It was my dream to teach students so that I could touch their tender lives and make learning an enjoyable experience with innovative techniques. I did not have to wait too long as this dream started to take shape when my coordinators and principal at Sushila Birla Girls' School chose me to participate in the Global Teacher Accreditation (GTA) Awards 2014 organised by the British Council.
The students of Class V always found it difficult to remember names, positions and functions of the bones of the skeletal system. It was very disappointing to see the little ones take to learning by rote and get confused with high-order thinking questions. I thought that if a child can't learn the way I teach, I should re-model my teaching to a way that interests her and she can learn. Children today love singing and dancing. Exploring the Internet is their favourite pas time.
The GTA project started with a song Bony-Bounce (from the Internet) to the tune of When you are happy and you know it. The names of all the bones were learned in a day. A dance was choreographed to the song where the positions of each bone was learnt. More than half my work was done without the textbook.
For recapitulation, I resorted to JAM sessions to build on confidence and answer correctly, Bingo to correlate the bones with its function, puzzles and role play for a clear understanding of the skeletal system.
Students had learnt the chapter and built their skills in collaboration with their peers.
It was an enjoyable learning experience for me and my students. Regardless of disability (a slow learner with febrile convulsions won one game session), all my students fared well. Seeing the results of the project, the school decided to teach the topic in the above mentioned manner.
My project was reviewed by the British Council and I was awarded for my work. Being awarded is a matter of pride for me but more than that educating students with all-round development was a greater achievement.
The writer is a teacher of Class V at Sushila Birla Girls' School
