Classroom That Whets Wits For Teaching

“I’m sure I’m going to win this war!”—you might hear me declare. A war of what? you ask. Well, let me explain.

Paro College is more than just a place of learning—it’s a training ground, preparing us to face the reality of the teaching world head-on. And I’m proud to be training at PCE. We are equipped with knowledge and skills through various modules, but, for me, none quite like PED202: Skills for Effective Teaching. This is where the real training begins. It’s an intense experience for us, who are preparing to become teachers.

Almost twelve module tutors come together to train hundreds of us—the future educators. This intensive module truly feels like preparing for a war zone as we brace ourselves for the challenges ahead. The classroom is our battlefield, and student success is our ultimate mission. Just like soldiers undergo rigorous training, we dive into a demanding regime filled with educational theories, pedagogical strategies, classroom management techniques, and curriculum development. It’s both academically and emotionally taxing.

Each lecturer covers a different topic, but all aim to foster co-learning and promote a less teacher-centered approach. This collective effort is designed to support every child’s holistic development, ensuring we’re prepared for the classroom battles ahead.

This module, commonly known as “microteaching,” is where theory finally meets practice. During the last three weeks of the semester, we put everything into action. Each student prepares teaching materials and delivers a 15-minute lesson. That’s why it’s called “microteaching”- short, focused, and intense.

Here’s how it works: the class is divided into three groups of about 10 students each. Each group is assigned to a specific lecturer, who observes them using one of the three instructional models— the Sydney Cycle, the 5E Model, or the 5-Step Approach. As students rotate weekly, they get to experience all three models and receive feedback from different lecturers. By the end, we’ve all had hands-on practice with each strategy.

And to wrap things up, we present our Teaching-Learning Materials (TLMs). This is where creativity takes over. We design materials on any topic we choose, and our lecturers assess them not just for creativity but for their educational value and reliability. It’s always exciting to see the wide variety of TLMs. This part of the module brings out the inner child in all of us.

This module pushed me—physically and mentally. It trained me to stand tall in front of a classroom and embrace the challenges of teaching. Now that I’ve completed it, I feel incredibly confident. PED202 has boosted even the most timid students among us and aligned our skills with 21st-century teaching practices to make learning truly impactful.