City teachers get lessons in personal grooming

A B.ED degree is no longer the only yardstick for being a teacher. From the right handshake to a perfect posture, teachers are being schooled in areas other than just how to deliver classroom lessons. Bhavya Dore reports.

A B.ED degree is no longer the only yardstick for being a teacher. From the right handshake to a perfect posture, teachers are being schooled in areas other than just how to deliver classroom lessons.

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On Monday, teachers at DG Khetan International School will kick off Teachers’ Day celebrations with a workshop on personal grooming. From body odour to body language, they will get a crash course in how to appear presentable.

“Students imitate their teachers and look up to them,” said Kavita Aggarwal, the school’s principal. “So we thought it was important to help teachers get more polished.”

Soft-skills trainer Kavyal Sedani, who has worked with teachers from six international schools, says demand for such sessions has “increased manifold” since she started out three years ago. Her lessons, which spread over four or five sessions, cover posture training, dressing well, language and diction.

“If you are sloppy or shabby, children will think it is okay to be that way,” said Sedani.

“It is the need of the hour” said Arundhati Chavan, principal of Swayam Siddhi B.Ed College. “But, presentation shouldn’t be the only criterion. Sometimes teachers might be lacking in presentation but may still be very good at their job.”