Gone are the days when teaching was confined between books, blackboard, chalk, and duster. Interactions were minimal between the teacher and students. However, the mode of imparting education has evolved over time and the teachers are embracing new & Effective Teaching Ideas. Experiential teaching is the keyword; therefore Government and the educationists across the world are emphasizing adopting new Effective Teaching Methods.
It is interesting to note that the teachers from various government schools across the country are inventing creative ways of teaching the same chapters. The focus is on making classrooms interactive and engaging. Started under the aegis of Sri Aurobindo Society’s Rupantar program, ZIIEI (Zero Investment Innovation for Education Initiatives) is inspiring teachers at the grass-root level to bring about a transformation in the field of education. Teachers of government schools are feeling the pulse of innovation in education and they are finding the zero investment solutions to their education-related problems within their limited means of resources available.
Let’s take a look at how the teachers of Haryana are innovating new ways to provide a wholesome learning experience to their students. Out of the numerous unique Effective Teaching Technique solutions by the teachers of the state, some of them definitely need a special mention here. Have a read:
Don’t be surprised if you hear the names of the days every morning in a school in Dhanora, Ambala. Hari Om, a teacher from Haryana has innovated an interesting and joyful way to ensure his students learn their lessons easily. Therefore, he has instructed his students to revert with the names of the days during attendance every day.
“I do not encourage rote learning which is a memorization technique based on repetition. I wanted to start my class every day in a joyful way with enthusiastic students. That is why I came up with this idea of taking attendance through days’ names.”
Children grasp things easily if they are taught through joyful teaching techniques. According to this activity, the teacher informs the students about the activity in the morning. Hari Om makes it clear that none of the students will say present when their roll number is being called out; instead, they will say Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and so on. For example; when Hari Om, the teacher says – roll no. 1, the student with roll no. 1 will say Monday. When the teacher calls out roll no. 2, the respective student will say Tuesday. This way, the attendance procedure is carried out every day. When roll no. 7 has been called out and the student responds by saying Sunday, the next student that is roll no. 8 will again start with Monday and this cycle continues.
This small yet effective way of taking attendance has helped students of Government Primary School, Dhanora, Ambala to learn the names of days without even realizing that they are learning a lesson. Hari Om’s zero investment innovation has earned accolades from his peers and others in the education fraternity.
Teachers have realized that learning through seeing is a pedagogical strategy that engages students in the classroom. Visuals/ pictures leave a long-lasting impression on the minds of children. An appropriate picture can work as a catalyst paving way for endless creative thoughts and the production of thousands of words. Keeping this view in mind, Poonam, a teacher from Haryana uses placards for teaching English to her students.
Being a teacher of primary class students, Poonam was aware of the problems faced by the teachers. She knew that most students belong to non-English speaking background and reading-talking in English was alien to them. Even their guardians did not pay enough heed to the importance and usage of the English language. With no guidance and motivation behind, most children struggled with the language. Forget about writing or reading a simple sentence in English, the children were unable to recognize the alphabets or make a word with a given alphabet.
Poonam ensures that students themselves take a keen interest in learning English. She is teaching the students of primary classes with the help of cards. These cards are made out of waste cardboard boxes. The teacher writes an alphabet in bold letters on the card and displays it to the class. Students are asked to identify the alphabet and make words with it. For example, The teacher writes’ on a placard and asks one of the students to make 5 words with it. The student according to her/ his capability tells words like – monkey, madam, Mathematics, mat, map and more. This classroom activity helps students learn words from their peers. Besides enhancing the vocabulary of children, this innovative activity also boosts the confidence level of the children.
Poonam has been teaching in the Government Primary School, Badibosi, Ambala, Haryana for years and has been committed to bringing fruitful changes in her school. The ZIIEI training received by her in August 2019 made her even more focused towards her goal. Inspired by ZIIEI vision of zero investment solutions, she often adopts easy, effective and no investment innovative ideas in her classroom.
Puppets are an excellent model of transferring information to young students for whom these are engaging toys that helps in enhancing communication skills and personality development. These hand-made toys have been a part of Indian culture & traditions and are elementary in stimulating the imagination of the students and develop the motor skills of the small children.
Pinky, a Government school teacher from Haryana understands the importance of joyful learning and hence advocates the same in her school. She herself grew up playing with puppets and dolls; therefore, she is well aware of how puppets leave a mark on young minds.
Puppet’s different costumes are designed according to the dresses worn by local men and women. The male puppet is dressed to look alike a Haryanvi man and the female puppets are dressed in lehengas like that of a Haryanvi woman. The female puppet is dressed in Ghaghra, odhani, and sameej. The accessories and hairstyle is also kept similar to local women. To teach students about how Haryanvi men dress up and how they communicate, the teacher dresses up her male puppets in saafa (turban), aasteen, angrakkha, and loi. A young mind imprints whatever the teacher teaches in her class and young children also get distracted easily. Keeping this thought in mind, this creative school teacher is holding her spirits high and is headstrong about improving the education standard in her school.
Pinky says, “As the famous saying goes – Charity begins at home. Similarly, if we yearn for a civilized and educated society, the groundwork begins from our own school. If we teach our students right and wrong; groom them to face the real world; inculcate a sense of pride in them towards their culture, we are more likely to achieve our goal of a developed nation. Children need the correct guidance and the baton is in our (teachers’) hands. We must give a joyful learning experience to children to develop an interest in studies”