E Book Sindhudurg

simple dialogues in the class. TAG is very useful to gain more confidence and abilities to communicate effectively in English, especially in the classroom. How TAG is helpful for teachers ---- 1)Language development (Ld), (2) Learning by reading (Lr), (3)Learning by watching (Lw), (4) Reflection and action planning. These are four main sections in a TAG meeting. Through the ‘Language development’ section, teachers can improve their own vocabulary, grammar and speaking fluency. The ‘Learning by reading’ section provides the teachers with opportunities for group discussions. In the section, ‘Learning by watching’, the teacher can see short classroom video films, to support and help his learning. In the section ‘Reflection and Action planning’, the teacher shares activities and ideas he has grasped and planned to try out in that month. Since I have joined TAG meetings, I have gained a lot of confidence and learnt different methods, ideas, techniques, activities which are very helpful for me and my pupils. So, according to me, a TAG meeting is not just a meeting but it is a ‘workshop’ for teachers where they can create something new to develop their English language. How TAG is helpful for students— TAG is the best platform for teachers as well as for students. When teachers go to join TAG meetings students are also very much eager and excited about what new they are going to learn. Especially they like games, videos, short films, puzzles, short conversations, etc. Teachers just support and encourage them to do all these activities. In the joyful learning process, they get a proper chance to communicate with their friends. These activities help students to develop confidence and language skills. Students can practise vocabulary, grammar and pronunciations. TAG helps to develop the social aspect of learners’ personality. TAG chooses and designs all the activities which promote equality, environmental awareness, social manners, personal hygiene, social justice etc. Learners can learn on their own using the activities provided by their teachers. Personally, I have experienced that all the activities and games provided by ‘TEJAS’ are very useful at the classroom level. When I use these activities and methods in my classroom for my students, I have seen that my students enjoy these activities . They give me a proper response. Students are quite confident while talking in English. They 101

are participating actively and happily in small conversations. Their question answer skill is also developing. They are making mistakes, but are also improving day by day. Students also share their new ideas with the teachers. Every big thing has a small beginning. The Ganga is a small stream at its origin in the Himalayas but becomes a vast expanse of water when it merges with the Bay of Bengal. No doubt, starting as a small stream of innovations, TAG will also bring a bright future for teachers and students through interesting teaching and learning methods. I am very thankful to all those who have helped and created this programme for teachers and students and made us more creative, ambitious and confident in the English language. Thank you TEJAS! Links of Classroom teaching and learning ❖ Video reference https://youtu.be/CBQqlJWqtf8 https://youtu.be/vHRjU_wik3M 102

Ms. Aparna Anil Mainkar, ZPPS Nandos Sarangavada, Block: Malvan Z.P. Nandos Sarangwadi is situated in a rural area in Malvan of Sindhudurg district. I got transferred to this school in 2019-20. Our students lacked the educational environment at home.Yet parents expected their kids to speak in English. Considering the social structure, it was not possible then. So I faced many difficulties after joining the school. Problems I faced in new school: 1. Students had unreasonable fears about the English language. 2. The home environment was not conducive to English language enrichment. Characteristics of TEJAS project in my view- 1. This project has a vision of teachers' development. 2. The continuous professional development of the teachers is the main goal of TEJAS. 3. This project focuses on students' language skills, especially speaking. 4. Teachers can build up their confidence through activities as well as using online mode 5. Teachers get the knowledge of new skills and so many activities through the TAG meetings. 6. Teachers are motivated to acquire knowledge and innovative skills. The changes that actually happened in my classroom after joining the TAG: 1. Students became interested in the English language. 2. Students began to participate in the use of the English kit. (ELCRLM) 3. Teachers designed new activities and changed the direction of study. 4. The teaching process became more joyful as there was more emphasis on activities than recitation. 103

Mr. Prashant Bhalchandra Chipkar ZPPS Dabhali No. 2 Block: Vengurla In the month of September 2019, I joined Z.P. School, Dabholi No.2 as a teacher. I was quite impressed by the school atmosphere, polite nature and the educational progress of the students and the respect parents were giving. Few days later, I noticed that the students mostly used the local language or Marathi language while communicating with each other during the period of English. I also observed that they didn’t dare to talk in English with confidence when the higher authorities visited the school. The students used to be shy during the discussions in English, especially higher grades students of std. 6 and 7 . Whenever some questions were asked to the students in English, though they understood the questions; they failed to answer many times. Also I observed that students were shy to use Marathi as well as English language while communicating with each other. So I decided to work on it. I still remember my first TAG meeting as a TAG member or as a teacher. There I learnt some new ideas, new techniques of learning English in an innovative way. In every TAG meeting I attended after that, I learnt something new. It refreshed my brain and mind with some new ideas. In the TAG meeting, all the members shared their ideas, problems related with day to day English learning as well as teaching and success stories also. There I found new dimensions of my English teaching skills. The demonstrations in the TAG meetings also helped me a lot in implementing those ideas in my classes and boosted my confidence too. Within four months, I got a chance to attend the training arranged by DIET Sindhudurg at district level as a TAG coordinator. It was such a wonderful experience, full 104

of knowledge, learnings, demonstrations, discussions, and great guidance. I was really inspired by that training as a learner. With this self development, I also started working on my student’s difficulties in the English language in the daily learning process. I started the “English literacy program” for my grade 6 and 7 students for English language development including communication skills and grammar. The knowledge and techniques I learnt in every TAG meeting helped me a lot in the development and implementation of English literacy program. ❖ Objectives of English literacy program 1. To eliminate unnecessary fear of the English language. 2. To develop communication skills of the learners. 3. Vocabulary enrichment. 4. Boosting the confidence of the learners. 5. To enable them to increase the use of the English language in day to day life. 6. To give sufficient knowledge of English grammar. 7. To give sufficient knowledge about using tenses properly in day to day English communication. 8. To make themselves independent by learning the English language. 9. Personality development. Tools used – ● Books ● Videos ● Pictures ● Practice / Activity sheets ● Question Papers ( offline as well as online modes) ❖ Implementation – In the initial stage,I started this project from alphabets. In this, students practiced writing, pronunciation as well as sounds of alphabets. As they understood the sounds of alphabets, then we moved to reading two, three, four and more letter words gradually with their proper pronunciation. We practiced different words using flashcards. In the next stage, I started giving knowledge of tenses and practiced many sentences and also started to teach them to construct simple sentences. 105

❖ Additional activities- 1. Practice of simple grammar concepts useful for day to day English communication. 2. Solving practice question papers based on grammar. 3. Practicing action verbs and sentences. 4. Constructing sentences using action verbs. ❖ Difficulties faced- 1. In the initial stages students were shying away, hesitating to accept the changes, hesitating to use English in communications due to lack of confidence. 2. Facing problems in pronunciations. 3. Lack of interest in English subject. 4. Most of the students were afraid to speak English in the classroom/school. 5. Poor handwriting. 6. Many times students failed to use proper tenses. e.g. using present tense during story telling. 7. Facing problems while constructing sentences and framing questions. Counselling whenever required, correcting them at proper time, practice and feedback were the key factors in resolving the above difficulties. ❖ Achievements – Along with this program and different activities, the students participated in LFW contests related to learning English and remained at the top during the whole academic year 2019-20. LFW is a private organization taking initiatives in spreading knowledge of English among students as well as teachers. 106

My students were honoured by certificates and received books as a gift from LFW and a digital book too. ❖ Outcomes – 1. Students can construct simple sentences and communicate with each other in the English language confidently. 2. Enhancement in vocabulary. 3. They can identify the tense of a given sentence and hence can use proper tense while communicating with each other. 4. Continuous practice and demonstrations boost the confidence of students. 5. Improvement in grammar, vocabulary and overall communications skills. 107

Mr. Ramchandra Eaknath Kubal ZPPS Aadavali no.1 Block: Malvan TAG is such a wonderful programme which builds confidence and develops the habit of speaking English. Before joining this programme, there were many questions and doubts in my mind about teaching this language. Why, What, when and how can I increase the interest of students about English. 1. Why should I teach English? 2. What should I teach about English? 3. When should I teach English? 4. How can I Teach English? But in this programme, I got solutions to every doubt and details of the learning process of English. ❖ TASK to ASK This is a very simple but powerful programme. Which I conduct for my students. In the process of language learning, the most important thing is to give a chance to everyone to speak. In a rural area there are few chances for students to use English in day to day life. Hence they hesitate to speak. Every day, I give some tasks to my students, it may be a picture situation or any concept and tell the students to ask as many questions as they can about that given picture or the concept .Day by day the skill of asking and also forming questions gets 108

improved and when the students get answers about the picture or the concept they speak at least 10 to 12 sentence about it. ❖ Conducting Situation – Students know how to speak very well, but they don’t get a chance to speak in their society or in the family. So I create the speaking situations in the school and the class which they face in real life. e. g. on the road, bus stop, market etc. and give them a small dialogue to make a conversation as real as they can. This activity gives me the chance to improve their English speaking level. In the TAG programme, there are so many activities given. These are helpful to improve speaking skill. ❖ Mind up and Wind up – This is a very simple activity I conduct for my students. In this activity I give students some characters. They think about that character and then all the students make a conversation between those characters and present it. It is very funny but students enjoy it and this activity develops the thinking process of the students. ❖ My word Bank – For speaking skill, vocabulary is a must. So I conduct this activity to increase my students’ vocabulary. In this activity, we create a word bank in the class and every student opens their word account in this bank by adding words in it. Each word deposits one point in students' accounts. By this activity students' interest has increased a lot and they have become more confident. It helps when they speak in English. ❖ Converse without fear – By this activity every student gets a chance to play a different role without any fear in a child friendly atmosphere. By this activity we develop the speaking ability of students and also they get an idea of how to face such situations in real life. Because of these efforts, I have received a great result and change in my students. I am very much thankful to TAG training for getting more supportive and innovative ideas by this training. 109

Ms. Dipmala Ramesh Jadhav Z.P.P.School Karli, Block: Vengurla “Be miserable or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it is always your choice.” - Wayne Dyer I have learned new things through TEJAS which I use in my teaching process. I have made my innovative project based on this training. I have got motivation by the Spoken English programme, and the TAG training. My students have started to read in English, speak English and perform dramas in a better way after applying those training concepts and guidance. I searched for innovation with the help of this project. It is a golden opportunity to be a part of TEJAS. Students enjoy the activities. They can introduce themselves and their family in English. I am very glad to be a part of TEJAS. I sincerely thank TEJAS for supporting me. I have recorded my students' responses. Kindly refer to the pictures and links below to go through it. ❖ Video reference - https://youtu.be/EGkou70jHEU 110

Mr. Chetan Bodekar MOOC Co-ordinator, Block: Vaibhavwadi. The MOOC arose as a new dawn in the field of primary education in Maharashtra. It emerged out of the growing demand for Spoken English Programme by the teachers from all the corners of Maharashtra. Spoken English Programme is one of the most demanding programmes, so the Government of Maharashtra found it very challenging to reach such a large number of teachers with face to face trainings. The conduction of face to face training continuously may cause an aloofness of teachers from the schools. So this challenging situation forced RAA, Aurangabad to think of an innovative way to meet the demand of teachers for training. RAA, Aurangabad arrived with a regular MOOC that is a Massive Open Online Course. But they came across many problems as the rate of completion was very scanty. At last RAA, Aurangabad collaboratively worked with the Leadership for Equity (LFE) and sought out a strong solution in the form of a blended model, where face to face and online interactions facilitated the learning. This blended model has been proved as a milestone. MOOC-spoken English program contains various modules, phases, assessment, baseline, meetings, classroom execution, webinars, surveys, step up course, orientation, certification, end line test and audit. Out of these steps certification, webinar, step up course magically fascinated and motivated the teachers to consume the course successfully and energetically. This way is easier and convenient for the CPD of teachers. One more plus point of this programme is that the teachers can complete the course in their leisure time and on the mobile, laptop or desktop. These devices and the Blended model made it easier to complete it from anywhere and anytime. 111

This program is divided into three phases and each phase consists of a different set of modules. While completing the phases, teachers watch the videos regarding the concepts. Teachers can watch the videos whenever they want and still comprehend the concepts well. These videos benefit teachers with the rich and selective recorded material. Teachers understand the modules and get assessed after each phase in the Mid-phase assessment. Here, the role of a MOOC coordinator becomes more responsible that the data of teachers’ achievement appears on the dashboard which is classified into green, yellow and red zones as per their achievement. One more advanced feature of the blended model is that a MOOC coordinator calls the meeting and remediates the queries of teachers in person. So this meeting enables the teachers to execute the studied concepts and their learnings in the classroom effectively. If teachers still have problems related to the execution, then they can fill up the pre-webinar survey that will help the coordinator to plan the webinar. MOOC coordinator scrutinizes the pre-webinar survey and schedules a webinar. Webinars are generally conducted online through the platforms like ZOOM, Google meet, Cisco-webex etc. In a webinar, teachers share their experiences, doubts, queries with the coordinator and colleagues. The video-recording of the classroom execution is mandatory for the fixation of bands. These videos of classroom executions are rated by the coordinator, H.O.D of DIET, ESA, and RAA as per the rubrics given in the programme. Teachers need to appear for an endline test at last and if they are not satisfied with their score then they can do the step up course to improve their grades and become an ambassador teacher of spoken English. Certification is one of the emphatic stimuli for teachers in this programme. Successful teachers get prestige with bands such as gold, silver and bronze in their performance point of view in the course. For the certification, teacher’s mastery over the learning outcomes, attendance for meetings and webinars, the ratings of classroom execution are taken into consideration. In August 2019, the first meeting of orientation and inauguration was conducted for Vaibhavwadi block. All the teachers, supervising authorities, Clusters- Heads, MOOC coordinators present in the meeting were on cloud nine. Because block Vaibhavwadi and Sawantwadi from district Sindhudurg had been selected in the first batch for the MOOC programme. This is the thing of pride that has been inculcated on the minds of teachers by MOOC-coordinators and authorities too. That moment of honour left an impression on them and made them aware of their responsibility. It was 112

the first training which had been inaugurated by cutting the cake like a birthday celebration and it lasted the fervor of the entire team till the certification. In the same meeting, after getting ‘hands on practice’, the teachers solved the confidence test and got updated with their own prior knowledge. When the teachers completed the confidence survey, they became very curious to see the new look of the programme. They all were ignited with the passion for winning the gold band. Teachers preferred this programme as it did not make a lot of changes in their routine. They started watching the videos and solving the questions regularly. They liked one more thing of this programme, that they were able to watch the videos again and again to understand the concepts. The quick response after the submission of options through the assessment is part of the remedial learning which makes them understand the content well. The mid-phase assessment is like a revision that checks the level of comprehension. The clear picture of teachers’ achievement in an assessment appears on the dashboard of the coordinator’s login. It was a very different and pleasant experience for me to see the dashboard in the form of green, yellow and red zones as a MOOC Coordinator. The teachers found it a little bit harder to master all the learning outcomes at the beginning but the data on the dashboard is with the remedies and steps for improvement. So, I called the meeting and had a discussion on it. That was possible only because of the blended model. Teachers participated in every activity with zeal and it prepared the teachers for the classroom execution. The positive aspect is that some senior teachers had not faced the camera while teaching to the students until then, but for this program all the teachers shot the videos of self-facilitation and became very confident to speak and teach in English. I deliberately mention here an interesting fact that teachers began to compete with each other. When a teacher from another cluster scored 90% in an endline test, then the teachers from another cluster resolved to break that record and succeeded too by scoring 92%. This incident indicates the passionate involvement of the teachers and their interest for the same programme. The different modules in this programme paved the way for effective teaching and interaction. The teachers focused on confidence, fluency, accuracy in pedagogical point of view using games like GTKY, celebrity interview etc. Some modules like Ear training, Adaptation, Speech training, Stimuli for speaking, Vocabulary in context, Error correction developed new perspectives and vision in teachers. The students greeted this approach happily and responded positively. Because of this special programme, the natural and 113

technically systematic learning got boosted up. And the winds of innovative teaching- learning began to blow faster. We, the team Vaibhavwadi, successfully completed the MOOC in October 2019 hand in hand. Hence the credit goes to the BEO, EEOs, Cluster Heads, MOOC Cs, Teachers and Students. In a nutshell, I would say that the MOOC is the most demanding, rewarding, more accessible and advanced programme ever designed in the history of the English language training. ❖ Video reference View on MOOC- Mr. Dada Thombare - https://youtu.be/3X-rouNg_p8 Classroom Execution- Ms. Sandhya Shelake - https://youtu.be/kV2J1SjLJXY Classroom Execution- Mr. Rajendra Yadav - https://youtu.be/pEXydKG6NQs Classroom Execution- Ms. Dipmala Mane - https://youtu.be/8UvT_rErTig Classroom Execution- Ms. Manisha Sathe - https://youtu.be/ge0IIEUoYu4 114

Mr. Nitin Pandit Patil ZPPS Piyali, Block: Kankavli Everyday is chance to learn something new and we had the opportunity to learn something very special and unique i.e. MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). The MOOC Program is a thoughtfully designed learning model by RAA, Aurangabad. It was a great benefit for me to be able to participate in this programme. At the time when our cluster was elected from our block for the state level, I had the opportunity to get trained at Aurangabad as a MOOC co-ordinator. During those five days of the workshop, we learned many new concepts. It was a very well planned programme. All the sessions were well prepared. Each session was innovative. I got to learn new styles of learning and teaching skills. The training was delivered through both online and offline modes. The use of zoom in this training was a very new concept for us. I think it was a milestone in the era of digital education. We got complete practical knowledge of teaching and learning through zoom in this five days workshop. At the time of implementation, the biggest challenge ahead was the network issue in rural areas. But we were determined to meet the deadline given by the state authorities. I felt confident of my decision to complete this programme with full dedication after discussing with all the MOOC teachers in both Ghonsari and Phonda clusters. The Orientation Meeting of this program was held at Shivaji Maharaj auditorium of Zilla Parishad Sindhudurg on 10th October 2019. The meeting was attended by hon. Principal of DIET Sindhudurg , hon. HOD Of English and hon. ESA OF course, that's where the success of the programme came from. 115

In the first MOOC meeting held at our cluster, the entire plan of the implementation of this programme, our contribution to it and how to prepare the children was discussed in depth. When the MOOC program started in my cluster I had 27 teachers from Phonda and Ghonsari block. Out of them 15 teachers were techno savvy. It was my responsibility to make other teachers techno savvy during this training. From the creation of the login and the user ID and password to the uploading of the video, different guidance was given at each stage. Being fascinated with the innovation of the course, everyone enthusiastically decided to strive to complete the programme 100%. I am proud to say that our cluster was the first in our batch to complete the course in the given time limit. Some videos had to be uploaded but 90% of the teachers had uploaded videos. Teaching students in front of the camera was challenging for everyone. It was a new experience. The teacher knew the difference between teaching in general and teaching in front of the camera, so the most challenging task in this programme was to select the elements of the given activity and present it in the video format. Most people made three videos at a time when they needed to upload at least one video in each phase which showed the interest and the readiness of the teachers in this course. The real fun came when the zoom meeting was held. Everything was new for everyone. I remember the first meeting was just about connecting and saying hello. We successfully completed the zoom meeting by practicing almost five to six times to understand the demonstration of the meeting. But xoon everyone got acquainted with it. Respected Mr. Jadhav Sir and Mr. Chavan Sir, the Heads of both our clusters, used to participate in every activity with great enthusiasm. Being a techno learner while practising spoken English, was like a dream coming true for everyone. After watching the uploaded video, it was noticed that all the skills learned in the course and the teaching-learning concept were easily transferred to the students. While rating the video, it was noticed that no video had to be retaken or sent back. While performing the activity in a MOOC meeting, the mandatory rule of speaking in English was very useful so that even the teachers with less confidence in English succeeded in this course. The MOOC meeting provided them a strong platform to sharpen their language abilities. Even though it was a big task for them to accept this new change immediately, they did it very well. 116

As it was a blended model, it included learning through face-to-face and online webinars. Another feature of this programme is that if you want to upgrade the grade band you got in the final assessment, you could improve your band by choosing the Step Up Course. Accordingly, some teachers upgraded their bands. The module of this programme was so good that noone had to face much difficulty in completing this programme within the given framework. These included first meeting, then baseline assessment, course consumption, MOOC meeting, and finally classroom execution, followed by a webinar, so there was continuous interaction between a MOOC teacher and the MOOC coordinator. So that all the MOOC teachers remained in the flow of this programme till the end. The programme taught innovative skills and helped in perfecting the basic skills including confidence, fluency and accuracy, ear training, adaptation techniques and devices, loud reading, problem solving, classroom language and webinar structure. This made us realize that we can upgrade and develop many skills even on online platforms. The workbook that was given to us was very important as it contained all the course modules and instructions in great detail so it was very helpful to complete the programme at the ground level. This programme allowed teachers to make radical changes in their teaching. The features and objectives of this programme were implemented in such a way which allowed the teachers to acquire the skills without leaving their schools, which emphasised to give teachers opportunities to learn English with their own space, time and interest, to build capacity of teachers for spoken English, develop there CPD, to provide new techniques to teachers, enable every child to speak in English and to develop facilitation skills of teachers. And of course, the MOOC programme has succeeded in achieving all these objectives. The teachers of English have become the English-language ambassadors for their schools. Digital tools are being used for the continuous professional development of the teachers and the online mode for spoken English has immensely benefitted a maximum number of teachers. For the successful completion this course, the RAA, Aurangabad team provided the technical support and course guidance whenever needed , DIET sindhudurg English department head Ms. Konduskar madam gave excellent guidance and ESA Mr. Dhamapurkar sir gave good support every time. From block level hon. BEO Kinjawadekar sir and BRP Ms. Sawant madam inspired and guided us. 117

There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure….. This journey of interactive and joyful education will continue and with this optimism, I wish you all the best…. VIDEO LINK OF CLASSROOM PRACTICES.. 1) https://youtu.be/iZH3p5dVRWg 2) https://youtu.be/QtZnx1mediM SOME GLIMPSES OF COURSE…. 118

Mr. Mahesh Ladu Sawant ZPPS Nemale No.2 TAG and MOOC Coordinator Block: Sawantwadi This is the first ever MOOC programme designed by RAA, Aurangabad. With the help rom Leadership For Equity, RAA (English Expertise) Aurangabad has successfully designed one of the best blended model of the MOOC. The spoken English training was targeted for the large number of teachers with this blended model. It emphasized on the belief that, through this training and the orientation programme, the last beneficiary, the learner, should be benefitted. This application of the spoken English programme was ensured through the MOOC Co-ordinators. This Coordinator through webinars and face to face meetings solved the problems, assisted the teachers technically and academically and ensured quality learning and application of learning. As a MOOC Co-ordinator I have successfully completed the MOOC Spoken English Programme in my three clusters - Talawade, Kolgaon and Majgaon in Sawantwadi block, Sindhudurg district for 49 teachers. It was a great experience for all the teachers, officials and for me also. All the three phases and nearly fifteen various modules were completed during the MOOC in 2018. In this whole process, the district ESA Mr. Dhamapurkar sir, BRP Ms.Satardekar madam guided me in the proper way to complete the programme in the given timeline. Our respected BEO Ms. Bodake madam personally attended the opening ceremony at Talawade cluster. It motivated me and the teacher participants as well. The respected cluster heads arranged the infrastructure for the teachers and motivated them to complete the programme. 119

The content from this MOOC, which was learned by the teachers, was used in the classrooms. I took the reviews in the TAG meets after the completion of the MOOC. Teachers are applying the techniques and activities in the classrooms and the confidence of the teachers is increasing. Students are trying to speak. This MOOC Programme has helped the teachers in building their confidence in their teaching. It is helpful for the students also in developing their language skills. Really it is a note-worthy experience being a part of this MOOC programme by RAA, Aurangabad. Thanks. . 120

Mr. Imran M.Nawab S.V.K. Madhyamik Vidyamandir Mond, Block: Devgad According to me, CHESS (Continuous Help to Teachers of English from Secondary Schools) is the ‘gem’ for all high-school English teachers for their continuous professional development as well as to make their classroom activities more effective. Actually CHESS is different from any other previous training programmes. It gives me a lot of pleasure while sharing my experience as a CHESS moderator. Really it was a fantastic part of my life when I attended the CHESS project as a CHESS moderator at the state level. I was a novice among other moderators but slowly, I became familiar with other teachers. That is why my anxiety, fear and awkwardness went away and I felt more energetic and relaxed. CHESS means continuous help to teachers of English of the secondary schools which aim at developing an English speaking eco- system where teachers and learners become active users of English. I am very happy to share my experience as a CHESS moderator with you, Because CHESS project has played a vital role in my life to develop my English speaking as well as my quality of teaching. I have learned so many things and acquired a lot of knowledge; that’s why I am very much grateful to all the members of the CHESS project. I learnt how to collaborate with other English teachers. The ETF is a platform where teachers of English from secondary schools meet together on a particular day at the block level. An ETF member’s pack is created by the department of English, Regional Academic Authority which is very useful to all the secondary English teachers. I, as well as my ETFs members, have been able to deal with the course book effectively, to help the learners to relate learning of English to day-to- day life, use English language effectively in the 121

classrooms as well as in the school environment to provide maximum exposure to the learners. We have also learnt to integrate technology in the teaching learning process and to develop an English Speaking Ecosystem where learners become active users of English which is the best achievement of CHESS. The CHESS project taught us why we need to change the traditional method of the teaching learning process. That’s why this project is a golden opportunity for everyone. We have learnt so many techniques, interaction patterns, language games and use of technology in the teaching and learning process. As a moderator I can understand the importance of activity based teaching and learner centered classroom. These things have become more helpful to update myself by following new ideas, techniques, and innovative activities. It has helped us to implement new ideas and skills in the teaching learning process. That’s why I have succeeded in creating interest in the learning process. Lots of activities are implemented in the classroom by me so that the students can participate in the classroom activities in large numbers. Students are enjoying this new way of the teaching learning process. This new methodology of teaching has helped students to become active users of the English language. They pacify their curiosity by asking questions. They are too eager to learn new things, which is why they are celebrating Saturday as English Day. I am really thankful to Hon. Ranjit Deshmukh Sir, Hon. Subhash Kambale sir, Team RAA and the core committee members for their extraordinary work in the form of the CHESS project. Now a days many English teachers are learning to use technology in the English teaching learning process through ZOOM, Twitter, Text Fairy, Skippy etc. They are focusing on their CPD. So I strongly consider this project as the ‘Magic Gem’ for all English teachers of secondary schools for developing an English speaking Ecosystem. 122

Mr. Gundu Birje IES M. Vidyalaya, Vijaydurg, Block: Devgad CHESS ETFs (English Teachers’ Forum) are one of the greatest platforms for Secondary English teachers to know different kinds of teaching activities. At present, the secondary schools are facing problems of dropout of a number of students. In the CHESS ETFs, most of the teachers belonged to Marathi medium schools. Some even worked in remote places lacking any kind of modern facilities. Most of the teachers were so energetic and very eager to participate in all the activities regarding the new evaluation pattern for std IX, X English (LL). The sessions of the ETFs were rich with comprehension strategies, which included wrap up, open house, reflection, study skills, TLM materials and the online teaching skills. I have taken the feedback of the ETFs which signifies the following points. i) CHESS has played a prominent role in the teaching-learning process as well as in evaluation. ii) It helps us to implement innovative skills in the teaching learning process. iii) It helps to boost the confidence of the teachers to use English language effectively in their classrooms. iv) It makes the teaching learning process more joyful, interesting and effective. v) It helps to build the capacity of the teachers to deal with the English language course book effectively. 123

vi) It enhances the participation of the teachers to improve their linguistic skills. vii) It helps the teachers to share how their learners are using the learning of English in day-to-day life. I always strongly believe in co-operative and collaborative learning so it becomes easy for the students to participate in the classroom proceedings. For me it's a great opportunity to improve my English teaching skills as well as a good chance to update my knowledge. The CHESS project was introduced in the form of a blended model combining both face to face meetings and online tasks. Initially, it was challenging but gradually all became comfortable with these new changes. So I am using modern technology for making online tests. When I went through the last two years of the ETF ( English Teacher Forum )MEMBERS PACK, I got the clear idea about…. i) GTKY my English course book X. ii) Educational technology. iii) New Evaluation pattern. iv) Comprehension strategies. v) How to deal with Prose and Poetry. vi) 21st century skills. vii) Dealing with writing skills and language study mapping. I mostly like interaction patterns –group work activity, individual work, choral responses, collaboration and dealing with slow learners etc. Our resource persons worked very hard to make this training successful. All the administrative officers gave their valuable guidance at the time of the ETFs. This is one of the greatest opportunities to stay connected with so many teachers from our centre. Lastly I would like to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much to the whole CHESS training team and RAA, Aurangabad. 124

Mr. Ajit Surungal S.M.G.High School, Devgad, Block: Devgad RAA, Aurangabad planned and proposed CHESS (Continuous Help to Teachers of English from Secondary Schools) programme to orient and provide continuous support to the English teachers in secondary schools for developing an English Speaking Ecosystem where the teachers and the learners become active users of English. And now this programme is helping all English teachers in the secondary schools. I, as an ETF member have benefited a lot from this CHESS programme. For the last three years I attended the ETF meetings where I got clear insight about dealing with std. IX and X English course book. In the ETF meetings, our moderators guided, supported and kept us motivated in using English in our teaching -learning process and while interacting with each other. This CHESS project has provided a golden opportunity to learn from well experienced, knowledgeable and co-operative teachers. There is a ‘Sindhu English Teachers’ whats app group, where English teachers from all over the district share innovative activities conducted in their own schools. These activities really boost my confidence as well as show new techniques of teaching and learning. In the ETF meetings, members discussed the problems faced by the teachers and possible solutions and various approaches and methods in the teaching learning process. To break the barriers of hesitation and lack of confidence, the ETF members actively participated in all the activities conducted in the ETF meetings. I, along with my fellow English teachers, celebrate every Saturday as an English Day. We conduct different activities in our classrooms. Once in a week we give a story for reading. The school 125

students are actively participating in all the activities. Our dream of creating an English speaking ecosystem is taking root day by day. The members’ packs provided by the CHESS project as a reference material is helping us to get additional information about the online resources to enrich the knowledge of the English language and lifelong learning. The CHESS project is a great platform to stay connected with so many English teachers. CHESS has enabled teachers to integrate technology with the teaching process and our own CPD. This programme has really changed the scenario of the English language teaching learning process. Thank you CHESS! 126

Ms. Vidya M. Lohar Shreeram Madhyamik Vidyamandir, Padel Block: Devgad CHESS is one of the greatest platforms for the teachers to speak in English and to know different kinds of teaching activities, which are useful for students. The ways we choose for our own CPD (Continuous Professional Development) offer the most effective ways to improve student performance, and develops a culture of the whole school. CPD gives teachers an opportunity to learn new techniques and strategies which enable them to be updated with the latest knowledge. In the CHESS ETF sessions, we discussed our problems and tried to get the solutions. We have learnt various activities and games which our students enjoy a lot. Our students have also participated in various games and activities. Because of CHESS, the teaching and learning process has become easy and interesting. In the beginning, students were hesitating to speak and participate in any activity. But with the regular exposure to English and the practice of various activities, they got enough confidence to speak in English. We had conducted a story telling competition in our school and it was the 1st English event which was organized by us. For the last 3 years we have been arranging such types of events in our school. Through the CHESS project teachers and learners have become active users of English. It gives strength, confidence and new hope for the teachers. It was a great opportunity for us to be a part of this project which has helped us for our CPD. The CHESS project is a wonderful platform for teachers as well as students to develop their English language skills. 127

Ms. Anuradha Ajit Kadam Block Resource Person, Block: Devgad English as a third language requires all kinds of support to help learners. So the government of Maharashtra provided English ELCRLM kits to all Z.P. Schools. When language is taught with the help of materials, the learning becomes long lasting. So student’s attention also increases. ELCRLM means English Language Conceptual Resource Learning materials. After receiving this kit, the teachers demanded training on the use of this material with proper techniques. To promote this thought, the RAA, (Regional Academic Authority), EE (English Expertise) Aurangabad developed this ELCRLM training. At the State level, all the 5 RP’s completed this training during 27/11/2019 to 29/11/2019 for 3 days at RAA, Aurangabad. Ms.Sushma Konduskar madam, lecturer at DIET Sindhudurg, Mr. Vijay Dhamapurkar, Subject Assistant of English, DIET Sindhudurg, Miss.Manisha Gaurav madam, Z.P.teacher, Mr. Pravin Kharat sir, Z.P.teacher and I got the opportunity to attend this training. There were 15 Sessions. The schedule was very busy. The schedule was conducted through lecture method, activity based learning and also with discussion. We learned using this material playfully and independently. We really enjoyed this training because it was full of interactive activities. Then, on district level, this training was held on 10th, 12th and 13th December 2019 for block resource persons. Then block resource persons delivered cluster wise training very enthusiastically to all Z.P teachers before December 2019. These ELCRLM resource materials have the capacity to educate all kinds of learners. These materials are divided into two parts e.g.SLMs (Self Learning Materials) 128

and TLMs-(Teaching Learning Materials) The SLMs are developed to support all learners to acquire language skills of English on their own. Whereas the TLMs are developed to support teachers in teaching English . After the end of this training, we got a great response from the teachers when we visited the schools. Over the course of my visits to the schools, many teachers shared that this training is very useful. The initiative has been running in all the schools for 40 days from January 2020. It is really effective. During my school visits, I observed that the students were properly using the material in the kit. I also collaborated with them. Students were talking with me in English. They were fully engaged and busy with the material. The teachers agreed that the kit is very useful to develop the four skills LSRW. I also observed that the CWSN students were fond of the material in the kit. They were also busy with the other students with the material. The Vocabulary card set, word chains encourage learners to increase their vocabulary of the familiar objects. Labelling words is also important. Making sentences with the tiles from ELCRLM Kit is also useful to get information about the daily life. Reading pictures is also important because the students describe the picture in their own words. It increases their thinking power. After 15 March, because of the CORONA pandemic situation all schools were closed. So students couldn’t get ample practice with the kit. After reopening of our Z.P. schools, our students will use the kit again. We will review the use of this kit. ELCRLM kit is the best way for the teachers as well as the students to develop their English language skills. 129

Ms.Tabassum R.Mulla ZPPS Anav no.1, Block: Kudal I am thankful to RAA, Aurangabad and the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Maharashtra for introducing and designing ELCRLM (English Language Conceptual Resource Learning Material), which is useful for the teachers as well as the learners. I am thankful to DIET Sindhudurg, who gave me an opportunity to conduct the training at the cluster and the bit level. The programme ELCRLM is designed very well. All the language skills, the Competencies Assessment Programme and its implementation at the ground level were well explained at the district level training. So we could conduct it well at the bit level. This training is divided into fourteen sessions. Each session gives importance to language and skills, objectives, learning outcomes and how we use this material for the assessment. Every point is explained in detail in this resource material. At the bit level, we tried to make the teachers aware with the concept. All the teachers actively participated in all the activities. The teacher’s role is of a mentor and a facilitator. Teachers took part in the discussions about how to use the material for the specific content. Reading course of forty days with an action plan is also useful for the teachers and the learners. In this course, first I introduced the practice of word categories on the basis of sounds, then letters from the words. Listening and speaking are the most important skills for this course. Students enjoy making bags of the letters and the words. When the learners try to make bags of words, they repeat the letters and the words. Students 130

easily read ‘a’ to ‘z’ letters in the proper order and make meaningful words from the given letters for e.g. N- No, Net, Neck like this. The material provided an opportunity to all types of learners. We can increase or decrease the difficulty level of the task as per their needs. Learners learn playfully and independently using this resource material. ‘When we give students an opportunity to learn at their own pace, their learning becomes concrete.’ And they participate in each activity. In this English language kit, the self learning material (SLM) and the teachers learning material (TLM) give ample chances of independent learning to the learners. Each material is described with the learning outcomes, steps and extension. So its implementation in the classroom is very easy. Even though our learners get less exposure to English, this type of material obviously makes language learning joyful. So overall the ELCRLM plays an important role in the learning process of English. 131

Mr. Ishwar H. Thadake ZPPS Arawali Block: Vengurla TEJAS, a very important initiative of the state government to improve the quality of English language in the state, has been implemented in the entire state from 2018-19. A very commendable initiative has been taken to create interest in the English language for the students of Marathi medium schools in Maharashtra as well as for the assimilation of English language. Teachers are trained through the TAGs from the last two years. It has a great benefit for the students also. Through student-led activities and small conversations, students can develop interest in the English language. Therefore, these activities have proved to be very beneficial for the students. It has pictures, small dialogues and games that make the students feel happy. In addition to the supplementary study material, an English box is provided for the students. The materials are very useful for the student’s self study. Students' interest is further enhanced by the Read to Me app. Our Students usually have a phobia of English. How to pronounce a word? What would that word mean? How to read? Various such questions arise in the minds of the students. But Read to Me gives a demo of fluent reading. Along with the meaning in the mother tongue, the students get to see the related pictures and the similar words. Therefore, students are studying with great pleasure and interest through the Read to Me app. It is useful for all the students from class I to VIII. Students love to interact with the materials. Reading in English, vocabulary development is very important at the elementary level. Since the text is with the students, they participate in the activity using 132

the material with pleasure without any fear about it. It improves their English reading. Books are also supplied so that students can practice English spellings. Students learn English with pleasure through these various materials in an enjoyable way. 133

Mr. Shushilkumar M. Thakur ZPPS Nirukhe Naik, Block: Kudal The School Education and the Sports Department of Maharashtra has launched various English projects aimed at enhancing the quality of education. The provision of the English Language kit is one such initiative. When the English language is taught with the help of this English kit material, the learning becomes effective. Main resources are provided in this English kit to make the learning process easy. The English kit material is divided into the Self learning material and the Teaching Learning Material. The Self-learning materials are developed to support the individual learning of the students whereas the Teaching Learning materials are developed to support the teachers for facilitating the learning of English. The English kit training was organised to clear all types of doubts regarding the use of this kit. The English kit materials are very interesting, easy to handle and attractive. Definitely these materials cater the needs of all types of learners. Picture cards, action words, word building tiles are very useful for the below average students whilst the linguistic items are useful for the above average students. In my school, I have used a lot of material to develop the skills of my learners. Using action word cards, I have been able to create interest among the learners. Before using it I conduct a game. I did my actions and then pronounced the word. Then by using these action word cards, I took further practice. After that I made pairs of learners. One pair enacted an action word and the other pair identified the action word. In this way I 134

took drilling of the action words. Because of this, all learners enjoy the learning process. They participate in all the activities. Thus using this material is very effective. I used word building tiles for self learning of the learners. Learners made two, three and four letter words. While using the tiles they helped each other. There are lots of materials to attract the attention of the learners and keep them engaged in the school. The English Kit material helps the learners to develop their basic skills. Each and every student takes active participation in all the activities given by the teachers. The English kit material enriches the vocabulary of the learners. The learners of standard 1st to 5th can easily handle the material and remain busy in group or pair work. Concentration of the learners is developed and they are able to achieve the desired learning outcomes. It helps to improve students' own vocabulary and motivate others simultaneously. The learning material provides opportunities to assess a learner's capacity. Teachers too handle the teaching material and record their exclusive observations about the use of materials from the kit in the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation. Teachers are trained at the block level to understand the use of each material. The English kit training is successful through great support and the rigorous participation of the teachers. It's a great experience using the English kit material in my class. It is also helpful for multi grade classes. This material is really a mile-stone in learners’ development and their achievement. 135

Mr. Pandurang Kokare ZPPS Arule no.1 Block: Vaibhavwadi The young child, before coming to the primary school, is familiar with his mother tongue as it is spoken all around it. The native language is special and important which is developed in a child without any conscious efforts or any instructions deployed by the family members or the society around him. As English is taught as a third language in our schools and our learners get less exposure to it, the primary teachers need to use innovative ideas and expedient material in their teaching. ❖ What is the ELCRLM? ELCRLM means English Language Conceptual Resource Learning Material. For the last few years the Government of Maharashtra has been launching various enterprises for the advancement of language skills. This is the most important programme deemed by the School Education and Sports Department, Government of Maharashtra. The Government of Maharashtra has provided quality e-learning material to all the government primary schools in Maharashtra. The ELCRLM kit is useful to evolve the basic language skills in students. Whenever the students and the language teachers use this material for practicing the target language skills, they come across innovative ideas. By using the specific material to develop certain basic language skills in our students, the teacher paves the way for better 136

understanding. e.g. If a teacher designs a new activity to develop the listening skill, the teacher can use story cards and picture cards for giving enough listening practice . This material really provides vital support to the students as well as the teachers. Teachers can use the material for the evaluation purposes in their classrooms. This material is useful for not only formative evaluation but also for summative evaluation. By using this material, teachers assess the basic language skills of the students. It helps to grow the confidence of the students as well as the teachers. When the teachers include this material in the lesson plan, they enter the classroom with ease and comfort. ❖ Aptness of ELCRLM 1) It adds interest, increases involvement and confidence in the students. 2) Learning remains long lasting. 3) It enables understanding between students for each other. 4) It helps to overcome language barriers and keep the fear away from the students. 5) Students always enjoy all the activities like games in the classroom. 6) It brings the students together. 7) It makes the students talkative. 8) It brings the outside world into the classroom. 9) It brings all types of students on a single platform. 10) This learning material is useful to reinforce the English language skills. 11)This material makes students speak and write in English, and it’s helpful to develop their own vocabulary. View On ELCRLM by Mr.Sachin Kambale, Vidyamandir Sadure Chavhanwadi, Vaibhavawadi. ❖ Video reference https://youtu.be/HSZG_f_A6r4 137

Ms. Sarika Devu Pawar ZPPS Warawde Hiwalwadi, Block: Kankavli Due to the multilingual background of the students in the classroom, teaching any language is challenging. In this educational year, we are facing an international calamity of Covid-19 pandemic. Schools are not open yet but the education process is going on. For the better foundation of the English language, we should teach vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, grammar and punctuation to our students. But it is not an easy task. English is new for all the students. By listening and reading again and again in it, they learn this new language which further paves the way for speaking and writing. There are 8 types of parts of speech; we use them as per our needs. Practicing and using any language is very important and necessary for its improvement. Whatever we learn; we should use it in our day to day life. Focusing on LSRW is very basic and significant in acquiring the linguistic competencies. We must use this target language in our day to day life without any hesitation. Using an English language kit has made the learning process very easy and simple. This kit provides a variety of teaching learning materials to acquire the basic language skills. Listening and repeating the words on the cards can engage the whole class at a time. Students learn all the material in a stress free and happy mood; no tiredness, no boredom. They can spend the whole day with this English kit. 'Make mistakes and try to correct them' is a very simple way of learning. Exercises on all eight types of parts of speech are given in this kit. There are forty three types of materials in the kit in abundance which includes : 1. Vocabulary word cards, 138

2. Instructions, 3. Labelling word cards, 4. Action words, 5. Picture rhyming words Starting with the easy ones to the difficult, many tasks can be arranged using this material. The confidence students have gained while using this material is very satisfactory. Students come up with their own new ideas, activities and games and learn happily. Using any material from the kit is full of fun for the students and also for us as we accomplish our aim. 1.Vocabulary word cards: These cards encourage the learners to enrich their vocabulary on their own. The colourful and beautiful pictures on it help in the clear understanding. Even though I ask my students to read and repeat five cards, five times everyday; they always read many more cards. To enable them to speak in English is really a good achievement. 2) Labelling: Identifying the different objects in the classroom and labelling them appropriately is a very engaging task for them. They speak small sentences like; \"This is a bench; This is a door\" etc. Students forget the stress of reciting spellings and constructing sentences. Everyone in the class participates in it. By observing other students, everybody learns easily without even realizing it. 3) Linguistic items: Groove slate : Noun strips: Very simple two or three letter words which are nouns. This involves the task of completing the sentence and reading it. While doing this, students realise their own mistakes and try to correct them with daily observations. Without any stress, they get involved in it and try more and more times ; which is very satisfactory. 4) Word Chain: There are more than 200 English words in a bag. The material used for these words is unbreakable, easy to handle and very strong. Students handle it without any fear of damage. When they put out all the words, a small pyramid gets formed. When students start to join the words, it's like playing Antakshari. They shout and search for the word they expect. Finally they make a very very long word chain. Watching this phenomenon is very interesting. They can also solve simple crossword puzzles with it. 5) Reading picture descriptions: 139

Teacher shows a familiar picture and asks what they see in it. The students answer in Marathi. Teacher writes their response in English on the board and asks them to read it. Answering in appropriate small English sentences, practicing them enriches their language skills. Practice of all the alphabets, small and capital letters; uses of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, action words, prepositions in the form of activities build confidence in all the students. ❖ My experience of the TAG Meetings I must thank the TEJAS project, which helps to build confidence in the teachers and the actual field workers. The TAG meetings are different from any other training. Every teacher plays an active role confidently. All the language skills are developed through very interesting activities i.e. rhymes, group conversations, reading, narrating experiences etc. Discussion of making new innovative activities, teaching techniques, sharing experiences, problems and their solutions refresh us. During the TAG meetings, the TAG coordinator and all the TAG teachers speak in English which again facilitates the language skills. At the end, the TAG coordinator enables all the teachers to review and apply their day’s learning in the form of the reflection and the action plan. After the TAG meetings, managing the classrooms has become exciting and energetic. Proper planning of any activity in the mind makes it fruitful. Students get attracted to small, easy and simple tasks. So it has worked and really helped me in such a rural area, where exposure to the English language was very limited. On the TAG WhatsApp group, we share our experiences and videos of our class activities. So efforts are taken at the utmost level to make the teaching learning process more fruitful. 1. The action song Boogie Woogie, is enjoyed by the students. The rhythm and actions for instructions in the rhyme make it meaningful. It works as a refreshment. Students are always ready to sing it. ❖ Video reference 1) Click here 2) Click her 3) https://youtu.be/daVReORroSk 140

Mr. Rama Bhiva Gawas ZPPS Ker No.1 Block: Dodamarg Change is most mandatory in our life. The English language is the need of the modern age. It is the window to the world. To get confidence to speak in English, we have to take the support of advanced technology. The English language is very easy if students get the right kind of learning material. The English Language Conceptual Resources Learning Material set helps the students to acquire the basic language skills through practice. The surroundings of learning should be joyful, inspirational and fearless. The teaching learning process has to be child centered. While conducting English Learning Enhancement Resources Program in my school, I got cognizance of such a wonderful environment. Functional grammar is most important to communicate effectively. Students use this material and try to read it or do the activity. They get confidence as well as joy. The self-learning material helps the students to learn on their own. According to the Chinese proverb ‘When I listen, I forget’ ‘When I see, I remember’ ‘But when I do, I learn’. In this program students get an opportunity to do some activities by using this material, which helps to boost their confidence and enrich their vocabulary and knowledge. Students like to color the pictures. During the planning meeting, we discussed the learning material. I shared that my students are very interested in coloring the letters of the alphabet. All the teachers agreed with me. This material helps the students to develop their motor skills and eye-hand coordination. 141

Reading pictorial paragraphs (Tiles) is useful to develop the habit of reading simple cohesive sentences. Such pictorial paragraphs are given in the textbooks also. When I saw the tiles, they showed me the pictorial paragraphs in the textbook. After using this material students easily read different types of sentences. Students participate in this activity very well. They get joy during this activity. Pictorial sentences help learners to understand various structures. This further helps the students to develop a paragraph using different sentences. I would like to mention one more thing about conducting this program that has highly motivated my students to read English story books. An Impressive aspect of this program is joyful learning, to gain confidence about the English language. When students operate this material, some values like discipline and co-operation are also developed in the students. They look after the materials. These materials are very useful for below average learners to catch up with the average learners. It also helps the average learner students to learn further with the help of a teacher. Really these ELCRLM sets are very useful to acquire the English language. ❖ Video reference - Click here 142

Ms. Anuradha Sawant, ZPPS Nirwade Block: Sawantwadi In the childhood, the child is well acknowledged with his mother tongue but not much with English. Even though he wishes to speak English he doesn’t get the chance to listen to it from the people surrounding him. The ELCRLM is beneficial to us for the development of listening skills . The English language conceptual resource learning materials have been divided into two parts i. e. SLMs and TLMs .Both these materials are very useful in our daily life. Because of these materials, it’s very easy for us to increase the vocabulary of the students by using the word cards. Due to these cards, students try to read sight words. We can find that the students follow and use small instructions without hesitation. With the help of these word cards, students try to make their own sentences. They easily pronounce and match rhyming words. We have also seen students making word chains. They try to play antakshari. They make many new words by using word building tiles. At first, they were confused about making meaningful words .But after ample practice, they got used to it and now they can make meaningful words. These materials are very useful for students in making WH type questions. We have observed that the students’ interest is increasing while solving the maze, colouring the letters of the alphabets. Students try to solve close ended and open ended puzzles joyfully. The challenging exercises like riddles and puzzles not only help the above average learners to enhance their learning but also test higher order thinking skills. With the help of the dice, the students classify the words into different groups which they enjoy doing. 143

Because of this provided material, the students are able to express their views and their confidence has increased. Their misunderstanding about the English language, that it is difficult, is gradually decreasing. 144

Mr. Shital Shamarao Devarkar ZPPS Vijaydurg no.1 Block: Devgad The English language is the gateway to employment. It is a cosmic language. With technological advancement, the citizens have become netizens and cosmopolitans. Hence mastery over the English language skills is the immediate need of an individual. Effective communication in English and comprehension are the keys to success. Our learners should develop the habit of thinking in English. They should get rich inputs to communicate effectively. But the English language teaching is somehow a difficult task as it is basically conditioned by the nature of a subject. And in rural areas it becomes more difficult to teach the English language because the surroundings of the students are not that much suitable for learning the English language. So for making the teaching interesting the teacher has to do something innovative. And I did it with the help of ELCRLM. An ELCRLM is provided to every school which has about 44 teaching learning materials. I used it in a little bit different way to make my teaching more interesting and more effective. Using this TLM (Teaching Learning Material), I conducted many games and funny activities which made my students learn English joyfully. These activities gave my pupils more confidence and happiness. Twice in a week I would take these activities and games. Also while teaching in the classroom, I used these TLMs. I used this material as a playing material. I took games of reading, one and many, adjectives, pictorial reading, opposites and many more. Here are some photos of these game activities. 145

I used the ELCRLM material as a supplement in the verbal instructions. It made the learning easy and permanent. There is a variety in the ELCRLM material. That’s why it is not boring. It saves time and energy also. It encourages healthy classroom interactions. While teaching the beginners, the ELCRLM helped me a lot. The ELCRLM material is very easy to use. And it is made up of plastic so it is long lasting also.The colour is very attractive so that pupils get attracted towards it. Now I am very happy and more confident in teaching because of ELCRLM. I suggest this material to be used by each and every teacher. Here are some links of ELCRLM game activities. 1] https://youtu.be/tmcnVBpgLL0 2] https://youtu.be/qTfL--rS5gA 3] https://youtu.be/bWDlYVeCzDs 4] https://youtu.be/8Ntr9PQyO2Q 5] https://youtu.be/Siujw3K1hS8 6] https://youtu.be/9Gq31BzpdOo 7] Click here 146

Ms.Manoj M. Pilanakar ZPPS Savadav Khandarwadi, Block: Kankavli I am Manoj Manohar Pilankar, currently working in Z.P. Primary school, Savdav Khandarwadi,Block Kankavli. I was using self made teaching and learning materials in my class. But last year, the state Government provided the English language kit to our school. When I opened the box containing the material for the first time, I was a little confused about its use. So I went through the user manual. It gave me an idea about the objectives, the learning outcomes and the extensions. Then I separated the material according to the needs and the levels of the students. As skills are acquired with practice, our students get more opportunities to use the material, learn on their own and practise in the groups. Most of the material in this kit is useful for self learning. It is designed for helping with comprehension. So students remain engaged in the activities. It helps them to develop their reading and writing skills. There is a significant and systematic growth in their vocabulary. Students are learning with zeal . They like activities suggested for various materials. Our school has a single teacher. So this language kit is helpful for me as my colleague in the multi class teaching. It helps the below average students to catch the average students. The riddles and the puzzles enhance the skills of problem solving. The material is designed with the maxim ‘from known to unknown’. Students try to find the meaning of the new words, which helps to increase their vocabulary. My 147

students like dice based games in the kit. In this way, the English Language Kit has become the best friend of my students. In the pandemic situation of covid 19, I gave activity based homework with the materials in the kit. It helped them to learn with practice. The material provided is not only qualitative but also very effective. It is easy to handle because of its suitable size. So there is no fear of damaging it in the minds of the students. While using this material, I got new ideas of making new material. It is definitely saving my time to achieve the learning outcomes. This kit is also helpful for the evaluation of the language skills in a playful way. So I would like to suggest to my teacher friends to use this material in the English Language Kit more and more to create a playful atmosphere to enhance the learning of English skills of your students. Students busy with English Language Kit 148

Ms.Samruddhi sitaram Mhadgut ZPPS Wados. no.1 Block: Kudal The parents and guardians of the students have responded with their faith in Z.P. schools. The main expectation of the parents from the school is to see their child communicating well in English. The English fluency must be achieved and also their kids must understand English. To fulfil these expectations of the parents, the ECLRLM training helped a lot, which was held in January 2019 at the block level. It was a wonderful experience for me. All the resource persons of the DIET team gave us deep knowledge about using the material from the English language. The Conceptual Resource Learning Material has the potential to engage the learners in the English language learning. What I liked most from the training is that they taught us how to build up our own confidence as an English teacher and motivated us to improve our performance as English teachers and also to love this noble profession of teaching. Then I was appointed as a resource person for the block level ELCRLM training. It was a challenging task for me as many English experts were in front of me. But my colleagues supported me very well. I realised that not all the teachers teach English as a language but deal with it as a subject. We motivated them and encouraged them not to be afraid of making mistakes during the training programme. Trainees were involved enthusiastically in all the activities. Also they presented the activities in an energetic way with confidence. Teachers from the same locality shared their problems and challenges. They shared ideas and made action plans to transform their teaching to be more active and effective for their students. They practised English and created a learning atmosphere. They designed brilliant ideas to make concepts easier and to practise interactive activities with fun in the classroom. 149

Every material of the kit is to be used with some objectives. The expected learning outcomes get fulfilled by using the English Kit. While using the material, I saw some students doing keen observations of other students. When students used material from the kit. It helped them to fulfil their curiosity and students showed their creativity. I realised the good qualities of the students, their helping nature and their interests when they handled the material in the kit successfully. Practice is the key to success. There are less chances of making mistakes while using the material. This resource material provided good opportunities to average or below average students to learn on their own. The students got opportunities to learn in their own space. From my point of view, this training is more effective to increase a positive approach towards students’ learning level. 150