How to boost the overall morale of the class?

Teaching a class seems like the easiest thing to do, but it is in fact the most complex of all processes. As a teacher, one is laden with the responsibility of shaping the next generation. As a day to day interaction, one may not be bogged down by the weight of this responsibility because one is dealing with so much more in the class everyday, but it always haunts at the back of the mind. To some, teaching may just be about getting done with the syllabus or ensuring that the kids listen to them when they are talking. But most often, teachers do much more than just this.

Teachers not only worry about teaching the class a particular subject, but also think about the emotional and psychological developments of the children. In spite of their busy schedules and lack of time, they always know what’s happening with their children at a personal level. They always know how each child is doing – whether a child is proactive or quiet, enthusiastic or shy, having some troubles at home or has the potential to excel in a particular field. Having a class of fifty odd children doesn’t handicap them. Most teachers still manage to know the children in their class, personally.

But having said this, there are always instances when the teachers get overwhelmed by a big class or a noisy class or a handful of very active children making it difficult for her/him to concentrate on the other students.  What is she/he supposed to do then? Are there any quick formulae to teaching that she can apply to ensure that the shy children are not left behind? Or that the overall morale of the class doesn’t go down because she is unable to (for various reasons) communicate with the class the way she would have ideally liked?

The one thing that is of prime importance is that the teacher’s aura should not be intimidating. Instead, it should be warm and friendly towards the children. They should be able to approach her and confide in her. And when in class, they should be able to participate, without the fear of being yelled at for giving the wrong answer or for not knowing or understanding something.

Here are things that when said often, help build the morale of the class positively.


And the second thing is that a teacher must never just concentrate on the kids that answer all the time or are very proactive. Once you identify them, you know that they are listening. So now it is the time to look for those who are quietly hiding at the back, and not participating. It is important to push them to get involved so that they do not feel left out. Engaging ALL the children is key!


There are many more articles like this that can help teachers to make teaching a more joyous and effective experience. To read more, visit our RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS section.

As we return back from our Diwali vacation…

Today’s generation is the most technologically advanced generation. They have everything at their fingertips. It is also the most ambitious and the most success-oriented generation. But we may not be able to say that it is the happiest generation. There is so much pressure to perform – everyone is competing either with others or with their own selves. The definition of success now is totally different from what it used to be. Now people don’t talk about or aspire to have a stable career and life, or a ‘Government job. Now, people aspire to own brands. The benchmark of success now is probably an IPhone or an Audi car.

Since even adults think like this, do you think the younger children are far behind? No! They are also running the same race already.  Every one is under pressure to perform in exams. If school exams were not enough, there are a lot other competitive exams now as well. And once they are older, there are entrance exams for specific streams of higher education. Children these days study to excel in exams and not to understand concepts. And there is so much pressure on them, that vacations become the time that they really need to de-stress and re-energize themselves.

We, at English E.Teach, strongly believe that there is a certain flaw in this whole system and the way it functions. When we say system, we do not mean the syllabus. Speaking for English, because that is what we are mainly working on – the syllabus is pretty good and well thought out.

However,  the way the classes are conducted,  needs support. The education system as a whole, needs to provide a strong support system for the teachers to function more efficiently. They need proper teaching tools and resources – things or theories – that make teaching a more joyful experience for them. And this support will ensure that the teachers do not succumb to the various pressures that hover over them.

As we return back to school, post the Diwali vacation, we ask all our teachers to pledge that they will work towards creating a better environment for the students in their respective classes. And we pledge to help the teachers in any way possible to do so.





P.S. For any teacher reading this, we have a whole section – ‘Resources for Teachers’, where we compile useful information that may come in handy for teachers.

The IMPACT ASSESSMENT of the ENGLISH E.TEACH PROJECT

BCPT's English E. Teach is an effective intervention that brings quality English language to vernacular schools from Std. I upwards, using the simple teacher-friendly technology of audio-visual DVDs in the class environment. These DVDs are given absolutely free of cost to schools and are custom-made to teach the prescribed Maharashtra Government syllabus, page by page. It uses the existing school infrastructure and existing teachers that the children are already familiar with.
These audio-visual English lessons make learning interesting and enjoyable for children using short songs, interactive sequences and role-play, to be facilitated by the teacher. English E.Teach helps children overcome their fear of learning a foreign language and instills a confidence and proficiency in English, that stays with them for life.

We undertook an in house Impact Assessment with the main objective of looking at:
1) If there was in actuality an impact on  building competency in use of the English language  in  students of the vernacular schools using English E teach
2)Where these students stand in comparison to students of vernacular schools not using English E. teach, and English medium schools catering to the same socio-economic strata as the children in said vernacular schools
3) Aspects and content of English E. Teach that need to be highlighted when orienting teachers or offering them training.  (This is being  shared with those involved in these processes  and is not  elaborated on in this write up)
HOW WAS THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED:
1) School Based Assessment (BMC and Private)                                                                                          
This was conducted in schools that use English E.teach DVDs, testing students in classes I to III. Criteria for eligibility was that the school should have been using English E. teach for one full academic year at least, i.e. from academic year 2016-17.
Schools that had the program in use in Stds I-III  were preferred.
The 5 facilitators  (who liaise with schools and teachers, introducing the programme to them, training teachers in its use and offering hands on assistance as and when required) selected 5 schools each, that met our requirements.  The assessment was conducted in a total of 30 schools.
An interactive session was designed for Stds. I - III. The time available to us for actually conducting the sessions in class was limited, hence only a few competencies could be tested.
A pair of facilitators conducted the session in each class, with one facilitator noting the observations on a data collection sheet while the other interacted with the students.
 Data gathered this way is labeled ‘School Based’.

2)Community Based Assessment of Individual Children
This type of assessment was Conducted in communities by the facilitators to  compare performance of vernacular school  students of classes I to III  attending schools where English E teach is in use, with the performance of         1) students of vernacular school  that do not use EET and 
2) students of English medium schools that cater to the children of a similar socio-economic strata as the vernacular schools mentioned above. 
This was done in communities serviced by NGOs connected with BCPT. The NGOs helped with the logistics of identifying the children & bringing them together at a venue where the assessment could be conducted.
The proposed sample size for the community based assessment was 60 students of  Std. I - III each.  (We fell short by 5 in the actual collection of data.)
In the communities, we followed a one on one pattern, with one facilitator testing one child at a time, using formats designed for the purpose. The core questions remained the same as those in the school based assessment.
Data gathered thus is labeled ‘Community Based’.

WHAT ARE THE FINDINGS?

Please click on the link to find the PDF File attached here. 


The Learning Theory of Constructionism

Constructionism advocates student-centered, discovery learning where students use information they already know to acquire more knowledge. Students learn through participation in project-based learning where they make connections between different ideas and areas of knowledge facilitated by the teacher through coaching, rather than using lectures or step-by-step guidance.

English E.Teach DVDs helps you trigger this form of learning. After you play the lesson once, you can then use examples from the classroom or their overall environment, and teach them the lesson further. Say for example, you are teaching them about a particular letter- Once you play the lesson, let them here the sound made by the letter, see the letter, see the words that are created from that letter and then let them explore. If it is ‘D’ that they are learning, you could ask them to look around in the classroom and they will come up with words starting with D like ‘door, ‘duster’ etc. The key is to let the children discover these words on their own.

Constructionist learning involves students drawing their own conclusions through creative experimentation and the making of social objects. The constructionist teacher takes on a mediator’s role rather than adopting an instructional role. The teacher's role is not to be a lecturer but a facilitator who coaches students to attaining their own goals.

Also - find here the link to one of our videos where we talk about the 4-step Process of teaching in a classroom - 


2nd October: Remembering Gandhiji!


Today, on Gandhi Jayanti, we thought we must share some of the great thoughts on education that the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhiji, once highlighted. 


We, as a Nation, cannot vouch for living upto each one of them. But, we, at English E.Teach can proudly say that we have been the change we want to see in the world. 



One can never deny the importance of education in a person’s life. And we want the underprivileged to experience quality education so that they do not feel let down by the way the system of education in our country.


 



Again and again, we have to shout out and promote the importance of learning in one’s mother tongue. Everyone wants to run towards the English medium schools. Why? Our vernacular medium schools are at par with most English medium schools. And if one thinks they will lose out on learning the English language – we have a solution. We cover almost all of Maharashtra, and help thousands of schools teach quality English using our DVDs. 


So, this is our appeal to all the parents – If you are yourself not fluent in English, it is better to put your children in the vernacular medium school where they teach in the language you all are well versed with. This will help you teach your children better and be involved in their progress and learning. And we are there to take care of the English. Trust us; your children will come back home, speaking English & will make you proud!!

#JaiHind

English E.Teach in Solapur's Local Newspaper

Two members from our English E.Teach team were in Solapur from 18th to 19th September, creating awareness about quality education and the role of the English language in vernacular schools, and promoting the use of English E.Teach DVDs for making the whole learning process joyful and effective. 

The local media also featured us in their newspapers - मंगलवेढा नगरी  & स्वाभिमानी छावा