When Teachers Learn Too: Ruchi Sengar’s Workshop Empowers 60+ Educators Enhancing English Classrooms

While students may be enjoying their summer break, a group of passionate English teachers across NCR went back to class this time, as learners themselves. On 25th May 2025, over 60 CBSE English educators gathered at the India International Centre, Lodhi Gardens, for a hands-on workshop titled “Learner Engagement Strategies in the Teaching of English.”

The two-hour session, conducted by Ms. Ruchi Sengar–a Master Trainer in ELT & Competency-Based Education and a noted CBSE and NCERT expert, offered practical tools for transforming traditional English classrooms into vibrant, student-led spaces.

The session was thoughtfully guided by Ms. Sonali Khosla, Editorial Head at Educart, who helped ensure a smooth and interactive flow of discussion throughout.

The workshop kicked off with a high - energy icebreaker, where teachers had just 60 seconds to quiz each other with as many questions as possible from a fun handout. What seemed like a game quickly turned into a valuable reminder: asking good questions is at the heart of active learning.

Ms. Sengar then unpacked what truly engages students in English classrooms, urging educators to reflect on how their existing practices could be made more student - centric, creative, and inclusive.

What the Workshop Offered?:

Here are the key highlights that made this workshop stand out:

• A Bank of Strategies: Teachers explored pre, during, and post reading strategies from activating prior knowledge to visual mapping and reflective discussions.
• Hands-On Textbook Mapping: The group worked with actual NCERT texts from Classes 9 -12, learning how to weave strategies seamlessly into day to day lessons.
• Immersive Simulation: Participants stepped into students’ shoes during text-based activities to better understand classroom challenges.
• Collaborative Challenge: In peer groups, teachers applied selected strategies to their own lesson plans with peer review and real-time feedback.
• Feedback Techniques That Stick: Simple tools like the “two thorns and a rose” approach were introduced to make student feedback more impactful and learner-led.
• Interactive Q&A: The workshop wrapped up with thoughtful queries from participants and practical solutions from Ms. Sengar, ensuring every voice was heard.

What made the session unique was its deep focus on empathy in teaching, urging educators to go beyond content delivery and nurture student voice, curiosity, and ownership in learning.

As one teacher noted, “It reminded me why I started teaching in the first place not just to cover a syllabus, but to spark minds.”

Workshops like this one are a reminder that teaching, too, is a continuous learning journey. With such purposeful sessions, educators walk back into their classrooms not just with better plans, but with bigger purpose.