Training program; a must program for effective teachers
How does it feel to be in a quite different place all of sudden? Definitely one feels excited and surprised. Same was the feeling with we all on 20th January 2023, when we entered the city of knowledge. By city of knowledge I mean Larkana city. It was my first day of induction training program as a primary school teacher (PST) at elementary college men Larkana. I still remember my reaction and feelings of the first day.
It was our orientation day and we were warmly welcomed by the management then after the requirement of submission of some formal necessary documents we were assigned to reflect on our ideas regarding modern teaching learning skills. One of our trainers said to us “Mark my words you will leave this training place with abundant professional knowledge, skills and teary eyes.” and as the days began to pass, soon we agreed to that statement.
In the training program I learnt the real importance of teacher, his worth and the word teacher itself; a profession that has been chosen by the prophets. A teacher is the one who lays the foundation of society as well as builds a nation. The teacher is a great source of knowledge. It was feeling of privilege that I was being attached to this noble and prophetic profession.
Under the supervision of professional master trainers gradually we learned the essential aspects of being a teacher. We learnt how a 21st century teacher uses diverse techniques and methods of teaching in order to create deep attention among children in different ways, infuses in them the spirit of learning with moral values, fairness and honesty. Teachers must show kindness and responsibility, build trust, courage in students and respect in order to carry out and serve best to their students for their future careers. In the world perhaps teaching is the only profession that creates several doctors, engineers, businessmen and other professionals.
During the training session classes, the participants had gone through some incredible handouts that entailed the details of the training which can be used for future references in puzzling teaching learning situations. On the first day, we came to know about what reflection is and how to write a reflection. We learnt different techniques of teaching which include “Brain storming, jigsaw method, think pair share and others. The manual was based on twenty four days with amazing teaching and learning skills to name a few; blooms taxonomy, competency, standard, benchmark, scheme of studies, and alignment of textbooks with curriculum, difference between active learning and passive learning, understood Gipps model and How to make Lesson Plan, Portfolio along with classroom management and Child development.
The training contained a lot of information, that previously we were unknown to.It provided immense knowledge and also groomed us in a positive and professional way. It made me believe in order to produce effective teachers the training programs are must for them.
I am grateful to all master trainers who were able to give us their best during the training and made learning a lot of fun. I felt professionally well equipped for future challenges. The master trainers treated us professionally but kindly like their students without any discrimination of male or female.The way the master trainers transferred their knowledge, skills and vast experience of teaching was a remarkable. Besides providing the outstanding delivery of the lectures, they also conveyed a detailed and self-explanatory handouts and presentations which were thoroughly beneficial. They were capable of making us understand the abstract concepts by relating those to daily experiences of life.
Indeed, all master trainers were great, but here, I want to mention our class teacher Professor sir Muneer Domki to provide us ample opportunities of learning during 24 days of training platform. Therefore, special thanks to him who nursed and taught us professionally. He made us see beyond the surface and go to the depth of the concepts. His pedagogical skills were outstanding.He made it sure that class participants (CPs) did not feel any kind of difficulties and provided all the facilities to us.
In the beginning I faced a challenge of coordinating with new fellows, although I have been an extrovert yet I failed to make friends easily. As everyone was new and came from different places. Here once again credit goes to the management which created groups and teams for discussing teaching skills. In thas way groups had been reshuffled on the daily basis to make learning easy and effective, and we learnt how to work in the group mutually every time with different team, which was the most interesting part of training and it will definitely help me in future team collaboration.
The initial professional development training (IPDT) for IBA pass teachers was a huge opportunity for me I am privileged to be a participant of that training. I look forward to applying these skills in my professional career whatever I achieved in my training. The training was so extremely valuable and insightful. I was too happy to see such great people in my surrounding that behaved as the pillars of education. Before training, I took teacher’s profession for granted, but now I learnt its value and cost.
The time period of IPDT 24 days completed in a blink of an eye and in those I left a share of mine there too, a place where I have spent 24 days the most memorable days of my life. I didn’t spend time there but I lived each and every precious moment. Usually, I ask myself, does it make one feel empty when one leaves them? Then I see the sunset and it makes me believe, not every goodbye is as bad as it makes us feel. It was the beginning of new and innovative Maria that emerged out of me in the initial professional development training program. Special thanks to all. I will cherish pleasant memories of the IPDT in my professional life for many days to come.
