English faculty class at BU
A resource person takes a class for English faculty at the UGC Academic Staff College at Bharathiar University in the city on Tuesday.The 200 lecturers, newly appointed to work in State Government colleges who are finishing their month-long pre-entry training at the Bharathiar University, are a rejuvenated lot.From the disciplines of English, Botany, Commerce, Home Science and Electronics Science, they are part of the 975 selected by the State Government, undergoing the training at four universities.If you thought that they were undergoing the training because they are new to the profession, you are wrong. They are lecturers, professors, vice-principals and principals who have a minimum of nine years experience in self-financing colleges.Yet, they undergo the stay-in pre-entry training introduced by the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education, like their counterparts of other disciplines who are undergoing the same at three other universities.“This is a novel venture of the State Government being implemented by the Council to prepare teachers uniformly to face the challenges. They undergo a three-week general training in curriculum development, pedagogy, psychology, yoga, environmental issues, physical fitness, medicinal plants, etc. More than 200 resource persons were invited to cover these topics. The fourth week was spent in subject-based training. Once the training is over the lecturers will start work at their respective colleges,” says the Director of the UGC Academic Staff College of the university, A. Thanikodi.
A tête-À-tête with a random sample of lecturers from the various disciplines reveals their urge to go out and start their profession all over again with new vigour.According to K. Srilatha, G. Sorna Muthuraj, T.S. Alagiya Nayaki and C. Alagan from the faculty of English, they were initiated into methods of teaching prose and poetry that were contrary to convention.“It was all about new approaches to handling students and to look at their needs in a different way to enable them to sail into the global world. We were made to feel that communication skills were required to be taught even to English Literature students,” they echo.The points instilled into the minds of all the lecturers are the need to be patient, add humour, involve students and make use of technology not only for students, but also for self-growth in pursuing research and projects.
They were given guidance on funding agencies. “Do not discontinue the active involvement that you had in self-financing colleges. Try to continue that in the same manner in Government colleges too” – this is the universal message given to them.They have also been prepared to deal with students from lower economic sections and those with nil or poor English knowledge.Most of them have got postings to colleges in rural areas. They have also been provided with the alternatives that can be used in the absence of language laboratories and other such technology.S. Latha and Peer Khan of the faculty of Commerce say that their group has been initiated into e-learning, Tally systems and effective business communication.According to M. Pugalendi and K. Kalimuthu of the faculty of Botany, they were taught how to attract students towards the basic sciences. There was something for everybody.More than anything else, the teachers have enjoyed staying and learning together. The exchange of thoughts and best practices has brought in a kind of bonding, they say.They are full of praise for the Government, the university staff and the resource persons who have given them such a unique chance.
