Monday, July 6, 2009

Amidst Darkness: A Ray of Hope

Recession has grabbed the world today. Everywhere there is curtailing of jobs including the corporate giants where students of highly reputed institutions used to be placed even before the completion of their studies. It is predicted that the situation will be further worsening. In such a challenging and disheartening scenario, is there any field which can be a creator of opportunities and rewarding, too? Certainly, teaching is such a profession that has not yet got affected because of recession. It might look a bit over-generalized and an audacious statement, however it is not much far from reality.
With the growing number of population, the need for good schools is essential and that of teachers as well. It has been our experience at the Waymade College of Education that teaching indeed is a lucrative profession, provided the teacher has passion, besides the necessary qualifications, skills and aptitude for teaching. One may argue that there are few chances for getting jobs in schools when teachers are available at every nook and corner with the growing number of B. Ed. and P.T.C. colleges. True, there is no dearth of teachers but there has always been acute dearth of effective, committed and passionate teachers, especially there is a great demand of effective teachers for English Medium schools in Gujarat.
The Placement Cell at Waymade that looks after the placement of prospective teachers has also realised the same. More than 60 % of students get absorbed in English Medium schools across Gujarat even before they write their final university examination. This is done by inviting schools for the campus interviews at the College and also through personal and alumni contacts.
For instance, more than 50 % of students have got their appointments in different schools offering GSEB and CBSE curriculum. More than 15 schools have visited the campus for recruiting teachers and have offered salary ranging from 8,000 to 25,000 including lodging and accommodation facilities. Isn’t that attractive and filling enough at the outset of the career? Certainly, yes. Thereafter, well, the sky is the limit.
One may be apprehensive about the salary that is mentioned here, but it is true that even teachers are paid more than 25,000, if they deserve. It should be borne in mind by all aspirants of jobs that perks would largely depend on the performance.
Effective teachers can only be prepared with rigorous training and not just by winding up the full time one year B. Ed programme in just five months which is the case in general. Teachers’ preparation presupposes honest intentions of teacher education institutions and commitment as well as concern of teacher educators. The students of Waymade could get this much salary because they are given such sort of training that updates their knowledge, sharpens their skills and moulds their attitude befitting to the need of the profession.
The College offers higher level inputs in the form of the B. Ed Advanced programme which is inclusive of latest practices in the field of teaching such as learner-centered pedagogies; activity and ICT based methodologies of teaching, collaborative, wholistic learning and cross-curricular approach in teaching. Special enrichment programmes are given to the prospective teachers to strengthen their Communication Skills in English and thereby prepared for teaching in English Medium schools. Thus, they are given thorough inputs to be effective communicators in English, irrespective of their specializations.
The curriculum creates ample opportunities for the student- teachers to develop their managerial skills, critical thinking and creativity. Excursions, visits to institutions of learning and a wide variety of co-curricular activities are aptly interwoven in the curriculum to broaden their horizons of thinking and consolidating their learning by providing life experiences. Working for the children of the nearby community also infuses concern and sensitivity for the societal well-being among the future-teachers.

Anything worth-doing is difficult and so as the preparation of effective teachers. Such pains-taking efforts and constant striving for creating competent and concerned teachers by the College lead to the preparation of quality teachers. It is plausible that they are better placed as compared to others. The need for the quality teachers has always been there and in the time to come it will be more. It will be least affected by the recession. Thus, becoming an effective teacher will not be a wrong choice if one develops aptitude and attitude for teaching and undergo strenuous training programme. No recession will come in his/her way and there are all chances to discard the misconception that teaching is not a rewarding profession.