A trained teacher is a better teacher. How to upskill for online learning?

As the narrative of traditional learning leapt with the pandemic and transformed into futuristic learning through online classes, it paved the way for online professional development workshops for teachers at the school level. Teacher training is essential to build their talent capacity to impart effective learning, especially during online classes.

Teaching online didn’t have any phases and was immediately taken to the implementation stage. However, in an unaided scenario, they struggled with novelty, and in the absence of requisite skills, learning gaps were created.

The state of affairs  

Teacher quality is directly proportional to the student outcome. That’s why they are expected to deploy technology for better learning practices. The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated this need. Since teachers are more just the purveyors of knowledge, investing in their training and development becomes imperative. The quality of students is significantly dependent on teachers’ adequate skills and competencies.

Today, a lot of countries, including India, are facing the pressing challenge of trained teachers. In the absence of proper training by schools, they cannot conduct a class that yields results. Hence, the importance of teacher training should be given a thought across schools, especially when a teaching degree is not all that is needed to sail.

Technology was never considered a ‘can’t live without’ aspect in schools, and stakeholders refrained from its usage owing to complications. However, technology is meant to ease operations and processes and not make them complicated, and if its usage continues to bother the stakeholders, they must rethink their options.

How can technology help teachers?

Though the crisis is unprecedented and the global populace was unprepared for it, technology is expected to mitigate the severe repercussions. It has the power to transform teaching by steering in a new model of teaching that connects teachers with the students, streamlines content, resources, and systems to help them enhance their instruction and personalise learning. Irrespective of their preparedness, technology can help them navigate through the challenges of online learning. However, to bring efficiency in teaching, training is required. If the tactics are not suitable, the right resources will not fetch great results.

To make the most of this tectonic shift, it is imperative to train teachers with the requisite skills to help them conduct classes that are not just on par but also better than traditional learning.

How is LEAD helping teachers enhance quality learning during remote classes? 

Every teacher is equipped with a teacher tablet loaded with lesson plans, audiovisual resources, and training resources. In addition, the Excellence Managers at LEAD coach and guide teachers throughout the year to develop their skills and upgrade themselves. Thus, LEAD further eases the teaching journey of teachers by enabling them with requisite tools that make them excellent teachers and help students elevate learning quality. In a traditional classroom, the teacher teaches, takes the test, reports the result to the parents and students, and moves on. In a LEAD classroom, teachers prepare by reading the lesson plan, teach as per the plan, take the test for the concept she has taught, and allies the result to implement remedial action before moving on to the next concept. All these actions that the teachers take help bridging the gap of learning on time.

However, do you think a teacher can accomplish so much with little or no proficiency? LEAD trains its teachers to make the most of online learning and achieve great results. Through the Teacher Development Workshop, LEAD trains its teachers to use LEAD resources for effective lesson delivery. However, to make the most of LEAD resources, a teacher must know how to use them effectively.

LEAD aims to empower teachers digitally so that they are on par with the fast-paced world. At LEAD, teachers are trained to look beyond the textbooks and use teachers’ lesson plans instead. Then, with the help of the workshop, LEAD helps teachers navigate through the App, read the plan, and deploy an effective plan to get excellent results for students.