To recognise the contribution of teachers in the life of students, A School (a network of neighbourhood schools) of Chettinad Foundation group, Anna Salai has decided to pay tribute to teachers by celebrating Teachers’ Day in a unique way.
A parent of A School says, “‘Newness in everything that we do’ is the byline of the school and it is manifested in all initiatives they take. A School believes in providing a platform for children to display their talents and FLIPday Friday initiative has come at an opportune moment.” FLIPday was started to foster the talent of understanding and communication among children.
The Teachers’ Day initiative has students turning into teachers, which is the best way to assess how well the students have been absorbing what they study and to give them a platform to express themselves. The role of a teacher has also flipped from a ‘Sage on the Stage’ in a traditional classroom to a ‘Guide on the Side’ in the flipped classroom.
The past few weeks have seen role reversals at A Schools. Tiny tots have taken up the Teachers’ mantle and are teaching their classmates. Most of them were quite happy with the idea. They were thrilled to be using the mannerisms of their teachers and dressing up like them, a press release from the school said.
“It was intriguing to watch them step into the shoes of their teachers with ease. They made other students repeat nursery rhymes after them and also taught the names of fruits and vegetables and so on. What really brought a smile was that the students used typical teacher phrases like ‘say good morning’, ‘be quiet’, ‘stand up’ and so on,” added the release.
The best three in each A School have been video filmed and this was sent to the Foundation. The best amongst these will make a presentation before their teachers, parents and the media on September 4.
The programme will consist of a series of 24 presentations by children and their performance and that of their teacher will be judged. Both the student and the teacher will be honoured and awarded.