Making use of the resources is a habit of highly effective teachers, who truly belong to the 21st century. They can make resources out of anything. According to my distinction ‘any tool or supply or material that simplifies and supports better teaching-learning experience, is a resource’ (in the context of Education). These resources are used in every classroom to educate children for better learning processes. The more the teacher is creative or innovative, the better the resources are used at schools. They assist the teachers in their course of executing academics and allow them to achieve the desired learning outcomes.
The school management makes sure that they hire better educators at their school. They promise them to provide all the possible support they could and ensure that the educators do not hesitate to ask them for any kind of support required. But on some occasions, the management fails to provide them the proper resources on time. That discourages the energy of the teachers and makes them delay their planned activities. Its bad effect is seen in the students. The teachers have to have the resources to make the learning simple and fun.
There are also these cases at some schools where the management cannot be made guilty for the following;
i. The teachers do not use the resources provided by the management
ii. They don’t consider making their own resources with whatever they have at the schools
The teachers must also try to find the teaching-learning resources from anywhere. Due to technology, now it is a piece of cake to find the appropriate material or information that could be used for the purpose of teaching. Such teachers also regularly check on Google.com or pinterest.com or any other website that provides them the information according to their needs and expertise, which can be used for teaching in the classroom.
Q1: How are the teachers supposed to make use of the resources?
Ans1: At every school, there are respective departments for each subject and language. Each department has a minimum of 3 or 4 teachers. These teachers keep the spirit of the entire department for the entire school, as they mainly represent a particular subject or a language. The members of the department must prepare the teaching-learning resources for all the teachers in that department. It must be kept in the staffroom so that anybody can have access to it.
For example:
1. A Math teacher needs certain tools and equipment, based on certain topics, that could be used to teach Math easily. When the students use them, they focus on learning the concepts, such as measurement tools for measuring the objects, under 'measurement topic'.
2. A science teacher needs similar material for her subject. The students use them to learn the concepts and information. E.g. the objects of planets to learn the solar system
3. An English or a language teacher needs the tools or material based on linguistic skills. When the students see them, they focus on acquiring or learning the language. E.g. Dictionary, etc.
So, the members must make such supplies that are based on certain topics and concepts, which can be used by all the teachers for a year.
Q2: What to do when the teachers don’t find the resources at schools?
Ans2: They are advised to pay visits to the places in their cities, go to stationery stores, find the material, pay the amount from their pockets and submit the receipt at the school to get the compensation. This is also a common practice at schools, the teachers are often asked to do so, when they are in dire need of something, they can pay the amount from their pockets and get the compensation from the school later.
This is a major excuse given by many teachers. They depend on availability, not on the possibility of making their own resources. When they receive the required material, they utilize them. When they don’t receive, they don’t try from their end. And sadly, the year gets over.
Q3: Should the teachers keep waiting for the management to provide the supplies?
Ans3: NO. The teachers should not keep waiting for it. They are educating the students. When they need something that supports the cognition of the learners, they can either make it from the available stuff or buy that from the market and utilize it.
The teachers must avoid the following;
i. Not making use of the available stuff at schools
ii. Blaming the management for not providing the supplies required
iii. Not finding ways to make their own resources and material
When educators find their own ways to help support the learners, they eventually become the best educators who are capable to fight the odds and shine like a star professional.