The day I inducted myself for IAAT, I apprehended that the transition from a techie to a teacher is definitely not going to be simple. It is much easier to program machines than control or instruct the live human machines. I came with a belief, that a teacher should have the right knowledge and the ability to impart in the right way so as to perceive the knowledge correctly. I also believed that there is no right and wrong way to teach and learn. IAAT has challenged a lot of my beliefs and molded me into a soul that thinks and reflects every time.
I had expected the course to be similar to my Graduation and Post Graduation courses. Boring! But, the course started with a retreat to Kambre. It was one of a kind experience. We went through a grueling 4-day retreat. It put forth to test our strengths and weaknesses both physically and mentally. We did a lot of soul searching in those four days, reflected upon our behaviors and trigger points and also understood the patterns within. We were face-to-face with our fears and discomforts at every single challenge. May it be sharing the tents with creepy crawlies, surviving the cold and wet weather, rope crossing, raft making, blind-folded trekking, it was all there. The most surprising element of the retreat was the Fire Walk, yes literally. I simply loved the experience. When I returned, I found a new me!
After the retreat, we resumed back to our theory classes. The uniqueness of each class is the experience that the faculties bring in to the topic in discussion. Every class brings in a different perspective. Being a mother of twin boys, I could very well relate my kid’s behavior and appearance to the child development theories. The different philosophers that we discussed brought forward the various beliefs around what education and schools should be. The best part of the theory classes is everyone brings in their own experiences from their classrooms and the discussions are based on real situations and this deepens our understanding of the topics.
There is a lot that I have assimilated as part of the theory classes be it Classroom culture and norms, experiential learning and types of learners, Responsive classroom language, Rewards and punishments, Feedback, Curriculum and standards, Language and Drama - Reading, writing, storytelling, Math, Inclusion, Differentiated learning and planning, and Thinking routines. The list goes on and on. I believe that it has magnified my understanding and learning about the classroom, children, curriculum and my role as a teacher. This knowledge is enhanced along with the practice teaching.
As a Resident Teacher with American School of Bombay, I, along with other colleagues from IAAT went through an induction process, New Teacher Orientation (NTO) and All Teacher Orientation (ATO). It is an experience that celebrates different cultures and diversity in one community. It gave me a different perspective and understanding of a teacher community and the school as a community development center. It was remarkable to see one community together to achieve their mission and core values in collaboration with each child, to provide safe and authentic learning experiences for the child to grow both intrinsically and extrinsically.
As a Resident Teacher with Creative Arts Space, I was introduced to the world of Reggio Emilia. The Reggio Emilia approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It is a pedagogy described as student-centered and constructivist that uses self-directed, experiential learning in relationship-driven environments. The program is based on the principles of respect, responsibility, and community through exploration and discovery through a self-guided curriculum. At its core is an assumption that children create their own personality during the early years of development and are endowed with "a hundred languages", through which they can express their ideas. The aim of the Reggio approach is to teach how to use these symbolic languages (e.g., painting, sculpting, drama) in everyday life. It is here that I understood the true meaning of experiential learning and it has definitely influenced the philosophy that I truly believe in. I have acquired knowledge of the core values of Reggio, engaged in documentation of student’s learning experiences, understanding the children and their interests and setting up different provocations from grades Pre K - Grade1.
Now, as a Resident Teacher with Grade 1, I could make a lot of text to self, text to text, and text to world connections being in the classroom and around children. Understanding the processes, planning, structure, and implementation from a class perspective. I am getting a first-hand experience of various aspects of a class from the child, the content, the pedagogy, the assessments, the feedback, parent-teacher meetings, and the reports. The complete learning circle. I have understood that the child is at the center with the school, the teacher and the parent around, to enhance the learning experience.
This experience has changed me and my outlook towards my children, my relationships, my environment and myself as a teacher. I have embarked on to a journey of lifelong learning, a teacher!