Mentor - India - Vol. 13 Issue 10

VOLUME 13 | ISSUE 10 | MARCH 2020 | ₹40

THE IDEAL

LEADER Establishing a Powerful System to Realise the Potential Within the Organisation Mrs. Aditi Misra Director Principal Delhi Public School (DPS), Gurgaon

BRING YOUR

WORDS TO LIFE Share with us your best practices about the following: 1. What are the practices that your school follows to raise the Emotional Quotient of children?

2. How does photography help cultivate mindfulness and gratitude in children?

3. Is your institution prepared for the ePrivacy regulation? and we'll publish it in Mentor!*

Word Limit: 1300 Words Email: info@lxl.in Submission Deadline: 5th April 2020 E-mail Subject: “Mentor Magazine�

Contents

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Mentor Thoughts Letter from the Editor

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What’s Trending

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Sultan Speaks

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Sentence Crafting

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Pedagogy School Pedagogy

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Playing by the Rules

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All Rights Reserved ���� EduMedia Publications Pvt. Ltd. Publisher & Owner: Syed Sultan Ahmed Editor: Kalpa Kartik Sub Editor: Devina Wallang Content Developer: Farah Javid Layouts : OneAndOnlyDesign.in Production: Praveen U. M., Sathish C., Guna V. Printer: Elegant Printing

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Cover Story The Ideal Leader

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Governance Abuse Negativity Teen Education

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Leadership Decision Making Techniques

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Innovation Digital Citizenship and Curriculum Development

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Learning?

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Learning Experience or Experience

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.

Editorial Committee: Ismat Ahmed, Amrita Burman, Jawairia Saleem, Jaya Narayan, Leena Satuluri, Manjula Raman, Prsahant Muley, Pria Pillai, Rama Krishnamurthy, Sandhya Nair, Shahista Ismail, Skand Bali, Stella Punitha, Swapnali Deore, Vijayam Kartha, Dr. Shweta Gaur & Aaparjita Dasgupta

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letter editor

from the

Teaching is one of the most challenging, creative and dynamic of all professions. A lot many changes have come in, and a lot more are waiting to find a place on the canvas. With all logistical and infrastructural developments, the teachers’ importance in the domain of education can never be negated.

This month, we cover Mrs. Aditi Misra who brings to life the story of Delhi Public School, Gurgaon; a school that is an extension of herself! In the school, there is empathy and sensitivity in every action, thereby, creating a healthy and conducive learning environment.

The principle outcome emerging from Mrs. Misra’s style of leadership is the joy of seeing new leaders emerge!

Whether it is a teacher or a student, seeing them evolve is highly gratifying!

Also, educational leadership should be the concern of everyone under its roof – teachers, admins and students alike – working together to make education as best as possible.

Today, students are a part of society which has shrunk into a global village. In this context, language plays a vital role in the life of students.

Its purpose is not only limited to communication, but rather it extends into the large branches of knowledge and social success. Languages are capable of developing human knowledge and extending it for the benefit of humankind. Children today, even with all the exposure available, still require real-life situations to apply their knowledge. Afterall, life is a celebration, and so each school should be a place to celebrate knowledge.

In this issue of Mentor, we also feature topics like ‘Surviving the Mother of all Professions’, ‘The Need to Educate Teens Academically & Socially’, ‘The Art and Science of Teaching’, and ‘The Art of the Sentence and the Sentence Expansion’.

Kalpa Kartik Editor

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Our Contributors Sangeeta Basu Roy

Aditi Misra

Vice Principal Army Public School, Barrackpore

Director Principal Delhi Public School, Gurgaon

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Tripti Parekh

Sudha Singh

Principal VIBGYOR Roots and Rise Malad (West), Mumbai

Principal Seth M. R. Jaipuria Schools - Banaras Babatpur, Varanasi

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Meena Sriram

Asha Sharma

Academic Administrator Central Chinmaya Mission Trust Education Cell, Coimbatore

Principal Indian Learners Own Academy, Kuwait

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Chetana Keni

Nivedita Rana

Founder and CEO Aurinko Academy, Bangalore

Principal KDB Public School, Ghaziabad

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R. Jeyatheerthan

Teacher SBOA Matric. & Hr. Sec. School, Coimbatore Page ��

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Sultan Speaks

Overall Development Begins with Health Education I was attending the Gulf Education Supplies Show GESS Dubai 2020 event in late February to launch the International Kids Film Festival in the Middle East region.

I have been visiting the event for over a decade now, and I now have a sense of what to expect from these events.

The stalls are mostly of ed-tech companies that come up with novel ways of teaching children through their software and innovative hardware. There is a big trend of AR, VR, XR, 3D and many other new media initiatives in education. The challenge though is that all these innovations base their foundation on the fact that teachers will use them effectively in the classroom and the onus is actually on the teacher to scale up their skill sets if they have to implement any of these technologies.

Going through the plethora of stalls, were a myriad mix of educators and education industry professionals from several Asian and African countries. As always, it was a pleasure to meet and interact with educators from such diverse backgrounds and share the innovative idea of Film Pedagogy. What came out universally through all these interactions is that children today don’t like to read and write, and the faster we come to terms with this fact, the better it is for us.

The world today speaks the visual language, and visual storytelling is the way of communication today and in future.

Kids today are not just interested in consuming content; they want to create content, and to this end, the idea of film making and visual communication resonated with the educators unanimously. An educator came up to me and asked me a question – if I were to pick up one innovation from the event and go all out to implement it in my schools, what is the one I would do and the one that will have the most significant impact on the overall development of children.

I had no doubt in my mind about the answer; if I were to run a school, I would completely rewrite the manner in which I teach about health and well-being for children.

Every time an educator talks about overall development, it is surprising that they rarely bring health into the equation and even if they do, it is limited to exposure to sports

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The idea of health and well-being is not on top of the minds of educators, curriculum planners and school managements. What is the point of overall development when our kids are not healthy?

If we give a closer look at the statistics provided by health bodies world over, the situation is more than alarming.

For the first time in centuries, we will have the next generation that will not live as long as our generation. The number of chronic ailments that are all set to be part of our normal lives is alarming. Sports is not well-being; it is physical activity. We need to educate our kids on a war footing on the importance of well-being of the body and the mind – the importance of sleep, food water and physical activity. If we genuinely believe in overall development, a health and wellness program is what we should invest on, and all other innovations can wait.

While I write this article, schools in the Middle East are being closed as a precaution due to the Corona Virus scare. This epidemic that is scaring the world is another reminder that as a society, health has to be the precedence above all other necessities that we aim to provide our kids. For an educational institution, health and well-being is the first step to overall development.

Syed Sultan Ahmed MD & Chief Learner @ LXL Ideas

What’s Trending

Over the last one year, in what ways have your school’s professional development opportunities taken into account teachers’ personal development, their creativity and their critical thinking?

“Understanding the underlining concept of Professional Development Programmes – which aims not just at content knowledge and teaching approaches, but also provides hands-on competency through didactic learning as its desired dimensions, DPS Modern Indian School has been catering to this holistic approach by conducting various workshops and trainings for its faculty to match the pace of progress in the educational sector. All these workshops and trainings aim at the integrated development of teachers’ content knowledge, their cognitive and experimental skills proving or instead showcasing their competence at each stage, making them take the onus of their responsibilities with innovation and advancement.

At DPS Modern Indian School, the faculty members take up the role of conducting workshops and trainings as resource persons tapping their potential and demonstrating their confidence on various public forums by displaying their strength and working towards honing their skills. In line with the initiatives taken by CBSE to integrate art with all other subjects taught, the school recently conducted an ‘Art Workshop’ for its faculty members to tap on the aesthetic aspects of their personality, making them indulge deep in their mind, and allowing them to appreciate life as a piece of art. This, not only helped the teachers overcome their mental hesitation and cross the undefined boundaries that their mind had drawn for them but also took them through a drive of understanding perceptions and viewing things with widened vision thereby raising the platform for themselves and grooming their personalities. This led to an integrated effect on all the roles and responsibilities taken by the faculty members. Such kinds of involvement of self leads to personal development, ignites creativity and arouses curiosity, giving the teaching-learning process a whole new dimension through maximising educational opportunities.”

ASNA NAFEES Principal DPS – Modern Indian School, Doha

“A good teacher development programme empowers educators not only at a professional level but also at a personal level. The teachers’ well-being, growth, both professional and personal, together with a sense of purpose, can’t be ignored. As a leader in various IB schools, regular teacher development has always been on my bucket list. We provide relevant resources and regular in-school learning.

To give voice, choice and build a sense of action amongst educators, I have consciously created a culture where teachers are stimulated to deliberate, discuss and reflect on various learning strategies. This helps them build their capacity, motivates them to work collaboratively, and allows them to appreciate different perspectives, think creatively & challenge stereotypes – a way to personal and professional growth.

Everyone’s contribution is recognised.”

ANJU KAUL Principal Shishuvan International School, Mumbai Mentor | March ���� | www.lxl.in

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Pedagogy

School Pedagogy The Art and Science of Teaching Ms. Asha Sharma

Pedagogy evolved from the Greek word ‘paidos’ which means ‘child’. I call Pedagogy an art because it deals with human beings. Every human being is unique, and there is no scientific formula which fits all. It is indeed a science because there are cause and effect relationships, and there are some facts about each concept we teach and about us too.

If children develop love and regard for a teacher, they grow a passion for the subject taught by that teacher. They give undivided attention to everything done by the teacher; they love and learn more.

They are so much emotionally and psychology attached to the teacher that they try to immaculate that teacher.

Pedagogy is an art because there can be exceptions to even this established fact also.

THE ESSENCE OF PEDAGOGY AND LEARNING Pedagogy is often described as the act of teaching.

Basically, it is all about the transaction of the lessons. In this competitive world, a lot more is expected from the students. Today, the IQ and awareness levels of students are also high that it has become evident that we cannot follow the same methodologies as were applicable in yesteryears. Now there is a sea of change in the level of instruction with a raised level of awareness amongst students.

Children get interested in a lesson only when they know the relevance of the lesson in their lives. Children often ask me very candid questions like why should we study Mughal history? At times, I felt that they were right, but later while referring to daily incidents, our culture, and some beliefs, I realised how important it is to go to the roots of each practice and how these periods left an indelible imprint on our lives. For example, why do Jains eat food before dusk? Why do Buddhists believe in nonviolence?

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Then I changed my methodology. I started asking them as to why they do certain things in certain ways. Why is the design of temple buildings different from the design of mosques? When we use the deductive method of taking them from known to the unknown, it becomes a detective story, research and a lot of logic and deep thinking is involved. Children usually like these things as all of them are inquisitive. Also, children are extremely intelligent. We make them dull when we snub their questions and the spirit of enquiry.

Life is a celebration, and so each school should be a place to celebrate knowledge.

It becomes a prison house when children are dragged forcibly to mug up facts without understanding. Forced facts create blocks in the minds of children which later gather moss and lichen and appear in the form of big behavioural problems. Rote learning without knowing the logic takes away the charm of learning itself.

ABSORBING THE SWEET NECTAR OF PEDAGOGY AND LEARNING Children should be told in advance as to what are we going to do the next. They should be asked to read the text in advance and come prepared with questions. An open dialogue is a beautiful way to learn. The concept of high-order thinking is just relating facts to real-life situations or using available knowledge in a given condition. If an open dialogue happens, each one involved including the teacher becomes a gainer.

There is a lot of significance as to how do we introduce a topic. The significant focus should be on introduction through a series of intelligent questions, a video, or an activity, but some teachers compromise on it to finish the portions quickly. As a result, no lesson is learnt from a lesson. At times, children should be given results and should be asked to find a path which led to those results.

It can also be reversed. Like Newton saw an apple falling and wanted to know the reason? There should be room for logical thinking.

Pedagogy

PEDAGOGY

All the activities at a school revolve around pedagogy.

Pedagogy affects all stakeholders. For students, it is the methodology of learning. For teachers, it is a method to share knowledge and expertise. For parents, it results in the outcome of efforts of the learners, and for the management, it is the base of popularity and the strength of an institution. For the community, it is a unique method of transaction at school which differentiates a school from the other.

PLANNING EXECUTION ASSESSMENT

Another factor which is part of pedagogy is planning. We have many sections of a class, and we want the curriculum to move uniformly and all the possible dimensions of a concept to be incorporated in the lesson. So, we have a cooperative team planning for each lesson. A team of teachers dealing with the same class and subject put their ideas together to grow the concept.

When planning is done consistently, then only the assessments can be implemented uniformly.

PEDAGOGY IN OUR SCHOOL At our school, we have asked teachers to frame a lot of questions to introduce each concept. They found it more difficult than to elaborate on the concept. Making thought-provoking questions takes away most of their time and energy, but the results are fabulous.

We have concluded that we should devote a lot of time to the introduction of the lessons. Another thing which worked is not to rush with the first three lessons of a subject. Children take time to understand the methodology of the teacher, so they should be given enough time to work out things at the beginning, and as time passes by, children accelerate that speed themselves.

The month of April is critical at our school. Teachers devote a lot of time on introducing themselves based on what they like and what they don’t like, and slowly move with the lesson, giving ample scope to each learner to understand at his/her pace. What is the teacher’s

expectation about written work? How should the questions be answered? In Mathematics, how should the working column be drawn, and how should the working of a problem be shown? A lot of emphasis is laid on that.

What students are learning is essential, but it is more important as to how they are learning.

Assessment goes hand-in-hand. Assessment is the road map for the teacher. Assessment analysis reflects what children assimilated quickly and what was wrongly perceived by the students. After a small interval, we feel like testing students before proceeding further. Our objective is to have a small test, in any form, on each lesson. Assessments, if analysed properly, can lead to an improvement in teaching.

THE IMPACT OF PEDAGOGY IN OUR SCHOOL Our school has become a much sought-after school because we focus on a good and varied instructional methodology. I feel that I have succeeded in my mission when parents of new admissions report about improvement in the performance and understanding level of the students after joining our school and existing students’ parents expressed their satisfaction.

The method of pedagogy in our school benefits not only the students, but teachers also get a chance to clarify their understanding of the concept.

CHALLENGES OF PEDAGOGY IN OUR SCHOOL If we introduce a new pedagogy, we have to face a lot of resistance. It is better to convince the teaching fraternity with the new change and to introduce the change slowly.

Regular feedback and observation are necessary as any lethargy in identifying the purpose may mar all our efforts.

Furthermore, men are shirker by nature. Teachers initially do not like to do research on each topic or to start anew on each concept. Novice teachers adapt quickly, but veteran teachers are rigid in their approach. It is better if the work is done under the leadership of veteran teachers to keep their esteem high and also because, they will need to convince themselves first and then, to persuade others. The risk is that they may spoil the whole plan if they fail to be convinced about the change. This also attacks the creativity of some very versatile novice teachers. But it’s all part of the system. If we are consistent in our efforts, nothing is so difficult.

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Pedagogy FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS When there is success, and the results are good, everyone is on board with you. So, consistency in approach is very much required. Even a good effort or practice faces resistance in the beginning, but when it starts yielding results, it is highly satisfying to get excellent and encouraging remarks from stakeholders.

STATISTICS The heights we have attained over the years is a testimony of the appreciation of our concerted efforts.

CONCLUSION There is no tried and tested perfect pedagogical system. Each school has to try and experiment with the best-suited pedagogy.

What is pedagogy today will not be so tomorrow. We have to change with the times and with all kinds of learners.

All our schools are inclusive, and we have to provide room for visual, auditory, kinesthetic and spatial learners. It is for us to keep improvising our pedagogy. If we do not do so, can we survive the test of time?

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Pedagogy

Sentence Crafting The Art of the Sentence and the Sentence Expansion Mrs. Nivedita Rana

The sentence, as per its definition, represents a group of words which contain a subject, a predicate and a verb that expresses a statement, a question, etc. It is a basic grammatical unit which gives/delineates a complete thought. Sentences are, in fact, a group of words which are arranged in such a manner that they provide a meaningful sense, but just adding words together does not create a sentence.

For example, let’s take a group of words: ‘with an open heart.’

It is a group of words but not meaningful. To make it meaningful, let’s write it in the following way – he met me with an open heart. Sentence construction enables students to make their expressions clear and understandable, as well as it enhances fluency.

THE ROLE OF GRAMMAR To sound correct, a sentence needs the help of grammar and the rules which decide the multiple ways in which a sentence can be written.

While teaching younger students the art of making sentences, it is essential to adhere to a set structure so that they can form simple sentences without committing any error.

For example, Topic: Let's create a sentence Material Used: Printed handouts Method of Teaching: Students will be provided with a printed hand out. Students will read the words first, and then they will read the sentences.

After that, the teacher will ask the students to change the underlined word in the sentence.

For example, Teacher: The bird is in the nest.

Child: The bird is in the sky. The egg is in the nest.

Teacher: The bird eats nuts. The duck eats worms.

In the same way, students will create more sentences which is another wonderful way to improve sentence making. This indirectly enhances their 4c’s, i.e. creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

Also, ‘Jumbled Word Correction’ using simple and then, complex sentences. Words, if they are put without the correct order, will make students think about the placement of each word in the sentence. Repeating the words will make your students realise the exact place of the words in the sentence and thereby, help them correct the wrong sequence while they simultaneously put the words in the correct order.

For example, Agra in is Taj Mahal Taj Mahal is in Agra

They must recognise the word order and the sentence structure. These need to be developed at an early stage as this will ensure a natural bent towards the correct syntax.

The first step after they have been introduced to words that can be easily used in the class is ‘Word Replacement Exercise’.

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Pedagogy THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONCEPT OF SENTENCE The concept of the sentence is important because: • It helps the students understand it and comprehend the meaning it conveys.

• It enables the students to construct grammatically correct sentences, to avoid fragments, as well as run-ons.

• Punctuating the sentence correctly helps the students convey the correct meaning.

• It also makes a huge difference in speaking, reading and writing and helps the students avoid grammatical errors while enhancing their skills.

• It gives the students a much-desired confidence to express their ideas and feelings appropriately.

CONSTRUCTING COMPLEX SENTENCES Students must be able to construct a sentence and expand it properly to become competent writers or speakers. Students should learn to use all types of sentences in what they express through writing or speaking. The switch from using simple sentences to complex ones must take place gradually. A person who uses only simple sentences is like a driver who fears that shift out of first gear because he/she thinks it will make him/her lose control over his/her vehicle, thus, making his journey a tedious one.

Students are a part of society which has shrunk into a global village.

The ability to use complex sentences by using words or phrases will make their writing more exciting, and they will be able to express their ideas better. Just as an adept driver makes a journey smooth, a good writer can make his/her work impressive by using different sentences in different situations. Teachers also do not recommend reckless drivers, but the ones who can as per the demand of the situation, control all gears and make the ride a safe, smooth and pleasant one.

THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER Schools and language teachers have an essential role to play to help students develop into writers who can strongly impact readers.

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The job of the teacher involves: • Making them use complex sentences to show the interdependence of information.

• Making them use short, simple sentences to grip the listeners and readers’ attention.

• To comfortably use declarative, interrogative, exclamatory and imperative sentences thus, making the readers or audience understand directness, the surprise element, food for thought, ponder and/or get their right reaction.

Language plays a vital role in the life of students. Its purpose is not only limited to communication but rather it extends into the large branches of knowledge and social success. Languages are capable of developing human knowledge and extending it for the benefit of humankind.

A classroom is the best place where teachers and students use spoken and written language to communicate with one another, to initiate and engage in the learning process, to present academic content, to perform different tasks, evaluate learning, display skills and make the classroom alive. All this is impossible without the correct usage of the sentence.

Besides the home, schools play an essential role in the process of developing language through simple tasks of learning used at the beginner’s level where children start with recognising sounds, pronouncing words, knowing their meaning, using words differently to make sentences, and also understanding and expressing their feelings.

This encouragement at an early stage turns out to be very advantageous for children. Specific natural modes can undoubtedly help students form sentences.

For instance, using ‘Chit Chat Time’ to encourage students to talk about things that interest them while giving each child in the group a turn to speak and waiting for him/her to respond. As the child uses words, teachers must repeat and help him/her build on what he/she has to say.

Furthermore, talking about children’s daily routine helps them form sentences. Such an activity will increase the number of words children hear and use. Besides, teachers can also read and share books with the children or talk about their past or future - what did they do yesterday or what they intend to do tomorrow?

Pedagogy TIPS FOR SCHOOLS We need to create a class environment where learning is promoted in a play-way method. Teachers and school leaders can enhance sentence making in the following ways: • Use of audiobooks where children listen to a story, read it along and then can recapitulate it.

• Breaking the sentence and asking children to reconstruct it on their own. Using picture books and giving children the freedom to recreate a story.

• Comprehension practice should be encouraged to make students learn the rules of grammar and promote correct sentence formation.

• ‘Sentence Combing Exercise’ is another significant step towards crafting short sentences that can be used to generate complex sentences hence, making their ideas more fluid. This helps them understand how phrases and clause produce the desired impact.

These activities ensure maximum class participation as they add variety to the class and can also be used to build concepts in other subjects as well.

‘TRY IT OUT’ A practice that teachers and school leaders can try out in their classrooms and schools: Exercise for Students – Students can be asked to pick up an opening sentence from an article or report from a newspaper and rewrite it in a completely different style. This, if used in initial years, can help students develop their style of writing, thus, strengthening the roots of sentence crafting. For example, a report from the newspaper: Bal Bharati organises a parliament for youth. Students can rewrite it in a different style: A youth parliament was organised by Bal Bharati School to make the students aware of the functioning of the Parliament of India.

One more example is in the form of the flowchart below: The church of nativity is the piligrimage of the Christians FOR DECADES, THE PEOPLE OF BETHLEHEM HAVE WATCHED TOUR BUSES DRIVE UP TO THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY, DISGORGE THEIR PASSENGERS FOR FEW HOURS AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS AND THEN RETURN.

Tour buses are arranged for the passengers The Journey starts from Bethlehem Passengers are left at the church for a few hours Finally, they are taken back to Israel

CONCLUSION

Sentences can be called the most important building blocks of prose.

They are the basics of all kinds of communication, whether written or verbal. The sentence is a group of words that gives information, organises ideas, and conveys feeling or thoughts.

References 1. Building Great Sentences: Exploring the Writer’s Craft by Professor Brooks Landon 2. English Sentence Builder by Ed Swick 3. Flowchart: Mrs. Meenu Singhal and Mrs. Reena Bhatnagar

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Leadership

Decision Making Techniques A Quick Guide to Effective Decision Making for Leaders Mr. R. Jeyatheerthan

A decision is an act of selection or choice of one action from several alternatives. Parents must inculcate the habit of making wise decisions for their children right from childhood. For instance, when a parent places some toys in front of their child, the child will wisely choose one. In future, surely that child is going to be an expert in that field. In the same way, schools must ensure students make good and wise decisions. In the future, these students can become great leaders.

A leader is one who knows the way and shows the way.

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Sometimes, children don’t know what they are doing, how they are doing it, and why they are doing it. However, it is essential to teach children to do what is right and not what is easy. Before making any decisions, children should think twice on various aspects.

Then only their choices may be correct. If you, as an educator, take a wise decision, you will become a leader. If not, you can guide many youngsters.

Leadership SET SMALL GOALS Always start by keeping small steps to success. Yes, successful people were once beginners. These people are successful in their life because they set small targets at a time. For example, when a child is small, his/her parents keep some things just in front of the child. As the child move towards the items, the parents will further move the items away. Setting small goals for success is the same concept.

If something goes wrong, don’t fret. You can only learn from each mistake and improve with time.

PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK ON YOUR PLAN Most people do not plan properly. If you plan, you can efficiently execute your plans which will give you the right decisions.

THROW AWAY THE FEAR FACTOR

SHOULDER YOUR WORRIES TO SOMEONE FOR TIME BEING

Many people do not make wise decisions because of the fear factor. Throw away the fear factor and be bold and firm on your decisions.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

When you make any decisions, surely your family will support it. Sometimes you can’t make any decision which will spoil your family’s name or the members of your family. So, shoulder your worries to someone for the time being till you take any decision.

THINK OF ALL THE PROS AND CONS Just think of all the pros and cons of that decision. Then you will get some suggestions or ideas, and you can act accordingly. Take a paper, pen and write down all the points about that decision. You may get various points which will help you work according to your plan.

Most of us have heard the phrase “knowledge is power”.

DESIGN A FLOWCHART Like a computer flowchart, you have to think of all possibilities. Just think about the positives and the negatives. Then only, you can have some corrective actions for each decision. Soon, you will get a good result.

LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES If you make any mistakes, don’t worry. Edison had worked on many revisions of the same invention.

If you educate yourself and make an effort to learn as much as you can about the issue, you will find the power within yourself to be decisive.

The worst thing you can do when faced with a decision is to overanalyse the issue. Overanalysing the situation will only make the decision seem more overwhelming.

Instead, choose to be empowered through knowledge.

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Leadership

Playing by the Rules How Leaders Can Play to Win Ms. Sudha Singh

Educational leadership is the process of enlisting and guiding the talents and energies of teachers towards achieving higher educational aims. This is the need of the hour. To ensure future-focused learning, teachers must have a passion for learning, and for growing creatively and collaboratively.

Educational leadership should be the concern of everyone under its roof – teachers, admins and students alike – working together to make education as best as possible.

The idea of the above set of questions is that if the answer is yes, the action or behaviour is likely a correct one.

Though rules are essential, leaders should be task-focused, strong-minded, passionate, and detail-oriented to lead an organisation beyond rules.

When it comes to education, leadership and management get intertwined, and together, helps in building an environment in which every teacher develops to excel and be the best for optimal organisational efficiency.

WISHFUL THINKING VS THEORIES OF ACTION Leaders can help shape the framework for goal setting to set a benchmark for success by understanding the difference between wishful thinking and attainable goals which further leads to the growth of the institution and staff. Baeder suggests and I quote, at the teacher level, “Goals can be linked directly to instructional strategies and curricular emphasis.” These goals are linked to the goals of the leaders, making it possible in the end that everyone’s goals are aligned and are speaking the same language and working towards the same thing.

The leader’s decision can always be on a platform of ‘right or wrong’. According to Patricia Pinnell and Shirley Eagan from West Virginia University Extension, leaders can use four common questions for determining the ethics of an action. These are: • The Child on your Shoulder – Are you okay doing the action, even if your children are watching?

• The Front Paper Story – Would you feel okay if the action/behaviour became the front-page story in your local newspaper?

• The Golden Rule – Are you comfortable being on the receiving end of this action or decision?

• The Rule of Universality – Would it be okay if everyone in the world would behave or act that way?

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SCHOOL ADVANTAGES

QUESTIONING THE VALIDITY

INVOLVEMENT OF TEACHERS & STUDENTS

CREATING A CULTURE OF SUCCESS

FOLLOWING THE RULES

PLAYING TO WIN

PLAYING BY THE RULES

Leadership ‘TRY IT OUT’ We at Seth M. R. Jaipuria Schools Banaras Babatpur, firmly believe that the monthly interaction with the faculty/department helps to build schoolwide, student-level goals, that can become a guide and a powerful process of transformation, allowing teachers to elevate their teaching practices, encourage students for their work, and take decisions to improve the standard of the overall school academics.

Hyatt writes and I quote, “Success builds upon itself, and slowly, it lays down a permanent route to change.”

Leaders need to step out of the comfort zone, take control, be confident, have faith and possess a sense of purpose to achieve the objectives and to bring about a significant change as per the needs of the organisation.

RESEARCH

In our school, we follow: Morning Meeting – Everyone in the classroom gathers in a circle for ten minutes at the beginning of each school day and proceeds with a greeting, sharing, group activity, and a morning message.

Establishing Rules – Teachers and students work together to name individual goals to establish rules that will help everyone reach their goals.

Energisers – Short, playful, whole-group activities that are used as breaks in lessons.

Quiet Time – A brief, purposeful and relaxed time of transition that takes place after lunch and recess, before the rest of the school day continues.

Closing Circle – A five-minute gathering at the end of the day that promotes reflection and celebration through participation in a short activity.

Setting up the rules and often reminding newly admitted students about them with a clear objective and vision is a challenge at the beginning of the session. With regular interactions and sessions, students and teachers become familiar, and the rules get implemented.

Quality Circle Time, Chat Time, Peer Tutoring, Ice-Breaking Puzzles, ‘What- If’ Situations, Innovation of the Month, etc. are some of the practices that can be followed in schools.

To be successful in and out of school, leaders need to set social and emotional competencies – cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control – for a democratic approach and to have win-win situations.

Research has shown that focused and highly-motivated teachers and students with clear norms/rules have always helped in improving the organisation. The commitment and effort of the teachers and school leaders give direction in building a shared vision, norms, goals and priorities in a school and to further express and communicate it to all stakeholders.

CONCLUSION Steve Berkley suggests that school leaders should play a guiding role in ‘Playing by the Rules’ and has put forth goal-setting questions for us to reflect: • What commitments do we as a leadership team want to make to create action plans that move us closer to the vision?

• As a leadership team, how do we engage the staff in considering our school’s vision for learning?

• How do students’ experience in learning and teachers’ role in designing need to change for the desired learning outcomes to be achieved?

• What vision does the leadership team share regarding goals for student learning?

• What desired outcomes can we achieve by improvement?

• What desired outcomes will require innovation?

References 1.www.wallacefoundation.org 2.www.cleverism.com 3.www.iedconline.org 4.www.nextgeneration.ie

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Cover Story

The Ideal Leader Establishing a Powerful System to Realise the Potential Within the Organisation

There has been plenty of debate and research over the aspects that attribute to a thriving school. What makes a school successful? What are the key factors that distinguish effective from the least effective schools?

With multiple paradigms for school operations, how can we judge if a school model is effective?

In this story, we travel to Gurgaon through the vivid words of Mrs. Aditi Misra – Director Principal of Delhi Public School (DPS) – who provides crucial answers to these pertinent questions.

Using the ‘Five Factor Theory’ based on research by celebrated international authors and educators – David Miller Sadker and Karen R. Zittleman, Mrs. Aditi Misra brings to life the story of Delhi Public School, Gurgaon, based on the five common characteristics that effective schools seem to share.

QUALITY LEADERSHIP Is quality leadership integral to the success of your school?

Yes, at various levels, quality leadership is integral to the growth and success of the school. This leadership is not only reflected in the Principal but in every teacher and student.

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Cover Story What is the form of leadership your school follows?

For me, leadership means empowering each stakeholder and mentoring them as and when the need arises. I believe in the democratic style of leadership.

• When a teacher is given a leadership role, he/she sits with me to define and clearly mark out the job profile.

The teacher is then left to chart his/her own path in tandem with the school vision to reach the desired outcomes.

• Student leaders are given a free hand to innovate and experiment. Problems, hurdles and their solutions are discussed with other school leaders and alumni.

I see failure while innovating as a step towards finding new paths with new learning.

Describe the outcomes of practising quality leadership.

The principal outcome emerging from this style of leadership is the joy of seeing new leaders emerge!

Whether it is a teacher or a student, seeing them evolve is always gratifying.

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS FROM THE WORKFORCE Should a leader have high expectations from his/her workforce?

As a leader, I’ve always felt the need to articulate expectations as democratically as possible. Each member of the team is encouraged to formulate their own expectations and to try and align them to the institution’s expectations.

What are the parameters to judge the success of your school?

All the stakeholders seem to be happy and think of the school as their own, whether it’s academic staff, admin staff, parents or students. In spite of so many school options available, they choose to stay with DPS Gurgaon. Additionally, if success is measured by academic results, the school has shown consistent excellence in this field. I also like to measure success in terms of students’ achievements in co-scholastic spheres like sports, art, dance, music, debate, etc., where again our students have shown exemplary performance.

How does your school enable teachers to reach their highest potential?

The true strength of a school is its teachers, and we make every effort to ensure that our teachers are able to upgrade themselves through professional development programmes.

• In-house workshops are held for different levels of teachers.

• Teachers are encouraged to attend professional development workshops outside the school and share their learnings with a larger group after the workshop.

• Teachers wishing to study for a higher-qualifying degree are encouraged and supported by giving study leaves and dividing their teaching load.

There’s a conscious attempt on my part not to create competition among staff members but to help them delve within and compete with themselves. The most obvious benefit of this has been that the teams work cohesively with a greater understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses; therefore, competition is internalised.

How can a mismatch between the expectations of a teacher and the school management be resolved?

I am one of those fortunate leaders who has never really had to deal with a mismatch between the teachers and the expectations of the school. The only possible ‘mismatch’ comes on the issue of leaves! Often an open conversation, aiming at resolving this mismatch works well.

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Cover Story SCREENING STUDENT DEVELOPMENT REGULARLY

CLEAR GOALS AND DIRECTION FOR THE SCHOOL

How does your school screen student development regularly?

Students’ development in the academic sphere happens automatically through tests and examinations. The results of these assessments are shared with the parents at regular intervals. The more challenging bit is screening students in other aspects. This is done through a process of self-assessment, where students enumerate their participation and success in various school programmes. Periodically, peer reviews are also held. In senior classes, such assessments are carried out with the help of parents and alumni.

What are your focus areas and goals for your school?

What are your best practices that have improved student performance?

Students are empowered to lead various initiatives in the school. I let them initiate and support them as a mentor, to evolve into global citizens. The school has 22 clubs led by our youth leaders.

What are your school’s assessment measures to compare student performance nationally and internationally?

The school organises various national and international Olympiads, exams like DELF (French proficiency), as well as FIT (German proficiency). Students participate and bring accolades to the school in various MUNs (National and International,) Dance Festivals (National and International) and State/District/National/International-level sports.

Describe some of the problem areas of learning at the classroom level that has been successfully identified and resolved.

Children with special needs is an area of concern as every child is different and has different needs. We have created an inclusive setup where the classes of children with special needs are sensitised, and the class size is consciously kept smaller.

Our school has engaged counsellors, special educators and occupational therapists at every level to help/support Children with Special (CWS) needs. As and when the need arises, these children can be pulled out from their regular class for training.

What are some of the 21st-Century skills being addressed by your school curriculum?

Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication are the 4 Cs that define the 21st- century skills. These four skills come into play when the 189-strong Student Council functions effectively and efficiently throughout the year.

Keeping in mind the four Cs, all the events and programmes that they organise are a collaborative effort with clarity of communication at all levels of the school community.

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I have endeavoured to create and foster a more positive and sensitive world view in all my students and teachers.

How does a school leader bring together every stakeholder to accomplish goals?

As a leader who believes in a democratic process, I like to take representatives from each group of stakeholders. So, whether it is planning the calendar, the budget, a trip or an event, the voice of every stakeholder is heard. This helps me to decide a course of action based on diverse viewpoints.

Cover Story

SAFETY AND STRUCTURE What are the parameters you use to consider your school a safe school?

• Security guards at all the school gates and the three blocks of the school • CCTV in all the blocks and buses • RFID cards for every student • Parent and staff ID cards • Bus tracking app for all the parents • Regular safety drills, sensitising the school community for action in case of disaster, frequent CPR training sessions for academic as well as non-academic staff • Ramps and wide staircase for evacuation in case of emergency • Doctors and nurses available on campus • Frequent safety audits done by parents

UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SCHOOL Describe some unique achievements of the school stemming from having addressed these parameters

The unique achievement is that we think of our school as an extension of ourselves! Thus, there is empathy and sensitivity in every action, thereby creating a healthy and conducive learning environment.

A SUCCESS STORY OF THE SCHOOL Delhi Public School, Sector 45, Gurgaon, was instituted in the year 2002 under the aegis of the Delhi Public School Society, by Mr. Ravi Jaipuria – a well-known industrialist, educationist and philanthropist, and his wife – Ms. Dhara Jaipuria, who has been committed to the cause of quality and equity in education.

School education today is changing at a pace like never before. New processes like experiential learning, discovery, critical and design thinking, collaborative and peer learning, inquiry-based classroom transaction with ample space for dialogue, are undertaken and practised at DPS, Gurgaon.

The concrete walls of the school not only enclose 5.5 acres of land but also hold the motto ‘Service Before Self’ in the hearts of 6000+ students and 500 faculty members!

Shiksha Kendra It was Mr. and Ms. Jaipuria’s mission to give back to the society that ‘Shiksha Kendra’ came into being in 2003, with 500 first-generation learners. The school is an effort towards inclusion, to support the less fortunate children – which is in tandem to the ethos of DPS Gurgaon. The students use the same infrastructural facilities, free books and uniform and partake in a midday snack. Shiksha Kendra has 1,500 students now (Nursery-XII) with a 100% result (NIOS) every year which says a lot about this model of philanthropy, compassion and commitment. The school follows many sustainable practices which have enriched lives and are also in tandem with the school motto, ‘Service Before Self’.

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Cover Story Muskaan ‘Muskaan’ called ‘Hum Saarthi’ is a project launched by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) alliance for re-imagining school education (FICCI ARISE) in collaboration with the Haryana Government. This project aims to offer a framework for one-to-one adoption of government schools by well-established schools that help to upgrade the infrastructure, develop faculty and fund mechanisms.

Delhi Public School, Gurgaon, under the able guidance of its patron Ms. Dhara Jaipuria – Pro Vice-Chairperson and Mrs. Aditi Misra – Director Principal, adopted two government schools – Government Primary Girls School, Kanhai and Government Primary Girls School, Jharsa in 2017.

The vision for the project was to empower the girl child into an educated, confident and responsible citizen, equipped to walk the world with pride.

DPS Gurgaon has taken multiple steps to improve the quality of education in these schools and is persevering to empower its aspiring students.

Striving to make a change, DPS shared its best practices in learning, innovative ideas and creativity with the adopted schools. Ms. Jaipuria who believes in providing better infrastructure for quality education took keen interest and personally monitored the renovation of the school building which included repairing of the existing structure, whitewashing, cleaning and painting of the doors and windows.

Keeping in tandem with ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, two new washrooms were constructed along with repairing the existing ones to provide better sanitation facilities.

The open area around the buildings was deseeded, cleared and levelled. The furniture was repaired, and tables were provided for teachers. An ARO System has been installed as a source of filtered water. One support staff had been appointed permanently for maintaining the cleanliness of the classrooms and washrooms regularly.

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Cover Story THE POWER OF COLLABORATION

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

The Director Principal ideated involving the students from Interact Club, Community Service Club and Student Welfare Club of the senior school and the Parent representatives in the project. She believed that interacting with the students of the adopted schools would not only make the teaching-learning process effective and interesting, but also strengthen the value of ‘Service Before Self’.

With a vision to promote a love for reading, the two visionaries gifted storybooks to the girls and urged them to read during their summer vacation. Ms. Jaipuria also inspired the girls to read regularly as she believes that books not only transport us to a wondrous world of imagination but also help us gain unfathomable knowledge. The students of the adopted schools also interacted with the International Exchange Students of DPS Gurgaon, thus getting a sneak peek into diverse cultures around the world.

Beautifying the walls of the school with educational information in the form of drawings and paintings by the students of both the schools marked the beginning of mutual respect and acceptance. Through the encouragement of peer participation, student volunteers from different clubs dedicated an hour of teaching the students of the adopted school.

The volunteers made the lessons interesting through worksheets, posters and interactive sessions. Lessons in public speaking and drama were also held. Regular ‘Quality Circle Time’ helped in the social, emotional and value development of the students. Periodically, races and team games were held to cater to the physical fitness of the children.

The Parent Body of the school extended their support to the project by donating Educational Board Games for all age groups to enhance their learning skills while playing. Books were also contributed towards the library of the Kanhai School.

DPS Gurgaon, therefore, encourages and provides varied platforms for experiential learning to make the students of the adopted schools world-ready.

THE WAY FORWARD The students of both the schools have developed a strong bond of love, respect and acceptance as a result of their association. Project Muskaan has helped in inculcating a sense of responsibility amongst the students of DPS to give back and contribute to the development and improvement of the community. This service motivates them to remain engaged when they see that their participation is effecting change. This is a step towards ‘Sabko Shiksha Achchi Shiksha’.

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Governance

Abuse Negativity

Surviving the Mother of all Professions Mrs. Sangeeta Basu Roy

As the canvas of 21st-century education witnesses too many paradigm shifts and newer mandates getting chronicled, it becomes rather poignant that the juggernaut of 21st century has already initiated the beginning of an end of productive facilitators who would be able to take the reins of the new-generation learners with efficacy. The sudden unavailability of quality teachers becomes tangible all the more during interviews and screening sessions – a difficulty which was not felt, even a decade back. It will be of course a demeaning statement to put it on record that all present-day facilitators are deficient in the requisite pedagogical skills; the calibre of high order does prevail but in a gradual downhill magnitude.

Whatever the causes are, the effects are catastrophic. It will be naïve and unjust, however, to be judgemental without making an in-depth analysis of the causative factors.

Still, before placing our fraternity – the teaching clan on the testimony box, let us accept that the 21st century has done its bit to put the teaching fraternity – the seasoned and the aspirants through the wringer.

Unfortunately, not much is being talked about teaching as a viable career option during career counselling sessions with young stalwarts. Socio-economic factors are creating a nexus to project the profession of teaching as a cul-de-sac to the present generation – the last resort if every other attempt fails. By chance or by choice – the clichéd question emerges as a hollow shame or a burst of demoniac laughter in the context of teaching as a means of livelihood bereft of all passion. Demoralising comparisons with the luminaries of the yesteryears will not bear fruits or overhaul the scenario.

The challenges demand resuscitation, and I pick up my pen to give shape to some of the thoughts and ideas hovering on my mind with eighteen years of hands-on experience, challenges and the ever-thriving learning zeal propelling me to do so – not as an authoritarian indoctrination, but as a humble assimilation of postulations based on empirical evidence.

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Governance PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS Teachers’ training modules and programmes do have their professional and academic implications, but as it happens, the stone that does not roll with time gathers moss and loses its sharpness. The executive ability of a teacher does not come with a newly-acquired degree; like a child, it has to be reared and nurtured with professional nutrients, like a form of art it has to be chiselled to perfection.

SYSTEMISING THE CURRICULUM Harnessing the inner potential of a teacher requires to interpret the staple act of teaching in the newer gleam of curriculum transaction that requires appropriate collation, deliberation, and organisation of the curriculum.

THE TEACHER, THE PERFORMER The initial fundamental that has to be borne in mind is that teaching is not one-way traffic. Hence, acquisition of theatrical skills and that of other performing arts is quintessential to the full-blooming of the potential of a teacher.

Every teaching-learning session is nothing short of a performance. As it is the habit of an actor to submerge himself in the essence of a character before the camera zooms, so it is incumbent on the part of a teacher to get the concept of the day together before walking into the classroom. A simple exercise of a mental rehearsal can enable a teacher to foresee the script of the lesson plan happening in the mind’s eye. So, take the first acronym – ‘IRDS’ which is Introspect, Rehearse, Deliver, and Stimulate.

The teacher has to be a creative thinker to formulate ingenious ways of reaching out to the students, and for that, primarily, they will have to move out of the immediate text before coming to it. The present era is eventful in every aspect, and the onus lies on the teacher to guide the impressive minds to perceive them in the right perspective. The responsibility lies on the teacher to keep abreast with the knowledge revolution making its presence felt every moment. Besides subject-specific knowledge (vertical knowledge), the frontiers of knowledge need to sprawl horizontally to integrate various disciplines and events to make the subject-specific content more relevant and convincing. So, comes the second acronym – ‘REI’ which is Revision of Content, Expansion of Boundaries, and Integration of Knowledge.

THE TEACHER, THE ANALYSER All sorts of instructional strategies will not cater to the learning needs of all types of learners in a classroom. Based on intuitive understanding and data analysis of academic performance, a teacher has to imbibe situational flexibility to juggle with the learning outcomes of surface learning and deep learning. A continuous and comprehensive understanding of such order will call for immense patience and ability to construct and re-construct self-learning. So, look for the qualities – ‘IFPJ,’ i.e. Intuition, Flexibility, Patience, and Judgement.

THE TEACHER, THE CREATOR The next major area that needs focus is the content, and at all learning levels, it has its importance. Without regular up-gradation of knowledge, today’s teachers will lose out in the race. Merely transmitting the information will not be of much help because the new generation of learners already have that – thanks to the quantum leap of technology.

The challenges, therefore, rests on the shoulders of the teachers to outwit technology by devising unique ways of presenting the information.

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Governance

THE TEACHER, THE EMPATHISER High Emotional Quotient is the sine qua non of a good teacher.

Empathetic understanding of a learner’s situation will not only enable a student to find inner strength but will also propel him towards a positive course of action and help the teacher earn the student’s trust.

A teacher has to learn to cope with the personal front to be able to contribute effectively in the professional front.

All problems might not have immediate solutions, but teachers should have some quality me-time to achieve the feel-good factor. Reading, going places, socialising, dressing up, visiting the salon, etc. could be some of the ways to de-stress. Teachers would benefit by creating a support system in the form of chosen colleagues, friends, or family members. So, the focus should be on ‘EBD’ which is Emotional Calmness, Balancing between Personal Front and Professional, as well as De-stressing.

THE TEACHER, THE MOST IMPORTANT MULTITASKER A mutual feeling of respect can facilitate learning, and this feeling can be created with fruitful communication. Words are the most powerful resources – they can construct, or they can destroy. Create such a pedagogical vocabulary that the students wait for your talk time. You and your words can bring out the best in the child. So, follow the mandate of ‘EMC’ – Emotional Understanding, Mutual Respect, and Communication.

THE TEACHER, THE HUMAN As we keep talking about pedagogical jargons and parlance and teachers as human resources, somewhere, we forget the status of teachers as human beings who also have their share of stress, distress, turbulence on the personal front, and their proneness to commit mistakes. School Development Programmes should categorically make room for the emotional welfare of the teachers in varied ways – by creating a non-threatening atmosphere, by arranging counselling sessions, by being able to guide them in matters of the personal and the professional front, by organising workshops and enrichment programmes, by creating opportunities for their growth and most importantly by recognising their contribution and showing the ways to excel. Of the varied mistakes that the teachers often commit, corporal punishment is one. Extensive awareness programmes for the teachers have to be conducted in this respect.

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Teaching is one of the most challenging, creative and dynamic of all professions.

A lot many changes have come in, and a lot more are waiting to find a place on the canvas. With all logistical and infrastructural developments, the teachers’ importance in the domain of education can never be negated. Today’s teachers have to multi-task – perform the role of a counsellor, collaborate with other stakeholders and parents, collate data, make room for Inclusive education in a general classroom, impart life skills and values, and the list goes on. The best way for teachers to remind themselves of their duties and tasks is to create an acronym corner for themselves – may be in their personal space or the classroom which they can call as ‘MEP,’ i.e.

Multitask, Evolve, and Perform. This space can help them register their thoughts, vision, mission, classroom rules, etc. in the form of acronyms which might be a great reinforcer for themselves and their class. It is only the glow of positive thoughts and steps that can dispel the inner darkness and negate negativity.

Governance

Teen Education

The Need to Educate Teens Academically & Socially Ms. Chetana Keni

Schools can be a challenge for teenagers who are still children within but are expected to act like grown-ups. Many may feel under pressure to perform well in exams, maintain a healthy social life, and start making tricky decisions about the rest of their lives. It is usual for teenagers to go through rough patches at school and at home, while they struggle to find their identity and handle independence.

DONNING DIFFERENT ROLES A student often wears many different hats – child, teammate, worker, friend, classmate, etc. Often, these roles are in conflict, and a student must be adept at attending to a variety of factors and assessing priorities.

To optimise functioning, it is necessary to find a balance between the various roles one plays.

A school-life balance is essential for optimal academic functioning. Students often prioritise academics at the expense of personal factors, including relationships and exercise. This can lead to a decline in academic performance, as general health and well-being are critical to optimal academic functioning.

TEEN EDUCATION AT AURINKO ACADEMY A caring school environment with Teen Education can provide an invaluable halfway house between the security of a home and the demands and pressures of the adult world.

At Aurinko Academy, we treat every child from ages 2 to 18 as unique, special and respect their core. We strive to safeguard this core while nurturing them. Right from childhood, children are trained to be self-aware, experience, reflect, ask questions, be open to feedback and seek their solutions. This continuous learning cycle allows them to build these as skills in their toolkit.

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Governance

Aurinko aims to help children create a toolkit for life with several of these skills in various aspects of their life – physical, social, emotional, spiritual and personal.

As teachers and parents, we are on a journey of co-parenting. As we co-learn and co-evolve, we provide a learning ecosystem for the children in our care with a lot of love, respect, time, guidance and involvement. We also alternate the amount of responsibility each one of us takes of the children depending on the developmental stages.

When the teenage years dawn, the school becomes an enveloping, comforting, inclusive and loving place for the child. The school head is their biggest confidante, and that feeling has been built through the years. There is a Student Coordinator, a counsellor and experienced teachers that are available for any conflicts that may come up - both internal and external to the child. Help is rendered through coaching and mentoring conversations, sometimes even requiring counselling, if needed.

AURINKO TEENAGERS TOOLKIT FOR LIFE The must-haves in this toolkit include: • Access to good mentors • Access to good role models • Access to a support system that spans school and home • A purpose in life that aligns to a passion • Access to resources • Specific and continuous training on skills such as self-motivation, self-discipline, time-management, prioritisation, communication, managing stress, managing distraction, body awareness, accepting self, fitness, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, academic coping strategies, etc.

TIPS FOR OTHER SCHOOLS

Children are also given a lot of exposure to people, places and experiences. They are encouraged to nurture a passion from childhood. In the teenage years, this passion is guided to connect to a career. A career aspiration is then connected to a sense of purpose. All help, guidance, connect, training, and skilling is given to ensure this journey is fruitful.

Alongside, due to the personal nature of relationships with adults at Aurinko, the child can find guidance with empathy – this is required to wade through the maze of physical, emotional, personal and psychological struggles of adolescence.

With a sense of purpose and a feeling of being valued, the child has a lot more to focus on than the trials and tribulations of being an adolescent!

It is a developmental stage, and it is handled accordingly.

An important aspect of this is the continuous and transparent communication between the school and the parents.

Without each other’s support, the child will not be able to have a smooth sailing through one of the most difficult and yet, exciting time of his/her life.

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Schools can use the following steps to ensure the teens in their care have the help, support and guidance that they need: • A good rapport between all teachers and children.

• A transparent feedback system between the parents and the school regarding any concerns.

• Regular workshops for children to deal with emotions, body image, time-management, relationships, peer pressure, bullying, sexual health, safety, drugs, handling pressure, etc. Ensure teachers and caregivers attend these workshops.

• Career guidance and counselling so the children are aligned to careers, and hence, they can look at academics with a broader perspective than just passing exams.

• Fully equipped and experienced counselling team.

• Buddy system to alert the officials if they notice anything alarming.

• Frequent checks of “Are u okay?”

Innovation

Digital Citizenship and Curriculum Development Ensuring Thoughtful, Confident and Positive Engagement with Digital Technologies Ms. Tripti Parekh Today's young people lead profoundly connected and networked lives. Young kids engage with media early in life, from the time they can look at a screen. Digital life is here to stay, and supporting young people requires more than simply managing screen time and setting strong passwords. We believe that preparing young people to leverage the positive potentials, navigate the challenges, and manage thorny dilemmas is our best way forward as educators. Doing so requires re-examining what and how we teach. In today's world, teenagers spend about nine hours a day online. They must learn to use digital media responsibly and respectfully.

Digital citizenship comprises all aspects of respectful, thoughtful, and ethical participation in online communities.

THE NORMS OF APPROPRIATE AND RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY USE A proper digital citizenship programme will help students: • Learn about how to use the internet appropriately.

• Learn about fraudsters and predators, as well as other internet safety concerns.

• Learn about when it is appropriate to post personal information online. This could prevent students from finding themselves in dangerous situations.

• Understand and use privacy settings on social media websites.

• Learn the importance of cybersecurity and the steps they can take to protect data such as user passwords, install a firewall, use anti-virus software, update programs, don't download email attachments, etc.

ENHANCING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP AT VIBGYOR ROOTS AND RISE Students need to develop a "meta-perspective" of what it means to live a digital lifestyle. That is, they need to be able to step back from the screen and see "the big picture", which consists of a balanced view of technology's upsides and downsides.

We encourage our students to maintain a healthy balance between the digital and non-digital life by: • Workshops on Cyber Safety and Cyber Bullying have been conducted for students and teachers and Effects of Social Media – it’s pros and cons – have been discussed with parents during meetings and strategies to balance the use of the internet, setting limited screen time, etc. have been suggested.

• Awareness programmes through artwork, role-plays and skits during assembly and various competitions held in school.

We do all these activities regularly to sensitise our coming generations. Learning how to balance the time spent with media with all of life’s other activities is an essential life skill.

Mobile devices make it easy and tempting to stay connected 24/7. Hence, it is vital to know how and when to disconnect.

It starts with recognising just how much media we use.

Educating children about balancing their digital and non-digital lives will enable them to: • Reflect on their everyday online and offline activities.

• Analyse and prioritise the activities that are most important to them.

• Identify ways to "unplug" to maintain the balance between online and offline activities.

OVEREXPOSURE TO TECHNOLOGY Digital technology has brought about a revolution in the way of life of people. It has made it possible to access all information with just the click of a mouse. Children are also one of the primary recipients of this information.

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Innovation A TEACHING APPROACH BEYOND THE DO’S AND DON’TS Technology has aided the human race with many advancements and conveniences, but it also presents with some unfortunate consequences for our children.

Overexposure to technology adversely affects a child’s brain, mental, social and physical well-being and health.

The following are the signs and symptoms of overexposure to technology and its ill effects:

Living in a digital world and avoiding using technology could be quite challenging, and why would we want to?

The fantastic potential to connect, learn, and create shouldn’t be avoided. With the growing need to use technology comes a responsibility to put digital citizenship education on the agenda. Providing students with a list of Do’s and Don’ts, along with digital citizenship and cyber safety, can prove beneficial. Incorporating the following four areas could create immense impact:

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP & INTERNET SAFETY A FOUR LAYERED TEACHING APPROACH

• Depression • Dishonesty • Feelings of guilt • Anxiety • Feelings of euphoria when using the computer

1. INTEGRATION Digital citizenship is embedded into the curriculum in an ongoing and authentic way.

• Inability to prioritise or keep schedules • Isolation • No sense of time • Defensiveness • Avoidance of work • Agitation • Mood swings • Fear • Loneliness • Boredom with routine tasks

2. STORYTELLING Students are presented with ‘real-life’ scenarios to consider, discuss and learn from.

3. STRATEGIES Practical strategies are taught so students build a toolkit of actionable ideas and skills.

• Procrastination • Social anxiety Physical symptoms may include: • Backache

4. COMMUNITY Messages from parents and educators overlap and there is ongoing communication.

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome • Headaches • Insomnia • Poor nutrition (failing to eat or overeating to avoid being away from the computer) • Poor personal hygiene (e.g., not bathing to stay online) • Neck pain • Dry eyes and other vision problems • Weight gain or loss Controlling exposure to technology should be a regular practice that every school should follow as it is the need of the hour. Intervention at the earliest is crucial and can prevent the children from displaying the above-listed signs and symptoms.

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PARENTING WORKSHOPS ON SHARING TIPS FOR RAISING BALANCED KIDS • Avoid all TV and video-viewing for children younger than two years.

• Parents of young children and preteens should avoid exposing them to R-rated movies.

• Be good media role models.

• Emphasise alternative activities.

• Create an electronic media-free environment in children's bedrooms.

Innovation TEACHING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP TO OUR STUDENTS • Incorporating digital citizenship lessons into daily studies.

For example, after teaching on a particular topic in history, offering student’s essential links to credible sites where they can learn more about the topic. Reminding them how to check the credibility of websites from which they obtain their information.

• Educating and updating ourselves.

• Being a role model. Implementing the very things we teach about digital citizenship so our students can emulate us.

• Creating a digital toolkit of “do’s and don’ts” that you keep in site of your students at all times to ingrain the rules of digital ethics in them.

• Engaging with our students in debates and discussions regularly about real digital citizenship cases and issues to encourage them to explore and formulate their own opinions on the matter.

• Work closely with parents and encouraging them to be responsible digital citizens themselves.

CHALLENGES WE FACE IN THE SCHOOL • Ensuring responsible use of the internet by staff and children both.

• Controlling the use and duration of screen time (especially cell phones).

• Overexposure and easy accessibility of gadgets.

• Lack of awareness of consequences and ill-effects of irresponsible internet usage habits.

• Adult supervision.

2. Digitalisation of curriculum, acquainting students, teachers and parents, and the dissemination of information about the nine themes that can be implemented – Respect Yourself and Others (Digital Access, Digital Etiquette, & Digital Law), Educate Yourself and Others (Digital Commerce, Digital Communication, & Digital Literacy), and Protect Yourself and Others (Digital Rights & Responsibilities, Digital Health & Wellness, & Digital Security).

START EARLY, DON’T STOP, INVOLVE OTHERS • Digital citizenship is a topic that’s important for all ages.

• Children are accessing devices and the internet at increasingly younger ages, well before coming to school.

• Along with learning about opportunities, children need to learn about the responsibilities that come with using technology. When students develop habits and behaviours without guidance, problems are sure to occur.

• We hope that teaching students some key messages from a young age will help them navigate their way safely through the online world as they grow older.

• While it’s unlikely young people will never experience an issue online, we believe it is a good aim to both minimise potential harm and ensure students feel like they always have someone to talk to.

• Digital citizenship education is an ongoing process, and the work of one teacher is not enough. Ideally, we need parents, students, educators, community members, and school leaders to unite.

• Most of all, we need to create a positive culture where students feel empowered to use technology safely and purposefully.

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES • By providing access to limited websites and blocking inappropriate web pages.

• Creating more awareness among staff, children and parents.

• Regulating consequences for breaching the internet usage rules and regulations.

• Incorporating digital citizenship into the curriculum.

• Independent learning through debates, case discussions, research, mentoring and peer tutoring.

• Advocating through street plays, presentations, talk shows, etc.

EARLY INTERVENTION FOR SCHOOLS 1. As educators, we often focus on the skills students need to learn but less on fostering the dispositions necessary to enact those skills. Dispositions guide students' thoughts and behaviours as they go about their lives.

• Being sensitive to situations where careful critical thinking and action is warranted.

• Inclinations and motivations to follow through with putting skills they have learned to use.

Respect, education and protection are still important foundations of digital citizenship, but today’s digital learners also need to understand the power they have to advocate, collaborate and drive change through technology.

– International Society for Technology in Education

References 1. https://d1e2bohyu2u2w9.cloudfront.net/education/sites/default/files/tlr_component/common_sense_education_digital_citize nship_research_backgrounder.pdf 2. https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/teaching-digital-citizenship-in-cte 3. https://www.bookwidgets.com/blog/2018/07/the-ultimate-teacher-guide-to-teaching-students-digital-citizenship 4. http://www.kathleenamorris.com/2019/03/12/internet-safety/ 5. https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/life/wellness/2017/04/19/sound-mind-negative-effects-technology-children/99872132/ 6. https://www.psycom.net/iadcriteria.html 7.https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/online-safety-basics

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Innovation

Learning Experience or Experience Learning?

Where Transformative Experiences Lead to Knowledge Creation Ms. Meena Sriram Most academicians today, speak about experiential learning. What exactly is experiential learning? The knowledge that is gathered from textbooks and reference books is mere knowledge unless it is tested personally and experienced individually. We may read several books on the beauty of the Hoysala Architecture or the glory of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is only when one stands in front of the temples of Halebidu and Belur, does one observe and appreciate the intricate carvings on granite made several years ago in an era untouched by technology!

How many of our teachers of art or Indian heritage or History bother to stop to explain the essence of life that was back then? How do we make our children – the future of the world – to realise the values of life back then? Are children, at the least, asked to imagine if the people back then went to schools to learn creativity or sculpting or architecture? How did they manage to create such masterpieces? It was by observing and doing. They observed people around them, they observed their seniors, they observed life around them, they observed; how many times do we permit children in the classroom to observe?

ENHANCING KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIDENCE IN ONE STROKE In the initial years of school, children should be allowed to experience the various textures around them before describing them as rough/hot/cold/smooth/soft, and so on. To do this, they must be provided with the necessary environment to experience these feelings. It does not take much to create a classroom with materials of these kinds so children can experience different textures. Lessons in class on textures do not end with a one-day session. They are on-going. The teacher or facilitator must ensure to put to use the same vocabulary in the everyday language of the class. With a mere introduction of the words, feelings and vocabulary do not embed in the system.

Children need multiple repetitions, not rote learning. The more opportunities we create for them to use the new vocabulary, the better the embedding of knowledge.

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This rule applies to children or learners at all levels. While teaching biology in class 8, for instance, one has to repeatedly use the new scientific terms, so children not only get familiar with them but are confident to use them in the regular classrooms. This holds for adults too, especially with the change in technology and corporate jargon, the more we use, the better we associate with it!

THE APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE Children should be given opportunities to observe the movement of various limbs, muscles and joints, and feel them in one’s own body to understand the functioning of these rather than reading a textbook or watching an animated video! Gone are the days when the laboratory could serve as a place to experience and experiment with the theories learnt in class.

Children today, with all the exposure available to them, require real-life situations to apply their knowledge.

Hence, children in middle school must be given such opportunities which will enable them to use the classroom learning.

Gardening or farming, for instance, will provide children with the required space and time to put to use their learning in the classrooms. By ploughing the soil, they will see and experience diverse textures and nature of the soil in the region. They will see different types of roots of plants and will be able to classify them into fibrous or tap roots too. While mixing fertiliser or biopesticides, they can put to use their knowledge of ratios and proportions. Calculating the area of the field and the distribution of the crops will engage them with mathematical tasks. The varied angles available in the use of instruments on the farm, the use of different muscles as they squat or bend, burning calories as they work extensively, understanding light and shadow while working on the field through the day – such wonderful learning moments could be created for children to learn their academic concepts more effectively.

Innovation

RESPONSIBILITIES AND GROWTH Older children could be given responsibilities, along with learning experiences. They could, by being part of the Student Council, take care of civic issues in the school and be more participative in solving real-life problems. Children can come up with innovative and workable ideas if we adults entrust faith and responsibility in them.

Older children could also be part of the maintenance of the school, managing the school canteen or running fundraiser events for various programmes. They could take on tasks around the School locality and assist the needy in the neighbourhood.

They will learn to work collaboratively with their peers and adults. Simple activities for senior children can include the responsibility of running school events. A teacher can chart out all the requirements, guide and coordinate with a group of children, who can in turn work with the rest of their peers to conduct the events. Such activities will bring about the following: • Camaraderie between peers • A feeling of self-worth for the entire group of children • Leadership will emanate • Negotiating skills • Managing skills • Ability to visualise the need and chart out the programme • Ensure execution of plans • Budgeting and financial management • Awareness and acknowledgement of individual and group strengths

Children can also learn many more life skills. After the event, children should be guided to reflect and evaluate their performances so they can improve and improvise on their own.

Reflection is an essential aspect of progress, and teachers should guide children to reflect in the right direction.

PREPARING FOR LIFE, NOT JUST THE EXAM In most schools and institutions, experiential learning is introduced as one aspect of the entire gamut of the learning experience that it becomes a mere cosmetic session. For one hour or so in a week, children are provided with an opportunity to work hands-on with the laid-out material. At such times, children are pressurised to complete the task within the specified time. Failing which, they do not have to worry about the outcome as the next session, which is a week away will give them another learning opportunity or task!

An example of a session could be to find the circumference of the school ground. Children should know the meaning of the word circumference and area. Break the class into groups and ask them to plan how they will come back with an answer. Let them plan the equipment required. Depending on the age group, the teacher can make it tougher by restricting the kind of materials provided.

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Innovation Allow the groups to make mistakes and arrive at the right answer. Let them figure out the ways in which they can complete the given task. In most cases, teachers lack the confidence to let go and allow children to carry the burden of their learning.

Just imagine what the world would be like if car driving lessons were given only to face the exam and procure a license!

Would such a person be able to drive without harming others or himself? A point worthy of thought! Similarly, any lesson in class whether it is about the chemicals in the periodic table, the laws of motion or the great dynasties of the past, the teacher must create real-life learning situations so children can discover their learning. Then we are bound to see more and more “eureka” moments!

CONCLUSION When children are given real-life situations to work with, they have to come up with real-time solutions and face the consequences of a wrong solution.

Instead of using theories to solve problems, children must be given a chance to write theories.

This is when true learning will emerge.

We, as facilitators, can be proud of creating thinkers and learners. Else, we would have just created copying machines!

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