdom.” – Baltasar Gracian

In a classroom set-up, it easier to conclude that the teacher is the one who does the teaching and the students are the ones who learn. In the traditional understanding of the teaching profession, the onus on making the students learn their lessons is on the teacher. The teacher is supposed to be an all-knowing reservoir from which the pupils draw their share of knowledge. But it is important to realize, in the present times more than ever, that the teacher is learning with the students too. Teaching is an ever evolving profession and the teacher can always strive to be a better version of oneself. Some teachers do have a reflective approach, while others don’t give much of a thought to it. Constant self reflection paired with feedback and criticism can help improve the standard of teaching.

The most basic requirement for being a reflective teacher is the virtue of humility. To be a reflective teacher is to take a stock of what one does in the classroom and to think about the pros and cons of it. A reflective teacher constantly thinks about whether a strategy works for the students or not, and if not, how to improve it. While reflecting, a teacher collects information about what goes on in the classroom. While analyzing and evaluating this new information, he/she can identify and explore one’s own practices and underlying beliefs which may lead to changes and improvements in the teaching process. Reflection is the first step towards being a professional teacher; it is the sign of professional development and it starts in the classroom.

Self reflection is a cyclical process of experience, observation, conceptualization and experimentation. It starts with a concrete experience in the classroom which not necessarily is a problem. Reflection is not a problem solving process, but rather is an activity to improve oneself. After having gone through the experience or a classroom phenomenon, the teacher reflects on the observation with carefully weighing the pros and cons and constantly referring to what went well and what did not. Based on these observations, the teacher conceptualizes the future plans and comes up with a concrete plan of action. The plan thus conceptualized is applied in the classroom and the results of which form the basis of further reflection. Therefore, for a good teacher, reflection never stops, no matter how experienced he/she is; no matter what is the level of competence one has achieved. The only aim of self reflection is the betterment of the students.

Self reflection requires an open mind. It requires a readiness and magnanimity to listen to others, to take constructive criticism and to change oneself. The teacher can assess one’s own teaching style in a number of ways. Students themselves can be asked to give explicit feedback to the teacher. If they aren’t comfortable, then a checklist of feedback can be given. The teacher can have a checklist of his own for self-assessment and reflection. Video taping of the class can be of great help to see when and how the limitations can be reduced to improve the quality. Further, one of the colleagues can be asked to observe the class to provide constructive feedback. Constant questioning of oneself on the lesson plans, preparation of the class, class delivery, communication skills, activities in the class, assessment styles etc. can help in becoming a reflective teacher.

Apart from humility and readiness to change, there are three further requirements to become a reflective teacher. They are: open-mindedness, wholeheartedness and responsibility. As a teacher, one needs to be ready to change the strategies of teaching to suit the needs of the students and the institution. It requires a wholehearted dedication and commitment towards the students. It also requires taking responsibility to one’s actions and towards one’s improvement. It is the responsibility of the teacher to make moral choices when they have to choose between the objectives and the teaching strategies. As a reflective teacher one is aware of one’s choices, actins and their consequences. The actions must have a definite and responsibly selected purpose. The teacher has an obligation to consider the consequences in relation to the students towards whom the responsibility of the teacher lies.

My Experience of Internship

The interaction with students and teachers during my month-long internship at Redbridge International Academy has helped me to look at the opportunities and challenges faced by a teacher and to reflect on my own competencies and limitations. The entire atmosphere at RBIA has given me better perspectives and a creative outlook towards being a teacher. Life in the school as a trainee teacher made me cultivate the basic skills required by a teacher. Thus, the four weeks spent in the school gave me a lot of experiences, each of which taught me great lessons. Everyday brought new opportunities and challenges. But I gathered valuable life lessons from each of these and from every person I met during my internship.

In Redbridge International Academy, I had the opportunity to interact with students of ICSE, IGCSE and also IBDP students. Having conversations with the students and teaching them a few lessons, I gained a comparative knowledge about various boards of education. The classrooms are lively with a student-centric approach where students participate in the discussion with the teacher. Experiential learning has been given much emphasis and most of what is learnt theoretically, has been put to practice either in labs or in the field. Above all, the school recognizes the fact that a holistic development of a child requires all-round training which must include extra and co-curricular activities. Thus, RBIA organizes frequent field trips and provides space and opportunities for sports and artistic skills of students. As a result, the students are happy and are full of life in the campus.

Observing the teachers, staff and management in RBIA, I learnt the way how to deal with students of various interests. I had the opportunity of closely following a few teachers and to observe the classes. For my surprise, the classroom atmosphere was a lot different from what I’ve been used to. The teachers did not take a dominating position but let the students form their ideas. The teachers remained calm and gentle throughout the teaching hour and were very generous in appreciating the good works of the students. Every teacher maintains a very cordial relationship with every student even outside the campus. In short, these observations helped me realize what it really means to be a professional teacher.

The Redbridge International Academy is also an IB world school which has IBDP students. Hence, the students are encouraged to inculcate international mindedness and to imbibe the values portrayed in the IB learner’s profile. I had the chance to participate in the CAS, TOK and Extended Essay sessions of DP where I could see the students coming out with their ideas which would benefit not only their academic endeavours, but the society at large as well. The teachers guided them just as facilitators which was great to see. This helped me to reflect on the role of a teacher in developing the higher order thinking skills of the students.

The school culture at Redbridge International Academy has fascinated me greatly. The experience at this school has given me an overall picture of the challenges faced by teachers in an IB school, and the various aspects of being a teacher. This experience has made me a reflective person. The role of a teacher goes beyond the classrooms. The students expect much more than that from the teachers. A teacher does not merely transfer knowledge to them. In the modern world there are various sources of information from which students can gain knowledge. But a teacher is the cause of making students competent enough to construct their worldview and perspectives. It is the sole responsibility of the teacher that the students grow up in a healthy atmosphere with all aspects of development being taken care of. The teachers and the entire team at Redbridge International Academy is committed to achieve these objectives in the students.