Government College of Education, Chandigarh, hosts value-addition course for aspiring educators

A 30-hour value addition course on ‘Building Skills for Career Readiness and Life Skills’ concluded successfully at the Government College of Education, Sector 20-D. Conducted from April 28 to May 3, 2025, the course was conceptualised by Ravneet Chawla, associate professor and placement in-charge, under the visionary leadership of principal Sapna Nanda. Designed to equip aspiring educators with both professional and personal competencies, the course saw active participation and successful completion by 80 students.

On day one, Kavita Chatterjee Das shared practical strategies on classroom management, followed by Col Aparjeet Nakai (retd), who emphasised self-worth and personal growth. Indu Aggarwal from ‘TalentGro Global’ addressed the alignment of NEP 2020 with Nipun Bharat, and Sanjay Aggarwal inspired participants to embrace resilience, emotional intelligence, and a service mindset.

Day two featured professor Adarsh Kohli, who explored adolescent challenges and the importance of teacher availability to heal and be the unconditional cushion. Col IPS Dhaliwal (retd) highlighted career opportunities in the armed forces and aviation, while Prabhjot Malhi discussed child psychology and early intervention, introducing the “Five R’s” for child development. She elaborated on the concepts using case studies.

On day three, Anuradha from ‘Bbetter HR Solutions’ emphasised colleagueship, teamwork, and communication. The students clarified on peculiar situations that they anticipated in the examples shared. Supriya Banerjee Vasishta demonstrated storytelling’s role in joyful learning. Chawla presented her entrepreneurial venture “Soak and Toss,” She shared a methodical start-up venture example possible from the college among former and present students. Chef Vansh Chawla from the famous Jhumroo restaurant, promoted millet-based nutrition and food sustainability and also shared doable nutritive practices in daily life.

Day four opened with concept sharing on community-based assessment programme for the children during their formative years and the importance of role of teachers for the same. During the session, certificate distribution for the ‘Kachi Sadak Program’, in collaboration with the Arpan Foundation was also organised. In the following session, Parikshit Bansal introduced the WOTEM (Wow Teaching Methodology), linking innovation with pedagogy. It was the formal launch of such technology evolved by the speaker over a decade. The course concluded with a panel discussion moderated by Chawla on balancing further studies with career aspirations. The event was marked by interactive learning, expert insights, and a shared vision of empowering future educators. The student panellists were Atish Khajuria, Shagun Choudhary, Radhika Sood, Anshuman, Muskan and Jasmine Kaur, and Diksha Sharma was the moderator with Ravneet Chawla.

The final day of the value-addition course on May 3, 2025, opened with a motivating address by Ravneet Chawla, who spoke on planning, self-love, and emotional balance. Shagun, the student coordinator, thanked participants for their engagement, leading to a feedback session. Students shared key takeaways—Kinshuk on classroom management, Anshuman on unresolved queries, Prince and Monika on interactive sessions, and Anamika on the spiritual depth across lectures. Others, like Atish, Vishal, Ekta, and Jyoti, expressed gratitude for the growth and inspiration they experienced. The day concluded with a valedictory ceremony, where principal Sapna Nanda distributed certificates, lauded the course design by Chawla, and appreciated Upasna Thapliyal’s vital role in its smooth execution, reaffirming the college’s commitment to shaping future-ready educators. She shared her valuable inputs from the journey of life a teacher and appreciated the valuable takeaways from the course to strengthen the career and life skills offered by the course.