Regunathapuram (India). On 18 November 2023, in the Multimedia Room of the Auxilium College of Education of Regunathapuram, Institution for the training of teachers, of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians of Blessed Eusebia Palomino Community, Province of Our Lady of the Snows (INT), the ceremony took place of investiture for the Council of student teachers of the first year of the three-year period 2023-2025 and a seminar on pedagogical leadership.
The ceremony took place in the presence of Sister Soosai Magnificat, Secretary of the Auxilium College of Education and the Principal, Sister Malarjothi Ayundukayam. The moment began with the Tamil Thai Valthu, the state anthem of Tamil Nadu and with the lighting of the mother lamp to let the light of God shine. The prayer included the reading of the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Koran.
Afterwards, the lighting ceremony was held for the Council members, who lit their lamps from the mother lamp. Sister Soosai Magnificat gave a brief introduction and presented the flag to the Council members. Mrs. A. Sheela, main guest, and Sister Malarjothi presented a rosette to each of the 11 members of the Council. Subsequently, they took an oath to carry out their duties with transparency, integrity, and loyalty towards the Institution and civil society.
Sister Magnificat then briefly introduced the main guest, Mrs. A. Sheela, Child Protection Officer of Auxilium School, Thanjavur, who held the Seminar on the topic of “Pedagogical Leadership”. The speaker started the seminar with two dynamics and gave several ideas on classroom management.
Recounting her experience as a teacher, she then spoke about the importance of being updated not only on subjects, but also on current events; to know the media in order to manage them effectively; to be able to advise students on which programs to watch and which not to watch.
She also cited the parables of Jesus, pointing to Him as the best example of a leader. Using two short stories, she also spoke about the importance of formation in thinking differently or creatively, to better deal with critical situations, knowing how to distance oneself from students’ problems in order to be good guides and help them manage them effectively.
Ms. A. Sheela concluded the Seminar by sharing the 3 Cs of being an effective pedagogical leader: (Content) Content: Prepare the content before the lesson; (Creative) Creativity: be creative; (Cheerful) Cheerfulness: Always be cheerful. The morning ended with thanks and the national anthem.
