A TRAINING THAT TRANSFORMS
“I have seen shy students transform into confident performers.” – Mr. Pushpendra Malik
Mr. Pushpendra Malik
A teacher supported at our Shikshaantaar program in Delhi (ITEI-EDMC)
Acutely aware of the issues faced by students who feel bored in the classrooms, Pushpendra Malik always knew what he was not supposed to do. “It was never for me to give out facts in the name of knowledge. Besides, the learners I work with are very young. I have always wondered if they should even be taught this way!” However, he found it hard to answer what he was supposed to do adequately. Teachers often find it hard to make space for their learning as they manage the rest of their duties!
So imagine his surprise when his questions began to be answered in 2014, as he started his journey with the ITEI-EDMC. “I have seen shy students transform into confident performers.” During his training, he learnt strategies to include theatre and other performance arts which are not only easy to replicate in the classroom scenario, but also made his sessions interesting.
“From the very first session here, we learn useful ways that can successfully be used in classrooms. However, initially, I used to be hesitant as a learner. Over time, reluctantly though, I have seen the power of music, dance, and theatre turn my students around. I can speak of the positive effect of training sessions for they have impacted my students and me.”
The reason is simple, the training sessions identify the teachers’ needs and help them be the most powerful version of themselves in the classrooms. The sessions help teachers with the technical aspects of various subjects. This way they can mentor students and their peers and turn into facilitators. The use of theatre, dance, and music has been extremely revolutionary for Pushpendra’s classroom.
He feels that students not only learn effortlessly, but they are also able to employ higher-order thinking and gain perspective of their peers as they use theatre tools. For instance, his students often replicate scenes from life while dealing with concepts of mathematics and the sciences.
The bubbly laughter of his students’ chimes loudly even as they work out complex concepts. This has been the most significant proof that what he learnt has value.