Celebrating Teaching
Isha Vidhya employs engaging methods to familiarize new teachers with Isha’s proactive, collaborative, and experiential style of teaching. To that effect, the dedicated senior school staff conducts 3-day training programs to inspire new teachers, methodology workshops for activity-based education, carefully monitored feedback sessions, and most importantly, workshops on how to teach classes joyfully.
Armed with the knowledge from these power-packed sessions, new teachers navigate their way with utmost love and inclusiveness to ensure the students make the most of their time at school. Give this blog a read to get an in-depth understanding of these training workshops and how they have molded the teachers at Isha Vidhya.
Happy Classroom Training
Every teacher who joins Isha Vidhya attends a 3-day training program to ensure we have happy teachers and students. The program aims to make them feel motivated and inspired professionally, gauge their teaching abilities, and provide tools to ensure the students reach their highest potential.
Dharani had no teaching experience when she joined. She shares, “Initially, I struggled, but using the tools helped me get the desired response from my students, and it helped me handle my students easily.”
Methodology Workshops
Our teachers regularly attend methodology workshops in which subject-specific techniques are demonstrated and practiced by them. Such training is vital as many of the methods we employ are beyond the experience and exposure of our teachers, especially those involving activities, discussion, creative thinking, exploration, etc.
Uma Devi shares about a recent ‘Expressive Reading’ workshop - "I now read stories expressively to my students, and they enjoy the way I read. Some students share that they have emulated my reading style while reading stories to their friends and family.”
Class Observations and Feedback Sessions
Senior school staff observes a teacher conducting a class, after which they discuss the session - the teacher shares what went well and the areas for improvement, followed by comments from the observers. They record the observations, and the teacher’s development is monitored and further supported.
Ramya, who participates as an observer, shares, “The sessions have helped me to learn about different types of teaching techniques and activities, become a better motivator, hone my leadership skills, and learn new things in the diverse classes that I attend.”
Leadership Workshops
We conduct such development programs for our principals, vice principals, and select teachers on skills like time management, situational leadership, team management, feedback, follow-up, and more. Betsey attended a recent 'Situational Leadership' workshop and shared, “It made me more alert and taught me to lead according to the situation. It has helped me to gauge a teacher’s caliber and help improve their performance.”
HERO - Hope Efficacy Resilience Optimism
Teachers learn about the power of thought, ways to overcome difficult times, and how to be attend today-to-day activities joyfully. Consequently, this training helps them better identify their students' struggles and support them.
Thilaga shares, “I avoided or never spoke to people who are different from me. But after attending HERO, I now appreciate the good qualities in people and accept them as they are, and my students say that I’m a friendly teacher.”
