January 2013 by Bindu Pillai

The monthly newsletter

Issue 89 | January 2013 | www.ei-india.com

This Month’s Issue Enhancing Emotional ...... 01 The Value of Sports ......... 02 MHTP ............................. 03 I Rise Everyday ............... 04 Thoughtful Story ............ 05 Why Spend Time ............. 06 Teacher’s Bite ................. 07 Interesting Facts ............. 08

Enhancing Emotional Vocabulary in Young Children Many times, if young children are unable to act empathetic towards their siblings, friends, and classmates, it is not because they do not feel empathy, it is simply because they do not have the correct vocabulary to communicate their emotions.

angry feeling like? Look like? What colour is it? Which animal is an angry animal? How do we act when we are happy? When are we angry? How do we treat other people?” Act out these feelings and actions in role-play, and role-play alternative responses.

between two children, they talked about why they were pushing and what they could do to make each other feel better. The solution was to listen when one person was asking the other something. The children made up with a hug and a handshake.

Teaching children emotional vocabulary is a key part of conflict education at a young age. For a group activity, ask children: “What is a happy feeling like? What does it look like? What colour is it? What animal is a happy animal? What is an

As a follow-up to this, we now have the children express their feelings, following a conflict, come up with a solution, shake hands to show they agree with it, and plan how to implement the solution. For example, following a physical argument

Give Children a Vocabulary for Their Emotions Provide children with a vocabulary for their emotions so that they can name their feelings. An excellent tool for helping children to identify their emotions is the Emotions Poster available through Childswork/Childsplay. It features photos of real kids expressing 28 different feelings. Children may not have the word for what they are feeling, but they may recognize the emotion in the expression on a child’s face. Ask children to point to the face that best expresses their own feeling. Give them the label for that feeling, using it as a springboard for discussion. By helping children understand the names of their emotions, they can better communicate those emotions and better deal with conflict.

The Value of Sports

A person who seldom plays a game is not said to be a sportsman. A sportsman practices regularly punctuality. He is always possessed with the spirit of doing something wonderful and unbelievable in his field. He does not like to be corrupted nor does he like to corrupt anybody. It is because of his performance that he is acclaimed which he has to prove on the ground where, hundreds of people watch him. So, transparency is one such quality that lives with him. Thus complete transparency is one of the qualities which is connected with the world of sports. As a matter of fact, this quality should be observed in all walks of life to have a clean and healthy society, where all individual members can enjoy a life of peace, happiness and contentment. The qualities imbibed in the field of sports in one’s youth stand a person in good stead all his life. The first and foremost quality persuades a man to remain cheerful even when he loses a match. It means that one should play a game for the sake of a game and not just for victory. Life is also a field where one acts. It is one's choice to accept it as a happy field full of sports or joy or a valley of misery. One who knows the art of happiness takes life as a game of sports where one is expected to play honestly and with complete sincerity to the best of one’s knowledge, skill and utmost capability. A true

sportsman never tries to cheat others. Similarly, a really happy and contented man plays only a fair game of life. It is in the playground that we learn certain qualities such as leadership, discipline, team spirit and healthy competition. MR.GLADSTONE’s words," IF YOU WANT TO BE A LEADER, FIRST LEARN TO BE A GOOD FOLLOWER." helps us in developing our personality. It is a pity that much attention is not paid to sports in our country. Most of the funds are frequently wasted on trivial items not connected with sports such as dinners or tea parties. Our players don't even get a good diet. The infrastructure for sports in our country is lacking. Then there is so much of bungling in the matter of selection of teams. It is no surprise that we were not able to get even a single gold medal in the LONDON OLYMPICS 2012. Certainly, something must be done to solve this problem at the highest level. In April 2000, there was a sort of cheating in the world of cricket. The revelations regarding match-fixing became a part of public debate. All the cricket lovers were extremely disappointed. As a result of this, many voices were heard demanding the banning of the game of cricket altogether. Let us hope this is not going to be done. Instead we should hope that the detractors if any, are going to be suitably punished to ensure a fair game so that it can continue providing entertainment for millions of spectators and be an inspiration for T.V viewers all over the world.

By: Tejswini, ASSET Ambassador

UMMEED CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING PROGRAM (MHTP) There is a growing awareness of the importance of addressing the mental health needs of children and families. However, there are very few trained professionals who can meet these demands. Ummeed’s MHTP provides an opportunity for your organization or school to build capacity in this area.

Dolor. Sit. Amet.

Ummeed Child Development Center (www.ummeed.org) i n collaboration with Narrative Practices,Adelaide (www.narrativepractices.com.au) invites applications for the 3rd Mental Health Training Program.

Course Details Certification Sucessful candidates will be awarded a certificate by Ummeed Child Development Center and Narrative Practices Adelaide. Eligibility Criteria: Individuals with 2-3 years experience in working with children and families Proficiency in English Candidates will be interviewed prior to selection. Teaching schedule The theory sessions will be conducted in 5 teaching blocks of 5 days each. Supervision will commence after the second teaching block for half a day per week. The duration of the program will be 1 year.

Programme Description This course aims to provide a thorough grounding in family therapy, especially the ideas and practices of narrative approaches to working with in dividuals, families, groups and communities. Our teaching reflects on an approach which is interactive, collaborative, encouraging, rigorous, enjoyable and practice based. Post completion, candidates will be supported via ongoing mentorship. THE COURSE PROGRAM is based around four key components A thorough exploration of the narrative metaphor and its application in practice including the background ideas and guiding principles of narrative therapy. Skills development of the micro-maps of narrative practice as described by Michael White and related to work in a variety of contexts and settings. Practice based collaborative learning including reviewing stories of therapeutic conversations, transcripts, therapeutic letters and interviews. A supportive teaching environment enhanced by regular meetings with a focus on skills development in between teaching blocks.

Program dates 2013 1st BLOCK – 21st – 25th January 2nd BLOCK – 4 th – 8th February 3rd BLOCK – 18th – 22nd March 4th BLOCK – 24th – 28th June 5th BLOCK – 7th – 11th October

Ummeed is currently considering applicati ons from prospective candidates for the session beginning in January, 2013. Candidates who are interested can e-mail their resumes to ummeed.mhtp@gmail.com For further details contact: Akansha V aswani or Daisy Daruwalla: 02 2 65528310/23002006/265564054

I Rise Everyday... I rise everyday with this thought in my mind, I'll make a difference someday. I won't wait for God to be kind, I'll figure it out my own way. I rise everyday with this hope in my heart, The world will mend its ways, Everyone would be together, nobody apart, And if you are not wrong, you won't be the one who pays. I rise everyday with a goal in my eyes, I'll succeed someday, I'll cross any obstacle, if in my path it lies, I'll challenge life's way, everyday. I rise everyday with a voice in my head, Do what you can, say what you can, right away. Never repent thinking that there was more I could've said, Never repent thinking that my actions were at bay. Priyanka Mehta, Class IX, Gundecha Education Academy, Mumbai

Margazhi Utsavam @ Chettinad Vidya Mandir Children in the morning. Assignments such as Notice making, Dairy entry, Report writing, News paper article had been set to the students from Grade-6 to 10. The celebration began at 3 pm with various programs contributed by the students, teachers and the parents. The smile on the students’ faces watching their parents perform brought a reinforced confidence. Ms. Bhuvana Kanna Head, Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam Junior School, Dr. Anbunathan, Advisor, Chettinad group of institutions, Mr. Annadurai the unit head, Chettinad Cements Puliyur and the Principals of Rani Meyyammai Matric Schools were the guests of honour. Chettinad Vidya Mandir, Puliyur, believes in the holistic development of its pupils. To achieve this noble and pious goal, the school promotes the involvement of parents in every occasion and collaboration of parents and teachers go a long way in measuring the learning curve of the child. The greater the involvement of parents in their wards’ development activities, the better it is for the child. This Utsavam at Chettinad Vidya Mandir created synergy between the parents, teachers and children. Margazhi utsavam “A treat to the senses”, the first of its kind, was celebrated at Chettinad Vidya Mandir on 17th December 2012 to relish the cultural fervor. The whole school was involved in decorating the stage, collecting flowers, leaves, creating posters, providing refreshment and creating Rangoli. The guest Singer Selvi. Suchitra and the guest dancer Selvi. Madhumita Srinivasan were interviewed by Grades-8 and 10

The program was organized by Principal Mrs. Vidhya. M.S, the Academic Co-ordinator Mrs. Vijayalakshmi, the Cultural Committee head Mrs. Sujatha and all other Staff members of Chettinad Vidya Mandir.

Thoughtful Story

Athena, Arachne and the Weaving Contest

A Punishment Story In a small town of Ledia, in Northern Greece, there once lived a beautiful maiden with the name Arachne. Arachne was famous in town for being a very skillful weaver and spinner and every day many girls and nymphs stopped by to see her weave. However, Arachne was a very vain girl and couldn’t stop boasting about her talent. She claimed that she had learned the skill all by herself and that there was no one else in the world who could weave as delicately as her... she even felt that she could compete against Athena, the goddess of skill, and win her with ease. When Athena heard these words, she was disappointed and decided to disguise herself as an old lady and appear in front of Arachne. "My dear", she told Arachne, "I am old and have much experience from life, so let me give you one advice: Don’t ever mess with a goddess! No mortal can compete against Athena. Take back your words and kindly ask for forgiveness..." Arachne got furious and threw the thread against the old

woman, telling her: "I don’t need your advice; I know best what I can do! If Athena really dares, then she should come here and compete against me!" At that moment, the old woman transformed herself into the radiant goddess Athena. On seeing her, everybody in the room knelt down in awe... not so Arachne, who couldn't wait to compete against her. Soon the competition started and both contestants were doing really well. Athena was weaving the Parthenon and her contest with god Poseidon. Arachne, on the other hand, was making fun of the gods by weaving scenes of gods full of weaknesses and fears. Arachne’s work seemed to be perfect technically, yet it was not beautiful because it disregarded the gods. When she saw this, Athena became very offended and told Arachne: "You may be foolish and stubborn, but you seem to love your work. So why don’t you go ahead and spin forever!" Immediately, Athena sprinkled her with the juice of magical herbs and the body of Arachne transformed into a small and ugly animal, which nowadays is known as the spider. Since then, the spider is cursed to be trapped inside her own web, weaving constantly and endlessly... but having finally all her works destroyed by man!

News Bite Now, Check your Email for CBSE Answer-Sheet In 2013, Class X students of Delhi can get their evaluated CBSE answer-sheets delivered to their in-boxes in case of doubt or controversy. This will be a pilot run for the CBSE's move to digitise all answer-sheets and introduce a digital marking system to minimize errors in evaluation. The system will be extended to Class XII Board exams in 2014. A senior CBSE official said they planned to cover all 2.5 lakh answer sheets of the Class X Boards soon. The present system of manual evaluation of one answer-sheet by one teacher will be done away with and each answer-sheet will be evaluated by multiple teachers instead. The answer-sheets will be first converted into a digital format to give access to multiple evaluators. Each evaluator will be allotted a specific section. Till now, students could get photocopies within 15 days of applying for them. But 2013 onwards, they will be able to request for the evaluated copies to be emailed to them. This will save paper and time.

CBSE to Help Class X Pupils Choose their Subjects In an attempt to help the students of classes IX and X to choose subjects for their senior secondary classes, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be conducting Students Global Aptitude Index (SGAI) from 2013. SGAI will be conducted in February to provide complete counseling through psychological measures to help students opt for different streams for class XI according to their aptitude. The SGAI will assist students to know their aptitude and the questions will not be from course books but will only include psychological questions determining their aptitude.

Why Spend Time On Manners? Although character education is a hot topic in schools across the nation, education in manners generally receives scant attention. With growing demands on teaching time, etiquette is rarely a priority. But it might be a mistake to ignore the adage that actions speak louder than words. Manners shape character and are an integral part of success. Experts believe children who possess good manners are more apt to have better reading and listening skills, and overall academic success. It is further believed that good manners will help teens make wiser choices when they are faced with negative peer pressure because manners build confidence and increase self esteem. Practising good manners takes the focus off the “self” and generates respect and good will towards others. Being polite shows we care about one another and understand an individual’s self worth. Consequently, children can manage their school environment effectively: they will know how to resolve conflict and aggression without losing control. In "Teaching Children Manners" (from the Better Homes and Gardens Guide to Parenting), psychologist John Rosemond declares that manners and respect are inseparable. He believes children can never learn to respect themselves unless they learn respect for others-- beginning with adults. His suggestions that can help teach manners are as follows: • Work on one skill at a time. • Give immediate positive feedback for success in adhering to manners. • Be tolerant of children's mistakes, but do not overlook them. • Give a non-critical prompt when children forget social rituals. • Set a good example-- manners are not a one-way street. Teaching good manners to children will help them develop selfesteem and self-confidence. To promote manners in the classroom one can take advantage of teachable moments, including the following instructions: • Advise children of behavioral expectations ahead of time. • Point out to children observed acts of kindness and manners. • Stress to children the importance of treating others the same way they like to be treated. • Help children understand the harm caused by thoughtless, unkind words and actions. • Role-play difficult situations for children in order to demonstrate appropriate responses. • Establish a politeness policy for basic manners. • Teach children the importance of thinking of others; write thank-you notes. Some things which students can do: • Write and publish original books on ‘good manners’, • Create manner problem stories for the rest of the class to read and role-play,

• Design HyperCard stacks on the proper use of eating utensils, • Combine sound and graphics to demonstrate making introductions, • Take digital pictures of children displaying good manners, add text, and publish them as posters. Teachers can stimulate higher-order thinking on ‘respect’ with anecdotal stories and biographical sketches of famous people who demonstrated values. Get your Students into the Habit of Waiting for their Turn to Speak This is one thing a lot of children, especially younger kids, have trouble with. That’s because often, kids want to express their thoughts as soon as something occurs to them. Children are also naturally self-centred, and may need reminders to wait until someone has finished speaking before interrupting. To help kids learn this habit, teachers can try using a visual reminder, such as a stuffed animal or a talking stick. Simply have everyone talk only when it’s their turn to hold the talking stick to teach kids how to wait for their turn to speak. Emphasize the Importance of being Gracious when Competing Teach your kids not to gloat if victorious in something and to cheer and encourage others even on when they are losing. Good sportsmanship will be an important skill for children to have later in life when they need to work with others on projects and other endeavors at home and at work.

Teacher’s Bite this process, the teacher is the driver and the guide. If both the students and the teacher feel that they have learnt something useful, then it is a successful classroom management. I hold the teacher responsible for both classroom management and discipline: discipline, both of the students and the teachers!

Mr. T. R. Mohana, Principal BGS Public School, Kengeri, Bangalore

Who has most influenced you to become an educator, and how did they influence you?

I was influenced by a number of teachers in my High School and later in college. Having studied in a rural school, away from my parents, my teachers were everything to me. I looked up to them for educational and emotional needs. When they fulfilled my needs, I felt that I should become like them. I am a teacher-made man. This dependency on my teachers continued throughout my college life too. It was my good fortune that I got many illustrious and great teachers throughout my formal education. There was this great urge to be like them and I became a teacher at 21.

What is your approach to classroom management and student discipline?

Classroom management is all about creating a congenial atmosphere in order to achieve the goals happily with the involvement of both the students and the teacher. In

What are your views regarding the 'Importance of Teacher Training and Development' in educating Students?

A good teacher is a successful learner too. It is continuous. Self learning alone is not adequate for a teacher. That is where the exposure to new ideas, tried out strategies of others in the field helps. That is where in-service training and developmental activities for teachers become relevant and useful in improving them professionally. If the training and developmental activities are successful, it is the students who are the ultimate gainers.

What is your view regarding the ASSET Test?

I have found them to trigger the skill of application. They are graded and challenging, encouraging them to reason and analyze. These questions inspire learning with application and that makes them useful and challenging. I am sure that a lot of research and hard work have gone into framing these questions. Our school children like them very much.

Book Review Roots: The Saga of an American Family

- By Alex Haley

One of the key topics learnt in history at the Middle and High School levels is the history of slavery and the history of the new world. However, learning of these topics remains elusive, because of the dry content. Yet by reading the well-known novel by Alex Haley titled ‘Roots – The Saga of an American Family’ can turn the topic into an exciting moments for students and teachers alike. The novel was first published in 1976. It tells the story Kunta Kinte, an 18th century African who was captured during his adolescent and sold into slavery in the United States, and follows his life and the lives of his alleged descendants in America down to Haley. The release of the book had made a sensation in American schools and universities and subsequently became a worldwide success. In the novel, Alex Haley claimed to have traced his family history back to the African, Kunta Kinte, who was captured by members of a contentious tribe and sold to slave trader in 1767. In the novel, each of Kunte’s enslaved descendents passed down an oral history of Kunte’s experiences as a free man in Gambia, along with African words

he taught them. Haley researched African village customs, slave trading and the history of African Americans including a visit to the griot (oral historian) and his ancestral African village. He created a colorful history of his family from the mid 18th century through the mid 20th century. The book apart from its rich story telling element shows the methodological dimension of historical research. This is stated by Alex Haley in the concluding chapter. “To the best of my knowledge and of my effort, every lineage statement within Roots is from either my African or American families' carefully preserved oral history, much of which I have been able conventionally to corroborate with documents. Those documents, along with the myriad textural details of what were contemporary indigenous lifestyles, cultural history, and such that give Roots flesh have come from years of intensive research in fifty-odd libraries, archives, and other repositories on three continents.” The book is no doubt a must for all curious students interested in the most brutal era of human history – the Atlantic Slave Trade. Book Reviewed by Jitu Mishra, Educational Specialist

Interesting

Facts about Education • English speaking kids are the world's biggest novel readers - but the least enthusiastic comic readers. • Japanese and South Korean kids are the best in the world at Science and Maths. • Three quarters of Japanese kids read comics.

• The women of Iceland earn two-thirds of their nation's university degrees.

• American adults have spent more time than anyone in education.

• More than half of Indonesia's primary school teachers are under 30 years of age.

• There are 22 countries where more than half the population is illiterate. Fifteen of them are in Africa.

• Thinking of becoming a teacher? Head to Switzerland. Teaching salaries there start at $US 33,000. • Kids in Mali spend only 2 years in school. More than half of them start working between the ages of 10 and 14. • Teachers make up 7.8 percent of Iceland’s labour force - and they only have to teach 38 weeks per year. • Central European men don’t teach. In Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, over 75 percent of the lower secondary teachers are female.

Source: http://www.nationmaster.com/facts/Education

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