In an effort to upgrade and enhance the teaching skills of English Language teachers, Akal Academy Kajri Niranjanpur under the auspices of Kalgidhar Education Trust, Baru Sahib organized “Two Days Teachers’ Workshop on English Language Skill Development” on 19th and 20th July, 2014. About 49 English Language teachers from Academies of U.P. region participated. The workshop was sponsored by Scholastic Publications, New Delhi. Ms Monisha Gupta was the resource person on the occasion.
At the very outset, participants, faculty guests, resource person were welcomed by the host Principal, Akal Academy Kajri, Mrs. Simran Kaur Thind. Later all the participants were briefly instructed by Mr. Ashok Singh Guleria HOD English/Head Coordinator and necessary details were given regarding workout schedule of the workshop.
Session I
Session I of the workshop began at 10.00 a.m. First of all participants were made to introduce themselves through an activity.., “KNOW YOUR GROUP.” The resource person later categorized the multiple intelligences of the learners and told the teachers to identify some of the best intelligences of children.
Meanwhile discussion on the problems of children in language learning such as shyness, lack of confidence, minor dyslexia, poor handwriting, were discussed. Teachers too narrated their own experiences of teaching–learning problems. The resource person very efficiently suggested possible solutions to these problems. In the first Session “Listening Skill Improvement” tips were given to the teachers to follow. Teachers were grouped in circle and listening skill activities such as “Listen to Instructions and Follow”, “Listen to Recipe instructions n complete the assignments.”
Session II
Session II of the workshop began after short tea-break. The session was devoted to Speaking Skill Development. At the very outset, group wise topics were given and teachers were made to express fluently randomly without pause. A drill on framing questions answers was done. Teachers were asked to frame sentences using, What, why, when, who, whose, whom and How. In this session teachers’ queries regarding speaking skill deficiencies were addressed.
Session III
Session III of the workshop was an amazing learning experience for all participating teachers. The resource person using picture stimulus, motivated the teachers to speak words. It was a brain storming round. Teachers were made to do loud reading with proper pronunciation, ascent and voice modulation. A debate round on many topics was conducted. In the last hours of the day phonetics drill was done. High frequency words, sight words were discussed and practiced by the teachers.
Monisha Gupta told teachers to start Dictation round in the class to enhance listening skill of the children. The resource person suggested teachers to start “Pen Down” practice and do reading of any good book for ten minutes thrice a week. The day of the Workshop ended with teachers’ queries on their problems regarding Reading Skill.
Dated: 20 July,2014
Session I
In the second day of the workshop Ms. Monisha Gupta first gave the day’s workout plan. The First session began at 8.00am. Writing Skill Development and Literature Reading were the main topics taken for practice.
Session II
The resource person encouraged teachers to draw anything randomly and collect ideas about object drawn. Prose reading, poetry reading, and how to read and interpret a poem practice was done. Student teachers were given Text book chapters to teach using prompting, mock-up, role playing techniques.
Session III
The most interesting round of the day was Dramatization of the Chapter “Who Will Bell the Cat?”All the teachers’ group wise enacted playing the role of Cat and Rats. Group wise all teachers preformed their role using innovating ways to bell the cat. The activity was aimed to prepare the teachers to teach play and prose through dramatization of events.
Valedictory Ceremony:
Finally, in the last hours of the workshop student teachers’ queries were addressed. Mrs Rangbir Kaur took feedback from the participants both verbally and in written. The Principal, Mrs Simran Kaur Thind in thank giving ceremony asked the teachers to bring the content learned in the workshop into practice. Mr. Ashok Singh Guleria too spoke to teachers and thanked all participants co staff of the school especially Mr. Jaswinder Singh Educational Executive Scholastic Publications, Mr. Phillip Xavier, Mrs Sunnimol Xavier, Mr.Jarnail Singh, Mr. Gurcharan Singh, Mr. Sant Ram for their constructive support and help. Special thanks were conveyed to Kalgidhar Education Trust and Scholastic Publication for giving such a valuable workshop.
~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 26th, July ’14