Mumbai: With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) starting an international curriculum in its schools, the teachers are now being trained to focus on communication and interactive learning. Teachers are receiving training to ,improve fluency in English language.
The teachers are also being trained to make use of advanced technology like Google devices and digital classrooms to match international standards.
In an effort to increase the standards of education in the civic-run schools, the training will focus on vocabulary, grammar, oratory skills, use of phrases, idioms and comprehension. The teachers have been asked to incorporate these techniques in their daily curriculum.
The BMC teachers say, this training in English language is important, as it will help boost the confidence of their students, who are often looked down. Lalita Surve, a teacher, said, “Both students and teachers of municipal schools are treated differently because of our lack of fluency in English language.
We come from different economic and cultural backgrounds. English is not our first language and we are glad on receiving this training, as it will help us change the way people look at us and our students.”
In addition to English, the teachers are being trained on interactive learning and digitalisation to enhance classroom teaching. Prakash Charate, deputy education officer said, “Advanced technology like internet, Google devices and presentations are being used by teachers to explain various lessons to students.
We have the facility of digital classrooms but teachers are unaware of how to use it so we are providing them additional training. We want teachers to go beyond books and syllabus and use life models, experiments and research to enhance classroom teaching.”
Teachers revealed they are using social media groups to share lessons and create educational videos to help each other. Devendra Gajanan, a teacher said, “We have formed WhatsApp groups where each one of us creates an informative video and shares it with the other members. We also try to learn basic new techniques like using Google forms, online research and YouTube videos to connect better with students.”