A two day Teacher In-Service Training Programme was conducted at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Sri Venkateswara Vidyalaya, Tirupati on 6th and 7th June, 2023. The session was presided over by Prof. P. Murali, Vice Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Tirupati Kendra who initiated the meeting by sharing insightful quotes from renowned thinkers and philosophers.
In his Presidential Address Prof. P. Murali highlighted how India is steadily emerging as a global super power and the main objective of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is not only to foster intellectual growth but also to instill ethical and human values among students.
Dr. N. Satyanarayana Raju, Hon. Director & Treasurer, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Tirupati Kendra, delved into the qualities of a good teacher emphasizing the significance of imparting holistic education that nurtures, character, wisdom and values in students.
The First session of the event was presented by Prof V.N. Sampangi Venkata Narayana, Chennai and his team on the Scientific Research on the transcendental meditation. The primary focus was on illustrating how this un-implicated and effortless techniques aids in acquiring right knowledge which lead to right thinking appropriate action and successful accomplishments and personal fulfillment. Sri Nagaraj, Secretary, His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, emphasized the significance of Transcendental meditation in the realms of Science and creative intelligence through an enlightening power point presentation.
In Session 2, Sri Arun L. Naik, a distinguished speaker from Azim Premji University shared insights on the essentiality of Teacher Professional Development in the context of rapidly changing world. The talk revolved around the evolving needs of educators and the diverse avenues available for their professional growth. Sri Arun L Naik emphasized that a Profession including teaching, is characterized by specialized knowledge, accountability and autonomy. Moreover he also highlighted the importance of teachers adopting a reflective practitioner approach, continuously evaluating and refining their teaching practices.
In Session 3, Sri Arun L. Naik conducted an interactive session to bring out a discussion on the Socio –Economic needs of children. The focus was on nurturing holistic development encompassing physical, cognitive, emotional, social and ethical well being, starting right from early years of Pre-Kindergarten. By addressing these needs, children can experience comprehensive growth as individuals, enabling them to thrive in all dimensions of their lives.
On day 2, June 7, 2023 Sri Ramnath, Consultant Azim Premji University, held a discussion based session on Leadership Perspectives, Leadership Involves being mindful of one own surroundings and circumstances, as well as having the capacity to influence the thoughts and behaviour of others. An individual should strive to cultivate self leadership, which involves being aware of oneself and having the ability to shape our own thinking and action.
Regarding educators, Sri Ramnath emphasized the importance of not solely focusing on outputs but rather taking responsibility for the out comes, instead of working independently, educators should embrace inter-dependence and foster collaboration moving beyond mere cooperation. Furthermore a teacher should have a purpose of continuous improvement, strive for mastery that ultimately leads to autonomy.
In the afternoon session, Department of Computer Science, Bhavan’s S.V. Vidyalaya, Tirupati conducted a workshop on Usage of Interactive Board, which helps in active student participation. Teachers can use visual and multi media elements such as images, videos and animation to explain complex concepts. It also helps students allowing them to work together on projects, solve problems and share ideas more effectively.
The professional development workshop spanning two days proved to be enlightening and rewarding, allowing teachers an opportunity for introspection.