Mentor september 2015 volume 9 issue 4 issuu

CONTENT

Mentor, September 2015 Volume 9, Issue 4

Mentor Thoughts

05 Sultan Speaks An invite to all!

09 Cover Story

Pedagogy

06 A Teacher in you

Enabling us identify with the teacher within us and how we ourselves can be our best teachers...

Do good anyway!

School Leadership

15 21 Teacher and taught Engage in critical Find out the internal malaise that is continually corroding the teacher taught-relationship of a civilized society...

thinking

yourself

24 Being connected!

18 Bringing you close to

33 Book Review A Mastery!

Always strive for excellence or even perfection in any task however small and never be satisfied with the second best...

34 Post Scriptum XYZ.............

Innovation

School Governance

27 New Age Friendship

Teachers need to stay vigorously updated with the changing trends of the edutopia in order to provide the best in education to their studentscivilized society...

Few tried and tested methods to foster a positive bond between school and parents...

30 Equal Opportunity – in the real sense

It is time to open our own minds to education, not to educating others but to learning...

MSVS has believed in upholding the virtue of “equality in education” and has been religiously practicing it...

Publisher and Owner Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed Editor-in-Chief Dr. Vidya Shetty

EDUCATORS

Content Team Ms. Kalpa Kartik Ms. Sulagna Biswas

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Designed by Mr. Harpreet Singh Production Mr. Praveen U.M. Mr. Sathish C. Ms. Guna V.

To subscribe or to contribute articles please contact MENTOR MAGAZINE # 175, 2nd Cross, Lower Palace Orchards, Bengaluru - 560 003 Phone: +91 937 937 8899 Email: info@mentormagazine.net Website: www.mentormagazine.net

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All decisions regarding publishing of an article 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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In reverence of the ‘guru’ We on this teacher’s day bring to you wisdom from some of the greatest gurus that India has ever produced. These sacred souls are not just quintessential teachers; they are visionaries; their educational philosophies and profound beliefs have left an indelible mark in our lives…

Chanakya: “The mother and a teacher have the ability to bring about the revolution. If they desire, they can change the future of the current generations. They can play a bigger role in making the character based society that holds esteem values and principles.”

Swami Vivekananda: “Educate and raise the masses and thus alone a nation is possible.”

Swami Dayanand Saraswati: “Knowledge only is the inexhaustible treasure; the more you spend it, the more it grows; all other treasures run out by spending…”

Savitribai Phule: “Knowledge always demands increase; it is like fire, which must first be kindled by some external agent, but will afterwards always propagate itself” Rabindranath Tagore: “We rob the child of his earth to teach him geography; of language, to teach him grammar; His hunger is for the epic, (but) he is supplied with chronicles of facts and dates”

“Gurur brahmaa gurur Vishnu gurur devo maheshvarah gurur saakshaat parabrahma tasmai shree gurave namah”

ries or to us sto d Do write could ad tes that ll our a anecdo to t h g d thou @ value an n mail us at info a c d n u o se Y r s. o live .net , agazine mentorm rs to “The Editor” tte , le 5 r 7 u 1 o y ,# e in Magazin MENTOR Lower Palace , ss ro C 2nd luru - 03. s, Benga 899 Orchard 37 937 8 Ph: +91 9

Source Internet

SULTAN SPEAKS

AN INVITE TO ALL!

Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed, MD, EduMedia India Pvt. Ltd. For over 8 years now Mentor has been consistently trying to add value to the educational leadership by its thought provoking articles and concepts. We have made a conscious effort to share best practices from across the world that could provide valuable learning to our readers. Today Mentor is respected tremendously in school circles and hailed as a benchmark for publications. The feedback we get from our readers and the fact that almost all principals ensure that the magazine is passed on to the teachers after they have read it is a testimony by itself. In fact most schools have a section in their libraries that house Mentor. We today have a tremendous responsibility as we set a benchmark for magazines in India.

Going forward we will be making two big changes in the manner in which we present Mentor Magazine to our readers. Firstly we will be launching an all-new online version of Mentor that will enable us to reach out to audiences globally. Secondly we have categories and classified both our online and print magazine into 4 segments - School Leadership, School Governance, Pedagogy and Innovation.

School Leadership: This is the most critical area that needs improvement in the Indian context. We will be making a genuine attempt to share best practices relevant to education from leaders of all industries. In addition to featuring thoughts and practices we will also be sharing new age challenges and experiments that various leaders are carrying out to address them.

School Governance: The challenges posed by regulatory authorities to parents to media to society are immense in schools today.

Leaders take a brunt of that stress and handle issues on a daily basis. With this segment of Mentor we strive to unravel the various facets of governance and help our readers handle real life governance challenges better.

Pedagogy: The dramatically changing world is altering the expectations our society has on what children need to learn, the dynamics of this is reflected in the tremendous changes both psychologically and socially that our children are undergoing. Today the way children learn, the way we need to teach and what we need to teach is a big mystery the world is trying to solve. This question will

become a bigger challenge tomorrow.

We at Mentor will attempt to understand these changes and bring forth learning, experiences and experiments from schools and teachers.

Innovation: There is a lot that is changing around us; we need to make a conscious and constant effort to keep pace with these changes. Technology, infrastructure, industry et al are all in a constant state of change.

Education needs to keep pace with these changes by learning and understanding the innovations that are taking place globally.

This segment of Mentor will try to keep pace with these changes and share cutting edge ideas.

We have carefully chosen these four segments based on our experience and in future all articles will reflect these themes.

This year the Mentor Conclave is scheduled to take place on the 1st and 2nd of December in Bengaluru. The Conclave will feature School Leadership, School Governance, Pedagogy and Innovation as its theme.

All the sessions, topics and speakers will revolve around this theme. It is time for you to book your seat in what promises to be a very exciting event that will bring together passionate people who want to make a difference to education in India.

Mr. Syed Sultan Ahmed, MD, EduMedia India Pvt. Ltd. sultan@edumedia.in

PEDAGOGY

THE TEACHER IN YOU… Ms. Annapurna Singh is an engineer in the making. She is currently pursuing her second year course in PES University, Bengaluru. She loves travelling and reading. She was the youngest speaker in the Constitution Club, Parliament of India in 2014. She was also the Wizkids zonal winner twice and South Asian Best speaker in 2010. Annapurna was also one of the Chief Speakers and proposed state icon along with Santosh Yadav (first woman to climb Mount Everest twice) at the “Beti Bachao Andolan” (Save Girl child) campaign by UNICEF and the Bihar government.

In this piece to MENTOR, Ms. Annapurna asks everybody to believe in the teacher who resides in the temple within us and also talks about the qualities which a perfect teacher should possess.

My grandmother had a treasure box of anecdotes. She used to share her experiences of life and I was always amazed with her memory to have remembered those. She was always stressing upon why “life is a great teacher”. As we grow older, the various pages of our life, some beautiful, some crumpled and some hidden still striking find a home in us. We learn from what we did in the past and plan about our future. With what life does to us and what we do with our lives, there is a teacher who makes things fall in place. It teaches without teaching. It is the teacher you see every day but the ‘teacher’ you never met. It is the teacher in you.

…the next time you need to look up to someone, go to the mirror and smile.

Our parents are our first teachers. Then we start going to schools and colleges and come across various teachers who shape and mould our lives and share their knowledge.

We have our friends too, who at some point play the role of a teacher. But in all this learning and teaching there is one teacher who works as your support and is nothing but a part of you. All of us have a teacher inside us. That teacher tells us the right choices in life. This teacher helps us every time we are taught something. It admires us when we learn things quickly and goads us to remember those. It becomes sad when our confidence goes down. It stays in us, loves us, protects us and like a true teacher guides

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us. It teaches us, “what life is and how to live it. It is us within ourselves.”

Conscience, ethics, virtue, integrity, and honour lead this teacher. One may find themselves standing at the threshold of what is right and what is easy to be done.

We need to choose the right path over the easier one. Why? The reasons include because it is right, because it is honourable, because it is virtuous and because the teacher within us tells us to and demands higher standards. When we fail it pushes us to get up and try. When we are alone, it gives us company. Nobody can help you if you

September 2015

loose on yourself. You have to believe in your potentials because they are driven by this teacher in you. You need to have faith in this teacher because it will never let you down.

As we grow older, the various pages of our life, some beautiful, some crumpled and some hidden still striking find a home in us.

What makes a great teacher? Teaching is one of the most complicated arts. It demands broad knowledge and standards; enthusiasm, a caring attitude, and a love of learning; knowledge of discipline; and a desire to make a difference. With all these qualities required, it is no wonder that it is hard to find great teachers. These are the characteristics of a great teacher.

Great teachers set high expectations for all students: They expect that all students can and will achieve excellence and they do not give up on underachievers.

Great teachers have clear, written-out objectives: Effective teachers have lesson plans that give students a clear idea of what they will be learning, what the assignments are and what the grading policy is.

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Great teachers are prepared and organized: They are in their classrooms early and ready to teach. They present lessons in a clear and structured way. Their classrooms are organized in such a way as to minimize distractions.

Great teachers engage students and get them to look at issues in a variety of ways: Effective teachers use facts as a starting point, not an end point; they ask “why� questions, look at all sides and encourage students to predict what will happen next. They ask questions frequently to make sure students are following along. They try to engage the whole class and they do not allow a few students to dominate the class. They keep students motivated with varied, lively approaches.

Great teachers form strong relationships with their students and show that they care about them as people: Great teachers are warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. Teachers with these qualities are known to stay after school and make themselves available to students and parents who need them. They are involved in school-wide committees and activities and they demonstrate a commitment to the school.

Great teachers are masters of their subject matter: They exhibit expertise in the subjects they are teaching and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instil a hunger in their students to learn more on their own.

Great teachers communicate frequently with parents: They reach parents through conferences and frequent written reports for parents informing them about their wards. They do not hesitate to pick up the telephone to call a parent if they are concerned about a student.

someone there to guide your way, always.

So the next time you need to look up to someone, go to the mirror and smile. You will find your teacher smiling back at you. The one you have never met but continually are present in your confidence, values, smile, conscience and most importantly in your hard work. The one you need to believe in; the teacher in you…

We need to choose the right path over the easier one.

Our teachers are someone we look forward to. We know they will teach us right. We have faith in them. Every person has inside them, this person who carries in him all these qualities. Whatever you do and whoever you are, you have this teacher whom you never meet inside you, taking care of you, teaching you, loving you like any other teacher. This teacher no matter what will always be there to boost your confidence.

That is why it is so necessary to believe in you.

Discover different horizons because there is

annie.10singh@gmail.com

SCHMILE TEACHER: Why are you late?

Two students were chatting:

WEBSTER: Because of the sign.

First: Do you know what a snake’s favourite subject is?

TEACHER: What sign?

WEBSTER: The one that says, “School Ahead, Go Slow.”

Second: No, you tell.

First: Hisssstory!!!

Q: Why did the music teacher need a ladder?

TEACHER: George, go to the map and find North America.

A: To reach the high notes.

GEORGE : Here it is!

TEACHER: Correct. Now, class, who discovered America?

CLASS : George!

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September 2015

COVER STORY

I KNEW THAT I WAS A MILLIONAIRE!

Education moulds a young mind and defines the persona of the individuals in the years to come. Thakur Public School is perfectly poised to offer an education comparable to the best, anywhere. Its design and facilities, with the emphasis on the latest educational technology, not only helps students attain their fullest academic potential, but challenges them equally in the rich fields of physical, cultural and artistic endeavour.

“Our wounds give us wisdom, our stumbling blocks become our stepping stones and our setbacks lead us to our strengths.” Keeping this in mind, Ms. Reetu Duggal, Principal, TPS reflects and recounts her journey as a principal that started a decade back in this excerpt to MENTOR. ‘Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less travelled by……’

The year 2004 – the date 24th June, an advertisement placed in the Times of India – a chance visit to Mumbai and it seemed destiny was beckoning. It was a classic case of being in the right place, at the right time!

I was in Mumbai to settle my son into his new college, when I came across the advertisement placed by Thakur Public School, in Kandivali (E) who were on the lookout for a Principal for their school. I had been teaching in a prestigious boy’s school, St. Francis’ College, Lucknow for the past twelve years. As a family we had been toying with the idea to shift to Mumbai for the past two – three years, since my husband had business interests here and my son wanted to continue his studies after Std. XII in Mumbai.

I remember writing in my covering note that I was booked to travel back to my home town within a week. It seemed that the Universe was listening. I was called for a quick two rounds of interviews and the course of life changed drastically! Somehow, the preparation for this step had been in the making – in the immediate past. A teacher of English and Geography who was moved up the ladder to be a paper corrector and then Supervising Examiner, besides handling several co-curricular activities such as Debate, Sports Day, Concert and so on.

All recommendations came through the Principal, who spotted the talent in me and waved me ahead. I firmly believe that no

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experience in life is a waste – if one learns from it. I have found that each and every exposure to the various facets of life, have given me a new insight into its fascinating mosaic – this kaleidoscope – that twists and turns to reveal new patterns and colours.

So there I was, committed to a new course, a voyage into the unknown – a voyage that would test every shred of knowledge and experience I have ever had. It would also give me new ones. I will never regret the decision, to take on the mantle of responsibility as the Principal of Thakur Public School in 2004, a fledgling school which was then just a year old.

My interaction with Shri V. K. Singh, the Chairman of the Thakur Educational Group, established him as a true visionary who wished to build a legacy – the gift of education in comfortable environs. The group he heads; the Thakur Educational Group has more than fifteen institutions from schools to institutes of higher learning such as Junior and Degree College, Engineering, Architecture and MBA institutes. They are landlords and developers whose reputation is synonymous with sound infrastructure and pristine perfection. Already having an SSC school in its fold, this was their first foray into the ICSE segment.

Today the role of the Principal is not one who sits in an ivory tower and dictates but one who works shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the team and is a role model.

Mrs. Varsha Singh, the Trustee and CEO came across as clear and transparent. Her unconventional thinking skills, quick grasp of facts and decisive nature helped propel us forward. Even today her take on various issues, affords fresh insights to all of us.

The initial days were hectic yet deeply satisfying. There were diverse things to do; on the inside: put systems in place, plan lessons, train teachers, recruit, take demonstration lessons, take admissions, solve problems, explain to parents the difference between SSC and ICSE – the list seemed endless.

On the outside: it was important to establish ourselves as a brand and ensure brand loyalty for teachers and students. We needed to position ourselves to occupy an exclusive niche. We needed to work on all fronts identifying our priorities since everything cannot be achieved overnight.

Teachers had to be trained into the ICSE way of teaching, questioning and correcting.

Mentoring had to be carried out to reevaluate their teaching methods in order to teach and correct according to the ICSE way.

Students had to be trained in the same manner. The polish of perfection had to be put in every effort so that best practices

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September 2015

of the best of ICSE schools could be inculcated. We sent the students to various interschool competitions as well as made them participate for the prestigious Frank Anthony Memorial Debate Competition and the Albert Barrow Memorial Essay Writing Competition. In fact, our efforts paid off and our students twice qualified for the second stage of the Frank Anthony Memorial Debate Competition. We ourselves have hosted this competition twice once in August 2006 and again in July 2014.

Simultaneously, we were preparing for the inspection from the Council for provisional affiliation. There was constant co-ordination and communication with the Council.

Our provisional affiliation came through in September 2004 and since then there has been no looking back.

Subsequently, a special inspection was carried out for us to upgrade to Std. XI and XII and the Council gave permission to let us start the same. Here again a learning experience began for us – as we were from a select group of seven schools in Mumbai to have ISC affiliation in that year. The school has successfully put through six batches of ISC in the science and commerce streams with 100% results.

Our permanent affiliation followed in July 2008. The school enjoys the faith and support of not only the parent and student community but the Council as well. This can be seen from the fact that from an initial strength of 853students in 2003, the student strength now stands at 4200 plus in 2015.

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The school magazine entitled ‘Reminiscence’ starting from the academic year 2004 – 2005, not only gives a platform to the students to showcase their talents, but is a chronicle of all the activities carried out in the school since then. The first issue had the Vice principal and me working with a completely raw group of teachers.

There were important lessons we learnt in strategy and brand loyalty, to build a reputation. We also learnt that –by seeking help we do not expose our weakness – rather it is the hall mark of a proactive, intelligent leader – who knows he cannot do it all by himself. Therefore it is extremely important to build teams and team spirit.

The following observation by the Dalai Lama always motivates me.

“I am often moved by the example of small insects, such as bees. The laws of nature dictate that bees work together in order to survive. As a result they possess an instinctive sense of social responsibility. They have no constitution, laws, police, religion or moral training but because of their nature they labour faithfully together. Occasionally they may fight, but in general the whole colony survives on the basis of cooperation. Human beings on the other hand, have constitutions, vast legal systems, and police forces. We have religion, remarkable intelligence, and a heart with a great capacity to love. But despite our many extraordinary qualities, in actual practice we lag behind these small insects. In some ways I feel we are poorer than the bees.”

Yes indeed we would be poorer if we did not learn from the experiences of others; to run a school with responsibility is not possible for a single person. No endeavour would see the light of day if there were no enablers or team players. Today the role of the Principal is not one who sits in an ivory tower and dictates but one who works shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the team and is a role mode It is also important to have team members on the same page, lest we expend unnecessary energy in fighting the enemy within. Many times we need to step back after the initial hand holding, so that we can create more leaders, who will sustain the institution.

We have to remember that we principals are not the institution; therefore putting best practices into place will ensure the institution endures long after we have gone.

This is something I imbibed from the school I studied in; Loreto Convent, Lucknow and the school I taught in; St Francis’ College, Lucknow. Incidentally both these schools are more than a hundred and forty years old.

At TPS following the same practice we continue to train and mentor; there is always a team member who is the understudy, ready to take over in any kind of an emergency.

This has been a conscious decision and now permeates to every member of TEAMTPS – be it teaching or nonteaching staff. Professional development is actively encouraged – through training workshops or personal up gradation in terms of enhancing skills or educational qualifications.

It is a given that education as we see it today is very different from what it was for the previous generation and this change will

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continue. Therefore students of the future need to hone their talents and acquire skillsets such as soft skills, presentation skills, problem solving skills and being able to think out of the box along with academics; At the same time keeping to their cultures and values. Of course the greatest challenge today is to have good teachers, but the perfect teacher is a Utopian dream – therefore it is important to spot talent and potential and complement it with on the job training. At the same time be prepared that once the training is complete the teacher might move on!

…by seeking help we do not expose our weakness – rather it is the hall mark of a proactive, intelligent leader – who knows he cannot do it all by himself.

Teachers too need to continuously upgrade themselves if they have to deal with the tech savvy generation of today, who may at times have more knowledge than the teacher – extensive reading / searching besides the text book is the need of the hour, an inquiring mind is a prerequisite to being a good teacher.

The most important stakeholders today are parents who are a worried lot – stressed yet demanding. The weight of their expectations smothers many an inborn talent. Their mindset that marks are a measure of success needs an overhaul. In the urban set up they are confused as they cannot fathom which kind of parent to be – the strict, conservative, disciplinarian, the out and out bohemian

September 2015

friend or somewhere in between. The previous generation had neither so much education nor so much information – yet they were great parents for their parenting style was based on the old fashioned values of faith, love and good, old common sense.

And not aping the neighbour blindly! I firmly believe if parents tackled their children calmly and maturely with love, then there is nothing called a generation gap, no problematic child at school. One of my favourite poems beautifully portrays what treasure children are to parents.

The Millionaire While driving home from work one day My total wealth I did survey My mortgaged home and ancient car A bank account not up to par Furniture from which I fear We may not get another year The TV set with stamp-size screen Carpets with that well-worn sheen Two suits of clothes not quite threadbare “All-purpose” shoes that need repair Sadly then I saw my plight After twenty years of toil and flight My Treasure Chest was somewhat small With house and car and clothes and all On I drove trance-like I fear When suddenly my house was near “Your daddy’s home!” I heard her cry As nine pairs of feet went rushing by And smothered in arms and curly hair I knew that I was a Millionaire!

It is important for parents to have faith in the Almighty, in themselves and in the school.

Our Mission states ‘To provide holistic education that nurtures scientific temper and ethical values, grooming the students to be worthy and responsible citizens.’ In keeping with our mission statement the school provides a judicious mix of scholastic and co-

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curricular activities keeping the guidelines of the CISCE in mind. Hence debate, quiz, elocution, song, dance, games and sports all find a place. Perhaps we are one of the very few schools in Mumbai offering a basket of co-curricular activities from archery to basketball, football, badminton, table tennis, swimming, chess and cricket. The Scottish pipe band has been a majestic addition to the school’s repertoire from 2005 – 2006.

Students are trained to play the bagpipes, flutes and drums. Their performance is eagerly awaited at all ceremonial events.

One of the high points of the school was when we took the ‘Ramayana’ as the theme for the year and the entire student body from Std. I to X was divided into eight groups of three hundred students each, and around 2500 performed the story in an abridged form. Till today parents appreciate the values taught and the impeccable execution. Our exhibitions such as ‘Glimpses of Asia’ have been highly appreciated by all.

The school has been at the forefront in hosting various events such as the Frank

allows us to bring in a better future, ushered in by the choices we make each day.”

Anthony Memorial All India Inter – School Debate Competition 2006 and 2014, the 45th, AISM – Principals Meet–2007, the 7th Mumbai ICSE/ISC Athletic Meet – 2007(1500 participants), the Inter School AISM Drawing and Painting Competition - 2009, 2010, 2013 and AISM’s First Mumbai Inter school Football Tournament (ICSE).

A unique feature of our school has been the Annual Muppet Show, put up by the teachers of the Pre-primary section, each year different themes are selected – in addition to mythological stories, we have successfully put up the Wizard of Oz and Mary Poppins for pre-primary children and their parents.

E-campus is a school management tool that we have been using since day one which allows us to leverage the power of technology for seamless communication.

The recent value addition of the mobile app technology allows us to send bulk as well as customized messages to communicate with all stakeholders. State of the art infrastructure, A.V. facilities make the journey more comfortable. The E-campus technology further helps us in maintaining strict vigil on students’ attendance, marksheet generation and maintenance of record. Today as we all move to a paperless world, I can say that Thakur Public School has been a pioneer in using technology.

“Focusing our attention daily not on what is wrong but on the things we love and value

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Accolades and achievements continue to come in as the school moves ahead steadily. We have had our students win the first National HDFC Spell Bee that won them a trip to NASA; the first Hindustan Times scholarship award of Rs.50, 000/- in Mumbai, our students have also scored International Rank I in the International Cyber Olympiad in 2014. Two of our students were first runners up in the NDTV Income Tax Quiz in 2013 which was telecast on National television and had Saurav Ganguly as the quiz master. Two of our students have been awarded scholarships for N.T.S.E. Our student’s painting appears in the Bank of Baroda Calendar 2015, all these reaffirm our belief that we are on the right path.

Hence to conclude, on the occasion of Teachers’ Day as greetings go out to all teachers my message to them is summed up in the following lines by Mother Teresa.

Do it Anyway People are unreasonable, Illogical and self-centred, Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you, Of selfish, ulterior motives, Do good anyway.

If you are successful you Win false friends and true enemies, Succeed anyway The good you do will be Forgotten tomorrow, Do good anyway.

What you spent years building May be destroyed overnight, Build anyway.

People really need help But may attack you if you help them, Help people anyway.

tps@thakureducation.org

September 2015

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

TEACHER AND TAUGHT

Ms. P. Ajitha is an eager learner, teaching practitioner, who believes that true education is transformational in nature. Teaching according to her is an art that can be mastered through continuous learning and a skill that can be honed through incessant practise and developed through constant reflection but which still remains largely an intuitive process .She entered the profession by chance but continues to stay put by choice. A second generation teacher, who claims to have inherited the aptitude for teaching as a legacy from her parents and owes them her solid foundation in education by virtue of having studied in Sainik School Imphal. She presently teaches at Delhi Public School, Coimbatore but prefers to call herself a co-learner in the journey of self-discovery which she embarks with her students in the process that we call “education “.

In this article to MENTOR, Ms. Ajitha taks about Institutions that need to reach out to their teaching faculty by being flexible and accommodative and at times even relaxing their established rules and norms to make the teachers comfortable and enabling them to give their best.

A child of class four or five approached me when I was accompanying my students to their Board Exam centre, asking me if I could lend my phone to make a call home. When I pointed out that he could instead go to the school office and make that call, the boy (resigned to his fate by now), appeared crestfallen because his “ingenious” plan did not work out. He told me that he would not be allowed to make a call to ask someone at home to bring his notebook (that he had forgotten to pack in his bag that morning).I tried to reason out with him that instead of troubling his mom and going through this ordeal, he could present his case before his teacher , who, I assured the boy would understand his predicament and excuse him.

But the boy remained unconvinced and walked away leaving me to ponder over this incident and launch myself into an enquiry about the deteriorating teacher- taught relationship, the most vital factor that has a bearing on the learning outcome of students.

The education scenario today in many elitist and exclusive private schools in the country does not offer much promise because their success stories are hard to replicate, given that their success hinges on the availability of the most crucial resource- competent and efficient teachers. Other factors are only secondary and even non consequential to the prime driver for effective teaching- learning to take place. Unfortunately this critical

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factor is often overlooked in discourses pertaining to quality education and structural reforms in education.

Now the problems plaguing this teaching community are universal barring a very marginal section belonging to the aforementioned elitist and exclusive “five star” schools who have the luxury of basking in the glorious achievements of their students and their institutions who belong to a different world of their making and hence fall outside the ambit of this discussion.

The disparity in social and material conditions of the teacher and the taught is an important factor in determining the relationship between the two.

Coming back to the original question- what is responsible for this dismal situation that we find ourselves in? What factors are responsible for the lowering standards of teaching and consequently the learning outcome of students? To begin with one only has to pay a cursory glance at the profile of teachersthe educational background, the kind of institutions they had been to, the highlights of their student life, their achievements, areas of interest, taste in arts , the gamut of reading experiences etc. only to name a few.

Most often this acts as merely a checklist

between the two. When we take the case of private schools, especially the ones that cater to the affluent section of the society, the students tend to look down upon their teachers - most of whom do not come anywhere near the bracket of the income of their parents.

and what determines the actual caliber of a teacher is his/ her passion for learning, aptitude for teaching and the joy of embarking on an exciting journey of discovery- of knowledge, of the world and most importantly of the self, that education in the real sense of the word should lead to.

On a more practical note, the one factor that is responsible for the talent crunch in the field of school education is the monetary compensation that makes this an unattractive career option for the bright and potentially capable minds that are lured away from this profession that is considered “noble” only in name (the govt. school teachers of course are not to be included here).

This results in lowering the standards for teacher employability. Thus we are inundated with people who take to teaching because they are found unsuitable for any other profession. There is lot to be desired in terms of educating the educator. When people who are supposed to “educate” young and impressionable minds themselves lack the right education, what kind of qualitative teaching can one expect from them?

The disparity in social and material conditions of the teacher and the taught is an important factor in determining the relationship

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When we talk about value based education, we need to examine closely what kind of values we are talking about. Institutions making tall claims about imparting “global education with Indian values” need to validate it by walking the talk. In such cases teachers who form the backbone of the educational setup should not be treated as if they are at the mercy of the other stakeholders. In most cases the students because of the privileged position of the parents have the upper hand as they see the educators being treated the way they are- with little or no autonomy at all even in academic matters and treated as a dispensable commodity acting on the whims and fancies of the management.

Aligning individual goals with that of the institution paves way for channelizing the energies and efforts of individual teachers…

With little encouragement or incentives and humongous expectations, the teacher is pulled up for every minor thing that goes wrong and fend for herself in every explosive situation ( and such situations come too often) Apathy of the management , the tendency to underplay the superhuman effort required to discharge the innumerable duties and responsibilities heaped on a private school teacher, disciplinary problems in the class, demands of roles she plays in her personal lives, inadequate training, lack of exposure, absence of inner drive, all add up to make the teacher totally ill equipped to carry on her primary role of educating the impressionable minds with the right attitude and lack of aptitude for the teaching profession.

Another factor that often gets overlooked is the personal aspirations of the teachers which when not fulfilled leave them bitter

September 2015

and this bitterness keeps seeping into everything that they do. Aligning individual goals with that of the institution paves way for channelizing the energies and efforts of individual teachers towards the ultimate benefit of the students and the greater cause of education.

One more point to be borne in mind before passing any value judgment is the fact that the teachers from whom the society has so many expectations but seldom give them their due as individuals whose personal experiences get translated into their approach towards their profession in particular and life in general. With the invasion of technology the demarcation between personal and professional, private and public is thinning and so the personal and professional decisions often have a bearing on each other and cannot be categorized in to water tight compartments.

‌teachers who form the backbone of the educational setup should not be treated as if they are at the mercy of the stakeholders.

We need to understand that workplaces to-

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day are nothing but pressure cookers, what with the pressing deadlines, overloaded job portfolios, academic work surpassed by paperwork even in this digital age. Deteriorating professional relationship, demands of familial responsibilities and not to mention work-life imbalance, compounded by lack of appropriate forums to address the demands of work and platform to discuss critical issues make the situation worse.

Institutions need to reach out to their teaching faculty by being flexible and accommodative and at times even relaxing their established rules and norms to make the teachers comfortable and enabling them to give their best.

Can you then blame the teacher for flying off the handle and venting her anger on the hapless child who ultimately has to face the brunt of the misplaced priority of the administrators and the management?

So the next time you come across a similar situation, instead of jumping the gun to pass judgement on the teacher, see if you can do something to alleviate the deep seated malaise that is corroding the teacher- taught relationship and eating away the very edifice of a civilized society- education of the young.

ajithapaladugu@gmail.com

BRINGING YOU CLOSE TO YOURSELF Ms. Arveen Chugh is a student of law at Gujarat National Law University. She has completed an A level diploma in International Law from Cambridge University. She was also the Horlicks Wizkids Mumbai city winner in 2012. Her hobbies include debating, training and event management to mention a few. Her one belief that has always been followed by her is to achieve anything and everything in life.

Ms. Arveen Chugh inspires the readers of MENTOR, to learn something new from every countenance we encounter to better our lives and indirectly to contribute to our society by making it a better place to live and learn. She espouses this by citing examples of great men and women of our times.

Who is a teacher? Undoubtedly one who teaches something. Yet today in the growing phase of global and economic changes the meaning and essence of education seems to have changed. Being restricted to just the mark sheet and tag brand of the university, education is being sold at every nook and corner of our big world. With the opportunities enhancing and the world growing in every mean, this big world is sooner or later on track to lose its very single binding thread and that still is saved because of those few leaders who were not just one in their own fields but those who realized the need for education and most importantly the correct purpose of education.

The need for the right direction; the need for social responsibility and the need for embracing values are a few of the moral codes which were recognized by these non-educators.�

Mother Teresa is a lady who lived a life of poverty to try and ameliorate the conditions of others. Her devotion and compassion inspired the lives of many thousands she came in contact with.

Mahatma Gandhi who was the principle figurehead of the Indian independence movement; who followed a philosophy of non-violence and peaceful protest also sought to improve conditions for women and ‘low castes’.

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Gautam Buddha was a young prince who gave up the comforts of his palace life to seek the meaning of life meditating in the forests. After gaining enlightenment, he spent the remainder of his life travelling around India teaching a middle path of meditation and inner peace.

September 2015

Ambedkar, born in the Mahar ‘untouchable’ caste, became a pioneering political activist and social reformer. He was the one who acted as the principle figure in the drafting of the Indian Constitution, which outlawed ‘untouchability’ and promoted equality.

With the rich getting richer and differences deepening in our society, what is the very purpose of education? Is it just to get good marks and have a well settled job, just to follow and be yet another person who studies, works and meets the face of death? With

Had the great M.K. Gandhi not initiated the Independence movement we would not have been the children of a free India. Had Mother Teresa not thought about anybody around her, we would have lived in a world full of selfish wombs, looking for opportunities.

Of course it is not wrong to grow and achieve the highest of pursuits and potentials but it is surely wrong to forget that the purpose of this education is to give back to the society we live in. With every Indian wanting to study and work abroad, are we not forgetting that had some great leaders not given their time

every right comes a duty and that is all that gives value to our lives. The need for the right direction; the need for social responsibility and the need for embracing values are a few of the moral codes which were recognized by these non-educators. They took this onus of imbibing the right values to the generations of tomorrow and it is their beliefs and educational philosophies that have become teachings for the generations to come.

effort and knowledge to our land we would not have been in a situation as capable to think and grow in the way we actually did.

Corruption, rape, dowry deaths, economic imbalance are a few problems we can count on our fingers that fade the glory of our great land of heritage. Is it always because the people committing any of the above social offences are uneducated? Not always The statistics prove harshly yet evidently that

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it is the upper middle class that demands for money from the bride’s family; which clearly shows the half of the so called educated population are the ones who are equally potent of degrading the social fabric. Why will a girl marry someone who she anyway needs to pay to be accepted? Simply because he is well settled and educated! The irony is to decide what this education is, the one hanging on the wall that is able to fetch you lakhs of rupees in a month or the one which makes you a respectful citizen. The idea that money cannot buy everything is long throw in the bin and people choose money over everything and decide to give up not only of education as prescribed but also education as it should be imbibed.

So is this what our education teaches us.

Of course not; The idea how society is now viewing the correctness of a situation, or of any person has drifted far away from right and wrong and is merely close to the degrees hanging on the wall. With times changing and need for a more developed India, non-educators who have bought us close to this purpose are the ones who are needed the most to change the way and move a way forward to a new developed

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and educated nation . One individual who is responsible, efficient, crime free and gender friendly is the ideal citizen India is in need of today. The need for success in light of growth of the stakeholders, the efficiency of actions and results of deeds are ones which need to be looked up. As it is rightly said “ Always strive for excellence or even perfection in any task however small, and never be satisfied with the second best” – JRD TATA

As excellence is not just monetary but life lived; a good life as taught and wanted by our great leaders and ancestors is also what we should strive for.

As excellence is not just monetary but life lived; a good life as taught and wanted by our great leaders and ancestors is also what we should strive for. To strive for perfection in anything you do, because work is just not sitting in the office but perfection also in those little ways we can come close to the ones we love and those who love us; because no work is big or small and no human is. As not anybody can know everything nor can one man teach everything, learn because we are humans and that is the way towards real learning. We can love, learn and grow also apart from books. So look around, everybody around you has something to teach you!

Remember there is no age to stop learning! So go on to educate yourself by learning something out of everybody you meet and grow into having an excellent life by giving your best to your people, work, society and most importantly to yourself. Always remember that bookish knowledge brings you close to facts and figures but real knowledge brings you close to yourself!

arveenchugh597@gmail.com

September 2015

INNOVATION

ENGAGE IN CRITICAL THINKING

Dr. N.N. Prahallada is the consultant of National Early Literacy Programme of NCERT for Southern States, Mysore. He is also a Reader in the department of Education, RIE, Mysore.

Dr. N.N Prahallada writes about the changing role of teachers who are regarded as the custodians of our young minds. In this write-up to MENTOR he explains how teachers need to be competent, evolve and continually be in the process of learning to enlighten the lives of our children.

Entering into the 21st century does not mean a simple shift of calendar year. Currently we are in knowledge era heavily supported by non-stop science and technological advancement. Teacher education being an integral part of the entire education system is considered to be the hub of the entire education system. Teachers, who are given the privilege of stimulating the thought and moulding the character of children entrusted to their care, are expected to dedicate themselves to their task with a sense of mission and vision.

therefore, has a moral obligation towards his students. It is difficult to be an ideal teacher, for the ideal can be approached and not reached. But what matters is the way he handles and shapes human innocents, a difficult but not insurmountable task.

The role of teachers is significant because it is the teacher who moulds the young minds and guides them. Teachers have been considered the cream of society, the reason being that they help children to become good citizens. Known to be the architects of the nation, they provide the mould in which the nation’s character is cast. Teachers are expected to be competent in their subjects and pace-setters of standards by developing meaningful human relationships. They are expected to have an aptitude for teaching and must be capable of understanding several faces of a child.

Our teachers are the custodians of our future as well as social engineers. Today, a great responsibility rests with teachers with regard to building the character and acumen of the children and youth of India. Ethical and moral values, awareness of the significance of our heritage of thought and culture, our spirit of pluralism and oneness, the inculcation of scientific temper, patriotism and a sense of mission in the task of taking our great country forward – all these need to be nurtured in the young minds by our teachers.

One can never truly teach unless he is himself continuously learning.

According to Rabindranath Tagore, “A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame.” A teacher,

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Teachers are expected to be competent in their subjects and pace-setters of standards by developing meaningful human relationships.

Routine teaching in a routine way is what is being done these days.

It may be due to the conditions under which a teacher is made to work. Education should play its functional role.

Improvement in education, whether quantitative or qualitative, can only be secured through the efforts of teachers who are the

direct agents in the process of education.

We want dynamic teachers, dynamic officers and a dynamic system to stimulate the static and obsolete system. “Today’s crisis of civilization has generated furious thinking on the future of education.” The need for revamping or restructuring the educational system has been felt. A lot of new thinking has generated in the three areas namely Teaching, Learning and Testing.

Improvement in education, whether quantitative or qualitative, can only be secured through the efforts of teachers who are the direct agents in the process of education.

The role of a teacher in the Indian society has always transcended that of a mere facilitator of acquiring knowledge and skills by students. The teacher has traditionally played a seminal role in moulding society and its values. The country today looks to its teachers for closer involvement in the ongoing struggle against poverty, ignorance and social discord. It is through the moulding of the minds of the younger generation and inculcating high moral values that India can look forward to a brighter future.

The teacher is the real custodian of values which s/he has to transmit to the students. The responsibility of training youths depends on teachers and parents. Teachers and students should keep away from active politics. Teachers have to raise the tone of academic life. Educational institutions are temples of learning and they must be approached with reverence.

Readiness and willingness to learn are the two critical requirements for a student. Readiness refers to prerequisites that enable the student to learn whatever is being taught. Prerequisites can be physical, emotional, or intellectual, or any combination of these. Willingness to learn is called motivation. Bruner identifies four conditions that foster motivation: • Acceptable behaviour and consequences of certain actions • How to respond to people more important/rich/ famous than you • How important each family member is • Eating healthy food and looking after our bodies • Respect for authority This knowledge is important for teachers, because they can build student’s confidence to learn well.

In Teaching two essential requirements for teachers are competence and commitment.

Competence manifests in performance, commitment manifests in priorities, values, and attitudes. Teachers need to discover the exciting and developmental aspects of the subject matter. Effective teaching is no different from an orchestration. Continuous attention to each of the instruments in an orchestra is important. Even if a single instrument goes out of tune it destroys the orchestra. So is the case with teaching.

Technological gadgets like over head projector (OHP),

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September 2015

slide projector, Power Point Presentation (PPP), use of computers, video clipping, white board with marker pens etc. needs to be used to make teaching –learning process better. Assessments are essential to the learning process. Students need to be assessed continuously and accurately to gauge their learning. For this teachers have to design valid and well-written tests.

What are the uses and misuses of tests? Do higher test scores mean better schools?

How does the intense pressure to raise test scores affect the quality of teaching and learning in the class room? These are some of the questions often asked.

Continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE) is the need of the hour. NCERT and other States in particular Tamil Nadu gives lot of importance to CCE in their schools.

Teachers need to engage in critical thinking, critical reflection to improve their teaching.

The existing behaviourist approach needs to be replaced by constructivist approach. Students should be given an ample of opportunities to think independently. Teachers should develop in students a questioning mind. Group thinking, group work, group discussion and project work should be encouraged in all schools and colleges. Grading system should replace marking system.

All students are like Jewels and therefore each and every student needs to be encouraged. Remedial teaching, opportunity classes and compensatory education classes should be conducted. No Student should be labeled as dull, intelligent and useless. Each student has his or her own pace of learning.

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The entire world is progressing at a terrific speed in the field of education. Information, communication technology (ICT) has dominated the contemporary class room. Use of computer in all schools is the need of the hour to make Teaching, Learning and Evaluation modern and more effective. The contemporary / new millennium teacher is a Learning facilitator and a diagnostician apart from being a Friend, Philosopher and Guide.

Teachers have to be trained in understanding new class room approach of teaching students. Now NCERT has rewritten its text books on the lines of constructivism. The five Regional Institutes of Education coming under NCERT namely Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Mysore and Shillong have already trained teachers from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidayalayas and Independent Schools following NCERT text books in the art of transacting new NCERT text books based on constructivism. This is indeed a happy augury.

BEING CONNECTED! Mr.Roshan Abbas has spent two decades gathering domain expertise in Radio, TV, Theatre and BTL and entered Bollywood with his directorial debut under the banner of Shahrukh Khan’s Red Chillies Production in 2011. Currently he the Managing Director of Encompass Events. He has won over 7 radio and TV awards in his career and has also served as a Cannes Promo Lions Jury, (2008-2009) to mention a few. He loves to play the role of a story teller, “In my free time I think, the rest of the time I act upon what I thought!”

Mr. Roshan Abbas, in this piece to MENTOR showcases the importance of human touch amidst technological advancements. He quotes “connected classrooms are fine; it is human connections between students and teachers that are more critical” and for him this symbolises the best of many worlds.

A group of students walk into a classroom. At the door they are scanned by a body sensor which displays their current health status.

One particular student is recommended more time in the outdoor and some meditation time. In the break between lessons she puts on a Thync band and energizes herself.

Student 2 is on the PE field, an automatic ball throwing machine serves him doosra’s and bouncers as he practices his cricketing drives.

He puts on an Athos vest that has inbuilt sensors to measure muscular performance. An analysis of his performance is uploaded to the cloud for his coach and parents to see.

A fingerprint scanner lets him into the cafeteria and serves him a meal that takes care of his nutrition. He still has 30 minutes left in his break. He looks at his Fitbit surge. He just has 500 steps to go to his goal; he takes a

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brisk round of the field. His friend is also running alongside, they share tunes from their music player. It is time now for music class for Student 1; she downloads a lesson on her iPad. As it points to the keys she plays out a tune. Siri hears her and corrects a chord she is playing wrong. Class finished, she applies her Thync band and sets it to quiet. She slips into a deep sleep for 15 minutes readying her for the next lesson.

…it is time to open your own mind to education, not to educating others but to learning.

“A scene out of The Hunger Games or the Maze Runner? An army of robot children perhaps?” Not at all, all the technology I am

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talking of is available now; in fact this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Could this be the school of the future? It could be sooner than you think.

We are embracing technology with remarkable fervour and it is taking over almost every aspect of our lives. In many cases it can replace a mundane task. Create an algorithm that can solve a mathematical equation. But I still think that the one thing it cannot do is inspire the mind. Provoke it. Shake it up. The teachers of today need to engage a lot more with their students but look at what they are up against.

Anytime anywhere education is available on the Internet; Apps to hone your math skills and devices to stimulate your mind to an active state.

Often I find schools grappling with the rote learning method versus the discovery method espoused in new age institutions. Even here there is no clear cut answer. Knowledge is available freely to all; its application is what schools need to teach. Google can help you find a song and its lyrics but the power of singing aloud with hundreds of others cannot be matched. Teachers need to be a filter, to help sort the wheat from the chaff in this overload of information; to point the students in the right direction in this vast ocean of the World Wide Web. Keep them away from the storms and choppy waters, so to speak.

But how are the teachers supposed to do this if they have not charted the ocean themselves? What is a good principal to do at a time like this? I

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would say to them, it is time to open your own mind to education, not to educating others but to learning. I am 44 but each day I spend an hour discovering things, through Pulse, Mashable, Fast Company, Wired etc. I dedicate at least a few days to interact with young inventors and entrepreneurs. It challenges my mind, gives me a new perspective and leaves me hungry for more.

I am forever filled with optimism for this world, as long as there are dreamers and doers.

To me the head of an institution is a bridge across forever, linking people to possibilities and connecting the dots. A word of advice for Indian schools and parents: do not get too enamoured by the west. Yes IB and other curriculum have their merits as does a CBSE or ISC but teaching the art of the possible is a critical part of developing a child’s imagination.

Connected classrooms are fine; it is human connections between students and teachers that are more critical.

Offering 20 subjects is important but equally important is not subjecting a child to a lesson he may not need. In a seminal speech I heard Professor Sugata Mitra say that “the emphasis on English and Mathematics in Indian schools was a vestige of the British Raj�; made to create the clerks that the British Empire needed to compute the income and run the administration of the empire. But the love for science and philosophy seems to be inherent in us. Let us nurture that and the arts equally.

answers. Not theory but real answers. These were students too but had applied their knowledge; and for me were more world citizens; contributing and changing things around them.

The head of an institution is a bridge across forever, linking people to possibilities and connecting the dots.

Teachers need to be a filter, to help sort the wheat from the chaff in this overload of information I know the Mangalyaan example has been bandied around a lot but it speaks of Indian enterprise. Each time I hear of an innovation from a school it thrills me. I was fortunate to host a show called Ignited Minds. This pitted science students from across the country who had taken on real world challenges and focussed on using science to deliver

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The challenge is to Inform, inspire, and engage. That makes a teacher today more than a medium for knowledge. It makes them entertainers and educators; quiz masters and therapists, tech geeks and knowledge gurus. When Goddess Saraswati, holds the Veena, the Pustaka, the mala and the pot of water in her hands, she symbolises knowledge, spirituality, arts and sciences and the power to change and cleanse, to purify the essential from the unnecessary. As teachers and parents we must imbibe the same.

But I digress. What will a school of the future be like? I do not even think I can begin to answer that, but somewhere between Indian enterprises, technological advancements, human touch lies in a happy place, which for me symbolises the best of many worlds. A place where the mind is without fear of failure and the head is held high even after a lost argument, where knees are dirtied playing in the mud and reason reigns supreme!

roshan.abbas@encompass.in

September 2015

SCHOOL GOVERNANCE

NEW AGE FRIENDSHIP Mrs. Niti Mahendra is a product of Bal Bharati School of Delhi, Post Graduate in Mathematics from Miranda House, Delhi University. She has close to 21 years of experience in the education field. She is the founder Principal of Edify School at Kanakpura road. In 2011 was awarded by Rotary south for contribution in the field of education. Under her leadership Edify school has been awarded with many awards

by MDN Pvt ltd. Very recently she was nominated for CBSE Principal’s award by the Ministry of HRD. She is also a master trainer for CBSE’s CCE for Bengaluru region.

Ms. Niti Mahendra through Mentor opines the ABCDE of a perfect school and parent relationship.

What is the similarity between a hospital and a school? – Both house Intensive Care Units (I.C.Us.); but what is “the” basic difference between the respective I.C.Us.? One must have entry restricted and the other one “should NOT”: I leave it to the reader’s discretion to identify which I.C.U. will have which board outside their premises. For long, schools, school’s faculty and leadership have used the wrong board outside their schools. It is now time to convey to the stakeholders that this I.C.U. (school) is being renamed as the “open kitchen with live counters” where every stakeholder will get to see what is cooking and how is it getting cooked; with hold over the choice of ingredients used to produce that special dish. It is now time to grant access and rights to that one major stakeholder in a child’s development “The Parents”

Schools should make their systems more “parent and teacher friendly” besides being student friendly.

When a child who is merely 2½ - 3 year old is handed over to a school to develop intellectually, physically, emotionally and socially, imagine the trust and faith that the parent holds for the institution. If the person who is taking charge of their precious child is not an ally or does not convey to be an ally, will the parent ever be at ease? No, they will continuously try to find faults in the processes of that school and voice it negatively

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whenever allowed to communicate. Hence the two major facilitators and stakeholders, parents and teachers, are from day one at logger heads and the burden of this, not so positive alliance falls on the fragile mind of the students. To avoid this situation schools should make their systems more “parent and teacher friendly” besides being student friendly. The following are a few tried and tested methods to foster a positive bond between school and parents.

1. Step into the parent’s shoes (but remove yours first as a school admin) before planning the session: As and when parents admit their child / children; provide all information (even the very basic one) that the parent would need for a smooth beginning.

2. Special attention must be given to the parent orientation program for the newly admitted children’s parents: It would be really helpful to both parent and the school if parents are advised not to bring their ward/s on the orientation day as children tend to get impatient during the long sessions and the parents may have to leave the sessions in between. Cultural programs on orientation days can be avoided to respect the available time of the parents (parents will get ample occasions to attend cultural program of the school over the next years).

Orientation sessions / Induction sessions must be followed by “meet the teacher’s program” where the parents get to meet the Home Room Teacher (Class Teacher) and other teachers who will be in their contact for a year. Orientation day can end with a starter kit for all parents consisting of:• Important circulars with important dates • School rules and regulations (in brief) • School timings • Important e-mail IDs and contact numbers

3. Schools should share the class teacher’s phone number: It helps parents to know the time slot when the teacher can be reached after school hours (if required with a strict word of caution that the teacher is under no obligation to attend any calls beyond the motioned hour slot). Teachers, heads, Principal can share their e-mail IDs for any further discussions or elaborations.

4. Give respect to get respect: Teachers / faculty/staff members of a school are highly advised not to become judgmental; biased or stereotypical. A parent or a child should NEVER become a topic of discussion in staff rooms or any other place.

5. Start a Volunteer Parent program: Many a times we come across parents who would like to spend time in a school / have passion for teaching / would like to spend some quality time with children / would like to have a first-hand experience of a school environment / would want to contribute in some or the other field in the school but without any strings attached. For such parents, the school can plan to have a “Parent as a Volunteer” Program.

It is now time to grant access and rights to that one major stakeholder in a child’s development “The Parents Parents can be given a choice to volunteer in any domain or field in a school e.g.as a tutor in class, as a trainer in sports , as a helper in the library and the laboratory, as a story teller, for art and craft, in music/dance, for theatre, for photography, in gardening, for front desk, for data entry.

The choices are endless. As a volunteer parent, the parent is under no obligation to complete an academic year or have set working timings.

Such volunteering programs are run to suit a parent’s convenience and interest as well as the school’s.

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6. Parent as a resource person: Many a times, we as a school require resource persons from different walks of life to address our students.

If the school maintains a data bank of professions / education qualification of the parents, it would become very easy to source such resource individuals.

7. Exclusive events for parents and grandparents: The school can organize Grand Parent’s day and Parents’ sports day where full attention is given to the respective set.

Parents’ sports day can be a fun day with various sports competition for parents and also school vs. parents. The winner parents can be felicitated on the school Annual Day / School Annual sports day. Parents’ sports day should not be the schools’ sports day.

8. Proper Communication skills: Each member of the school must be trained for acquiring effective communication skills. The culture of the school must be visible in all members of the school right from a school bus driver to the Principal. Basic courtesy and mannerism must be taught to all the staff members.

Time to time all parents must also be guided towards correct behaviour and mannerism befitting your school. Schools must convey a zero tolerance policy towards any parent

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turning aggressive or talking rudely to any of your staff members. The school must set ground rules for all stakeholders; students, parents and staff members.

9. Share the school vision and mission with the parents frequently and repeatedly: If your major stakeholder is not aware of your vision and mission, it will become strenuous for the school to achieve their success target on time. Hence, schools’ vision and mission must be shared with all stakeholders – students, staff and parents at regular intervals.

This can be easily achieved by conducting parents’ workshops on relevant parenting topics merging the schools’ vision with it.

…conduct parents’ workshops on relevant parenting topics merging the schools’ vision with it.

Remember: The schools nurture, coach and prepare a child for 14 long years and the parents have to spend their most vulnerable years with that child. Risk is greater for the parent and accountability higher for the schools.

principal@edifyschoolbengaluru.com

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY – IN THE REAL SENSE Ms. Lakshmi Sridharan, the author of the article is the first student of the school Malleswaram Shishu Vihar. She completed B.Sc., B.Ed. and taught in the school for almost four years between 1968 and 1972. She retired after working in Emirates Airline for twenty five years and returned to the school as a committee member. Currently she is the Secretary of the school.

In this piece to MENTOR, Ms. Lakshmi Sridharan talks about the humble beginning of her school and how the school in today’s commercially immersed world strongly believes in imparting quality education and equal opportunity to children from all and sundry without any discrimination.

Our school, well known as Malleswaram Shishu Vihar, was founded in May 1953 by a well-qualified and dedicated educationist Smt. B K Thirumalamma. She started the school with a Mission – “not to sell education”. Further, her objective was “To give equal opportunity to all the children, for quality education and help them develop as mature, steady, virtuous adults”.

It is no wonder for those who have known Smt. Thirumalamma, to see that she lived her principles, followed and achieved her objective to the letter. She created many lowcost teaching aids and visited many schools in villages including Anganawadi schools to

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train the teachers.

She even went to the extent of bringing children from construction sites that she came across, admitted them in her school and gave them an education. Quite a few of them have gone on to become graduates.

Even though Malleswaram Shishu Vihar is one of the oldest schools in the locality, it has been functioning very modestly and has continued to reflect its humble beginnings.

The school has continued to follow the Mission and the Objective of the Founder. No Donation is taken from any student and the fee has remained nominal. Nevertheless, it

September 2015

is a very well equipped school for all classes from Nursery to the 10th. The founder, the teachers, helpers and the students are like a family; the MSV family. As the mother never discriminates amongst her children, so is MSV to all its students, whether economically backward, children of poorly educated parents, children of qualified parents, all of those are never the criteria for selecting the children. All children were and even now are welcome to join the school without any discrimination what so ever.

Each child is given the same importance and respect, and is taught and trained. All children feel the love, care and concern of the teachers as well as the helpers who play equally important role in the school. Children of underprivileged families get quality education; their social predicament never hinders them from getting equal opportunities like the others to develop themselves to the fullest.

All children were and even now are welcome to join the school without any discrimination what so ever.�

There is no punishment as such, as we do not believe in punishment. Children are disciplined using soft words. Teachers try and

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win their love and confidence, correct them and discipline them. In fact, one can see that glow and brightness on each little face.

Regular curricular activities are carried on well with discipline. Teachers ensure that the class-work and home-work are done regularly without fail. It is a very big challenge to all the teachers to educate and train the children, as most of them have no such support at home. Most of the children have to depend completely on their teachers for any school related activities including learning or doing home-work. In fact, children of affluent families have access to resources; as such there is not much challenge in teaching them. Whereas, it is really a big stressful challenge to teach, train and make the children of “not so literate parents�, do well in their studies and train them to become self-confident. All such children have hands-on computer skills training. Once being a student of the same school it gives me a great delight to see the beaming faces when they are in their computer class, as they do not have such facilities at home.

Co-curricular activities are also given equal importance. All the children participate in school activities with much enthusiasm. They are no less when it comes to yoga, sports, drill, exercise, and march-past etc. It is a sight to see their well-groomed disciplined march-

past with shafts, drums, bugles etc. In addition, they are taught soft skills, shlokas, and value based activities.

Each child is given the same importance and respect, and is taught and trained.

Even though the children are from economically under privileged families, they are rich in talents, be it dramatics, dance, art. And it is an absolute joy to see them perform.

They also participate in various inter-school competitions and return quite excited with prizes. Caste, colour, financial position, all these do not discriminate for learning ability, intelligence, skills and talents. When such is the case, I feel, “who are we to show any discrimination at all!” We indeed uphold “Equal Opportunity to all” in its real sense.

The school has a host of well qualified and well placed alumni members comprising of scientists, engineers, doctors, doctorates,

lawyers, auditors, teachers, professors etc.

They all have rich memories of the school, the teachers, friends and the times spent while their stay. Most of them have kept contact with the school. Quite a few of them have even sponsored some of the deserving students for their studies. Those living in Bangalore volunteered and took active part to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the school in a grand way in November 2013.

The school also has quite a few well-wishers assisting the school financially and also helping the parents by sponsoring the students.

The concerned parents are very grateful for this big help. It gives me great pleasure to tell it aloud that the entire 4th cross road where the school is located has been renamed as “Malleswaram Shishu Vihar Road”.

Even though the children are from economically under privileged families, they are rich in talents, be it dramatics, dance, art, etc.

In fact, I am the first student of the school holding Receipt No.1 dated 24/05/1953. Actually, looking back that was a Sunday; probably it was an auspicious day to issue the first receipt! Then, after completing B.Ed., I worked in the school for nearly four years between 1968 and 1972. Again after a gap of over 30 years, I have come back as a committee member and now I am acting as the Secretary of the school.

I suppose it is the attachment that has brought me back to my school.

Ever since I have come back to the school, I have been observing the school activities and the way the children are nourished and taken care of. It makes me realize and wonder even in the present commercially immersed world, how amazing it is that the Founder’s wish “to give equal opportunity for good education to one and all without discrimination” is being followed. I say it again –“Is not this equal opportunity in the real sense?”

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msvschool@gmail.com

September 2015

BOOK REVIEW

A MASTERY! Ms. Vidya Virkar, the owner of Strand Book Stall, Mumbai, reviews a book by Robin Sharma, titled The Mastery Manual.

The one quality that all top educationists aspire to have is to be ‘Inspirational’. But to stay on top of the game - to inspire constantly and meaningfully - one regularly requires a rich resource to draw from, one which gives inspiration at the very highest level, and one that reveals how to solidly connect with one’s own inner power so that in turn that inspirational energy can be percolated down to the growing minds of children.

This book It begins with a view of ourselves from the top: why has our destiny placed us in a particular position?

For example, principals or educationists are ‘leaders of a community’; so how does one take stock of our positions in society to become for this or any other community what destiny has intended?

Read “The Mastery Manual” with an open mind, for it really opens up the mind to a wealth of wonderful ideas! It makes us take stock of our performance in our chosen path in life with the attitude that each and every one can outperform themselves. Leap forward; become far, far better than today; become ‘our best self.’ Now that’s a concept we want all our children to have, don’t we? And Robin Sharma is all too happy to say how to go about it.

Leap forward; become far, far better than today; become ‘our best self.’ Now that’s a concept we want all our children to have, don’t we?”

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Written by a person who simply walks his talk and applies these principles in every day of his life, “The Mastery Manual” jumps out to be read. Open any page and you are riveted. Because every page, every paragraph talks about each one of us. Yes indeed. For human dilemmas and situations are more universal than we think. Is fear holding you back? Are your associations limiting you instead of taking you forward and making people view you in a way that is not as good as it could be? How do/did the best minds in the World challenge themselves constantly to rise to stratospheric levels of performance? Is ‘planet class’ aspiration going too far? Every page gets you hooked. It challenges and excites and pushes forward.

Robin Sharma challenges us to ask ourselves right now the questions we normally wait to ask ourselves towards the end of our lives. So that we may actually live now the way that makes us proud later. “Practice small daily acts of greatness.” “You will make more friends in two months by being interested in others than by waiting for two years for them to be interested in you.” “It is not possible to make another human being feel good about themself until you first feel good about yourself.” “The place where your greatest fears live is also the place where your greatest growth lies.” -- just a sampling of some of the numerous inspirational quotes that pepper these pages. It is a plethora of such wonderful, unusual insights, expanded upon to just the right degree, that makes him such a widely read author.

vidya.virkar@gmail.com

POST SCRIPTUM

ENGLISH ALONG PART 2!

I would like to in the next month’s issue take forward this thought and write about how English as a language is essential for other subjects too”. …these were my parting lines from the last issue and that which I carry forward in my thoughts in this issue….

The contribution of English as a language support goes unrefuted when it comes to teaching other subjects in other curriculum areas. As we go up the higher rungs of education, it is evident that a student who has not undergone a strong English support programme in school, has a setback when it comes to communication, expression and this in turn affects placement and industry interface.

Meandering to the point on developing English skills in schools, the skills that children develop in English are linked to, and applied in, every subject of school curriculum. The skills that children acquire in reading, writing, speaking and listening enable them to communicate and express themselves in all areas of their work in school. Let us understand this through some subjects like: Mathematics and Science English contributes significantly to the teaching of mathematics and science. In the foundation and the primary stages when children begin to understand numbers, patterns, shape and space and are introduced to newer concepts; language comprehension is crucial. Talking to adults about what they have learnt, comprehending and analysing logically and sharing learning with children is a significant role of English. Also, learning of basic concepts in mathematics and science in the primary stages is easier facilitated by a teacher when she explains the concepts with stories and rhymes that rely on counting and sequencing and growth and life. Unless and until children are comfortable with the language, reading in class and presenting and exchanging ideas can be a stumbling block. As students grow older and move to higher levels, their language competency is important for class

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presentations, group discussions, problem solving and most of all during plenary sessions; they need to be trained to communicate mathematically through the developing use of precise mathematical language.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Class learning is considered incomplete without ICT learning. ICT usage in class enables children to use and apply their developing skills in English in a variety of ways. In the primary stages, children can use ICT as a source of information and as a way of enabling them to present their completed work effectively.

Older children as usual use the Internet when searching for information. ICT support in developing language is seen when children use the planning and proofing tools in a word processor to check their draft works.

For Special Needs of Learners English forms an integral part of the school curriculum, teaching-learning for children with special needs. Most of the materials that teachers, who work with children with special needs and learning difficulties, are supported well when language comprehension is significantly there.

Life Skills When it comes to life skills sessions and activities, younger children can be easily encouraged to participate in class and group discussions on topical issues with language competency.

Debates, presentations, group activity, discussions and talking about problems is easy when facilitated with English.

vidya@edumedia.in