SCHOOL INDUCTION DAY 4: A SENSE OF BELONGING
The fourth day of the school induction was on 7 January 2023. We reached the school by 9: 20 am and signed the attendance register. As usual the classes began after the morning prayer at 9:30am. Myself and Ms. Kavya went on to discuss the nuances of the lesson plan for the continuation of the topic "The Happiness Machine" to be taught in Standard IX C in the third hour. The class was handled from 11:00am to 11:45am. After entering the class, we greeted the pupils and after a brief warm-up Ms. Kavya began to test their knowledge on the topic discussed the day before yesterday through questioning. All the students gave correct responses to the questions asked. Then she informed them that the remaining topics of the lesson from paragraphs 3 to 7 are going to be taught. The learners were then asked to open their textbooks and listen to reading of the teacher, following which they were instructed to read the same portion silently and to note down the difficult words. The meanings of the difficult words were explained and illustrated with example sentences and pictures. Then I went on to help the learners comprehend the meaning of the paragraphs using a constructivist strategy. I explained the story line developed through paragraphs 3 to 7. I wound up the class by giving an assignment to the pupils, related to the topic covered. Since it was a saturday, almost half of the students in every class was absent.
During the lunch break, GCTE student teachers were given a chance to serve meals for the pupils, teachers and student teachers from other training colleges as a part of the mid-day meal programme. We too relished the same. It was a totally new experience for me. Since I studied in a CBSE school for 15 years, these mid day meals programes were not practiced there and it was the first time in my life that I eat lunch from such a space. This event gave me an feeling of belongingness towards the school and the students. The food was served with utmost love.
After lunch, myself and Ms. Kavya observed a class taken by Ms. Arya from St.Thomas B.Ed training college on the topic "The Happiness Machine" in Standard IX A. Since we also dealt with some paragraphs of the same topic, we were eager to observe the class. We were enchanted by Ms.Arya's strategies of teaching including ICT based instruction and demonstration method.
During the sixth hour, we were permitted to observe a seventh grade Biology class handled by the school teacher Ms. Aswathy. Both A & B divisions of Standard 7 were combined to take the class. Aswathy ma'am began the class by asking questions about the topics discussed in her previous class , regarding bronchi, inspiration and expiration, the number of times we breathe in a day and the changes in ribs when we breathe. She then moved onto a new topic - Structure of Human Lungs. She drew the picture of lungs on the whiteboard and labelled different parts. The picture and the labellings were large, visible and legible. She then explained the topic. Her class was very interactive. She elicits responses from students picked randomly and then make them read relevant sub topics from their texts , followed by the rendition of explanation.She dexterously dispels all doubts which the students raised. It was also learnt that she often checks a Science Diary recorded and maintained by the pupils at her behest. Since she made use of mic for instruction, her class was very audible too.
Then we tried to collect some data regarding staff development programme from the headmistress Ms. Pushpa George, but could not since she was busy addressing the tenth standard PTA meeting. We decided to collect it the next working day. After the National Anthem, we left the school.
