IES DADAR
aBOUT SCHOOL
methods
Activities
tools
IES DADAR
The Indian Education Society School situated in Dadar(W) prepares it’s students for the Maharashtra State Board Examination.
• The monthly tuition fees for the Pre-primary section per month is Rs.1,600 • Basis of admission: Eligibility of age, vicinity of residence, fee affordance • Due to government policies no government school can decline admission on basis of parents education or income. The earlier practice of an interview of the parents with the child is no more.
aDMISSION
• The class strength is 60 - 70 children with 2 facilitators and one helper per class, making the facilitator child ratio 35:1. • The average age of the teachers is around 40 - 50 years with teaching experience of 20 - 25 years. This makes them very well experienced yet as enthusiastic and active as the younger teachers elsewhere. Most of them are very passionate about what they do and love working with young children. • Most of them have had special 1 year child care and education training from the SIES School in Sion.
Facilitators
• Parents who are good at certain things are requested to help the school in making projects. They are also asked to involve their child in the process. • Not always the work coming form their side is up to the mark or may convey the right message. At such time the school turns down their material politely.
Parents Involvment
• PTA meetings revolve around the progress of the child. • Since not all parents are aware of the new changes in education they complain that their child won’t speak, read and write. They feel education is just about that reading and writing. Thus discussing with the parents is very important. The parents have to be informed as they are equally interested, enthusiastic and want the best for their child.
Parents Involvment
• Sometimes the child is dyslectic or he/she is not able to participate, feel comfortable because of fear or some phobia. These issues come out only when discussed with the parents. They could be advised to see a counsellor and appointments can be set up. • Awareness programmes are organised for parents and children with eminent doctors on topics like ‘Empowering and Understanding the Preschooler’.
Parents Involvment
Parents and teachers have to work in collaboration and the ultimate goal has to be common, that of the progress of the child. Otherwise parents blame the school, the school blames the teachers
Parents Involvment
aBOUT SCHOOL
methods
Activities
tools
cURRICULUM
The ICSE syllabus is quite flexible in terms of choosing their textbooks and methods. While the SSC syllabus is more structure. So the school has its own adaptation of the curriculum set by the state board. Every parent is given a detailed overview of all the activities and their objectives planned for the year in the syllabus book.
cURRICULUM
• IES follows a seasonal curriculum where there is a theme per week based on what’s happening at that time. • All concepts are related to that topic and since they follow Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, the concepts are taught in a way that all 9 intelligences are benefited.
cURRICULUM
• Information about the special day is given out on the PA in classrooms or in assemblies. • Boards around the school are decorated with elements relating to the topic.
cURRICULUM
They try to incorporate many different methods like: • Play way method (informal) • Montessori method (they have the teaching aids and equipments) • Project method • Experimental learning (practical experience in math and science) • Experiential learning (take them for nature walks) • Playway method by Friedrich Frobel
lESSON pLAN
• The teachers make a lesson plan by brainstorming on ideas/activities for every intelligence based on the theme. This is how a typical lesson plan looks like. Every class teacher must get this approved from the head mistress prior to the class. • Name: • Class: Sr. Kg • Subject: General Knowledge • Topic: Rainy Season • Personal aim: To teach them about the rainy season • Student aim: To develop their general knowledge, teach them new works and increase their vocabulary. • Introduction: Children what do you use to protect yourself from the rain? Do your parents buy you an umbrella and a raincoat? • Content: Children, there are three seasons, summer, winter and rainy. The rainy season starts in the month of June and last up to September. We get rain from the dark clouds, we wear raincoats and rainy shoes. We see lightening in the sky and hear thunder. We also see rainbows in the sky which have 7 colours like VYBGIOR. Children make paper boats and sail them in the puddles.
lESSON pLAN
• Linguistic Int. (word smart): Season, rain, water, cloud, rainbow, sight words, picture talk, conversation. • Mathematical Int.(number smart): 7 colours of the rainbow, 2 gum boots, 1 raincoat • Logical Int.: Full & empty, wet & dry, evaporation (wet cloth is put out the dry on clothes line. Ask the question: Where has the water disappeared?), floating & sinking, too much or too little rain. • Naturalist Int.: Nature walk, clouds are dark, grass is green, river and ponds are full of water etc. • Inter personal Int.(people smart): What did you see on your way to school today? Did you see a frog? Snail? Puddles? Water? What were the children doing? How were the trees looking? Fresh green? • Intrapersonal Int.(self smart): Observe the Childs own ideas and thoughts, initiate conversation in whatever language, let them speak in their mother tongue and the converse back to them in English, don’t correct them. Mi boat baghitle, Oh did you see the boat?! • Musical Int.: Action song, rain rain go away, pitter patter • Bodily - Kinaesthetic Int.(body smart): Frog jump, holding umbrellas, playing in the rain, sailing boats • Spatial Int.(picture smart): Worksheets based on spot the difference, draw and colour. • Conclusion: After explaining to the children, they will have understood and gather more information about the subject. • Follow-up Activity: Teacher will give them marble paper to make paper boats and sail them, collect rain water and measure it.
Evaluation
• Currently the school has an examination & grading system twice a year (1st & 2nd term) based on various academic and creative skills. • Since the parents are informed about these examinations in advance they tend to get tensed and pressurise the child. This leads to forced studies and rote learning. Thus result of the exam is incorrect as it’s not a standard measure of the Childs understanding.
Evaluation
• Next year a continuous and comprehensive evaluation will start. The child will be observed from the beginning of the year and not based on an exam (monthly evaluations based on daily performance). • They are trying to get this evaluation through the AEMS package. The outcome would be a printed report prepared via the software based on the format designed by the head mistress herself.
Evaluation
• Then maybe there could be open days every month. The Childs weak areas could be discussed as early as possible. • Compared to when after 6 months all of a sudden when the parent is told that their child is weak in a particular area. The kind of pressure that is then exerted on the child to learn and perform better in the next term observation is immense and gives rise to rote learning.
Field Trips
• Twice a year the children are taken to pre decided venues: The traffic park and the fire station. They have follow up activities in school like: Safety week Parents are not charged for these. They could organise more depending on funds and bookings. • Once a year the children go for a picnic for which also the parents aren’t charged.
aBOUT SCHOOL
methods
Activities
tools
Fine motor activities The children are asked to make used of their fingers and fine skills to make clay Ganesha, mouse and modak based on the theme (festival).
Fine motor activities The children are made to do simple exercises to improve hand eye co-ordination and improve attentiveness in class.
Gross motor activities Small toys are used to enhance hand eye co-ordination and fine motor skills. The child gets to play with it turn by turn in the class itself. This way they learn patience by waiting for their turn.
Gross motor activities The children are made to do theme (monsoon magic) related activities like frog jump.
Gross motor activities • Once a day they have a physical education class with the sir. • To coordinate different senses and body parts and develop their social skills while playing outdoor games.
Reading and writing From Jr.KG they start reading and writing readiness activities through pattern writing books and English readers.
Reading and writing At times one finds students with different learning speeds. Since the teachers get only half an hour everyday to practice writing, they ask parents to help the child practice at home.
Reading and writing The children are excellent in orals since it’s easier to grasp and is repeated everyday.
• The children are get a snack from home. • The break last for 15 mins. • Typically they’re asked to place the tiffin boxes on the table with napkins below it.
Snack Time
aBOUT SCHOOL
methods
Activities
tools
teCHONOLOGY
• Teachers compile power point presentations. The children enjoy it more than any other activity. • But one can’t always expose them to technology, only when the lesson demands.
teCHONOLOGY
• There is a DLP projector and internet in every classroom. The teachers often show related images off Google and videos from Youtube.
teCHONOLOGY
• Computers are essential to learn for everyone, concentration power improves while sitting at one place, brain and reasoning powers develop while solving puzzles. But one can’t always expose them to technology, only when the lesson demands. • The children enjoy it more than any other activity and are very comfortable with it. They click on the correct button and understand the response. • At times teachers get frustrated, but the verbal response in these softwares is so beautiful, if the answer is wrong the response says, “Try again”, patiently even for the 100th time. This way the children don’t mind even trying it 10 times.
Toys
The Child is allowed to brake and manipulate the toys. They’re not bought to be used forever. A new, separate budget is made for them every year.
Permanent Projects Permanent wooden projects made for places where it could be risky or difficult to take the children like railway station, airport, zoo etc.
Permanent Projects Parents are then told whenever they go to the railway station show the kids things they’ve learnt in school.
• The furniture is heavy for the children to move it around themselves. • It becomes difficult and time consuming for the teachers to make space for group activities. • The cleaner lady also finds it difficult to clean the classroom because of the furniture. • The teachers wished they had plastic lighter furniture for the children.
Furniture
Space
• The number of children is too much and the teacher can not give equal time to every child. Although there is a helper teacher she has work to do for her own class. • The children also need space, they’re tied up. • The teachers are so scared since they are so many of them, in such little space, they might get hurt. Thus they’re rarely allowed to move around. • Their natural need to move around is curbed because of this. They can hardly run around, mingle with peers and do masti.
• There is a lot of work for the teacher after the class. Make worksheets and photocopies, charts and material to be put up on the boards as well as 3D models.
Teaching Aids
• Some of the aids like puppets are bought from the market and used year after year. • And dome some of the are made with help from parents
Teaching Aids