Know Your Teacher: ‘Teaching is a profession that requires ongoing learning’

Not only is she trained in Jolly Phonics and thematic teaching, but she has also done her MCom and BEd. She describes herself as being a very jovial, highly motivated, enthusiastic, and dedicated teacher who has specialised in teaching pre-Primary kids who are about to start their education.

“The whole idea of providing knowledge to toddlers who are about to start their educational journey is to give them a strong base in recognition, reading, and writing. I have been teaching since 2011 and joined Apeejay School, Rama Mandi in Jalandhar in 2018. I can proudly say that I have been extremely fortunate and blessed to have got the opportunity to work with this education society,” Walia said.

Excerpts from an interview.

What is the most rewarding aspect of a teacher?

By far, one of the greatest rewards of teaching is watching your students grow and learn. Knowing and seeing the evidence that you have made an impact on someone’s life leaves me with an amazing feeling. As a teacher, it is so rewarding to go to work and be surrounded by love. Sometimes, during a busy time or stressful day, a simple ‘Ma’am you are looking so beautiful’ a hug, unconditional love from my tiny tots can instantly perk me up. It is such an honour to be able to teach students and love them while they are in my care.

Why did you want to be a teacher?

Teaching is a calling I’ve been following from a young age. Sometimes you just hear this voice in your head; this calling in your soul and you know this is the right path to follow. I love the impact one can have on individual children, especially at the pre-Primary stage. Of course, it’s a great responsibility but at the same time, I cannot imagine devoting my life to something else, especially since I love being around children.

How and why did you choose Apeejay?

 Over the last nearly 50 years, Apeejay Education Society with an unrelenting focus on the emotional, spiritual, physical, and mental growth of the child, are enabling learners to imbibe the three powerful virtues of a truly educated individual — strength, vision, and wisdom. At Apeejay it is all about learning to do, Learning to be, and learning to live together. I always wanted to be part of this school. And I can proudly say that I have been extremely fortunate and blessed to have got an opportunity to work here.

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Learning needs to be meaningful and concept and analytical-based learning provides opportunities for personal meaning-making. Concept-based learning supports students to own their learning, to be able to inquire, look for patterns, make connections, use deep understanding to solve problems and develop critical, creative, and reflective thinking

–Aarti Walia, Pre-Primary Teacher, Apeejay School, Rama Mandi

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How to deal with disruptive students?

Patience is the key to dealing with disruptive students. At this stage, toddlers tend to resort to physical expressions of their frustration, simply because they don’t yet have the language skills to express themselves. I would try to find out the reason for his/her disruptive demeanor. I will try to mould his/her behaviour by engaging the child in different activities and games. One of the best ways is to narrate a story or role-play which would encourage good conduct. The best policy is to focus on rewarding rather than giving attention to negativity.

Ways in which parent-teacher interaction can be made effective.

A child thrives when their parents and teachers play an equal role in their education. A parent knows their child better than anyone and can provide valuable insight to teachers who are just getting to know them. Proper parent-teacher collaboration is required to achieve good results. We, at Apeejay, focus on parent-teacher collaborations. We have coffee meets with parents, teachers, and the principal to know more about our kids. The Parent Volunteer Programme is also launched under this collaboration.

What are the challenges faced post-COVID?

The greatest challenge was to bring them back into the classroom mood. From separation to anxiety to reduced academic abilities to feeling sleepy are a few things. Then there is digital addiction and classroom snacking. However, one has had to patiently deal with these. There was a lot of fighting and complaining and discipline had taken a big hit. The students want all learning to be playful now. The expectations of parents have gone up as they observed that children were falling a little behind in academics.

How are students benefiting from concept-based and analytical learning?

Learning needs to be meaningful and concept and analytical-based learning provides opportunities for personal meaning-making. Concept-based learning supports students to own their learning, to be able to inquire, look for patterns, make connections, use deep understanding to solve problems, and develop critical, creative, and reflective thinking. Analytic learning helps teachers and students devise an effective teaching-learning plan. Thus, a teacher can provide customised learning plans to each student based on their strengths and weaknesses. This is an effective way to ensure that every student is being encouraged to learn to the best of their abilities.

How important is it for teachers to be learners as well?

Teachers are the ones who motivate students to do better in every domain and help them achieve life goals. Teaching and learning go hand in hand. One should continuously update ourselves with the latest trends, and policies in the field of education. It’s as important as breathing to me. Learning as a teacher is about reflecting on your practice and developing your skills. Teachers learn best by doing, reflecting, collaborating, and updating to new technologies and changes. I would like my students to realise that being an accomplished teacher is a career that is a work in progress. We must all be lifelong learners and open to new research and instructional practices.