By Ms Arlene Cardoza D’Cruz for BISMumbai

On 12 June and 17 June 2023, St Dominic Savio High School in Andheri held a two-day teacher orientation programme to enhance teacher potential and competence. The programme aimed to keep teachers up-to-date with the latest practises and trends in the academic field.

On 12 June, Ms Shalu Malhotra, a psychotherapist and coordinator at Prafulta, conducted an Emotional Development and Career Guidance session for secondary section teachers. The session was part of an ongoing programme at St Dominic Savio for students in grades 5-10 and their parents. The objective was to help teachers understand the importance of nurturing children's emotions at different stages of development. Ms Malhotra emphasised that when children feel right, they behave right, and it is important for teachers to understand their perspective.

A phonics workshop for primary section teachers was also held on the first day, led by Ms Shirley Nazareth, a trainer in phonics and communication skills. The workshop aimed to refresh and upgrade teachers' knowledge of phonics to improve literacy skills and facilitate reading and learning. Ms Nazareth guided the teachers through topics such as vowels, consonants, synthetic phonics, syllable stress, homophones, homonyms, diphthongs, blends, silent words and more.

On 17 June, the focus was on raising awareness of the National Education Policy (NEP). Ms Seema Shaikh, Principal and Director of Pragnya Bodhini High School, presented an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will supplement the NEP. Through group work and illustrations, Ms Shaikh highlighted the inclusive, integrated, innovative, integral, and informative expectations of the NEP. She emphasised that while artificial intelligence has made its way into many sectors, the role of a teacher remains indispensable.

A Brain Gym workshop was also arranged for primary-level teachers on the second day. Dr Deepa Kishore Bhanushali, a behaviour and corporate skills trainer, led the workshop, which focused on movement-based learning for better communication and enhanced creativity. Teachers practised brain stimulators such as sipping water and cross crawl to improve focus and retention.

At the end of the two-day programme, the teachers left with a better understanding of student dynamics and new learning techniques to implement in their teaching practises. They were equipped with new, engaging practises to be at par with changing scenarios in education.