What would be the first step in the stages of development of the teacher skills?

An educational institution performs a significant function of providing learning experiences to lead their students from ignorance to knowledge. Teachers are the key personnel in bringing about this transformation. It is the teacher who is mainly responsible for implementation of the educational process at any stage. The National Curriculum Framework 2005 places demands and expectations on the teacher, which need to be addressed by both initial and continuing teacher education.

It is well known that the quality and extent of learner achievement are determined primarily by teacher competence, sensitivity and teacher motivation. The National Council for Teacher Education has defined teacher education as a programme of education, research and training of persons to teach from pre-primary to higher education level. Teacher education is a programme that is related to the development of teacher proficiency and competence that would enable and empower the teacher to meet the requirements of the profession and face the challenges therein.

Teacher training

Between 1906 and 1956, the programme of teacher preparation was called teacher training. It prepared teachers as mechanics or technicians. It had narrower goals with its focus being only on skill training. The perspective of teacher education was therefore very narrow and its scope limited. As W H Kilpatric put it: ―Training is given to animals and circus performers, while education is to human beings.

Teacher education encompasses teaching skills, sound pedagogical theory and professional skills. Teaching skills would include providing training and practice in the different techniques, approaches and strategies that would help the teachers to plan and impart instruction, provide appropriate reinforcement and conduct effective assessment. It includes effective classroom management skills, preparation and use of instructional materials and communication skills.

Pedagogical theory includes the philosophical, sociological and psychological considerations that would enable the teachers to have a sound basis for practising the teaching skills in the classroom. The theory is stage specific and is based on the needs and requirements that are characteristic of that stage.

Professional skills include the techniques, strategies and approaches that would help teachers to grow in the profession and also work towards the growth of the profession. It includes soft skills, counselling skills, interpersonal skills, computer skills, information retrieving, management skills and above all, lifelong learning skills. An amalgamation of teaching skills, pedagogical theory and professional skills would serve to create the right knowledge, attitude and skills in teachers, thus promoting holistic development.

Here are some guidelines for ensuring quality during a teacher training:

n Resource person should come prepared. It is noticed that some come without as much as a Powerpoint presentation. A PPT presentation will structure their thoughts. I have seen that resource persons who usually work part time and give guest lectures will have one standard presentation which they use everywhere. They try to edit or correct the PPT or slide during their lectures. This exercise itself will give the listener the impression that he/ she is not competent enough.

-Sometimes, the resource person who has offered to give a lecture will call at the last minute and cancel, saying they will not come for a crowd of 30-40 people. Instead, they will send their interns to represent them, which does not serve the purpose at all.

- Some resource persons offer flimsy excuses like they were given short notice because of which they could not prepare well enough. This too is unacceptable.

- A good resource person should take a new concept or unknown concept to the listener. To this should be added their own views and opinion, so that it is beneficial to the listener and those who attend the session either by compulsion or out of personal interest or career advancement/ salary revision exercise will get benefited.

- It is also important that when a resource person explains a concept or point it should be connected to day-to-day life, activities or what is happening around.

- The resource person should come prepared and it should never be a one-sided or general talk. He should create an interest in the topic and the listener should value his/her knowledge and set examples for them to upgrade their knowledge.

-It is better to explain the concept and  make it participatory learning.

- Some takeaways after attending the session should be there for the participants. If it is not there, the entire exercise is a waste of time.

- There should be clear understanding about the expectation and outcome from the training programmes or QIP for teachers and it should be communicated to the participants and resource persons. If it is not communicated, the outcome of QIP itself will be defeated.

- More activity based learning or experiential learning will benefit the participants in taking the outcome to the class and their students.

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