TEACHER TRAINING – SUCCESSFUL OR NOT?

MOULDING RAW CLAY TO POT IS MUCH EASIER THAT RESHAPING AN ALREADY MOULDED POT TO A NEW SHAPE. 

The former is like fresh and blank slate where we can write new things while the latter is an already written slate that has to be totally erased (still has the scars) to write something new.  This is the crux of teacher training.

Teacher training has to take into consideration the various aspects teachers are already exposed, learned and influenced.  For the teacher, new aspects are relatively difficult as they have to adapt to them and making mistakes is not acceptable accordingly.

A teacher’s role is always multidimensional.  They need to be prepared for the worst at all times of the day at school.  They become Trainers, Educator, Artists, Caretakers, Historian, Entertainer, and Researcher at different periods throughout their tenure at the school.  They have to be

• Good with subject content
• Acceptable and adaptable
• Polite in speaking
• Gentle and well-mannered
• Aware of the culture
• Abide by the rules
• Ready with an alternate plan
• Put Profession before Person

LET’S PROCESS THE SITUATION…..

Does expectation and outcome match with reality?

Expectation is a silent, obedient and orderly classroom; the Outcome based on student work is to concentrate on Collaboration, Communication, Critical thinking, Creativity, Citizenship and Culture.  However, Reality is that the classroom is chaotic (high entropy) with divergent, emergent and convergent students giving the teacher a new experience every day and every year.

1. Attention span of the teacher: It is a well-established scientific fact that adults have very less attention span.  Our concentration in any one particular platform is short-lived.
2. Holiday blues: Generally, training programs are scheduled during the ‘holidays’ meant for teacher relaxation or family gathering, as a result they feel the program as a compulsion rather than an interesting activity.
3. Teacher as an independent learner:  Our interests, ideas and passion vary with age. However, trainers do not consider them during the training sessions.  It becomes a ‘One size fits all’ type of training given by organisations.
4. Extensive learning: The teacher requires an extensive training and continuous practice on the trained platforms to apply the same in the classroom scenario, which is mostly neglected during and post- training sessions.
5. Time constraints:  Training time is less while the implementation time varies.  Classroom scenario the factors of training are to be incorporated in capsules within the set class time frame.
6. Reality bites: The training is set among peers, however, it does not duplicate the actual classroom conditions where student behaviour, subject and administrative constraints are taken into considerations.
7. Implementation support: Training and trainers are much enthusiastic, in the class the teacher has to face the problems alone without the support of the stakeholders
8. Personal crisis:  The teacher is an individual, whose socio – emotional factors need to be considered while administering training.  Many a time it also involves economic issues which suppresses or kills the interest among the teachers.
9. Safe Mode:  Teachers are bound by targets and performance standards, which results in adapting more of routine teaching methods which help them track back to easier and more rote performance enhancing methods
10. Multitask: The teacher is bound to promote and develop all round development of the student in both academics and co-academics within the stipulated 6-8 hours of duration.  They need to identify and encourage individual student based on their potentials.  ‘ONE MAN ARMY’

Many Teachers choose their profession more by ‘Chance’ rather than by ‘Choice’.  Once into teaching, most adapt to the nuances of this profession.  Sometimes, it is the need for career advancement or personal benefits that makes them look into changes.  However, it is the ability of the administration to cash in on such delicate corners bring success to the training sessions.

Most often, it is never the ‘Monetary benefits’ that motivates a man.  Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of NEEDS, it is the fulfilment of basic, psychological and self-potential that take priority.  Underlying statement ‘MONEY NEVER SATISFIES HEART’

Source: http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html

‘STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT’- To make such an estimate managements and administrators need to have an emotional contact with their teaching staff.  We talk a lot about ‘ADULT EGO’ as something bad, accepting the fact and working on the same can in time fetch positive results in student standards.