“We need to make classes more motivating, energetic and interactive,” said Naomi Moir, senior teacher trainer, Oxford University Press (U.K.). The former teacher of speech and drama made the point to a gathering of CBSE school teachers not just through presentations but with several activities, action, and her body language keeping the class alive.
On the occasion of completing 100 years of Oxford University Press in India, a workshop on ‘ICT and current methodologies for teaching English as second language' was held here on Thursday. Digital tools, according to her, make classes more energetic. But, there are other ways, too.
“Teachers can share teaching practices among themselves. This can happen within or outside a school,” she said, adding that observing colleagues at work and sharing best practices from them is another way.
On how countries are investing a lot on teacher training workshops, Ms. Moir said teaching is an ongoing process and teachers have to update themselves.
Interacting on social media networks, reading others blog posts, keeping an eye on news and attending workshops were other ways for a teacher to update his or her knowledge.
Interacting with a group of primary and middle school English language teachers, Ms. Moir suggested that any chapter should be completed on a positive note. “Don't say it is difficult, and end a lesson with some reflection for the class.”
Warm up the class with new instructions and activities. For instance, she asked the teachers to mimic animals with sound and action for the class to learn adjectives and verbs. In another activity every teacher was given an A4 size paper with a word and the group was asked to arrange them to make a correct sentence.
