When a teacher is challenged....by a student, miracle happens...

 The best time in the classroom is when a student challenges an educator like me not on the content but on my attitude and aptitude as an educator. Happy to share the interesting event with my first-year Infrastructure management students where I turned the table for one student Mr. Vyas who was less interested in the theory aspects of Government Tendering and tried to distract the class by doing some or the other distracting thing. Of course, he had some medical concerns, but still, he was less interested in theoretical sessions. After trying multiple ways of asking them to pay attention, as a last hope, I allotted him the task of doing the role-play on the same topic "Government Tendering" and asked him to choose other team members who could help him in doing the said roleplay. Heet Patel and Harshraj Rana took responsibility as team leaders. I kept a small ray of hope that they will perform well, but till the last minute, they were not ready. I was in mixed thoughts. What if they did not perform? Shall I keep my plan B ready to engage the class? I still waited and then the miracle happened. Honestly, I found it challenging to channelize a few student's energy towards classroom engagement, but observing them closely for one whole trimester, I realized that they were students of practical approach. On the last day of December 2023, the said students who carried "the attitude of less interested in Krishna Mehta's class" performed the role-play of the Government Tendering Process with utmost precision, superb time management, perfect voice modulation, one of the finest PowerPoint slides and impromptu tweaks in the dialogues with little humor and all too in less than 24 hours. The smiles on their faces, the sparkle of doing something worthwhile in their eyes, and the satisfaction of sharing their knowledge with the rest of the students in the classroom were reflected upon for more than 35-40 minutes of role-play with different stages of the Government Tendering Process. I was in a state of emotional goosebumps. I am still having moist eyes remembering the whole roleplay. Thank you students for challenging me to challenge you all in return and allowing me to keep hope in my heart. I could bring your practical skills out in front of the classroom. I feel contented as an educator. the fact one more time reiterated that if we engage students with theory and practical aspects, the class becomes more meaningful. A small ray of hope in a teacher can help a student in many ways. Celebrating this roleplay activity as one of the many memorable episodes of my life as a teacher. Sharing Few glimpses of the smile and sparkle during and after magical roleplay.. i hope someday not only Mr Vyas but the whole class remembers me and my infra contract management classes as an inspiring teacher🌻 🌷 ☘ 😀 🤗 😇 #bestteachingday #practicalskills  #classroomengagement #teacherobserves  #classroom #teachercares #teachingpedagogy