Opinion A teacher-educator writes: The importance of teaching the teacher
School teachers do not need to be prepared in a hurry; school teachers need to be prepared well. ITEP is sure to dilute the teacher training aspect under the current structure
It is a no-brainer that a teacher should have a deep understanding of her subject. But a good teacher is more than a repository of knowledge. (Express photo)
The National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) recently initiated major changes in the structure of Teacher Education (TE) in the country. In May this year, it was reported in The Indian Express that the B.El.ED programme is set to be replaced with an Integrated Teacher’s Education Programme. To grasp the significance of these changes, we must ask two basic questions: What constitutes a good teacher education program? This question is intertwined with another: What are the qualities of a good school teacher? I address these questions here, drawing upon my experience as a teacher educator in the Bachelor of Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) programme, established at the University of Delhi in 1994.
It is a no-brainer that a teacher should have a deep understanding of her subject. But a good teacher is more than a repository of knowledge. She continually relates the textbook content to real-world concerns. A good teacher imbibes the spirit of the subject, evoking similar passions among her students. A TE programme, therefore, must foster an environment that trainees find immersive so that they learn subjects they will later teach well. B.El.Ed, which trains teachers for grades 1 to 8 includes foundational courses on all primary school subjects. For grades 6 to 8, trainee teachers study one subject in greater depth.
Indian educationists are deeply concerned that despite regular attendance, a significant number of primary school children do not learn to read, write or do arithmetic. To address this, they recommend that teaching practices should be based on fundamental principles of learning. One such principle is that children need to actively relate any new information with their previous knowledge. This is particularly relevant in the Indian context, where school teachers often instruct students to copy from the blackboard, without discussing the meaning of the text. In the B.El.Ed programme, we have theory courses to instil this sacrosanct principle. These are followed by pedagogy courses, which translate these principles into teaching methods. The ultimate test however is in the act of doing. A good TE programme should have a rigorous internship, where the trainees teach in a school for a prolonged period.
It is also not enough to throw trainee teachers into the system — they need thorough supervision. This involves weekly supervision of each intern by one or more teacher educators, feedback on interns’ teaching plans, and introspection on the latter’s part about their practices.
The teacher, is, first and foremost an adult among children — a significant presence in their lives. Children emulate their teachers and seek their attention. A good mathematics teacher with a temper teaches fear, not mathematics. Teachers influence the emotional state of children. What should these emotions be? Happy, confident and wanting to go to school? Or anxious, afraid?
A good teacher empathetically understands errant behaviours, and has mastered the art of resolving conflicts among children. She does this deftly, without losing sight of the larger goal — that children learn well. A TE programme should sensitise trainees to children’s emotional states and vulnerabilities. The B El.Ed programme includes experiential courses where students are trained to become empathetic teachers.
Frequent incidents of violence against women in our country point to an urgent need to sensitise our children on gender-related issues. School teachers can play an important role here. B.El.Ed includes a compulsory course on gender, and gender-sensitive perspectives are also woven into other courses. Our graduates can convince girl students that they too can excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses. They are trained to counter gender stereotypes which school children often display. Not just on gender, a school teacher should have imbibed other values enshrined in the Constitution, too. A teacher should not be merely aware that corporal punishment is illegal, she should never feel the need to wield the stick. She should feel horrified on hearing a student denigrate a particular community. After all, a teacher inculcates values in her students. These should be the right ones.
The making of a good teacher is no quick-fix task. A school teacher is a professional, and becoming one requires immersion in a specialised programme of study. In the case of the B.El.Ed course, a four-year undergraduate program, NCTE prescribes a minimum of 200 working days each year, with at least 36 hours of weekly study, and a school internship of a minimum duration of 20 working weeks. We can understand why so much time is needed.
School teachers do not need to be prepared in a hurry; school teachers need to be prepared well. The new TE programs proposed by NCTE sandwich teacher training and an undergraduate B.A/ B.Sc./ B.Com course within four years. This will surely dilute the teacher training component. Changes in TE programmes must have a rational basis. The major structural changes proposed by NCTE do not have any convincing justifications. Moreover, they run counter to the existing wisdom about teacher education. With one policy fiat, the progressive ideas which helped build good TE programs in the country, including the B.El.Ed may be cast aside. Naturally, anyone concerned with school education will be perturbed.
The writer is Associate Professor, Department of Elementary Education, Miranda House, DU
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