Chitkara University’s College of Education in association with Chitkara International School, Chandigarh, organised an educational webinar “Teacher as an Artist” for its BEd students and in-service teachers. Moderated by Dr Niyati Chitkara, Director – Chitkara Schools, the session was joined by Mita Vasisht, a renowned Indian actor, director and writer. The session revolved around the emerging relevance of theatre and performing arts in the sound impartation of quality education.
Addressing the young students, Ms. Vasisht shared valuable insights on the positive impact of theatre-based education, with a strong focus on non-verbal communication, self-expression, voice-over and voice modulation, body language, dialogue & content delivery, and creativity on the part of instructors.
Ms. Vasisht further emphasized the extensive functionality of “Role-play” as a tool for teaching and learning, the contribution of theatrics towards the development of students’ communication skills and cognitive abilities, the role of cinema (Edutainment) in changing the educational landscape for the better, and the significance of theatre in instilling the virtues of compassion, cooperation, authenticity, and responsibility in the youth of the nation. Touching upon her enlightening journey as a staunch educationist and her rich experiences of playing a wide range of characters on the dreamy screens of movies and television like “Teeba” in City Stigma, “Trishna” in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki and “Mandira Mathur” in Criminal Justice, Ms. Vasisht reiterated and reaffirmed her faith in supplementing the traditional classrooms with activities based on performing arts, theatre and cinema.
In her profound remarks on the illuminating webinar, Dr. Madhu Chitkara, Pro Chancellor, Chitkara University said, “Evoking the passion for learning in students requires the teachers to be creative, ingenious and positively offbeat in a way that captivates the interest of students and addresses the varying needs of all kinds of learners. As reflected brilliantly by Ms. Vasisht, theatre-based education could very well be employed for targeting all kinds of skills with and beyond the cognitive ones. In a world as fast as ours, these skills could surely help youngsters in paving their own paths to success.”
