Teacher Training Program

Overview

Is an overemphasis on marks and grades adversely affecting students? Is assessment of learning failing to adequately capture the true worth and potential of students? Is an all-round intolerance for mistakes stifling creativity, and resulting in frustrations and self-doubt? Are teachers overloaded with so much work that they fail to engage with their students intellectually and emotionally? Is too much competition burning out students and imbibing them with negative attitudes and values? Is a teacher-led approach making children lose interest? Is a content based learning inhibiting higher order thinking? Is discipline management taking too much of teachers’ time? Is lack of motivation an issue with teachers and students?

If you agree with one or more of these questions, teachers may need additional help.

The following teacher-training modules offered by AMHARTA Educare aim at equipping teachers with the capabilities that will help them become more effective in working with their students.

Foundation modules

Experience has shown that the most important prerequisite for a teacher is motivation. A motivated teacher will acquire the necessary skills and abilities to be effective with her students. Much like Eklavya of the Mahabharata, motivation will drive the teacher to her goals regardless of the challenges. A highly unique and effective teacher training module on motivation is thus, a standard initial offering recommended for schools.

Other training modules seek to empower teachers with essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will help them become more effective in working with their students.

SN	Modules	Outlines	Expected Outcome
1	Motivation [A must have initial training intervention]	This module deals with the issue of motivation from the perspective of Human Reality; of who we are as human beings, the purpose of life, relationships with the rest of creation, and others.	Participants acquire a broader perspective about life, and realize that their personal beliefs shape their outlook and worldviews, which in turn, affect their attitude and motivation towards personal, social and professional matters.
2	Nurturing a Culture of Innovation and Creativity	This module deals with all aspects of creating and sustaining a culture of innovation and creativity at school, including the great benefits that can accrue to teachers, students and the school.	Participants begin to think about the merits and rewards of doing things differently when traditional ways of teaching prove less effective. They thus become more aware of the conditions, including the attitudes and skills necessary for becoming more creative.
3	Brain-Based Learning and Constructivism	This module deals with the physiological, psychological and educational processes involved in learning. It takes participants through the principles of how students construct their own learning and how teachers can leverage this knowledge to help children learn better.	This module deals with the physiological, psychological and educational processes involved in learning. It takes participants through the principles of how students construct their own learning and how teachers can leverage this knowledge to help children learn better.
4	A Comprehensive Approach to Value Education in the School	This module presents an overview of contemporary school-based value education including the direct, integrated and whole-school approach, shares research findings on the merits of each, and how best these can be structured to produce best results.	Participants receive step-by-step guidelines on what they can do to help students imbibe essential moral values during the school hours. They also gain insights into implementing ‘The Foundation of Peace’, a unique and highly effective program of peace and value education.
5	Motivating Students to Become Better Learners	This module takes participants through a discovery of internal and external factors that shape student motivation. Motivated students are every teacher’s delight, and it would be worthwhile for teachers to learn how to have more of them in their classrooms.	Participants learn about the principles of motivation among younger age-groups, and about practical, simple and quantifiable steps that they can take to help their students become self-motivated and driven.
6	The Makings of a Professional Teacher	This module addresses topics such as goal setting, aligning personal and organizational goals, self-discipline, ongoing personal and professional development, accountability, time management, employee relations, striving for excellence, and others.	Participants become more aware of factors that contribute to their own sense of professionalism in the work that they do. They are exposed to ideas that help them develop a feeling of pride towards their work and a sense of loyalty and belonging towards the institution they serve.

Pedagogy Related Modules

Modules included in this training package are based on the guidelines offered in the New Education Policy, 2020 seeking to equip teachers with the technical skills and abilities that will help them better support their students’ conceptual understanding and joyful learning. Being skill oriented, these involve a great deal of in-session teaching practice.

SN	Modules	Outlines	Expected Outcome
1	Promoting Higher Order Thinking	Thinking is not involved when students have to reproduce textual information by rote. Helping children develop and apply higher order thinking skills is must for a future strong, vibrant and progressive India, and this module focuses on this very objective.	Participants learn to take simple yet highly effective measures by which textual content gets transformed from boring and tedious information into stimulating and useful knowledge, and which helps students practice higher order thinking skills and develop their overall cognitive abilities.
2	Building Math Foundations [For teachers of pre-primary, and grades 1-3]	This module helps teachers explore key principles, concepts and practices that serve to strengthen students’ foundations of Math, without which they tend to struggle in the subject throughout their schooling years.	Teachers learn to engage children in a variety of activities that will help them learn key mathematical concepts with ease, gain more confidence, and overcome the fear of Math that is commonly seen among children during the course of their formal schooling,
3	Building Language Foundations [For teachers of pre-primary, and grades 1-5]	This module includes an array of activities through which teachers can help students develop sound language skills around key concepts, including those associated with pre-reading and pre-writing.	Teachers learn to bring alive their language sessions by adopting a more comprehensive approach where children use their powers of observation, analysis, imagination, expression and critical thinking while learning language.
4	The Magic of Cooperative Learning (CL)	This module introduces teachers to the basics of the ‘Structural Approach to Cooperative Learning’. Apart from providing in-depth overview of the principles and benefits involved, participants are trained in the use of a number of structures for use in their classroom teaching.	Teachers learn to make judicious use of structures based on their classroom settings and intended learning outcomes for helping children learn better and enjoy their learning in pairs and groups. It also has the added advantage of helping offset the harmful effects of too much competition by encouraging more cooperation in the classroom.
5	The Magic of Cooperative Learning (CL)	This module introduces teachers to the basics of the ‘Structural Approach to Cooperative Learning’. Apart from providing in-depth overview of the principles and benefits involved, participants are trained in the use of a number of structures for use in their classroom teaching.	Teachers learn to make judicious use of structures based on their classroom settings and intended learning outcomes for helping children learn better and enjoy their learning in pairs and groups. It also has the added advantage of helping offset the harmful effects of too much competition by encouraging more cooperation in the classroom.
6	Learning Styles and Improved Learning	This module trains teachers in the principles and skills of Learning Styles and how these contribute to improved comprehension, longer retention and better academic performance in students.	Teachers learn to identify and recognize students’ dominating learning styles, and suitably adapt their teaching sessions to become more suitable to the specific learning styles and abilities of all their students.
7	Basics of Cooperative Games	Like cooperative learning, cooperative games promote cooperation. These games can be used to teach subjects like languages, Science, Social Studies and Math. Research also shows that consistent use of these games brings about positive behavioral change in students.	Teachers learn about the basics of cooperative games and master a number of them suitable for a wide range of student age-groups. They also acquire insights and skills related to incorporating these games into normal classroom teaching-learning for teaching different subject related concepts, and as energizers and fun activities.

Classroom Management Modules

SN	Modules	Outlines	Expected Outcome
1	New Standards of Classroom Discipline	This module helps teachers explore ideas on adopting a humane and novel approach towards classroom discipline, desirable relations between students and teacher, common causes of misconduct, and the salient features of preventive and corrective discipline.	This module helps teachers explore ideas on adopting a humane and novel approach towards classroom discipline, desirable relations between students and teacher, common causes of misconduct, and the salient features of preventive and corrective discipline.
2	Students’ Behavior that Requires Special Attention	This module draws attention to special behavior issues among students. If not addressed properly and in time, these can degenerate into more serious traits which become much more challenging to manage later.	Teachers learn about dealing with special behavioral traits such as ‘attention seeking’ behavior, ‘fear of failure’, ‘fear of relationships’, ‘excessive aggression’, ‘socially inept behavior’, and others.
3	Classroom Socialization	Schools play an important role in socialization of students. This module helps teachers become more aware of the limited window of opportunity that is open to them, beyond which children tend to suffer grave difficulties later in their lives when key social skills, attitudes and values remain under developed.	Teachers learn more about their role of supporting socialization among students. They learn to about the role of the hidden curriculum, peer pressure, associations, gender issues, too much competition, classroom diversity and others in shaping students’ socialization and to ensure children develop healthy social skills.

DETAILS OF TRAINING SESSIONS

Mode of delivery

These classroom-based teacher training modules are offered on request of the host school during normal school hours.

Based on the participatory and experiential learning methods, these programs are highly interactive and lively, interspersed with activities which help participants internalize related concepts, ideas and skills well.

These training modules are standalone in nature. However, when possible, sessions can be customized by including two or more related modules in part or whole as required by a school.

Delivery of these training modules involve study of especially prepared copyrighted materials which will be provided to each participant, group activities, and Micro Teaching practice of skills where applicable.

Charges

Training fees are charged on per-participant basis based on the duration of each session, details of which will be intimated to schools separately. Training charges include the cost of material, travel and stay.

Duration

Training modules are offered through full-time in-service daily sessions of between 3 and 30 hours, with an average of 6 hours per day depending on the module, and the specific situation of each school.

Group size

There is no limit to the number of teachers that can participate in a session. However, training sessions should ideally be limited to no more than 40 teachers in order to ensure maximum participation, especially where practice of skills is involved.

Physical Facilities

Since most training sessions involve a great deal of group work, activities and practice, adequate space would be required at the training venue for participants to work in smaller groups as well as meeting together in plenary.

Resources such as LCD projector, desktop/laptop, writing board, marker pens, chart-papers, writing and drawing material will need to be arranged for these training sessions.

Follow up

Link to a web-based portal will be provided to the teachers for any further support that they may require for applying the ideas and skills in their teaching work. Additionally, a messaging platform will be created for the participating teachers of each school for discussions, sharing ideas and experiences, and receiving further guidance and feedback. A participation certificate will be presented to every teacher on completing a training session.