The mentor teachers from MCD schools shared with Delhi Education Minister Atishi their experiences and learning at innovative schools in Palampur and Bengaluru.
Atishi had an interaction with 40 mentor teachers from MCD schools across various divisions, who recently returned to Delhi after a tour of the two cities where they visited various innovative schools.
Addressing the mentor teachers, Atishi said, “To ensure high-quality education for every child, it is essential for teachers to gain exposure to global educational trends. While teachers in Delhi Government schools have made significant professional progress in the past 8 years, it is now the turn of the MCD teachers. The Delhi Government, under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal, is committed to providing them with the necessary exposure to the latest trends in education and pedagogy to enhance their professional skills.”
She added that after returning from these exposure visits, the enthusiasm and willingness of mentor teachers to implement new initiatives in their schools, even in the current situation, reflects a significant shift in their perspectives. This, in itself, is a big change.
The delhi education minister urged the teachers to understand the learning needs of children in MCD schools who are mostly primary-grade students and design innovative teaching-learning environments for them accordingly.
During this exposure visit, the teachers were divided into two groups of 20 each. One group visited the ‘Aavishkar Centre’ in Palampur with the objective of observing, exploring, and learning innovative pedagogical approaches practised by educators in Mathematics and Science teaching at the primary level.
Another group of mentor teachers visited schools in Bengaluru, including Anveshana, Annaswamy Mudaliar, Diya Ghar, Mallya Aditi International School, and BeMe. The main goal of these visits was to observe, explore, and learn innovative pedagogical approaches used by educators in Montessori, freedom in the classroom, and other skill-based methods at the primary level.
The delhi education minister further emphasized, “These exposure visits have heightened the passion and enthusiasm of MCD mentor teachers to drive change in schools. If this energy continues to spread across all teachers and administrators in all schools, no one can stop MCD schools from becoming world-class.”
She added that there is no dearth of talent among MCD school teachers, and now that they have the tools to bring change to their schools, the transformation of the MCD schools is not only possible but inevitable. The government’s commitment, combined with the dedication of these mentor teachers, is a powerful force for improving the quality of education in the MCD schools. By embracing new and innovative pedagogical approaches, the MCD teachers are poised to make a significant impact on the lives of the students they serve.
The mentor teachers, who went on exposure visits, shared that this is for the first time the government is focusing on the development of teachers too and providing them with tools to improve pedagogical styles. The activities that they observe in these schools will help them establish a special bond with their students, added teachers.
They further added that during the visit, they learned how to make learning engaging by adopting unique approaches, how to provide education beyond textbooks and classrooms, and how to understand and fulfil each child’s individual learning needs. They also learned about the significance of peer learning and group learning as effective methods in primary classes. Mentor teachers mentioned that these visits have provided them with lifelong learning, and they are eager not only to implement it in their classrooms but also to share it enthusiastically with their fellow teachers.