The Social Service League (SSL), St. Stephen’s College, is all set to flag off Project Vidyajyoti- an annual initiative which involves student volunteers from the college teaching children of a basti in GTB Nagar after college hours. But this year the volunteers, prior to their interaction with the children, are being trained and moulded into great teachers at the expert hands of Teach for India Fellows.
Benoy Stephen, a volunteer with the SSL, who was instrumental in bringing Teach for India to St. Stephen’s, says, “Through Project Vidyajyoti, we hope to help a child, not just academically, but also to become a good human being. We realised we needed professional help in structuring our sessions and improving the quality of the programme. Who better than Teach for India to turn to?”
With a meticulously structured teaching module, the training session ensures that the volunteers are prepared. Spread over two days, the session is divided into two sections- culture and content, each for a period of two hours. The training includes everything from how to teach the children elementary Math and English to how to keep them motivated and confident. “It was a highly interactive and wholesome session,” says Nayantara, one of the volunteers who participated in the training. “We were told how to interact with the children on every level. The realisation that elements like body language and rewards are also key factors struck home.”
Setting down rules and compromising on some of them and ensuring that the children do not feel humiliated or excluded, were just some of the key points that Vani Valson, one of the Teach for India Fellows who conducted the training, focussed on. “Since we have hands on experience, we can give the volunteers an idea about the problems and challenges they are likely to face,” she says.
Here’s hoping that Project Vidyajyoti is a great success!
The Teach For India Fellowship Program is a 2 year full-time salaried commitment in which the most promising graduates and professionals are placed as full-time teachers in under-resourced and low-income schools.
Applications for the 2016 Fellowship Program are now open at apply.teachforindia.org. The deadline for applications is 11.59 PM, August 25th. To learn more about the Fellowship Program, go to www.teachforindia.org.
Abhinaya Harigovind
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