In-house teacher workshop on Effective Instructions

A one-hour workshop on Giving Instructions that Work was conducted by Ms Vandana Tewari on 5 November 2019, in the School auditorium, for the teachers of The Indian School and The Foundation School. The objectives of the workshop were to focus on the importance of giving effective instructions and to identify and prepare effective instructions.

The workshop started with an ice-breaker, The Switch, where the teachers were asked to arrange themselves in two rows in the order of date of birth. The activity was made a little difficult by asking the teachers to use only gestures in order to communicate with each other. It was funny to see the confusion this created as many teachers did not stand in the correct order! The activity was meant to highlight the importance of effective communication.

This was followed by another activity called The Blind Visitor to enable the teachers understand the importance of giving instructions which are clear and precise to facilitate better understanding and learning in the classroom. A few tips were shared with the teachers on how to alter their language, pace, voice etc. to suit the level of understanding of their learners. Doing so would not lend to confusion in the learners minds and reduce the teachers talk time too. It would also leave the learners more time to finish their tasks.

A Snowball Activity was conducted with the teachers which could also be conducted with the students in the class and help them enhance their concentration and listening skills.

The workshop approached its final phase with yet another activity called The Giving Attributes. The teachers, already sitting in groups of 8 to 10, were asked to write one positive attribute for their colleagues. The activity brought a smile on their faces and motivated them greatly when they heard good things about themselves!

The session was enriching and entertaining for both the resource person and the teachers as was evident from the feedback given by the participants in the form of remarks posted on the feedback wall.