SHILLONG, April 5: A total of 42 teachers of Little Flower Secondary School, Dadenggre, West Garo Hills, graduated from ‘Teaching for Tomorrow’, a training programme for teachers, which has been initiated by Avenues.
The graduation ceremony was organised on Wednesday at the school, during which the teachers expressed elation at the training initiative.
A statement in this regard informed that the training programme was organised with a key objective to empower schoolteachers to help their students navigate the ever-changing landscape of education and careers.
“The programme was conducted in an effort to equip school teachers with the requisite soft skills and facilitation skills to augment their abilities in providing a learning environment for students that nurtures confidence, wellbeing and aspirations,” the statement said.
The key modules that were covered under this initiative include teaching for personal transformation, self-awareness and communication, emotion and inspiration, rapport-building, teamwork and collaboration, and outcome-driven lesson planning.
One of the graduates, Allington M Marak, a class 10 teacher of Little Flower Secondary School, said,
“I admit that I faced some difficulty when it came to helping my students understand and apply the lessons that are taught in class. But through this programme, I was able to acquire new and improved teaching techniques which can be both informative and interactive. I believe these techniques will encourage active classroom participation from students.”
He concluded by calling on the collaborative effort of his colleagues at the school to help their students shape and conquer their future.
Prendid M Sangma, a class 4 teacher, on the other hand, said, “The sessions have taught me how to listen actively and patiently to the problems my students have. Only then will I be able to help answer their queries and work with them towards the best solution”.
He went on to say that he was inspired by the way the trainers delivered each module during the sessions, which made the topics easier to understand and remember.
“I have decided to employ this teaching method in my classroom, and I am certain that the students will respond with positivity,” he added.
Dadenggre Sub Divisional Officer Abhishek Gowda MJ, who also was part of the programme, recalled his time as a student and attributed his success in the administrative services to his teachers who, he said, inspired and encouraged him to give his best.
“As teachers, you must cultivate the desire to learn by seeking knowledge from any and every channel, be it experts or even your students,” he said.
“Teaching is a noble profession. So, enjoy it and keep learning. And remember that as teachers you have the privilege to educate and help shape young minds and future leaders,” Gowda added.
Meanwhile, school principal Fr. Nicholas A Sangma expressed his gratitude to the SDO for his support in the school’s endeavour to help teachers develop their abilities to positively impact the lives of their students.
“The school has welcomed this programme because we believe that learning and relearning core soft skills as educators put us in a better position to guide our students towards their growth and development,” he said.
Academics Lead at AVENUES, Jasmine Stone Laitphlang, on the other hand, shed light on the project and said, “Teaching for Tomorrow is not just any project, but an initiative for teachers that helps build their confidence, leadership and purpose. And over the years, we have seen it impact teachers from most parts of the Garo and Khasi Hills. We started this intervention with the idea that as educators, we take what we learn back into our classrooms and to our students.”
