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Model

In this unique ‘C minus 4’ model, middle school students (grade ‘C’) are given specific training and mentoring to equip them to teach students four years younger (‘C minus 4’) to themselves. For Example: If class 8 students are trained and mentored, they teach academic subjects to class 4 students in their school.

Impact

Primary Beneficiaries
200 ‘C’ Students, 30 Mentor Teachers

Secondary Beneficiaries
1000 ‘C minus 4’ Students

Benefits

The ‘C minus 4’ Model has the potential to produce knowledgeable and confident students. The impact of this model implementation can be realized in the many benefits to its beneficiaries. In particular, the experience of being brought to a premier higher education institution like IITM for the training, inspires and motivates the student-teachers.

Beneficiaries

Student–Teacher (‘C’ students)

Teaching encompasses many skills including effective communication, knowledge sharing, planning, organization, and empathy. Through this teaching process, besides developing responsible behavior and the ability to work as a team, the ‘C’ students also become knowledgeable and confident. This motivates them to learn with clear conceptual understanding, exhibit leadership skills and eventually become role-models to their fellow-students.

Student-Learner (‘C minus 4’ students)

Peer learning increases interest to learn, enhances knowledge and makes learning fun. Peer learning complements learning from an adult teacher.

Teacher (Mentor Teacher)

Mentoring the ‘C’ students helps establish a positive relationship between them. This provides an enriching learning atmosphere and an opportunity for the teacher to model the true spirit of a good leader.

The School

When students across grades help each other, become responsible and gain knowledge, the school sees development of brotherhood and a learning culture that promotes positive attitude among students.

Awareness Workshop

After getting the necessary permissions from the education board (government), schools are invited to participate in this one-day ‘Awareness Workshop’. Here, the Teachers (8th grade and 4th grade), Headmaster, School Board, Funding Agency, Project Team (coordinators, facilitators/trainers, field officer, staff) are made aware of the model concept, implementation process and the expected outcome. Input is sought from them regarding implementation feasibility.

Training

‘C’ students and Mentor teachers are invited to participate in a training workshop. At the workshop: ‘C’ students are trained in Cognitive and Non-Cognitive skills; Mentor Teachers are trained to guide (Scheduling, Lesson Plan prep etc.) and motivate the ‘C’ students during the implementation. They are also given guidelines to maintain relevant documents (Logs for Preparation, Delivery and Feedback).

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‘C’ Student Training

‘C’ students are trained to develop effective & clear communication; overcome fear of public speaking & stage fright; motivate; enhance confidence and induce interest to learn and perform. They are taught to learn for teaching purpose, construct lesson plans and deliver successfully.

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Mentor Teacher Training

Mentor Teacher Training involves training the Mentor Teachers to mentor the ‘C’ students and assist them in the implementation. During this training, the concept of mentorship and aspects relevant to this model is brought to the awareness of the Mentor Teachers. By guiding, motivating, encouraging and supporting them throughout the implementation process, the Mentor Teacher and the ‘C’ students develop a bond and build strong relationships between them.

Implementation in Schools

The act of, ‘C’ students teaching the ‘C minus 4’ students, is key in the implementation process. With the guidance of Mentor teacher and the training given, ‘C’ students prepare to teach the ‘C minus 4’students.

Field Visits

Monitoring an implementation is an important step in the process. A field officer from the project team visits the schools on a regular basis to guide the Mentor Teacher and foresee the implementation. During these visits, the field officer meets the Headmaster, ‘C minus 4’ teacher, Mentor Teacher as well as the ‘C’ students. He/she also collects feedback logs from the Mentor Teacher.

Analysis

The data collected by the field officer is used to assess the effectiveness of implementation and the impact it created. The data also helps measure the progress and improvement in the ‘C’ students.

The ‘C minus 4’ implementations have been carried out in two states namely Tamilnadu and West Bengal. A total of 200, 8th grade students from rural government schools have been trained to become ‘C’ students.

Tamilnadu (IITM - Chennai)

tamilnadu

Participant Details : 2016 – 2018

Sl. No School Name
1 Municipal High School, Alandur, Kanchipuram
2 Panchayat Union Middle School, Thandalam, Kanchipuram
3 Panchayat Union Middle School, Musaravaakam, Kanchipuram
4 Panchayat Union Middle School, Collectors Colony, Kanchipuram
5 Ambattur Municipality Middle School, Kallikuppam, Tiruvallur
6 Panchayat Union Middle School, Thirumazhisai, Tiruvallur
7 Chennai High School, Teynampet,Chennai
8 Panchayat Union Middle School, Sholinganallur, Kanchipuram
9 Chennai Middle School, Maduma Nagar,Tiruvallur
10 Panchayat Union Middle School, Navalur, Kanchipuram
11 Panchayat Union Middle School, Mootaikaranchavadi, Kanchipuram

Participant Details : 2019 – 2021

Sl. No School Name
1 GHSS Mambakkam, Kanchipuram District
2 GGHSS Thiruporur, Kanchipuram District
3 GHS Kandigai, Thiruvallur District
4 GHSS Kelambakkam, Kanchipuram District
5 GHSS Nellikuppam, Kanchipuram District
6 GHSS Anjur. Kanchipuram District
7 GGHSS Nandhivaram, Kanchipuram District
8 GBHSS Nandhivaram, Kanchipuram District
9 GBHSS Thiruporur. Kanchipuram District

West Bengal (IITKGP – Kharagpur)

Wb

Participant Details : 2016 – 2018

Sl. No School Name
1 All Saints Church School, Kharagpur
2 Gurguripal High School (H.S.)
3 Laudaha V.A.S.T. Vidyapith (H.S.)
4 Kharagpur Utkal Vidyapith (H.S.)
5 D.A.V. Public School, Midnapore
6 Gobindapur Makrampur S.S.S. Niketan
7 K.D.P. Lalbahadur Sastri Vidyapith
8 Bhadutala Vivekananda High School
9 Daharpur A.P.K.B. Vidyabhavan
10 Digri Sanaturium High School (H.S.)
11 Rohini C.R.D. High School
Sl. No School Name
12 Deshapran High School (H.S.)
13 Khelar Gajendra High School (H.S.)
14 Gopali I.M High School (H.S.)
15 Radhamohanpur Vivekananda High School
16 Moupal Deshapran Vidyapith (H.S.)
17 S. E. Rly. Girl's High School, Kharagpur
18 Kamiachak Vidyasagar Vidyabhavan
19 Harma Jaminibala Balika Vidyamandir
20 Kharagpur South Side High School (H.S.)
21 Khandibandh Kokilmoni High School (H.S.)
22 Gobardhanpur P.N. Vidhayatan

Impact

'C' Students

  • Exhibited comfort in public speaking especially after the training
  • Developed confidence in self
  • Showed improvement in planning and organisational skills
  • Showed increased aptitude and sense of responsibility

Sustenance

The first step toward sustenance is to establish a mechanism to continue the implementation of the model over long duration. Training the Mentor Teachers to conduct students training programme is an effective way to increase the number of trained student-teachers year after year.

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Scale Up

Success of the model in its true sense will be achieved when students from every remote corner of the country get an opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and confidence. This can be done in two ways:

  • Guiding the Mentor Teachers to conduct training programmes for teachers and students from neighbouring schools - This will help spread the model and create more number of ‘Mentor Teachers and ‘C’ students.
  • By sharing the model as a structured module with all elite institutions of the nation. The elite institutions acting as the champion institutes, will connect with the local schools creating a spoke and hub network all over the nation.
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Portal

A virtual space (online) hosting the teaching videos of ‘C’ students will be created. In these videos, the ‘C’ students will teach academic subjects using the skills they acquired through the ‘C minus 4’ training and the experience they gained from teaching their junior students during the model implementation.