Mrs Sandhya Mudgal, Mrs Reshma Bhattacherjee, Mrs Sunita Gupta & Mr Kamlesh Kumar participated in this workshop on 2nd & 3rd February 2024.A two-day intensive workshop on ‘Beyond the Classroom: Subject Teachers as Educational and Career Mentors was insightful and empowering. Attended by educators from diverse backgrounds, it emphasized the pivotal role teachers play in guiding students towards academic and career success. Discussions revolved around personalized mentoring approaches, leveraging subject expertise, and fostering holistic student development.
On day one Dr Amrita Dass, Founder, ICS, elucidated upon the ‘Dynamic Career GPS-ICS Methodology.’ It says there are various courses beyond the traditional ones and students must be guided accordingly .Next, Speakers highlighted the importance of nurturing students' interests, providing career guidance, and fostering a supportive learning environment. The webinar emphasized the need for ongoing professional development to enhance mentoring skills.
Ms Pooja Ahuja, Senior Counsellor and Mrs. Deepali Srivastava, Head India Admissions and Senior Career Counsellor at ICS stressed that every subject holds intrinsic value in shaping well-rounded individuals. Each subject contributes uniquely to students' cognitive, emotional, and social development, enriching their educational journey. Through the clipping from the movie, ‘Taare Zamin Pe' speaker clearly mentioned that we must understand the students psychology and every child is different so treat them accordingly.
Day two started with warm greetings and a quick recapitulation of day one.
Later, Ms Nitina Dua, Head Career Guidance Centre at Shiv Nadar School, shared her insights and told the educators how each child possesses unique strengths, weaknesses, interests, and learning styles. Varied backgrounds, experiences, and abilities influence their academic journey. Some thrive in hands-on activities, while others excel in analytical tasks. Recognizing and accommodating these differences fosters inclusive and effective teaching, maximizing each child's potential for success and fulfillment in education and beyond.
Ms Nitina mentioned the importance of joining micro credential courses and she discussed that in India, many Universities and Colleges are offering these courses during Summer break and how the students can be encouraged to opt for these courses.
The second speaker, Ms Anshoo Mishra, School Counsellor and Studie Abroad Counsellor at CMS IDA branch discussed the significant role of well-crafted essays. She specially mentioned that students must know how to write essays. Middle section teachers can contribute in this successfully.
The next speaker, Mrs Sapna Sharma defined a LoR. She said, when writing a letter of recommendation, teachers should emphasize the student's strengths, character and achievements relevant to the intended opportunity. Tailoring the letter to the recipient's needs and highlighting the student's potential for growth and contribution is crucial for a compelling recommendation. She also mentioned that fake achievements should never be the part of LoR. She shared various examples as well.
Overall, it was a stimulating session that underscored the transformative potential of teachers as educational and career mentors. “End of these two days should be the beginning of a new journey and let’s be co-travellers in it”. Well said by Dr Amita Das.
