Coimbatore: A group of teachers wrote essays, did a bit of self-evaluation and played word games to enhance their leadership skills at the Avinashilingam Deemed University, a few days ago.

"What you think of yourself is your self image and this forms the basis for realising and acquiring any skill, especially the much-needed leadership skill. If you think you are a leader, you are one," said R. Vijayaraghavan, Professor of Agricultural Extension, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), who was conducting the programme.

Orientation

Teachers from 43 higher secondary schools took part in the `Spot the leader in you' interactive event as part of a State-level orientation for National Service Scheme (NSS) programme officers from Virudhunagar, Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Theni, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Sivagangai, Erode, Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts.

Prof. Vijayaraghavan noted that the essays indicated that the majority of the teachers had a "strongly perceived leadership image" that came through unconsciously, in their writing. The teachers had indicated qualities such as selflessness, willingness to serve others, and a desire to treat students with respect.

"As school teachers, they are the key informants in the village system. These leadership qualities will help them guide students and rural people in a big way. This is a very happy situation in the academic arena," he noted.

All seven women among the participants were made group leaders and members were allotted to each group by draw of lots. Prof. Vijayaraghavan gave each group a sheet which said, "Please recollect as many pro-active leadership qualities or traits as possible and let us see which group can come out with the maximum number." They had ten minutes to complete the task.

The `Mango Group' led by K. M. Jhancy Rani, a commerce teacher from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Sholavandan, Madurai district, won the competition, having been able to instantly recollect and jot down 123 qualities.

In another competition, the teachers wrote down as many words as they could form using the letters in the word `Leadership." The `Chrysanthemum Group' led by S. Suganthi, a teacher from Government Higher Secondary School, Udumalpet, came first, having noted down 105 words.

At the end of the programme, the teachers jotted down five of the most important leadership qualities and assigned scores to themselves in each of these qualities.

S. Rajalakshmi, Training Coordinator, Training and Orientation Centre, Avinashilingam Deemed University, made the arrangements for the programme.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail