Teachers Empowered with Critical Thinking Tools in Workshop Led by Neera Kohli at Guru Harkrishan Public School

As Indian classrooms continue to evolve toward student-centered learning, Guru Harkrishan Public School, Delhi, took a significant step forward by organizing a professional development workshop on Critical Thinking in the Classroom.

On May 21, the session, held in association with Educart, was led by educator and speaker Ms. Neera Kohli, and saw participation from 44 enthusiastic teachers across various departments.

The two-hour training, conducted on the school campus, focused on empowering educators with actionable tools to foster analytical thinking, creative problem solving, and inquiry based learning among students.

Ms. Kohli, known for her extensive experience in pedagogy and teacher training, led the workshop with clarity, warmth, and a hands - on approach.

From the outset, the atmosphere was interactive. Teachers were encouraged not only to listen but also to reflect, discuss, and participate in group tasks designed to simulate classroom dynamics.

Throughout the session, Ms. Kohli emphasized how essential it is for teachers to shift from traditional methods of instruction to dialogue based and reflective learning models, where students actively construct knowledge rather than passively receive it.

One of the key features of the workshop was the introduction of low-prep but high-impact strategies that can be implemented in regular classroom settings. These included brainstorming sessions, logic puzzles, open ended questioning formats, classroom debates, and activities that encourage students to think beyond the textbook.

Ms. Kohli also introduced a few critical thinking games and frameworks tailored to subjects like Social Science, English, and even Science—allowing teachers to visualize how these practices can fit into their existing lesson plans.

She spoke at length about how creating a space where students feel safe to make mistakes, ask questions, and express multiple viewpoints can lead to better engagement and deeper learning outcomes.

“A critical thinker is not born, they are made in classrooms where questioning is not discouraged, but celebrated,” said Ms. Kohli during the session.

The discussion also touched on how the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 prioritizes skills like logical reasoning and creativity over rote memorization. Aligning with this, the workshop helped teachers see how they could adapt their teaching in a way that reflects the NEP’s focus on 21st-century competencies.

The school’s Principal, Ms. Harpreet Kaur, expressed satisfaction at the session’s impact, noting how it provided her faculty with a renewed sense of direction and pedagogical insight. “Workshops like these are more than just training, they’re part of our journey to modernize education in a meaningful way,” she said.

Teachers, too, were vocal in their appreciation. Many shared that they had taken away not just strategies but a mindset shift: a fresh lens through which to view their role in the classroom. Some even shared ideas on how they planned to integrate what they had learned into their upcoming lesson cycles.

By the end of the session, what emerged was not just a list of tools and activities, but a collective commitment to build classrooms where critical thinking is not an event, but a habit. The workshop proved to be a reminder that while curriculum may provide the ‘what’ to teach, it is pedagogy that defines the ‘how’ and the ‘how’ is what shapes learners for life.

This workshop was part of Educart’s larger CPD (Continuous Professional Development) initiative, which aims to bring leading educators and innovative practices directly to schools across India. Through such initiatives, Educart continues to champion the role of teachers as change-makers in the education system.