Teacher workshop on Idioms

Creativity is a habit and the best creativity is a result of good work habits. In order to be creative, you have to know how to prepare to be creative. Twyla Tharp

Ms. Naina Sethi of The Indian School participated in a one-day workshop for schoolteachers titled Idiomatic Expressions for Aspiring Articulation organised at Sanskriti School on 19 January, 2019.

Writing, like all other forms of art, is meant to affect and influence the minds and emotions of others. Hence, creative writing is one of the most powerful ways to express feelings, thoughts and ideas.

The workshop was divided into two sessions. The resource person, Ms. Kiran Misra, in her powerpoint presentation titled Teaching Idioms is Teaching Fluency, highlighted the necessity of using idioms in our day to day lives, in the first session. She stressed upon teaching idioms in a fun-filled manner rather than taking them a separate topic. She talked about several ways of teaching idioms and also discussed various activities and exercises which could be incorporated into classroom teaching in a light-hearted manner. The teachers present were encouraged to use stories, visuals and dialogues as a medium to teach idioms.

In the second session, Ms. Misra talked about the importance of group work while teaching students who hesitate to express their ideas and thoughts at an individual level. We must understand that the impulse to create prose and poetry is at the root of the human impulse to communicate. Students should practise creative writing so that they learn to write better. She explored various simple forms of verse which can be taught in the class so that students are encouraged to write. Students bubbling with creative ideas long for that guidance, that extra push, and mentoring will definitely get them started.

The workshop was very interactive as Ms. Misra not only asked the teachers to create their own verse on the spot in groups but also ushered them to draw, act and tell a story. It was very well structured, enjoyable and educational.

Ms. Naina Sethi