Beyond notes and books: Teachers for whom ‘class’ is a place of new learning
In Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU, teachers play two roles at a time. While they continue to impart knowledge about their subject to the students, they also learn to derive different ways of bringing more inclusivity to the class.
Lucknow: When Prof. Rajeev Nayan joined Dr. Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University (DSMNRU) as head of the fine arts department, little did he know that it would not only be a teaching but also a learning experience for him.
Nayan, who quit as dean and principal of Arts College of Lucknow University to join DSMNRU, was overwhelmed looking at several differently abled students .
“I spent the first few months understanding their needs and planning ways to cater to them but with time, they began teaching me every day. They help me mould my personality every time I am around them. I got the determination to work, developed the never give up attitude and even learnt sign language to have a conversation with the hearing impaired students. In one way or the other, they have sensitized me about themselves and their needs,” shared Nayan.
Not only Nayan, several other teachers too play two roles at a time. While they continue to impart knowledge about their subject to the students, they also learn to derive different ways of bringing more inclusivity to the class.
The teachers are accompanied by an interpreter during their lectures. Their classroom consists of students from diverse groups - visually impaired, hearing impaired, orthopedically handicapped, intellectually disabled and normal students.
All of them have different requirements for better understanding of topics: the visually impaired students need recorded lectures while the hearing impaired can understand things written on the board and explained to them by interpreters. Those with intellectual disability require more attention.
As they teach by writing on the blackboard, speaking whatever they write and focusing on the important topics, with time the teachers have evolved different methods to solve the doubts of their differently abled students.
Dean, academics, VK Singh said that he learnt some gestures from the students which helped in communicating with the hearing impaired ones. “We try bringing inclusivity to our classroom by treating all of them equally. With time I also understood the need to focus on the important points which could help in better understanding of the students,” said Singh.
Assistant professor, physics and Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Research Cell, Ashok Mishra said that being an OSD he received an opportunity to interact with different students.
“In the beginning, I used to have written conversations with hearing impaired students but with time I learnt a few signs important for conversation which now help us connect easily. We also help students with intellectual disability by taking remedial classes,” said Mishra.