Thanking Note
Thanking note
“ Dreams always come into truth. But you must learn to dream. And put that dream into reality.” It was my dream to be part of IATEFL conference when I attended some plenary speeches online last year. I decided and wrote on paper that one day I will take part in this conference.
I have been working as a state Academic Resource Person ( SARP ) for TEJAS project. Tejas means Technology enabled Education through Joint Action and Strategic initiatives. It’s an innovative project having a partnership among State government of Maharashtra , Tata Trust and British Council.
According to this project Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) are created in 9 districts including Aurangabad,Amaravati,Beed, Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Nagpur, Nandurbar, Nashik and Yawatmaal. This project is for 3 years. It started in 2016 and it will end in 2019.Now we are completing 2nd year. During these 3 years It will strengthen and support continuously to RAA, Aurangabad , SARPs ,TAG Coordinators and TAG teachers through face to face training, online courses like CIPELT/CISELT ( Certificate in Primary English Language Teaching/ Certificate in Secondary English Language Teaching), LEP (Learn English Pathway), through social media in form of Facebook Tejas4ed and Twitter #Tejas4ed groups. It was planned to start 750 TAGs across 9 districts. Now more than 600 tags are still running successfully at cluster level.
Tag coordinators conduct Tag meetings once in month on one Saturday for one cluster. He or she has to facilitate 3 tags for 3 different clusters. In each tag 25 teachers from a cluster are expected to attend the tag meeting. British council has designed very creative and activity oriented resource book for TAG teachers. It has 4 sections. 1. Language development 2. Learning by reading 3 Learning by watching and 4. Reflection and Action planning. These 4 sections are to be facilitated for 3 hours where teachers themselves discuss in English, practise the activities given in TAG book,learn new things from each other and share their own ideas in meeting or on whats app ,facebook or on twitter.
Every child deserves for the best. If teachers are motivated and encouraged to use English confidently and effectively , they can create positive atmosphere in classrooms . They can also build confidence of children to practise English. It will certainly help to remove fear of English language.And increase best practices in ELT. All these things are very useful for learners which our Government is planning and implementing.
In Nashik 129 Tags are established and more than 100 TAGs are running. 44 Tag coordinators are being selected and most of them are conducting tags regularly. I have been supporting and mentoring tag cs from Nashik ,Nandurbar and Nagpur on phone calls, through emails , on whatsapp , facebook , on tweeter, blog and sometimes face to face meetings.
We all SARPs are working according to following 5 SMART goals..
1. Planning and delivering training
2. Supporting and mentoring Tag coordinators and Tag teachers
3. Monitoring and evaluation and report writing
4. Social media management
5. Materials development
Everybody is taking responsibility of Tejas. We all have been attending SARP training, shadowing with BC training consultants, observing TAG meetings and Classroom teaching, managing whatsapp groups,facebook Tejas4ed and twitter group. British Council and RAA ,Aurangabad will organize a symposium soon in the month of Jan.2018. So Tejas is really spreading brightness in ELT practices.
IATEFL ( International Association Of teachers of English as a Foreign Language ) .This is a worldwide community of ELT teachers in the world.The mission of this community is to “Link, develop and support English Language Teaching professionals” worldwide. IATEFL organizes an annual conference in the spring with key speakers and individual papers, workshops and symposia. Membership is approximately 3500, spread through more than 100 countries. The primary activities for IATEFL members throughout the year are centred on Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which hold various types of meetings and conferences.
British Council team selects and sponsors one SARP from TEJAS project. It is a rigorous process for selection. Applicants have to fulfill some conditions that has been decided by BC team and have to fill an application ,too. After this process, one person gets chance to be sponsored to attend the conference.Here I am giving my filled application that I had written previously. It will aware my responsibilities.
Why would you like to go IATEFL
I would like to be part of 52nd international IATEFL conference for following reasons
…It will be a great learning opportunity to anybody to attend this conference .Many Teachers of English from around the world will come together . Well known speakers will conduct plenary sessions. So this will be really insightful experience to anyone . I will come to know the best practices of ELT by attending conference and also talking with other teachers. Sharing and learning culture is developed ,when we talk to each other,when we exchange our opinions with others. What’s going in different countries about ELT , I will get to know this by face to face meet with teachers and listening to respected dignitaries.
So getting to familiar with new ideas, new concepts, new culture, new people , new atmosphere , advanced technology and many extraordinary things that certainly will broaden my perspective and enrich my knowledge ,skills and attitude towards English Language Teaching . It will boost my confidence to be a part of this iatefl .
I always think that learning has no fullstop. We all are lifelong learners. Hence ,52nd conference of International Association Of Teachers Of English as Foreign Language which is going to be held in Brighton in April 2018 is an excellent opportunity for Continuous Professional Development. That will strengthen me as a SARP to support , mentor ,encourage and motivate effectively to TAG Coordinators ,TAG teachers and the teachers of English in my vicinity and across Maharashtra.
I have read that there are near about 500 talks, workshops ,symposiums and social vibrant programmes in IATEFL . So being a part of many initiatives, I would like to witness this conference because I want to write in my blog what I will see,what I will experience, What I will learn, the reflection of each day in my blog. I would really like to note down the new ideas that would I learn in conference and it will make me more attentive ,good listener and best practitioner of English .
How will attending iatefl benefit you and other sarps and Tejas project ?
As a SARP I would like to say that any kind of conference ,symposium ,workshop or training is capacity building programme. As you learn more ,the more you will be enriched ,you must gain more. We are like empty pots . if somebody wants water to quench his/her thirst, he or she needs water and at that time a pitcher ,full of water certainly helps to the thirsty people to satisfy their thirst.
We SARPs have to be like that pitcher . I wish to be such pitcher who will support and motivate teachers and TAG Cs to run tags without the help of administration.
By attending an iatefl conference , I will do my all 5 smart goals with extra vigour and vitality.
- It will develop my perspective to plan and deliver trainings.
- It will sharpen my brain to support and mentor tag coordinators and tag teachers
- It will give me new dimensions to monitor and evaluation of TAGs
- It will strengthen me to achieve goal of report writing by writing reflective blogs on iatefl
- It will also help me how to use social media more effectively for teachers by using twitter, facebook, whatsapp for tejas project.
- Attending iatefl conference , listening to plenary speakers and exchanging ideas with other delegates will enrich my knowledge ,skill and attitude ,which will be helpful for other SARPs as well as teachers.
- I also wish to develop in the area of materials development with more experience and iatefl is a great source for me to receive this strength.
Whatever I will gain , I will share with other SARPs through blog ,twitter and face to face presentation after conference. That might be helpful for the Tejas project. I will encourage and urge policy makers to organize such conference for teachers to give them first hand experience of plenary sessions ,workshops,talks and symposiums so that there will be a very positive atmosphere of ELT across Maharashtra.
What would be your action points be after you return from the conference ? 3 specific action points
· I will write briefly and share with other SARPs and Tag Cs about the innovative ideas that I will have learnt in the conference ,after the iatefl conference
· I will present my new learning in face to face SARP meeting/tag Cs training or with tag teachers whenever I will get chance to talk before them.
· I will rejuvenate most of the tags from Nashik and Nandurbar by visiting physically and encouraging TAG Cs
Milestones that you have achieved in your role as a SARP on tejas . 3 specific milestones
1. I have supported many TAG coordinators from Nashik, Nandurbar and Nagpur through whatsapp, phone calls,emails and face to face visits by providing them administrative support issuing letters to run their Tags effectively.
2.I have started to write blogs on the experience of Tejas year 1, tag observation, classroom observation,shadowing with training consultants and involvement of the teachers and tag cs and students engaged in tag activities.
3. I have conducted 1 monthly twitter chat and helped 1 twitter chat with tag coordinators along with the collaboration of SARPs ensuring the better preplanning and management
Happiest moments…
· I received a call from Radhika Gholkar mam ( Academic Manager, BC,West India) on 25th Dec 17 on an auspicious day of Christmas.She gave me this fabulous news of selection to attend 52nd IATEFL international conference.A vote of thanks to show my gratitude towards the following persons
· Thanks a lot to Hon. Nandkumar sir (principal secretary, ministry of School Education and Sports,Maharashtra), Hon.Dr.Sunil Magar sir (Dir.,MAA,Pune), Hon. Dr Subhash Kamble sir (Dir.RAA ,Aurangabad), Hon.D.D.Surywanshi sir ( Ex-Principal,DIECPD,Nashik),Hon.Ravindra jawale sir (Depury Dir and Principal, RAA and DIECPD,Nashik), Hon.Ranjeet sir(project officer,RMSA) and Dr Ujjwal Karawande sir (HoD of RAA,A’bad)
Warm Regards
Ashok Chavan
SARP,DIECPD,Nashik
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