Special Lecture by Mrs. Kaveri Dutt

On April 26, 2022, the Department of B.Ed. of Loreto College, Kolkata, organised a special lecture by Mrs. Kaveri Dutt, member of the Loreto Education Board, on ‘Teachers in the New Normal.’ Mrs. Dutt elucidated the myriad aspects of the ‘new’ normal in the academic sphere, including the use of artificial intelligence in a classroom, a flipped classroom, the pros and cons of remote learning, and a real classroom maintaining all Covid protocols. She observed that a smooth trajectory of the teaching-learning process in the ‘new’ normal calls for certain new skills, which both teachers and learners need to imbibe. The teacher-trainees gained an insight into the significance of education in conflict zones such as war-torn Ukraine. Rather than being complacent in the ‘new’ normal world order, the teacher-trainees were urged to be conscious every moment and to design innovative ways to prepare their students for the VUCA world—a world that is increasingly becoming Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. The trainees were also introduced to the Mary Ward Schools’ Compass, which suggests that the education system must be Rooted, Responsive, and Relevant. Mrs. Dutt’s lecture was enriching and inspiring for the teacher-trainees. Two poignant video clips – ‘Be a Mr. Jenson’ and ‘Mazira’ – encouraged the trainees to go beyond established practices in teaching and explore newer horizons in order to motivate their learners with effective creative tools.