“The power to change the future lies in our hands. Use it well!”
A couple of days ago our school’s staff had the pleasure to participate in the workshop conducted by Archana Prashar, who started her career in our city and currently stays in Singapore. Her sessions were organized in the way that participants could find the answers to their own questions which participants brought here with them.
There are a few interesting things which I would like to share:
Once we were given completely new blank sheets of paper (which is always like a thread for me) and then task, which consists of few words, like “Draw a plant”. “Which plant, there are so many types of them in this world? Should I name some parts or should I just leave it and try to draw it as beautiful as I can? Shall I color it? Which color? What size should it be? Should it be big on the whole page or shall it be small, leaving some space for my explanations or assessor’s feedback? So many questions… and even not all of them are written here. All in your head at once, just because you are always used to be one of the top students in the class and you don’t want to stop being it now. And every student wants it. Succeed with that task. But there is a lion on the way. No clarity. So you, confused student, spend most of your time, guessing what is the perfect drawing for this. And not only you actually, poor student, but I would say it seemed to me the whole audience full of professional teachers felt that way. Eventually, I draw a young tree on the way to blossom. And my colleagues’ trees, flowers, shrubs. As you might have understood, our students feel in the same way, when we, teachers, don’t give them clear explicit instructions and tasks, not telling what we are exactly looking for in their works. I just love it!
“Be firm with criteria and task, not students” and “Give a time, when it’s needed!” There was a question from an audience: “What to do when some of students are not completing the task in time?” - Just give them some!
“The power to change the future lies in our hands. Use it well!” Faci reminded us true nature of a teacher, which is “agent of change”, the person who is constantly hungry for learning something new every day of his/her life and bring/share that feeling with surrounded ones. My connection from exercise connection/challenge was that recently I’ve read one interesting quote: “If you’re not learning something new each and every day you don’t have a right to be called a teacher.”
“Reading is essential skill for a teacher”. Archana points out that 21st century should read more and more, due to most of the information is given in text way. And which is more importantly, she exclaimed: “Till now, English written sources are prevailing, so we should enhance our knowledge of this language and be aware of all innovations which are happening here”.
I’m really glad that I was a part of that 2 days workshop, cause it made me feel strongly again as I’m a part of something big and my contribution can make a change. Be the change you want to see in this world. And that was my first time attending a training of IB, and I know for sure not the last. -Lunara