To be an effective teacher in a classroom environment, it is important for a person to be child-friendly, affable and reasonably knowledgeable.

However, that is only a necessary condition and not a sufficient one. Pedagogical training is necessary for the following reasons.

• The teacher should be sensitive to students’ needs and should know how to get them learn together despite their differing positions on the learning curve, their differing economic and social backgrounds (which impact what they can learn besides in the classroom), etc.
• No two children are the same. They differ in their auditory, visual or tactile perceptions. A good teacher must be capable of discerning the uniqueness of each child. She should know how to reach everyone in a class where each child has a unique set of learning abilities.
• A massive ocean of knowledge surrounds the children now. Learning opportunities through television, Internet and books are immense and increasing.

However, this does not mean the children have got rid of their doubts and queries. In fact, they would multiply given the diverse information barrage the children are being subjected to. They will not be able to digest everything they see, listen to and read. They will seek connections among larger and larger number of facts they know. For this, they need the teacher.

An extension of that logic is that the teacher should keep pace with what the children are learning beyond the classroom so that she can keep pace, respond to their queries and save her reputation. 

Not just that, she should know how to respond to myriad queries in the class, which might have their origins in facts gathered beyond the classroom. Learning effective pedagogical methods is not an option given this reality.

Having said that, what can a teacher who wants to train do? There are several options.

• Established courses like the B.Ed. are becoming mandatory as well as useful. Most state governments in India run B.Ed programme.
• There are a number of special training courses for dealing with children with learning difficulties. Several reputed universities offer courses to train children with special needs.
• Then there are the correctional programmes.  Corrections can be through Occupational Therapy (OT), remedial special classes on a one to one basis or even Yoga.
• Experts and organisations in specific fields also offer programmes on child psychology, mind mapping, etc. Programmes are also available for those who manage institutions to initiate individuals into various programmes, monitor how ideas are implemented, etc. 

Broad objectives/achievements in a training programme can be in:

• Understanding individual needs and planning programmes to suit them.
• Prioritising teaching in relation to today’s needs in the learning and development process and working around that.
• Helping children find connections between what they know, what they learn and what they experience in their day-to-day life, making learning holistic.
• Understanding the meaning of the word ‘play’ and build a curriculum that is both rich and has scope for all round development in all domains. 

A good training programme will help the teacher understand how children think, infer and respond. It can make a world of difference to a teacher’s attitude, approach and involvement in teaching and in handling children.

Training can boost one's morale and act as a stimulant in the process of motivating oneself. It can help remove traces of mediocrity to a large extent. Above all, good training can help a teacher enjoy what she is doing and as a result she won’t have to work a single day in her life!