Maya Menon
My mother and her much-older siblings walked long distances every day in the hot sun or pouring rain to …

Sangeeta Menon
A school is more than just a space for learning and teaching is more than just delivering a prescribed syllabus. Education is all about nurturing the child’s sense of self which several alternative schools are doing in their small and imaginative ways. Will the Right to Education Act take away their right to exist because they do not fulfill the norms laid down within its framework? Will these alternative schools be forced to shut down by the end of this month if they do not comply with the provisions of the RTE Act? Some of the concerns raised by these schools are genuine and need to be heard if there truly has to be reform in education. These individuals and groups wanting to bring in fresh perspectives into education must be given their space.

Ketaki Chowkhani

In India, sexuality education has been restricted to a couple of chapters in the biology textbook. Whether the school or the home, people have been happy to scratch the surface of this important subject and not traverse beyond. It is necessary that schools and homes become progressive and comfortable environments where children can find answers to all their questions without fear and hesitation.

Gopal Midha
What is practice? What is the magic change that it can bring about? How can it be rescued from turning into a dull and meaningless chore? What do students think about it? Our cover story tries to answer some of these questions and suggests ways in which practice tasks can be restructured.

Kamala Krishnaswamy and Ruchi Vaidya
Food or ‘annam’ is the basic necessity of life and existence and ‘annam’ is “aham”. We …

Simran Luthra and Mounik Shankar Lahiri

Democracy in /and education have long been buzzwords in any discourse in education. But to what extent have these concepts been understood? This article tries to demystify these concepts and touches upon why democratic education is desirable, what hinders democratic practices in education and what teachers and educators can do to practice democratic education.

Chintan Girish Modi

When a child fails, to a large extent he ends up getting blamed for the failure. Sometimes fingers are pointed at the teacher. An already upset child is labelled ‘lazy’, ‘dumb’, ‘stupid’ and we succeed in demoralizing the child. Instead have we ever asked, ‘Why is the child not interested?’, ‘How differently can I teach to create an interest?’, ‘How can I encourage my child and commend him for what he can do?’ As parents, teachers, and schools who have an interest in the child we have to take equal responsibility and help a child overcome his failure.

Sheela Ramakrishnan

As teachers, many of us have often wanted to take time out for ourselves, to indulge in some quiet time, to pull back from the children whom we teach and just think about where we are heading. In our journey as educators, this ‘me time ‘ becomes essential, not only to recharge our batteries but also to become better professionals. Our cover story this month is about how teachers have managed to go on a voyage of self- discovery and personal growth.

Sangeetha Sriram and Manasi Karthik
More and more parents are taking the courageous decision of not sending their kids to school and instead finding learning spaces in their own homes and surroundings for their kids. Why are parents choosing to walk this bold new path? Find the answers in this times cover story.

Ninad Jagdish

System Dynamics is a method of study that has been used for over two decades in schools in the US, Germany and other Scandinavian countries. This method can be useful in a country like India where there are several issues around learner-centric education. The current article touches just the surface of what system dynamics is and how it can be used in schools, but it gives a taste of just what might be in store!

Makhan L Tickoo
Background: Two major changes have taken place over the last six decades in Indian ELT. Both have made …

Indira Vijaysimha
Why do most women opt for teaching as a career? Is it because it gives them the flexibility to perform their other roles as homemakers and caregivers while also doing a respectable job? This element of constraint accounts for the fact that many women would have taken up other career choices but ended up in the teaching sector. To empower women teachers and to bring equitable status, it is important that the teachers’ roles, their lives, their perception, their problems and voices are understood and heard. Only when women teachers are empowered , can education play a transformative role.

Chintan Girish Modi

Did you know of a bully as a child? Chances are you didn’t. But your child who is going to school today probably does. Bullying is becoming more and more common in schools even in India and after a couple of fatal bullying incidents a lot of schools are waking up to this fact. Schools are putting policies in place to prevent and discourage bullying. Teacher Plus interviews three schools to see what schools are doing to tackle this problem.

Divya Choudary
After tuition classes and coaching centres, we now have after-school learning centres that use contemporary digital technology to make the teaching-learning less hierarchical and more student-centric. These centres aim to foster inquiry, reasoning and keep students and teachers engaged in the learning process. This article takes a look at what happens at these learning centres.

Gopal Midha
What are lesson plans? Why are they important? Read a brief history on lesson plans and their importance. Also find guidelines on how you can develop your own effective lesson plans.

Kanchi Kohli
Where does the problem of environmental degradation lie? The land mass around us is fast diminishing, water wars are already agenda items of heated political debates and the world has warmed up to the idea of climate change. For each one of us, locating the problem of environmental crisis is crucial. Kanchi Kohli helps to give us an understanding of the issues at hand.

Teaching in a residential school–how different is it from teaching in a day school? What kind of spirit and attitude should teachers who teach in residential schools have? Are teachers who live on campus more stressed or satisfied at the end of a day? We set out to find answers to these questions and more.

Do teachers have a larger role to play in the classroom other than just teaching the subject? Can they find the time to talk to students about biases and differences? Prejudices, stereotypes, images of the ‘other’ run deep. There is no easy escape. There is, however, a constant need to question, evaluate, and challenge the status quo. This article highlights a few such interventions and appeals for an education that also has heart apart from intellect.

Every individual has an ego. Teachers do too. But more than any other professional, teachers, in particular, have to ensure that their egos don’t get in the way of their work because the consequences could be disastrous.

Is physical punishment an effective way of disciplining children? Is it an unjust and unfair assault on another human being? Or is it essentially a means of exercising control over another individual? There is no reason, whatever to justify the use of physical violence in a classroom or school. This article takes a look at the consequences of corporal punishment and what initiatives can be taken to make schools happy places.

One year after CCE was introduced, Teacher Plus visits some teachers to see how well they have coped with this new system of evaluation.

History is a subject that has been relegated to the backburner and therefore its teaching has been largely uninspiring. There is a need to restate and rediscover its relevance and the best place to start this is in the classrooms.

With the holidays fast approaching, Teacher Plus brings you a cover story to celebrate the holiday spirit. This holiday why not try doing something different and healthy? Read this author’s experience of starting her own hydroponic vegetable garden hopefully you will be inspired enough to start your own. Have a happy vacation.

The Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to make English compulsory at the primary level in all government schools has met with a mixed reaction from educationists. While this step may seem for the better, many are sceptical about how well it will be implemented in Andhra Pradesh and across South India. Some of the concerns are whether teachers are adequately trained to teach English and whether the focus on English will take away the importance of other subjects in school.

RtE 2009 has promised to revamp public education in India. But to realize the ideal standards proposed by the RtE there are several concerns that need to be addressed. Teacher shortage is perhaps the most visible and urgent hurdle that needs to be overcome. While tackling teacher shortage is a pressing need, it is only one of the many more concerns that currently paralyze public education.

Does the average Indian urban parent participate in his/her child’s education? Do teachers prefer that parents involve themselves in their child’s education? What expectations do the teachers have from parents? Studies have shown that teachers and principals should familiarize themselves with the facets of parental involvement that can help the most, so that they can guide parents on what steps they can take to become more involved.

Most school buildings in India remind one either of a hospital or a prison, both places of surveillance and authority. Schools though should be welcoming places where children can freely explore knowledge. The Centre for Vernacular Architecture is changing the way schools are being built

A major transformation is taking place in the field of education with top graduates and professionals stepping in to impart learning to the less fortunate. This movement called ‘Teach for India’ is making an impact in two cities in Maharashtra and promises to get bigger. However some questions and concerns still need to be addressed. Shaheen Mistri, CEO of TFI, in an interview, talks about her plans and her vision to ensure that all children receive an excellent education. Anu Aga, CEO of Thermax, explains why the human element is important in education, and is passionately committed to the cause of primary education.

Corporate intervention in the field of education is not new but of late there has been a change in the nature of their involvement in public schooling. All the major corporates in India have established not-for-profit organizations to carry out their educational programmes. While some hold hands with the government, other prefer to try and solve problems at the helm of the public schooling system on their own. Teacher Plus talks to the main corporate NGOs about their involvement in the education sector.

First day jitters and joys
As we began planning for our September issue, we were all sure that it had to …