Dr.T.V.Rao MD We all become teachers by accident, now the question remains are we teachers by designation or by practice.

Many of my friends tell me practice made them perfect. I do agree, when I started teaching in a Medical college, my fear was wether I will be accepted by the students, which made me a better person in life. With the mushrooming of Medical colleges, the great calamity is teaching of the undergraduates and more so of the postgraduates. Now we no longer complain of bad students, we have equally bad teachers, however the students are afraid to complain in view of the examination system and internal assessment systems, Many workshops will be conducted on medical education however they benefit 10 -20 % of the teachers, majority are younger generation of committed, to their professional competence, rest it is a routine and never take clues why our skills are important. The modern medical universities have decided to bring in change in the way we train the students. In the past decade the principles of effective teaching for doctors have come of age. To earlier generations of doctors no training in specific teaching skills was provided. Teaching was a skill that you were expected to possess or acquire. Effective teaching techniques are now a requirement for doctors, The teaching too like evolution of man in the world, as it is important to remember that most teachers do not begin their careers with a full complement of these skills; becoming an effective teacher is a process of continual refinement. One should realize any improvement in this world is attributed to self-consciousness, just have passion that I should be better than many in and around. It is vital to have a basic grasp of how adults learn, the different learning styles, how to adapt your teaching to different situations, and an understanding of assessment. This can all be gained from self directed reading of general teaching texts; however, newer teaching manuals aimed specifically at teaching in medical education are often more digestible, just search with a word How I improve my teaching career ( Google search) we get many ideas of many to improve on many matters in life. A great deal can also be learnt from observing and discussing teaching methods with experienced teachers. This can be taken further in the form of a mentor. The potential utilities of this role model are vast but can include advice, guidance, resource facilitation, and counseling about difficult teaching situations. The mentor is usually a senior colleague who can offer positive and negative feedback in a non-judgmental manner. The relationship may be a prolonged one, sometimes both professional and personal, and can be an asset to mentor and mentee. We are reluctant to listen to honest feedbacks, in many universities the people in power make them very big and try to suppress the good young teachers; Self-improvement in any skill requires knowledge of how you are currently performing. It is well known that feedback improves performance. Constructive feedback facilitates refinement and evolution of any teaching episode, whether it is a specific lecture or a whole curriculum. Appropriate feedback can be gained through several methods: We have a very biased system where few aggress with each other try to have your own self assessment on matters of you teaching skills just practice self assessment, I know what class I have done well and which I have not too well Self feedback allows the teachers to build a portfolio of reflective logs that help to identify pearls, pitfalls, and specific strengths and weaknesses. Self-feedback is the most consistent method and thus, in some ways, the most reliable. Feedback

from colleagues is more difficult to obtain, and some people believe that the intrusive nature of direct observation falsifies the teaching environment and is unreliable. In these situations, indirect feedback is often a reasonable alternative. Feedback is at its most effective when several methods are used simultaneously and interpreted in a positive light. A great way to improve our teaching is to get feedback. Feedback can come from self-reflection, peer observation and from learners themselves. There are many different ways to get feedback from learners and various types and designs of feedback form. E learning and webcasting are examples of educational strategies that have become commonplace in many medical institutions. More recently, interest has moved towards the use of personal computers and many technologies to improve learning and teaching Podcasts and, audio and video files respectively, can be downloaded to portable computer devices such as an MP3 player. They are being increasingly used for lectures. Some of their many advantages include portability, facilitation of learning on the go, and encouragement of self directed learning. We are using tablets and smartphones we have many things in them teach them even at bedside. Many Medical colleges are implementing electronic white boards to educate the students we can really do wonder. Interactive white boards combine the traditional flipchart, overhead projector, and white board. They are large touch sensitive surfaces that are connected to a computer and a digital projector. They can be useful in problem based learning when working with a small group. This technology promotes student interaction and collaboration within the learning environment. Even though it is difficult to implement the system with reluctance of many senior professors, teachers on advances in digital technologies and use of computers should be explored, as the use of modern technology in education is not a passing trend but a powerful tool to supplement traditional teaching methods. The next generation of undergraduate students will automatically embrace these changes, and as teachers we must do the same to maximize the potential benefits and improve ourselves as medical educators. Life is a lessons differs to the circumstances, we can take heart from the progress that has been made over the preceding decades. We now have generations of students and doctors who consider training in teaching methods as part of the norm. Many students now have the opportunity to take formal qualifications and fellowships. Educational excellence, along with clinical excellence, is increasingly being recognized and rewarded appropriately. However, we cannot rest on our laurels, degrees and must continue to strive to improve how we teach and to embrace new ways of delivering teaching, while not losing sight of the main goal: to be better at treating patients and delivering high quality healthcare. The Medical teachers should practice, what does the learner gain from my session, lecture? Feedback on your teaching this is vital to make important changes and participants to provide feedback at the end of the session is usually the only way one can guarantee any meaningful feedback Self reflection This is extremely useful to ensure one makes the most of Ones own potential, Practice and improve the best in you, it is certain you are a loved teacher. Dr.T.V.Rao MD Professor of Microbiology- Freelance writer
Ref Effective teaching skillshow to become a better medical educator Authors: Shvaita Ralhan, et al BMJ