My experiences, concerns and wow moments!

[Usha Sekhar]

I have been teaching 6th class English for Shitalpur for 2 terms now. Just wanted to share what's worked for me and what has not.

1. I share my screen and yes the video quality is impacted, there are more drops when I share, but it is impossible to teach without sharing!! Some days we only have a few drops and we are seasoned at getting back online again and not missing a beat. some days it is hard with as many as 10 drops in an hour.

2. I try to learn my children's names. I have copied the roster of names from the assessment results sent . But out of a possible 36 students, my attendance ranges anywhere from 5 to 25. My class comes after lunch so they straggle in. I call random children to the front to answer a question or read aloud and on those occasions, I ask them to say their name first. But I still make mistakes with identifying them bec they are small dots on the screen, especially while screen sharing.

3. While screen sharing they want to see my video as well, the TC says this motivates them to behave.

4. The audio, acoustics of the room, outside noises are so bad that sometimes I have to ask them to repeat several times.

5. The Pratham Read aloud books are fantastic. I am so pleased with them. I used to get one child to come in the front to read aloud, but I found the other kids to be peering at the screen from behind. so now, I have the whole class reading aloud from the screen , together, individually. And I am so pleased to hear most of them reading the sentences. its a joy! :)

6. I made handouts of the most important slides from all my ppts for the entire year and made Xeroxes and sent them to Shitalpur, had the TC distribute them to the kids. I have attached the handout here. This has worked out great. When I am doing verbs, I ask them to open that particular page, they all wave it to show me, then we cover the material. Children need something in their hand as visual affirmation of what they are learning...you cant just show something on a screen for 5 minutes and think they are going to learn or remember. They need something to touch, feel, read again and again. I think this is the most important improvement I have made since my last term.

7. When there is too much noise, I just put my finger on my lips and wait...this quietens the kids far better than trying to shout. My TC is rather useless in either maintaining discipline (she seems to threaten them to get control).

8. The door opening /closing makes a lot of noise. Students seem to straggle in at all times.

9. Some of the kids (about 5-6 of them) are more advanced than the others. I would love to mentor them separately...I don't know what I could do...

Some days are frustrating, some days are satisfying, some days have their wow moments - when a weak child volunteers to come up and answer, when a bright child is able to read a sentence well and meaningfully, when a majority of the class know the meaning of a word that I did not expect...it makes my day.

Any thoughts, ideas are welcome.

Usha Sekhar

[Kolachena Suryanarayana]

Ms Usha Sekhar,

Thanks for providing some very good insights by way of experience sharing.
Very well communicated too!
YOU ARE A VERY GOOD COMMUNICATOR. Please keep it up.

Am sharing some of my experiences of teaching school children ( 6 th and 7 th grade), in Science and English.

- Particularly, if the sessions are held in the afternoon, beginning the session with 1 or 2 relevant jokes. It enlivens the atmosphere.
- Talking about ground rules ( in the first session - about coming on time, not to speak unless addressed, no going out or coming in unless with permission , no noise, opening and closing doors gently, keeping oneself and study place tidy etc....) go a long way in setting the tone for sessions to come. We need not be very strict but convey a message that we are in a classroom with a purpose and the purpose must be achieved. Minimize all distractions and interruptions.Will also convey a message that you are very serious about education and its value.
- In the first session itself, giving a message about th value of educating oneself and why being disciplined is important.. First impressions matter to children!!
- Any child wanting to speak or convey anything should raise their hand and request permission ( permission to be given and faculty to be kind and  liberal !).
- The methodology part : More visual and Q&A mode rather than lecture /reading passages from text.
- Giving home work/ quiz, I felt is  important and acts as a refresher.
- At session beginning, to quickly recap what was done in the previous session- helps in ensuring continuity. As far as possible, between sessions, CONNECT the dots.
- Mentoring children: Encourage selected (promising) children to do extra reading (beyond class work) and share that in the classroom, once in a fortnight. Praise in PUBLIC is always welcome! Children like to feel that they are special. Give them their due with appreciation of their work. Will encourage others too!

Best Wishes to all teachers.
 

Best Regards
Kolachena Suryanarayana
Tata Consultancy Services
Ph:-   +914066671715
Buzz:- 4401715
Cell:- 09246290072
Mailto: kolachena.s...@tcs.com
Website: http://www.tcs.com
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[Praveen Saxena]

I agree with most of your points. I face the few technical challenges during my sessions. I also understand that internet connectivity is still a privilege in most parts of the country.

I have few observations about the kids.

- They lack motivation in general. Books,teachers and infrastructure plays a role BUT most important thing is to make them understand the importance of education.

- Girls particularly need to be motivated to continue the studies and should feel confident about it.

Lets reserve some 10 mins a week for the motivation which is going to benefit more than anything else.

Thanks,

Praveen

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Thanks,
Praveen Saxena

[Kolachena Suryanarayana]

Dear Praveen Saxena,

Have kept attached a .PPT( generic) which is about motivation to work hard.
Please see whether it could be useful.
Of course the slides will have to be explained.

Best Regards
Kolachena Suryanarayana
Tata Consultancy Services
Ph:-   +914066671715
Buzz:- 4401715
Cell:- 09246290072
Mailto: kolachena.s...@tcs.com
Website: http://www.tcs.com
____________________________________________
Experience certainty.        IT Services
                       Business Solutions
                       Consulting
____________________________________________

From:        Praveen Saxena <pravee...@gmail.com>
To:        Usha Sekhar <ushase...@gmail.com>
Cc:        Teacher Discussion Forum <foru...@evidyaloka.org>
Date:        25-08-2015 12:48
Subject:        Re: My experiences, concerns and wow moments!

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[avssramesh]

Thank U Sekhar , Very useful and inspiring