A teacher diary is a diary where a teacher records what happens in and around the classroom. Teacher diaries are used as development tools. A teacher’s diary is recognized as useful in assisting in the professional development of teachers, it is also known as the ‘Personal accounts’ or ‘Personal Journal’ of classroom experiences.
Each teacher must maintain a Teacher’s diary which will serve as a comprehensive record of his/her work throughout the year. It is a record book of a teacher- Daily activities and what is important in his life.
This will help:
- The Teachers in his her day to day work
- Others to understand and appreciate his/her work
- The diary should contain the syllabus of the subjects taught, the weekly plan of work, textbook aids and references used, the projects undertaken, the response from the students, the contains with parents, remedial measures taken to improve the weak students
Need of Teacher’s diary
- The teacher’s diary is his helpful guide.
- It will enable him to keep a personal contact with his work
- It will enable him to maintain an active interest in his activities and remind him of his shortcomings, drawbacks etc.
- The worth of a dairy lies in the regularity with which it is filled and the use to which it is put.
- The inspiration may give the teacher the ability to stay on track.
- The head should occasionally check the diaries and give useful comments orally or in writing.
Importance of Teacher’s Diary
A Teaching Diary has some benefits; they are:
- Reframing perceptions and assumptions: It provides time for a teacher to analyse the learning process and identify some disastrous moments during the classroom environment. It helps the teacher in reframing and restructuring the methodology and refines the learning environment.
- Providing feedback: It provides the teacher time to rewind the learning experiences and think it quietly about the affected behaviour of the learners after the teaching. A teacher can adjust his teaching methods or techniques based on the feedback.
- Writing skill: It will provide practice to the teacher in writing when he/she analyses and evaluates the experiences of the learner and the teacher himself. It can improve the writing ability of the teacher.
- Knowledge of Professional Practice: It can also provide the teacher with the difficulties faced by the teacher and the learner in real situations. So, it helps him in his professional development.
- Examining general beliefs/principles: It’s a tool for the examination of general beliefs/ principles of the teacher towards teaching the learner and the learning process for his professional practice and development.
- Pointer to future classroom arrangements: it acts as a reference or pointer to future classroom discussions and arrangements. It makes future classroom situations fruitful and enjoyable.
- Modification of teaching methods: It’s a great help in changing/adapting suitable methodologies for an efficient learning environment in the future. He can easily identify the methods that failed in the learning process.
Conclusion
A Teaching Diary will definitely play a vital role in our teaching-learning process. It will show the difficulties of the teacher and lead to an effective solution. A teacher should be the first student in the class and should be a continuous learner. He should always learn how to make the learning process effective and efficient for his students. He has to identify new approaches, techniques and methods to develop his learners in every possible aspect.
A teacher can rely on this diary and can bring the required changes in his teaching strategies. As Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan says, “ Change is the Law of Nature.” We can also apply this to education. We should strive to bring better changes in the process of teaching-learning environment for the betterment of the student community
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