Serene Soloist

As a part of our B.Ed. curriculum, we went for a one-day trip to Palaruvi and Thenmala on 5 November, 2022. We were thrilled to start the journey as soon as possible. We were divided into two groups (3 optionals each) and certain teachers were assigned to us accordingly. We set out on our journey at 6:30 am in two buses - Adharva and Little Move, after a short prayer session. We reached Palaruvi and had breakfast. To be honest, most of us were starving and the food made a huge difference to our mood.  Then it was time to see the Palaruvi waterfall. It was really an awesome experience. We were totally mesmerized by its beauty and vigour. The sound of water against the rocks helped us calm down. Many people took a dip in the cool waters and I soaked my feet and rested on rocks. It was fun to observe several events. Then, we went back to the resting station. After freshening up, we set out to Thenmala. It was a fun experience.  After lunch, we went for boating in the Shenduruney ...

Today we had demo classes by our seniors, Jis, Megha and Gayathri. All of them were really good and we learned a lot from them. Most of us are quite concerned after witnessing what it is to take classes according to the proposed models or methods. The students from St. John's were a delightful bunch and they received the lessons very well. We hope to do our best and make the classes as interactive and interesting as possible. The afternoon session was just fabulous with the Talent Hunt performances by our juniors from English and Malayalam optionals. The English optional presented their programmes under the title Virtuoso. They entertained us with dance and music. The Malayalam optional gave exceptional performances of a parody on Ottam Thullal, a tribute to "Lukose Maman", dance and the like. Overall, both the optionals made our afternoon a delight. 

The day began with a prayer to the Almighty. After eagerly waiting for days, we started our academic journey for the 2nd semester. Our beloved Meekha ma'am took the initial session. We started prepping for demo micro-teaching classes.  The next session was Maya ma'am's. She tried hard to shake off our lethargic attitudes with certain fun exercises. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro civilizations were dealt with. The next hour we had Ancy ma'am as our tutor. She introduced the portions for our new semester and dismissed the class.  Joju sir discussed about evaluation procedures and how these could influence the education system, especially in the Indian context. The last hour was engaged by George sir. He gave us the detailed syllabus for our 2nd sem and dismissed us with proper guidelines. Thus, the day came to an end.

Today was a pleasant day. My usual agony arising from the biometric malfunctioning seems to have come to an end. The initial hour was Yoga by Stephen sir. He began the class with a task and continued with neuro-muscular exercises. Next, it was our optional hour by Meekha ma'am. Arundhathi and Anagha presented their seminars despite the lag caused by technology. The session was quite informative and interesting. During the lunch break, we had a small musical discussion. Later, all of us were excited to take part in the Oath Taking Ceremony of the 66th College Union, Advithiya. I was elated mostly because of getting to see Gayathri become the General Secretary and Austin become the Magazine Editor. It was a fun experience since I, Raghi and Anagha had to sing the College Anthem as well as the National Anthem for the ceremony. I enjoyed being a part of the function and all of us are hoping to see great accomplishments from the part of the Union.

It's another pleasant day and we meet at Navajeevan Bethany Vidyalaya. The schedule for observing classes has arrived and we discussed among ourselves. Most people got assigned with revision classes. The English students got the opportunity for observing classes. It was really interesting to be part of a class, without being a student. 

After the morning rituals, I set off to Navajeevan Bethany Vidyalaya. The unfamiliarity of the name and the slight uncomfortable feeling of having to wear a saree was fresh on my mind. The uncalled-for traffic blocks on the way got me all the more irritated. My father dropped me off at the front gate before 8:30 am and wished me good luck. The gigantic gate stood like a Titan before me. The security guard took my temperature reading and asked me to write my details in the visitor's register. I noticed that all my group members had already arrived. I started climbing the stairs to where my peers were waiting. I entered the room and took a seat at the back. Things started becoming normal once I saw the familiar faces.  The principal of the school, Shahna ma'am welcomed us warmly and took the attendance. Once we got the permission to move around, we started exploring the school buildings and surroundings. Annu, being an ex-student of the school, turned out to be a saviour. I was r...

Due to the pandemic situation, online classes re-started. The initial hour was engaged by our dear Meekha ma'am. Athira presented her seminar on Reading and Reflection, Enmakaje by Ambikasuthan Mangad. It was a wonderful presentation which made us enter the world of fantasy. Next, we had a presentation by Arsha on Language Teacher Competencies. She did a good job. The second session was taken by Gibi ma'am. We discussed the various Schools of Psychology - Structuralism, Functionalism, Psychoanalytic school. The last session was taken by Maya ma'am. We discussed about Idealism - Characteristics and Limitations. Thus, the class came to an end. 

The day began with Ancy ma'am's class on Erickson's Theory of Psycho-Social Development. The class was an interactive one with a Q&A session ,  despite the absence of many students. She also taught about the Early Childhood Stage of Development  in detail. The next session was taken by Sathyalekha ma'am who shared her valuable experiences with us. After the lunch break, Joju sir taught us about the Effectiveness Indicators of a Classroom. The final event of the day was all about giving thanks to the effort of the teachers from G.C.T.E. Thycaud. They gave us feedback on their days at MTTC and departed. They will be missed for sure and would always remain in our prayers. 

After a brief session of online classes, we came back to our college. The day started afresh with Maya ma'am's class on Idealism and its Educational Implications. The second hour was our optional class by Sathyalekha ma'am. We chose the representatives for our College Union. Sr. Jomcy presented her seminar on several approaches of teaching. The next session was taken by Gibi ma'am who discussed about teaching variables, home environment etc. The final session was taken by George sir. We checked our heights and weights to complete the personal health chart. Thus, the classes ended for the day.

The first session was taken by George sir who taught us in detail about a Personal Health Chart. It was a moment of revelation about our own health to most of us! After a lunch break, Sathyalekha ma'am discussed about Micro-teaching. It was an informative session. In the last session, Benedict sir discussed about the  Phases of Teaching, Basic Teaching Model.