APRIL 2019 | VOLUME 12 | ISSUE 11 | 40
®
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A MATTER OF PRINCIPAL
HOME SCHOOLING Dr. Anita Pant Sharma, Haryana
THE ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
ISSN 2320 - 0650 English Monthly
Peter Ronald Mascarenhas, Jeddah
CREATING A FEAR-FREE ENVIRONMENT AT SCHOOL Sumit Arora, Chirag School, Uttarakhand
17 Study
Experience
BRING YOUR WORDS TO LIFE! Express | Enlighten
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2 | Mentor | April 2019
Let t
Vol. 12 | Issue 11 | April 2019 | info@lxl.in
r ito
from the Ed er
Contents
03 Mentor Thoughts
Letter from the Editor..............................................03 What’s Trending.......................................................04 Sultan Speaks..........................................................05
06
Pedagogy
Teaching Children through Interactive Medium. 06 Instilling Financial Literacy Among Students. 09
11 Governance
Make Mental Health a Part of School Policy..... 11 Counselling & Guidance In Educational Institutions.........................................12 Introducing Educational Research into Classrooms.......................................................14
15 Cover Story
Creating a Fear-Free Environment at School.....16
21 Leadership
The Role of School Leadership.............................22 Transforming Schools Through Distributive Leadership...........................................25
26 Innovation
Homeschooling........................................................27 The Role of the Growth Mindset in Education...29
All Rights Reserved 2016 EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd.
Publisher & Owner: Syed Sultan Ahmed Editor: Kalpa Kartik | Content Developer: Farah Javid Layouts: Muhammad Juraij K H Production: Praveen U M, Sathish C, Guna V Printer: Elegant Printing Notice: the contributions in Mentor Magazine are solely the views of the author and are in no manner to be directly associated with the views of the editorial team or LXL Ideas. Authors/contributors are responsible for the authenticity of information they provide in the article. The publishers do not accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication. By submitting letters/emails or other publication materials to Mentor Magazine the author/ contributor agrees that it is the property of Mentor Magazine. All communication to Mentor Magazine must be made in writing. No other sort of communication will be accepted. All decisions regarding publishing of a contribution is the prerogative of the publisher and editorial team of Mentor Magazine. Mentor Magazine is owned and published by EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd. for and on behalf of Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts and forums in Bengaluru City.
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M
entor’s April issue features an interesting school in India, ‘Chirag School’, from the picturesque village of Simayal in the Nainital district, Uttarakhand, that aims to offer an affordable and holistic education for local children. This is integrated with the lush nature that surrounds them — children learn about ‘mud bricks’ and ‘microchips’ at the same time here, in a fear-free and joyful environment. It is imperative to provide adequate time, authority and resources to the teacher leaders, to successfully run schools like these. Every decision taken by the leadership can impact the organisation in a big way, and hence, it cannot afford to falter. Every effort must be made to ensure that appropriate decisions are taken at the right time. “As a leader, my focus is always on a participative and a democratic form of leadership. When you allow the people to set their own objectives, they perform best; just keep in mind that they are aligned to the broad vision,” another article in the edition elaborates. Focusing on the development of each and every employee in the organisation through training, appreciation, compensation and recognition is important. A school leader has to manage instructional tasks along with operational tasks, and this leaves very little time for the school leader to support each and every teacher in the school . One of the ways the school leader can address this challenge is by adopting a model of ‘distributive leadership’ in the school, whereby teacher leaders step in to shoulder the responsibilities of equipping teachers with the know-how to influence students to achieve positively. Mentor this month focuses on all of the above and how the school leader has to get comfortable sharing leadership with others along with implementing an educational approach, providing on-going support to teachers through workshops and supervision.. ‘Homeschooling’, ‘Instilling Financial Literacy Among Students’ and ‘The Role of School Leadership’ are other topics being addressed in the pages this month.
Kalpa Kartik Editor 3 | Mentor | April 2019
What’s Trending
?
How do you
ensure your teachers remain stress-free during examination season?
“ I
t is very true that teachers also undergo a lot of stress during examinations and generally perceive it as a time for their own evaluation. I keep my teachers encouraged during these stressful days by telling them time and again not to expect too much perfection from children, for they are here to learn and not only for evaluation and grading. A little preparation in the right manner, regularity, and having the right attitude can keep stress away and help bring out the best in a student. We shouldn’t forget that God sees intentions and the rest can be left to him. So I generally tell my teachers to do their best with the right intentions, and try to make studying enjoyable rather than stressful.
Jyotica Shafaat Principal, Dass and Brown World School, Ferozpur
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“ T
o ensure that my teachers are stress-free during examination time, I work hard with them to support them, help them in evaluation work, try to create a light atmosphere, so that the staff enjoys the process. I try my level best to create a comfortable and positive atmosphere. Vinay Agrawal Principal, Gyanodaya School, Khurai Sagar, MP
“
A
stressed teacher leads to a stressed group of children; being stressed is a surefire way to set them up for failure. Train teachers to ‘plan their work and work their plan’ to keep them stress-free, which is the key to success. All of them must accept that all children will not get through or get 90%. List the probable failures and prepare a Plan B. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Believe in yourself and the children. Sleep well, exercise / walk / make time for nature. And finally remember, making a difference is a great experience. So enjoy what you do. Cherish your job. Ms. Kiran Director, Sparkle Kindle Kastle Hyderabad
4 | Mentor | April 2019
Sultan Speaks
CELL & BELL
Ever wondered what was made as a base on which modern European schooling has been modelled on? The answer is Prison or Jail. Sounds bizarre? Have a look at what’s common between these two institutions and you stop wondering.
SCHOOL
PRISON
Cell (Classroom)
Cell (Classroom)
Authoritarian Structure
Authoritarian Structure
Dress code
Dress code
Emphasis on Silence & Order
Emphasis on Silence & Order
Negative reinforcement
Negative reinforcement
Walk in line
Walk in line
Loss of individual autonomy
Loss of individual autonomy
No inputs in decision making
No inputs in decision making
Set time for walking, eating, working etc.
Infact schools, hospitals and prisons had a lot more in common than one can imagine. The organizational structure, systems and processes have a lot of similarities. During the 18th & 19th century European countries led the industrial revolution. The reason for this success was their organizational structure, systems and policies. The biggest inspiration for the industry came from the most successful organisation in human history - Army/Military. Most industries took inspiration from the defense forces to create and adapt their own policies and frameworks. To keep the industrial era booming the industry needed manpower to come into its system. They needed young blood that had the ability to follow instructions and get into a ‘process’. Thinking and innovation was not desired, following routine and orders were paramount. This requirement was on top of the agenda for the education policy makers as they created an education system that yielded jobs www.lxl.in
Set time for walking, eating, working etc.
to the young graduates. One has to keep in mind that this era was successful and it worked well for over 2 centuries. Notably in this era there were a lot of inventions but very little grass root innovation and creativity. There were very few models of governing people and most industries and structured organisations like schools, hospitals, prisons etc. followed very similar structures. This idea worked for most and the ones who complained were easily shut aside as the majority was happy with the status quo. The past decade has changed this idea of rigid structure and organisation on its head. The industries and work places have undergone a sea change. Large old structured organizations are finding it very difficult to keep pace with the new age organizations and organizational structures. The mantra in the corporate world today is to give a lot of individual freedom, focus on outcomes not on protocol, innovate to survive, flexible work timing, etc.
While the world is changing, most schools are still stuck with the Bell & the Cell.
Syed Sultan Ahmed MD & Chief Learner @ LXL 5 | Mentor | April 2019
Pedagogy
TEACHING CHILDREN THROUGH INTERACTIVE MEDIUMS Driving Sustainable Impact in Bottom-of-Pyramid Schools
Introduction
“
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.’’—Will Durant There are nearly 1.6 million schools in India. There is a lot of innovation happening for the premium 1-2 lakh schools at the top of the pyramid; the bottom 1 million schools, however, remain starved of resources. It is quite by chance that I started addressing this challenge. Today, the government school we piloted this experiment at, has observed an increase in enrolment by 36% in two years, and reduced absenteeism to 12% (from 53%). Let me share the exciting journey that led to these encouraging results.
Following the Journey of the Pilot Program This story started in 2014 in a www.lxl.in
village called Tilbegumpur, near Bulandshahr district of UP, which has a small government school. Unfortunately — with broken down walls, peeling plaster and a playground overgrown with weeds, it was rather worse for the wear. The infrastructure problems were compounded by a shortage of teachers, student absenteeism and a lack of textbooks.
The enrolment of students in the school increased by 36% in two years, absenteeism reduced from 53% to 12% in such clean, bright and vibrant surroundings
The children deserved a much better environment, but the number of issues that needed to be tackled was overwhelming; we were absolutely restless about the state of the school and keen to improve these teaching and learning conditions. As an experiment, we decided to print education content on tiles and use them to renovate the school. We designed murals for classrooms at each and every level — from nursery to high school —and included content of corresponding levels from all the subjects, ranging from English to Science. The tiles along the corridors taught them social etiquette and depicted messages of cleanliness, and the benefits of maintaining hygiene. A large mural of the numerous poses of the Surya Namaskar in the games room would cue the children to practise the routine regularly. The playgrounds were 6 | Mentor | April 2019
Pedagogy playgrounds and just going about their day.
An Increase in Enrolment & A Decrease in Absenteeism As the tiles were used during the renovation only on an experimental basis, they came with a host of unexpected advantages. The children loved spending time in such clean, bright and vibrant surroundings, making the school their second home. The enrolment of students in the school increased by 36% in two years, absenteeism reduced from 53% to 12%. The students retained the subtle nuances of complex topics, as they were visible all the time, even improving their performance in examinations by 26%. adorned with bright and cheerful murals of cartoon characters, inviting the children to play outdoors all day.
A Sustainable Solution Paper and plastic chart papers, that needed frequent replacement, were done away with. These interactive educational tiles became a sustainable solution; decorating the walls and
supporting the school’s objectives simultaneously. Teachers also saved time, as diagrams to explain complex topics were readily available, and the students were able to revise difficult topics even while walking around or playing. Since the concepts are permanently displayed on the walls, teachers are inclined to ask more application-based questions. Exams became more of a test of comprehension of the concepts rather than just rote learning. Teachers and students both were required to think out of the box. Schools want their premises to look attractive and beautiful, without the need for too much maintenance. These murals not only impart knowledge, but are also permanent and very easy to clean. I would recommend a wide range of informative murals to all schools; from colourful alphabets to the Periodic Table, from Snakes & Ladders to Surya Namaskar. Knowingly or unknowingly, children imbibe these visual messages they
By targeting the million schools at the bottom of the pyramid, the education system can catalyse a major positive change in the skills of the next generation.
Benefits of Teaching through Interactive Educational Tiles Continuous Exposure to the Concepts The tiles protected the walls as well as reinforced teaching, due to the students repeatedly seeing the concepts throughout the day. Consciously or unconsciously, the children kept learning while sitting in their classrooms, playing in the www.lxl.in
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Pedagogy
see repeatedly on the walls. When we engage the senses of a child through the use of educational tiles, it leapfrogs the school beyond the chalk-and-talk lecture in the classroom. It makes learning impactful and experiential.
Challenges of Teaching through Interactive Educational Tiles There are more than 1.6 million schools in the country. The estimate for the schools in the bottom 1 million needing renovation stands at a whopping 40-50%. It is imperative that we start addressing
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our skills shortage, first by vetting the quality of education imparted at these schools.
Conclusion A country’s future rests on its ability to reform its schools’ infrastructure. It has got to address the 1 million schools that desperately need attention and are yearning for teachers and teaching aids. Educational tiles are a sustainable way of impacting schools and children at a considerable scale. By targeting these million schools, the education system can catalyse a major positive change in the skills of the next generation.
Ms. Aradhana Agarwal completed her Bachelor’s degree from Sophia College, Ajmer. She did her B’Ed from Annamalai University and obtained a Master’s degree in English Literature from IGNOU; then, she went on to teach English to Grades 8-10 for nearly a decade. She currently heads the New Product Development and CSR at Orient Bell Tiles. Being a passionate teacher and a tile enthusiast, these interactive tiles allowed her to pursue both passions simultaneously. If you share the passion to drive impact amongst the masses in schools, you can write to her at aradhana.agarwal@orientbell.com
8 | Mentor | April 2019
Pedagogy
INSTILLING FINANCIAL LITERACY AMONG STUDENTS A Core Life Skill Imperative for All-Round Development
Introduction
“
F inancial literacy is a very fancy
term for saying — spend it smart, don’t blow it, save what you can, and know how the economy works.” — Bill Clinton The all-round development of students is the watchword of education today. We talk of their physical, mental, emotional, social, ethical development — but what about the financial aspect? It is seen that majority of our young people are not prepared to make smart financial decisions as they mature; the present financial crisis in society is clearly indicative of the same. As our economy is evolving, it is becoming complex, with more and more people struggling with money. Hence, the need for financial literacy becomes inevitable.
Financial Literacy: Understanding the Concept Financial literacy is a core life skill focusing on teaching the basics of money management — budgeting, investing, saving, debt etc. It is the ability to understand how money works i.e. its management, investment and expenditure. www.lxl.in
In other words, it is about being ‘financially smart’. The sooner we start it, the better and greater will be its impact. In fact, the motto of every school should be “to prepare students for financial success”. Our country needs a large number of financially literate citizens who are able to make better and wiser financial decisions. Financial literacy will empower individuals to make informed choices, and build strong human capital. A citizen with a sound understanding of the financial aspect will be vigilant in planning his or her personal finances, and consequently strengthen the country‘s economy.
‘Money earned without financial intelligence is money soon gone.’ Our current education system focuses on preparing the youth for good jobs and to remain content with a monthly salary. In fact, their employers get richer and richer, while they themselves spend their salaries fulfilling their basic needs, paying taxes and ending up being debt-ridden. Financial literacy works on the basis that ‘money earned without
financial intelligence is money soon gone.’ It is not how much money you make, but how much you keep and for how long; in fact, it‘s really all about handling money.
We talk of the students’ physical, mental, emotional, social, ethical development — but what about the financial aspect?
Teaching Financial Literacy As A Skill In our education system, the aim has never been to foster curiosity and life skills with a practical approach among our students. We believe in mugging up facts and simply reproducing them by rote in examinations. It is assumed that children would automatically learn financial management once they 9 | Mentor | April 2019
Pedagogy It is needed all the more because our financial landscape is very dynamic and ever-changing, giving rise to lot of confusion. To save our youth from financial crisis ‘financial literacy’ becomes the watchword. A strong foundation laid now will give rich dividends soon. Let us educate our generations such that they can armour themselves with this critical life skill so as to steer the ship of their lives smoothly against the storms of financial instability. grow up, and that a person with between earning, spending and a high IQ is bound to have high saving. The basics of financial financial IQ. literacy like how to invest, save, spend and how not to waste, can Financial literacy is a skill which be incorporated in the curriculum has to be taught on a regular basis, in the form of practical activities. and we have to make deliberate This working knowledge picked efforts to produce the desired up at this age will no doubt go result. It is a cumulative process on to serve them well in life later. with age-appropriate topics taught Financial conversations and step by step, throughout the interesting interactive sessions school curriculum. can be organised to lay the basic With financial literacy, students building blocks of financial literacy learn to build a proper relationship and to clarify concepts. with money; it is something which can empower and equip young Qualifications & people with knowledge, skills and Characteristics of Teachers
Who Conduct Financial
confidence to take charge of their lives and build a more secure future Literacy Trainings for themselves and their families. Needless to say, the teachers How to Go About Teaching involved in providing training to students in financial literacy Financial Literacy should not only have a degree Economics or Business Now is the time to rethink the in very purpose of education — a administration etc., they should research-based, innovative and be individuals who follow the uniform curriculum should be principles of finance in their own framed. Whether we teach financial life. literacy as a ‘stand–alone’ subject or integrate it with others, there is a need for lot of brainstorming on the part of academicians with full support from NCERT, CBSE, State Boards etc.
They should be adequately trained and resourced, and aware of the importance of having a financial literate school population. They should arm themselves with effective learning tools and relevant The best way to instil this within pedagogical methods to convey the minds of students is to create key concepts to students. a situation where students are Conclusion thrust into learning to manage their daily living expenses. Let them be It is clear that financial literacy is exposed to situations which help the most important component them understand the correlation of financial reform in our country. www.lxl.in
Dr. Navneet Kaur, Principal, Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Ludhiana (Pb) is Ph.D in Education, M.A. (English),M.A (Psychology), M.Ed. She has published 13 books and 17 papers in journals of repute. She has presented more than 40 papers at National and International Conferences. She has been appointed as a Resource Person for Capacity Building Programmes by CBSE and is also being invited by colleges for Extension Lectures. She has guided 18 dissertations at M.Ed level. As a Principal, she is keen to take up research projects for school students too, so as to develop among them research attitude and open mindedness. sghps_school@yahoo.com
10 | Mentor | April 2019
Governance
MAKE MENTAL HEALTH M
ental Health Policies have already taken up huge amount of resources in the United States of America – the country laden with communal gun laws, bullies and precocious lifestyles. Thankfully, the policies have slid its way up the local politics and has made its place against all the critics out there, trying to shun it down. If not a policy, then adding it to the standard curriculum would surely benefit the masses on the larger scale, as the real implications of a poor mental health only rises when the molding period vanishes, and adult life sets in. Apart from mental health being acquired by the surroundings at home, a classroom has equal potential to make a student’s life miserable. There are those with no issues whatsoever but subconsciously refuse to be the confidant for the ridiculed masses. The bullies and the teachers have held a position (power to destroy) for times immemorial; who can tweak the minds of young students and scar them for life. This amateurish act is the start of something huge; something lifechanging. “Schooling”, where all the primary life lessons are taught by interaction and live examples. The school policy should be strict and up for timely regulation. It will not only attract children who consider themselves introverts well before www.lxl.in
A PART OF SCHOOL POLICY time, but also their parents. All of this will add up to the larger emotional investments made by both the parties. Behavioural checks and timely counselling sessions, for both; the students and faculty can lead to termination of this ill omen. Elders, who are well versed with this turmoil, are scared and choose not to let their child know or believe that such a thing as “Altered Mental Health” even exists. This not a whiff of an emotion; it is hardly ever acknowledged – Rather it is subdued and masked by the elders as a ‘Phase’ or a ‘Temporary feeling’. And just like that, the child starts dwindling and one fine day finds itself at the bottom of the negative spiral which was easily reventable. According to me, such cases are salvageable and hence, individuals responsible for this conscious attempt of pushing the boy or a girl over the edge should be encountered and intervened. Damaged ones or the ones who are in mental anguish; should be kept around family and friends. Talking their heart out is one of the most conventional ways of tackling this age-old phenomenon. But again, for the knowledge to be shared; it must have an origin; and, personnel with some background information or being close to the origin of various mental health manoeuvres would prove as a beautiful asset to the lost soul
seeking help. Mental health should be subtly introduced into the curriculum of young adolescents; as they are known to be often driven by their hormones and not their wits. For the mature ones; it must include specific set of exercises and techniques to help them produce a grip over their futuristic problems. An integral part of this journey is that: To make them believe that embracing our mental issues is not a shameful thing. And that, the first part of healing is to know your own self.
Dr. Animesh Upadhyay
has earned his Bachelor’s in Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) from a Government Medical College, affiliated with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. His literary works include write-ups in medicine, environmental altercations, United Nation’s policies and English Literature. Dr. Upadhyay believes that his existential poetry belongs in endurance sports: his Passion. animeshu11@gmail.com
11 | Mentor | April 2019
Governance
COUNSELLING & GUIDANCE IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Why It is the Need of the Hour
Introduction
T
eachers in classrooms all over the world warn about the destructive behaviour of students that has reached alarming levels in recent times. The frequency of the outbursts has left teachers wondering how they can provide a safe and inclusive learning environment. There is something inside every person that says “My darkest night will end, and the sun will rise again if I’m uplifted by that one hand.” Noble International School tries to be that one hand which would bring about a new dawn in the life of many.
Counselling in an Educational Institution: The Need of the Hour Problematic behaviour patterns among students are growing, and it is quite harrowing. Recently, we too witnessed a scenario in which some teenagers in school were linked to social media in the most startling and inappropriate way, especially given their age. Witnessing such an incident gave us a terrible shock as educators; this was a stage where teachers
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had to retrospect as to what kind of education they were imparting and instilling in the students. Thousands of questions flashed across our minds, but even with such an expansive vocabulary at hand, we couldn’t find a way to resolve the many complexities of the issue. This made us realise the importance of counselling and guidance in an educational institution.
Taking Things into Our Own Hands as Educators When one is facing a dilemma or some psychological problem, we often tend to socially isolate ourselves from everyone and keep probing our minds for a solution.
An amiable ear and a compassionate pat, given at the right time, can pull anyone back from edge.
But there are times when we are not able to help ourselves, and we start feeling hopelessness. This is the point at which, when the problems start gnawing away at our insides, that one needs to seek a counsellor and get life back on track. However, we, as NIS mentors, decided to do things differently. This difference led to us becoming immediate firsthand counsellors ourselves, without a professional designation. We also had to understand that every child and adolescent is different from one another, and so are their problems. Hence, we set about the task of bringing our students out of the negative influence of social media, so that they could use it appropriately to increase their own knowledge and quality of life.
Implementing the Process The first step we took as a part of the process was building a group of effective grade counsellors as a team. These team members held their meetings after school hours, and the primary task was to plan and understand the aims and objectives as grade counsellors. This led to an ease
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Governance Conclusion The role of a counsellor is now shouldered by many other counsellors from the teaching fraternity at NIS. We have started our journey hand-in-hand with the goal of enriching lives. We hope to get heartfelt wishes from our wellwishers across the world in our noble endeavour of creating better citizens for a better tomorrow.
of understanding of their roles and responsibilities. In subsequent meetings following the first one, respective grades and students were allotted; the intervention duration was fixed weekly, and in a week’s time, each counsellor had to submit a report of the students’ progress in a prescribed format, which incorporated action plan, observation, assessments, feedback of the child etc.
counsellors understand the exact areas of focus to tackle on priority; an indirect method of counselling and guidance thus begins. With each passing day, the child’s increasing comfort levels lead the child towards better reflection and improvement, thus reminding us of the saying, “An amiable ear and a compassionate pat, given at the right time, can pull anyone back from edge.”
Based on the above-mentioned criteria, the grade counsellors continue working towards their task of counselling and guiding the students to the best of their ability.
Tapping into an Indirect Way of Counselling Usually counsellors take students to a counselling room and the ensuing conversations and counselling happens there. Unlike the usual method, the grade counsellors of NIS approached the students, as and when required, on a daily basis without the children knowing that they are actually being counselled. One of the highlighted methodologies that grade counsellors follow in our organisation includes a free walk along the campus, during which there is an exchange of ideas, thoughts, their likes and dislikes and problems. Ultimately, they foster a relationship with the child, who becomes well-acquainted with the counsellor over time and starts to trust them. This makes the www.lxl.in
As an educator, I hope you liked the initiative and will take inspiration for building a superior
Mr. Shibu Abdul Rasheed
In the majority of cases, we have been successful in solving our students’ behavioural problems, helping them manage stress and set goals for themselves gradually.
Feedback from Stakeholders In the majority of cases, we have been successful in solving our students’ behavioural problems, helping them manage stress and set goals for themselves gradually. The initiative taken in our school has been well-appreciated by our valuable parents as they observed remarkable changes in their wards after the interventions.
is currently the Principal of Noble International School and has been a part of the education field for over 15 years. An M. Phil, he currently holds a Ph.D.. He started his career as the Head of the Department, where he became Vice-Principal within two years. He has been an enthusiastic Principal in countries like Saudi Arabia, India (Kerala & Varanasi) and Qatar, supporting innovative and robust learning environments for students. He has played various coordinator roles, facilitated charactereducated programs, organised and headed parent-teacher interactive sessions, and career guidance programs for students. principal@nobleqatar.com
13 | Mentor | April 2019
Governance
INTRODUCING EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH INTO CLASSROOMS How Research-Based Approaches can Enhance Teaching & Learning Introduction
E
ducational research is a process of solving problems related to education, through the systematic collection and analysis of relevant data. Research may involve various aspects of education including student learning, teaching methods, teacher-training and classroom dynamics. It is used to correct errors, manipulate and control variables, verify and extend theories and generalities and discover new things, with the ultimate objective to advance the welfare of society. The basis for educational research is the scientific method; this uses directed questions and manipulation of variables to systematically find information about the teaching and learning process. In this scenario, questions are answered by the analysis of data that is collected specifically for
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Educational research can address the following variables:
Educators can use research findings to improve their competence and enhance the teaching and learning process.
the purpose of answering these. The hypothesis is written and subsequently proved or disproved by data, which leads to creation of a new hypothesis.
Why Indian Schools Should Emphasise on Research Indian schools must emphasise on research to develop new knowledge about the current teaching-learning situation. Using the scientific method, educational research can provide a definite answer regarding the best practices in teaching.
• How students various subjects.
best
learn
• What the best teaching practices are to foster student achievements. • The best practices teachers can adopt to motivate their students to achieve. • How students and teachers change over time, including their cognitive, social and emotional skills. Therefore, cultivating a researchbased approach can effect a positive change in your classroom, school and beyond.
How Schools Should Implement a ResearchBased Approach Implementing new approaches or practices in classroom settings often looks quite different from what was originally intended; while 14 | Mentor | April 2019
Governance principals and teachers may decide to adapt elements of a programme, barriers in the school system may prevent an approach from being fully realised.
• It improves understanding of professional and policy context, enabling the staff to teach and lead more strategically and effectively.
When implementing an educational approach, providing on-going support to teachers through coaching, workshops and supervision has been shown to be imperative. It is important to ensure that the knowledge acquired is in relation to the real world whenever context permits, such as the latest developments in industry.
• Educational research attempts to solve a problem, it involves gathering new data from primary or first-hand sources, or using existing data, for a new purpose. Teachers can become more effective by developing the skill of recognising scientifically-based practices.
The increased use of technology in schools creates both new challenges and opportunities for connecting research practice to the classroom. Published findings of research-based evidence can be used as instructional methods by teachers to foster student achievements. A designated research lead can filter information and share the most robust evidence for their colleagues, avoiding duplication of efforts. Educators can use these research findings to improve their competence and enhance the teaching and learning process.
The Importance of Training Staff in Educational Research It is important to train school staff in educational research as: • It finds a solution to a particular problem arising in a classroom or school, underpinning professional learning of knowledge, skills and understanding. • It connects the teacher with the source of information and network of professional support. • It clarifies purpose, processes and priorities when introducing changes. For e.g. in the curriculum, pedagogy or assessment.
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• Being research-informed would mean teachers gain a better understanding of what’s likely to work in the classroom.
Conclusion Thus, the purpose of educational research is to develop new knowledge about teachinglearning situations, to improve educational practice and help in motivation and development of students, and in classroom management. Knowledge generated by research is the very basis of sustainable development, which requires that the knowledge is placed at the service of development, converted into application and shared widely. It helps our globalised society form foundations and frame government policies around the world. Ultimately, research is essential to economic and social development.
Dr. (Mrs) Anjali Dwivedi, has an M.Sc (Organic Chemistry), B.Ed, and a Ph.D. She is presently working as the Head of Chemistry Dept. in Seth Anand Ram Jaipuria School, Kanpur. With over 30 years of experience in teaching classes XI and XII, she also visited Ugyen Academy, Bhutan, to teach as a part of an exchange programme. She has been the Chemistry ISC examiner for the council since 1999 and Chemistry city coordinator for the council since 2009. She has published 8 Research papers in National journals, and recently, she presented a paper in Indian International Science Congress Seminar. She is a member of the national-level science organization Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM), and actively participates in various science programmes as evaluator or judge; she has received 3 reputed Science teacher awards. She is also the co-author of class XI & XII laboratory manuals and helps prepare students for various science competitions. anjali.dwivedi63@rediffmail.com
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Cover Story
CREATING A FEAR-FREE ENVIRONMENT AT SCHOOL A School Leader Delves into the Effective Practices at his School Introduction
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here has been a lot of debate and research over which aspects attribute to a successful school. In this article, we raise some pertinent questions that are worth asking. What makes a school successful? What are the factors distinguishing the most effective and the least effective schools? With multiple models for school operations, how can we judge if a school model is effective? We travel to the picturesque village of Simayal in the Nainital district, Uttarakhand, through the vivid words of Nupur Hukmani, volunteer at Chirag School, in this story. She has helped its School Leader Sumit Arora pen the answers to
some of these questions, and to share some of the school’s most effective practices. An alternative Hindi-medium school for the local and nearby rural communities, its educational model is setting an example for 65 schools in the area.
Using the “five factor theory” based on research by celebrated international authors and educators, David Miller Sadker and Karen R. Zittleman, Sumit and Nupur bring to life the story of Chirag School based on the five common characteristics that effective schools seem to share.
QUALITY LEADERSHIP The mark of an educated person,” wrote Plato in The Republic. “Is the willingness to use one’s knowledge and skills to solve the problems of society.
Yes, absolutely. Especially since the school leader influences multiple stakeholders, it becomes all the more important to have a leader who believes in a philosophy for the school and drives every action aligned to that philosophy; he needs to possess empathy and understanding for the community, and, above all, believe in the potential of every child. As a school leader, my focus is as
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Cover Story much on building the leadership of my teachers, the community and our students.
A Key Practice of your School that Promotes Leadership Skills As a school leader, my focus is always on a participative and a democratic form of leadership. When I joined Chirag School three years ago, the teachers were used to following orders. I had multiple conversations with them about how a teacher with an independent and problem-solving mindset would, in turn, nurture children with a similarly constructive mindset. For instance, our students from Grade 5 attend the Navodaya Vidyalaya entrance exam every year, which requires students to put in extra hours in preparation. Two teachers came up to me before the school was to shut for the winter break for two months, and told me that they would be willing to take extra classes during that period to help the students prepare well. This is what I mean by an independent and a problemsolving attitude in the teachers, which I am very proud of.
The Outcomes of Practising Quality Leadership
The teachers have started taking more ownership, have become involved in the larger aspects of the school and are no longer restricted to only their classrooms. As far as outcomes of this participative leadership are concerned, our students of Grade 5 did fairly well at the Navodaya exam — 25% of them cleared the exam versus a national average of 2%. Another example is that the teachers have been making regular house visits — something again they realized the need for on their own. They now have an excellent understanding of the community and have put in a lot work into building relationships with our parents.
HIGHER EXPECTATIONS FROM THE WORKFORCE I do believe it is important to have high expectations from your workforce because it helps in realizing their true potential and subsequently leads to a richer learning experience. The are many pros of having higher expectations from the workforce; our teachers stay back every day willingly for an extra one and a half hours, to plan for the next day. They brave the challenge of travelling in the hills and make sure they make regular home visits post school hours, run the after school sports
and extra-curricular clubs on their own, and train the teachers of 65 government schools (who are part of our outreach program) regularly. One of the cons of fulfilling these high expectations in an underresourced school like Chirag School is a worry that our teachers may burn out. That’s why I have regular conversations with our teachers about taking a break once in a while. Every time a new teacher joins Chirag School, we do feel a mismatch between the respective expectations, mainly because Chirag School is an absolutely fear-free school. It is always challenging for a new teacher to align herself/himself with the fact that it is okay for students to talk to teachers freely, to realize that it is more essential to be a mentor to them rather than ‘teach’ them, to not hit or shout at them but to have conversations with them. A change in mindset of this kind requires many hours of training, classroom observations, conversations and reflective
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Cover Story practices on the part of the school leader as well as the teachers. However, the investment in these practices is absolutely worth it.
Parameters to Judge the Success of your School We have 3 main parameters that we judge Chirag School ona) A community that is fear-free, respectful and inclusive for everyone. b) Learning outcomes of our students. c) Holistic development of every child, to make sure that every child becomes a confident and independent learner.
Practices in your School That Enable Teachers to Reach their Higher Potential To aid the development of our teachers, we focus on the following practices in the school: a) Regular observations
and
classroom school
walkthroughs: These are followed by individual feedback sessions on pedagogy, content, planning as well as teacher mindsets. b) In-house training sessions: These are usually based on the trends seen in the classroom observations. c) Inviting resource persons: We also invite resource people from different fields of expertise to expose our teacher to better teaching practices. For e.g. we had two sessions this year — one on reading comprehension strategies and the other on special education. d) Exposure visits: We encourage our teachers to go for workshops and field visits. This year, two of our teachers went for a workshop on Early Literacy in TISS Hyderabad. All our teachers also visited Rajghat Beasant School, Benaras, to observe their best practices, learn from their teachers and understand J. Krishnamurthy’s philosophy of
education.
SCREENING STUDENT DEVELOPMENT REGULARLY We promote a non-competitive environment for children; we do not grade or rank our students, neither do we have exams in the traditional sense. However, we do maintain a rigour in the academic component for our students. We have regular formative and summative assessments across the grades. Our students complete worksheets aligned to various subjects as a daily practice; based on their performances, the teachers decide which areas individual children need support. Besides this, our teachers also keep a record of every child’s interest, strengths and areas of improvement, which they regularly discuss with the students and their parents.
The Best Practices that have Improved Students’ Performance We are very proud of the following best practices, which have shown us a marked improvement in various areas: a) DEAR Program: Three years ago, we realized that our students were reading at the grade level, but we noticed that unfortunately, they were not enjoying reading. We decided to begin the Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) program for every single individual in the school — the school leader, teachers, students and support staff alike. Every day, when the bell rings for the DEAR program, every one literally drops what they are doing and picks up any book that interests them from the library, which they read for the next 45 minutes.
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Cover Story It has been more than two years, and we now see a new interest in our students for different genres of books. Another wonderful outcome has been that children are now able to write richer and longer written pieces. b) Differentiation in teaching: Earlier, the teachers were teaching using ‘the one size fits all’ method, which was clearly not effective. We had sessions on differentiated planning and instruction for the teachers, as well as one on differentiated assessments. The teachers have reported that they now know their students better.
How to Assess the Individual Skill Sets of the Student Beyond Academics At Chirag School, we believe in the holistic development of every child; hence, there is an equal focus on academics and extra-curricular activities. We have a regular afterschool sports program, including chess, volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho,
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football, cricket and badminton. We focus on creating the mindset of a good sportsperson. We also have various clubs including dance, music, knitting, theatre and art, and we take our students on regular nature walks every week. These not only help the children connect to nature profoundly but also help them understand their responsibility within the bigger issues of sustainability.
Assessment Measures Used by your School to Compare Students’ Performances Nationally & Internationally We test our students on the ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) tool. This year’s data reveals that 94.1% of our Grade 2 students can read at Grade level as compared to the national average of 13.4%, and over 94% of the children in Grade 5 can do simple division as compared to the national average of 25.9%. We also test their reading level in English, using the internationally
recognized A-Z levels, where each child is aware of his/her level and chooses their texts according their levels.
Problem Areas of Learning at Classroom Level that have been Successfully Identified and Resolved The two problem areas at the classroom that we identified last year were: a) The breakdown in the conceptual understanding of mathematics: During classroom observations, I noticed that a few of our teachers needed help in polishing their concepts in math education. We had an in-house session on Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract methodology of teaching conceptual mathematics and also purchased resources on this methodology from JodoGyan, adopting some of their best practices. b) Children with Special Needs: We realised that we were not doing enough for our students
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Cover Story who have special needs, and that we did not have the expertise for this in house. We invited a psychologist with rigorous experience in this area to conduct sessions with our teachers on identifying children with special needs, remediation, and teacher sensitivity in dealing with such students.
The 21st Century Skills your School Curriculum Addresses “The mark of an educated person,” wrote Plato in The Republic. “Is the willingness to use one’s knowledge and skills to solve the problems of society.” Chirag School aims to equip its students with skills, values and knowledge so that they can think critically, act responsibly and live peacefully. As children move to the primary school, the academic focus is to develop their language skills (Hindi and English) along with their numeracy skills. Sustainability and conservation are key components of our curriculum; children spend a lot of time learning about their natural environment through nature walks, field visits and gardening. Activities including art, music, drama and dance are integrated
Focus Areas & Goals for your School At Chirag School, we believe in the holistic development of every child; hence, there is an equal focus on academics and extra-curricular activities. with the fundamentals of language and arithmetic. Life skills such as cleaning and caring for school, as well as activities such as knitting, meditation, sports and yoga are included. We have also developed a robust computer and science application curriculum using Scratch, a programming language developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Besides these, Chirag School also prioritises values like empathy and equity. We conduct regular knitting, cooking, farming and sports classes for both boys and girls, post which we have conversations around gender equality with them.
CLEAR GOALS AND DIRECTION FOR THE SCHOOL
Chirag School aims to offer an affordable and holistic medium of education for local children that is integrated with their surrounding nature — learning about ‘mud bricks’ and ‘microchips’ at the same time, in a fear-free and joyful environment. Our focus for our students is that they should develop in mind, body and soul, be independent learners and life-long readers. A school leader has to ensure constant communication and relationship-building with various stake holders. Here are some ways we ensure that: a) Regular home visits b) Quarterly Newsletters updating our donors and well-wishers of the happenings in the school. c) Regular SMC meetings and PTA meetings: These help us with solving current issues as well as in the future planning for the school. d) Government Relations: We update our block officer regularly through our newsletter as well as meetings. We also work closely with the government through our outreach program, through which we focus on advocacy. e) Field visits, picnics and exposure visits by staff: This builds relationships and helps to broaden their understanding through exposure. f) Cultural Activities: ‘AmmaBooboo Diwas’ (Grandparents’ Day) was celebrated, as a part of which the families of our students were encouraged to come and celebrate Kumaoni culture.
SAFETY AND STRUCTURE Parameters Used to Consider a School Safe
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Cover Story We focus on safety at three levels — physical, emotional and psychological safety. We have boundaries all around the school, a fire extinguisher in place and students are never left unattended. The staff is trained in disaster management, in case of an earthquake, and in how to use the fire extinguisher. At a school level, we have a non-negotiable policy against corporal punishment. As far as emotional and psychological safety is concerned, we have had many sessions with the teachers on how to build a safe classroom and around the fear-free philosophy of the school. Besides, we also have a counsellor who takes individual and group sessions on various topics like bullying, managing conflict, problems at home and managing anger.
UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SCHOOL A Unique Achievement of your School Stemming
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from Having Addressed These Parameters As part of their work profile, teachers are expected to make regular home visits and engage with the community to make them aware of the various aspects about a proper upbringing. With our intervention, we have realised that instances of corporal punishment at home have gone down drastically and parents have started engaging in meaningful dialogue with their children instead.
A Success Story of your School The aforementioned DEAR program has been observed by several NGOs in Uttarakhand, and our teachers have trained other teachers in conducting the same. As a result, there are close to 100 schools where the DEAR program is now being replicated.
of Chirag School. With an M.A. in Education from the Azim Premji University and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, he previously used to work as a consultant in India School Leadership Institute (ISLI), Pune, where he was training and coaching school principals. He has a cumulative experience of 8 years in education and has worked with organisations including Pratham Education Foundation and Teach for India. Prior to that, he was an investment banker with UBS. He likes to spend his free time reading and trying to cook. A love for mountains and children is what attracted him to Chirag School. He can be reached at sumit@chirag.org
About the School Leader: Sumit Arora is the School Leader
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Leadership
THE ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP An In-Depth Look at the Form of Leadership in A School
Introduction
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chool leadership is the ability of an individual to give direction to the school team in line with the school’s vision, and secure the cooperation of the team members by influencing their behaviour. Leadership has historically revolved around the Principal, who generally acted as a link between the management and the employees, management and the parent community. Basically, his/ her role was to provide academic leadership to the school. Today, we look at school leadership with a broad network, which includes both academic and administrative areas. As the world is making rapid technological progress, the school leadership should evolve and update itself not only to the new trends in education, but also must provide the best learning environment and facilities. They must empower its faculty with proper training, mentoring and provide best facilities to the learners. It must also build partnership with the parents and community. www.lxl.in
When you allow the people to set their own objectives, they perform best; just keep in mind that they are aligned to the broad vision of the school.
Areas the School Leadership Must Focus On 1. Individual Excellence: The ability to develop, articulate and implement a shared vision that is supported by the larger organisation and school community. 2. Results: The ability to monitor the success of all students, align the curriculum, instruction, and assessment processes to promote effective student performance and use a variety of benchmarks, learning expectations, and feedback measures to ensure accountability.
3. Organisational Competencies: The ability to communicate effectively within the set-up and manage the organisation, operations, facilities and resources in ways that maximise the use of resources in an instructional organization. The leadership should also promote a safe, efficient and effective learning environment. 4. Community and Stakeholders Partnership: The ability to collaborate with families, businesses and community members, respond to diverse community interests, and mobilise community resources. 5. Courage: The ability to speak directly, honestly and respectfully in difficult situations. Should also be able to use critical thinking and problem solving techniques and take appropriate, timely decisions. 6. Instructional Leadership: The ability to promote a positive learning culture, provide an instructional program, and apply best practices to student learning. 22 | Mentor | April 2019
Leadership organisation in a big way, and hence, it cannot afford to falter. Every effort must be made to ensure that appropriate decisions are taken at the right time. Assessing leadership structure will help in identifying deficiencies so that appropriate corrective action can be taken.
Suggestions on How to Implement this Form of Leadership in School • Create a leadership structure which is distributive and democratic.
7. Human Resources Development: The ability to recruit, select, nurture and, where appropriate, retain effective personnel. It should develop mentor and partnership programs, and design and implement comprehensive professional growth plans for all staff. 8. Ethical Leadership: The ability to act in an ethical manner.
Leadership in New Al Wurood International School, Jeddah Our school follows more of a distributive and democratic leadership. It believes in empowering its employees through continuous need-based training, mentoring and recognition to create and develop leadership within the organisation. We have a robust feedback mechanism through interactive, reflective sessions. Our employees are actively involved in the process of planning and implementing all the programs.
rise through the hierarchy and become Principal over the years is testimony to the fact that our school succeeded in developing leadership through its ladder. It values the contribution and feedback of every employee. This style of leadership encourages creativity and innovative ideas and enhances the dignity of the employee. On the other hand, this process is sometimes a little slow
• Appoint personnel with proper aptitude, passion, qualifications and experience. • When you allow the people to set their own objectives, they perform best; just keep in mind that they are aligned to the broad vision of the school. • Focus on the development of each and every employee in the organisation through training, appreciation, compensation and recognition. • Focus on Life Skills education to prepare for life. • Develop a strong employee recognition program.
Focus on the development of each and every employee in the organisation through training, appreciation, compensation and recognition.
• Ensure that there is healthy and cordial working atmosphere wherein employees respect each other. • Develop a system wherein the stakeholders’ opinion and feedback is valued while formulating policies and programs.
and requires a lot of patience and perseverance.
• Develop a healthy mechanism to obtain the feedback and support of stakeholders.
The Journey from a Teacher to Principal
The Importance of Assessing the Leadership Structure in Schools
• Create a mechanism to assess and review the leadership structure.
I joined this school as an ordinary teacher; just the fact that I could
Every decision taken by leadership can impact
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the the
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Leadership NAWIS ORGANISATION CHART
GENERAL MANAGER
GROUP MANAGER (Admin + PR)
HEAD (Early Childhood Education)
LEAD COACH (Acad. Learning & Dev.)
GROUP DEPUTY MANAGER (Commercial)
PRINCIPAL
ADMIN OFFICER
VICE - PRINCIPAL (Boy’s Section)
Accountant
HODs
HEAD MISTRESS (Girl’s Section)
Coordinators (KG Sec)
HODs
Coordinators (Primary)
Admin Exec (Front Office)
Challenges of this Form of Leadership It is a time-consuming process and long-term in nature. The outcome may not be immediate, and it requires a lot of careful planning and perseverance. Another challenge would be to get the right personnel, who are motivated professionals.
Summary This article is based purely on my personal experience as a teacher and school leader. It is also based on my interactions with my teachers and employees, students, parents and other community key members. Over the years I have had the opportunity to attend a series of training programs on education and leadership. I am also a keen follower of current affairs and news stories and a keen viewer of historical documentaries. I also teach Business Studies to www.lxl.in
Grade 12 students. All these have some way added to my train of thought and contributed to this article.
Mr. Peter Ronald Mascarenhas is currently the Principal of New Al Wurood International School, Jeddah, who has a rich experience of 30 years in the education field. A trained Post Graduate in Economics, he has served the institution in various capacities and rose through the hierarchy with passion and commitment to the cause of learners. A strong believer in the principle “every child can learn his or her own way” and “education for life”, he believes education should provide both knowledge and focus more on life skills. He is also a keen learner and a member of Toast Masters Club and Secretary of a leading community organisation in Jeddah. peternawis@peeveeschools.org.
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Leadership
TRANSFORMING SCHOOLS THROUGH DISTRIBUTIVE LEADERSHIP Empowering Teacher Leaders to Improve Teaching-Learning Processes Introduction
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o achieve breakthrough results in student achievements, a great level of teacher talent and dedication is required to tackle the challenges our students face. Effective teaching requires highlevel skills and the teachers need to be supported and coached adequately to provide astute instructions that have a direct impact on student achievement. The key ingredient to make this happen is ‘transformational leadership’ in a school. In the context of a school, distributive leadership refers to distributing the primary responsibility for developing excellent teaching-learning processes in the school to highly skilled, empowered teacher leaders/educators who have the time and authority to work with teachers on a day-to-day basis.
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It is imperative to provide adequate time, authority and resources to the teacher leaders, which will empower them to focus on developing teaching skills of the teachers.
Factors to Consider While Adopting a Distributive Leadership in the School Here are some factors to be considered while adopting a distributive leadership in the school: 1. School Leader’s Mindset The school leader has to get comfortable sharing leadership with others. This is not an easy shift considering the fact that the school
leaders have been managing most of the tasks themselves. This requires the school leader to be a leader of leaders, rather than the leader of all. While the responsibility of the overall school performance rests with the school leader, the hands-on accountability of developing the teachers lies with the teacher leaders. The goal should be to create leadership capacity to create instructional excellence. 2. Having a Long-Term Vision & Goals A long-term vision will enable the school leader to integrate distributive leadership with the structure and processes associated with the school’s overall mission. If not, it will just fill short-term gaps or address ad hoc special projects. Linking the distributive leadership to the School Improvement and Development plan will ensure the teacher leaders will work cohesively towards achieving the goals. 25 | Mentor | April 2019
Four factors to consider while adopting a Distributive Leadership in the School.
1
2
3
School Leader’s mindset should be open to sharing responsibilities.
Create and strengthen leadership capacity.
A long-term vision to integrate distributive leadership with the school’s overall mission.
4
5
Planning Leadership Roles, Systems and Processes
Empowering the Teacher Leaders with Time and Authority to Lead
3. Leadership Roles, Systems and Processes: Pertinent Questions to Ask It is imperative that the school leader plans for who he or she will be distributing the leadership to. There are a few relevant questions that need to be raised: what knowledge, skills and attitude do they possess? Will the teams be grade-wise or subject-wise? How will the teacher leaders be deployed to support teachers? How will the planning, observation, feedback, coaching look like? In addition, as mentioned above, it is vital to link all these to the longterm goals of the school. 4. Empowering the Teacher Leaders with Time and Authority to Lead One of the keys to successful distributive leadership model is to provide adequate time, authority and resources to the teacher leaders, which will empower them to focus on developing teaching skills of the teachers. The teacher leaders will need time to ensure they allot time for the development process for every teacher in their team. Without adequate authority, the teacher leader may not be in a position to evaluate and suggest changes to a teacher.
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Distributive leadership is a great way to ensure the school leader can improve the performance of the teachers in the school by handing over the responsibility to highly-skilled teacher leaders. Teacher leader roles can be a valuable way to give teachers opportunities to grow outside the classroom; they expose teachers to new responsibilities and help the teachers in the school succeed.
Summary When we think of a school leader, we imagine someone who juggles between many activities on a dayto-day basis. A school leader has to manage instructional tasks along with operational tasks, and this leaves very little time for the school leader to support each and every teacher in the school (to improve their teaching skills). Apart from this, the school leaders have to manage a lot of people as compared to the managers in other high-skilled and low-skilled jobs. One of the ways the school leader can address this challenge is by adopting a model of ‘distributive leadership’ in the school, whereby teacher leaders step in to shoulder the responsibilities of equipping
Leadership teachers with the know-how to influence student achievements positively.
Bharath currently works as City Head, Bengaluru at ISLI (India School Leadership Institute). He has over nine years of experience in the Education Sector. He began this journey by teaching Science for Middle Years Program of the International Baccalaureate Curriculum at Indus International School, Hyderabad. After this, he pursued the Teach for India fellowship which helped him gain insights into the grassroots of the Indian education system. As a Program Manager and Partner Engagement Manager at Thermax Foundation - Leadership Institute for Teachers, he worked towards designing and providing professional development training for teachers at Municipal schools in Pune. info@indiaschoolleaders.org
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Innovation
HOMESCHOOLING
An Upcoming Movement in Education Introduction
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ducation has been an integral part of human life since the beginning of civilisation, but its content and form have been continuously evolving. Each era has had its share of new practices, reflecting the society it exists in, and helped education to grow. As such, innovation in education is inevitable and indispensable. Thus — somewhere, technological, social, political and global innovations of society, find their way into education, with a shift in focus from the teacher to the learner. Education is also responsible for building human capital, which breeds and drives technological innovation and economic growth.
Is Homeschooling the New Movement in Education? A progressive movement in schooling systems is emerging — homeschooling. In this system, the child does not go to a traditional, public or private school; parents instead choose to educate their www.lxl.in
Role of Parents in Homeschooling Through homeschooling, a child would be spared incidents of bullying and abusive and hurtful language that happen in schools
child at home. It’s not actually a new way of teaching in India or abroad; parents used to choose homeschooling in earlier times due to religious, conventional and unconventional views about education.Today, most parents are themselves stepping up to teach because of their disappointment with the academic standards of schools and dissatisfaction with the state education system, and other factors like bullying, violence and assaults happening in schools.
Through homeschooling, a child would be spared incidents of bullying and abusive and hurtful language and saved from their effects that cause lower grades, affect his/her self-esteem and lead to poor sleeping habits and depression. Since parents themselves design their children’s curriculum according to the state or national requirement, relocation from one city to another doesn’t pose a problem. Children get more tailored social interactions and a more customized curriculum, based on their interests. With a more personalised approach depending on the child’s learning style, the child is selfmotivated, and don’t have to resort to methods like rote learning. Most importantly, the child spends a lot of time being productive. Parents have a direct role on their child’s daily learning; homeschooling helps them 27 | Mentor | April 2019
Innovation
financially, too, as public schooling is slowly becoming out of reach for a common person.
Homeschooling in India There is no doubt that homeschooling is becoming a mainstream education option in the United States, but in India, parents are still not as open to it. There are many internet-based groups who are helping parents with tackling the intricacies of homeschooling such as Alternative Education India, Pune Home Schoolers, Swashikehan in Chennai. NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) is also an option, with its certifications accepted by many colleges and universities.
Parents have to be ready to take on the role of a teacher and mentor first, and then that of a parent.
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and self-evaluate with a few pertinent questions. Are our schools safe enough? Are schools equipped enough with wellqualified, dedicated teachers? Are children undergoing psychological and physical torment in our schools? Are our schools overcrowded and still following teacher-centric approaches? Are schools equipping children for the changing times? In India, homeschooling might be a necessity for some due to circumstantial, religious or unconventional reasons, but society has not lost faith in the Indian education system. The Indian government and CBSE are bringing in reforms in the education system; they are working on competency-based experiential learning with the aim to prepare Indian children to face the demands of the future with the latest technology and knowledge, and to make them worthy global citizens.
Summary Homeschooling is not an easy task for parents, as it’s difficult for them to provide all the facilities that a school can. Also, all parents are not qualified enough to teach all the subjects to their children; they need to use technology and have to buy designed lessons, additional books, etc. for which they would incur extra costs.
Parents have to organise their schedule to accommodate the children’s teaching hours and be willing to take on the role and demands of a teacher and mentor first, and then that of a parent. Homeschooled children have a very small friend circle and rarely get the chance to talk to the children in a large group; it often makes the child introverted. They do not receive social recognition, or any awards or accolades for their good work. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to match the state and national curriculum, and children don’t get admissions in higher or professional colleges or institutions.
Dr. Anita Pant Sharma is a well-known academician, who has been active in the education domain for almost three decades. Her journey has been eventful, not only in academics but also in the domain of art, culture, music, sports, poetry, environment and social work. With her futuristic vision and versatility, she aims to achieve excellence in curricular and extracurricular missions. She is an ardent reader, student welfare campaigner and an able administrator. She has 26 years of experience as Principal at St Amtuls’ Boarding School (Nainital), Alpine Valley Boarding School (Faridabad), G.D Goenka (Aligarh) and DPS (Jagadhari). anitapantsharma@gmail.com
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Innovation
THE ROLE OF THE GROWTH MINDSET IN EDUCATION Guidelines to Shape a Positive Mindset Introduction: What is the ‘Growth Mindset’?
The Existing Paradigm of Growth Mindset
hen Charles Darwin put forth the Theory of Evolution, stating that life as a whole grows from being simple to complex, he made a reference to the human brain, which, too, continued to grow and develop with time. So, in a way, the concept of Growth Mindset is actually as old as Darwin’s Theory of Evolution itself.
The development we have witnessed in the field of Science and Technology, IT, Agriculture and Economics, is clear evidence of the fact that the human mind is growing with time, as society (including students and educators) evolves. Today, the paradigm of Growth Mindset involves a mad race towards learning and earning; the system pushes a child towards more learning, so that he may proceed to earn more in the future.
W
Before Carol Dweck put forward her concept of Growth Mindset, great thinkers and researchers such as Binet, Terman, Stearman and Weshler referred to the mind being single-dimensional, which could grow until a child became 15 years of age, and then it would become static. Carol Dweck strongly advocated the viewpoint that the mind continues to grow non-stop, and that this mindset is not singledimensional but multi-dimensional, having multiple faculties.
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The whole world has accepted this paradigm, but this writer’s views are to the contrary.
Application of Growth Mindset in a Practical Setting The writer has applied Growth Mindset throughout his teaching career spanning over 40 years. By following a value-added method of teaching, he conducted active learning sessions and mass quiz competitions with over 2500 students.
The writer also introduced the concept of ‘block periods’, with six hours of regular teaching in the classroom. The students were given an opportunity to learn better by using local resources and the surrounding environment, and taking classes under the open sky. Instead of focusing on getting marks in an examination, the writer created a learning-based environment inside and outside of the classroom.
Characteristics of an Ideal Growth Mindset It is imperative to have a sound understanding of the Growth Mindset so that a Positive Mindset can be developed. An ideal Growth Mindset or Positive Mindset has the following characteristics: 1. The mind of a student is trained in a manner so that he/she advances from a focus on more learning and more earning towards serving and giving back to society. 2. The head, hand and heart constitute the three essentials of 29 | Mentor | April 2019
Innovation a Growth Mindset. While the head and hand generally dominate, only by adding heart to our endeavours in education and development can we dream of a genuinely Positive Mindset. 3. Educators need to start thinking of a child as a plant to be nurtured, not like a pot to be filled. It is an injustice to the child to relentlessly pump information into his/her mind, and then gauge the growth of the mind based on examination results. A Positive Mindset develops when a student is trained to apply his learning in the right direction, with value addition.
Guidelines: Developing a Positive Mindset A Positive Mindset is one which carries us towards good physical, mental, spiritual and environmental health. Here are some guidelines to develop a positive mindset: 1. The Growth Mindset concept of Carol Dweck needs to be critically examined so as to redefine and refine it. An educator must apply a SWOT analysis on the students; instead of spending inordinate time on improving the weaknesses, educators should concentrate on the student’s strengths and try to develop these. 2. A student should never be labelled or discouraged, whatever the circumstances. 3. Every educator must have the awareness and knowledge of
Bloom’s Taxonomy to guide the students on its lines, to develop his understanding instead of knowledge. 4. The tendency of 40 minutes sessions of intensive teaching by the teacher should be discouraged; the teacher should rather be a guide and a facilitator, and the students should learn to study and solve problems on their own. 5. The teacher should carry out VAK analysis to determine if the
Carol Dweck strongly advocated the viewpoint that the mind continues to grow non-stop, and that this mindset is not singledimensional but multidimensional, having multiple faculties.
mindset and understanding of the students is inclined towards Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic learning styles. 6. Interactive/ active should be promoted.
learning
7. Student should be taught to ask questions unhesitatingly, based on the 5 W’s: what, when, where, why, and who. Educators should look at capitalising on the natural curiosity of children and encourage them to tap into this proclivity.
Conclusion Along with a critical analysis of Growth Mindset, there is an urgent need to look into developing a Positive Mindset among students so that they can become upstanding members of the society. We need to lean
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towards a more sustainable model of development, which would only be possible if the Growth Mindset concept is directed towards a positive and healthy direction.
Summary This article discusses the theory of Growth Mindset and how it is a critical component of understanding the development of a Positive Mindset that would benefit the teachers as well as the students. The article also lends insight into the steps teachers can take to help their students learn quicker and in a better way than before.
As a lifelong teacher and professional in the field of education, Dr. Rakesh Sehgal has taught, mentored and helped thousands of students and working professionals. He is currently delivering lectures on Motivation and conducting workshops for Faculty development, Life Skills, Capacity Building, Communication Skills, Team Building, etc. He is also working with the CBSE head office at Panchkula to train teachers in Career Counselling, Classroom Management, Gender Sensitivity, Value Education and Science, in addition to working with All India Radio, Jalandhar, as a resource person for environmental issues. drrakeshsehgal@yahoo.com
30 | Mentor | April 2019
APPLES ORANGES AND
Produced by: LXL Ideas Directed by: Rukshana Tabassum
Apples and Oranges is an enthralling story of how 12 year olds Tulip and Daisy realise that their friendship is something far more valuable than their differences. The film teaches children the importance of overcoming differences though dialogue and respect. School Cinema, conceptualised by LXL Ideas, is a learning module on life skills, values & attritudes developed through research & taught using film pedagogy & engaging workbooks. To introduce School Cinema in your school, call +91 90191 11110 or email: info@lxl.in
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