Current issue
In this issue
Stories to go back to
Usha Raman
A teacher’s professional development is not limited to the number of workshops or refresher courses she attends. For a teacher, every day brings some learning. These beautiful lessons about life and teaching that our students bequeath us are what makes teaching such a rewarding profession.
An exchange of stories: what I remember my students by
Ankita Rajasekharan
As a new teacher, Ankita always presented herself as someone that her students could grow into. But a book, a cloud and several beautiful experiences later, she now understands that she is not their inspiration. It is the other way round.
From teaching to unteaching
Sharmila Govande
This is the journey of a mother and teacher, whose children opened her eyes to what true learning is. Sharmila writes about how she came to a decision to ‘unlearn’ and is now along with her children experiencing a new way of learning by homeschooling.
The lighter side of learning
Matthew Baganz
Teaching-learning is not always a serious business. Every teacher has had his/her share of funny moments in the classroom. Matthew picks out five amusing stories from his life as a teacher and tells us what he has learnt from them.
August 2019
August 2019 | Cover Story
A room where no one hears the bell
Sunita Biswas
Staff rooms in schools are spaces with endless possibilities for fascinating journeys. While they can mean different things to different people ---- either a sanctum for communication and collaboration or just simply a place to unwind, or a breeding ground for gossip and discord, there is no denying that staff room dynamics reflect the attitudes, values and work ethics of
Action Research | August 2019
Blogs as a tool for reflective teaching
Jennifer Thomas
When teachers try out new methods or engage in experimenting with a particular lesson plan in the classroom, how do they get to share their experience with other teachers? Do they reflect on whether their new ideas found favour with the children or not? Here is a story of how teachers turned reflective by writing blogs and how the experience helped them get an insight i
August 2019 | Cogitations
Why bother being disturbed by disturbing art!
Prakash Iyer
Why are humans drawn to art that generates negative emotions like sadness, melancholy, horror, fear, disgust? Shouldn’t we avoid art that depicts behaviors and attitudes that we find reprehensible, or abhorrent? Beginning a new column.
Read more articles from this issueJuly 2019
Cover Story | July 2019.
Beyond the culture of fear
Lakshmi Karunakaran
When you arrive at your school every morning, does it welcome you with a smile and open arms? Or are you overwhelmed by it? Discipline, punishment, rules and authority are words usually associated with schools. But how do teachers teach freely when bound by rules? Can children learn when gripped by fear? Learning environments must be happy and safe places, if any le
July 2019 | Teaching Practice.
What are you thankful for?
Deepali Barapatre
In a world that is growing increasingly selfish and where everybody is creating little islands for themselves, it is becoming increasingly necessary to train our children to practice gratitude. Let us help our children realize that they don’t live alone in this world and that they have a lot of people to be thankful to in their lives.
July 2019 | Things To Think About.
Is this how you teach history?
Chintan Girish Modi
History is one of the more difficult subjects to teach. As an individual with a conscience do you teach your students to conform to the history textbooks (which are usually politically-driven) or do you teach them to confront the ideas presented in there? As an expert in the subject, do you put forth the whole picture for your students to see, or do you just show t
Read more articles from this issueMay 2019
Cover Story | May-June 2019 | Shaping Up Schools.
Playing outside school spaces
Anirban Ghosh
Physical Education needs to be redefined from its present idea of regimented drills, marching and annual sports days. Children must have access to proper play spaces to engage in rigorous physical activity either through games, free play or any other sport. A look at how sports can be taken out of the confines of school spaces.
Classroom Connect | May-June 2019.
From the console to the playground
Aditya Deshbandhu
In this age of technology, e-sport is catching up and may soon be included as part of curricula in high schools and universities in the West. Against this context, it is important for educators to acknowledge the popularity of video games as a platform. This article explains the possibilities of students engaged with video games to seek physical activity as a consequ
Do, Think, Decide | May-June 2019.
Is the ball rolling in government schools?
Aditi Mutatkar and Hemanta Mahanta
Can we ensure quality output by making PE compulsory? In the government system, PE is near dysfunctional and the immediate need would be to look at PE as a learning opportunity, thereby thinking about having specific curricula, assessments and in- service teacher training models.
Read more articles from this issue
Stories to go back to
Usha Raman
A teacher’s professional development is not limited to the number of workshops or refresher courses she attends. For a teacher, every day brings some learning. These beautiful lessons about life and teaching that our students bequeath us are what makes teaching such a rewarding profession.
An exchange of stories: what I remember my students by
Ankita Rajasekharan
As a new teacher, Ankita always presented herself as someone that her students could grow into. But a book, a cloud and several beautiful experiences later, she now understands that she is not their inspiration. It is the other way round.
From teaching to unteaching
Sharmila Govande
This is the journey of a mother and teacher, whose children opened her eyes to what true learning is. Sharmila writes about how she came to a decision to ‘unlearn’ and is now along with her children experiencing a new way of learning by homeschooling.
The lighter side of learning
Matthew Baganz
Teaching-learning is not always a serious business. Every teacher has had his/her share of funny moments in the classroom. Matthew picks out five amusing stories from his life as a teacher and tells us what he has learnt from them.
August 2019
August 2019 | Cover Story
A room where no one hears the bell
Sunita Biswas
Staff rooms in schools are spaces with endless possibilities for fascinating journeys. While they can mean different things to different people ---- either a sanctum for communication and collaboration or just simply a place to unwind, or a breeding ground for gossip and discord, there is no denying that staff room dynamics reflect the attitudes, values and work ethics of
Action Research | August 2019
Blogs as a tool for reflective teaching
Jennifer Thomas
When teachers try out new methods or engage in experimenting with a particular lesson plan in the classroom, how do they get to share their experience with other teachers? Do they reflect on whether their new ideas found favour with the children or not? Here is a story of how teachers turned reflective by writing blogs and how the experience helped them get an insight i
August 2019 | Cogitations
Why bother being disturbed by disturbing art!
Prakash Iyer
Why are humans drawn to art that generates negative emotions like sadness, melancholy, horror, fear, disgust? Shouldn’t we avoid art that depicts behaviors and attitudes that we find reprehensible, or abhorrent? Beginning a new column.
Read more articles from this issueJuly 2019
Cover Story | July 2019.
Beyond the culture of fear
Lakshmi Karunakaran
When you arrive at your school every morning, does it welcome you with a smile and open arms? Or are you overwhelmed by it? Discipline, punishment, rules and authority are words usually associated with schools. But how do teachers teach freely when bound by rules? Can children learn when gripped by fear? Learning environments must be happy and safe places, if any le
July 2019 | Teaching Practice.
What are you thankful for?
Deepali Barapatre
In a world that is growing increasingly selfish and where everybody is creating little islands for themselves, it is becoming increasingly necessary to train our children to practice gratitude. Let us help our children realize that they don’t live alone in this world and that they have a lot of people to be thankful to in their lives.
July 2019 | Things To Think About.
Is this how you teach history?
Chintan Girish Modi
History is one of the more difficult subjects to teach. As an individual with a conscience do you teach your students to conform to the history textbooks (which are usually politically-driven) or do you teach them to confront the ideas presented in there? As an expert in the subject, do you put forth the whole picture for your students to see, or do you just show t
Read more articles from this issueMay 2019
Cover Story | May-June 2019 | Shaping Up Schools.
Playing outside school spaces
Anirban Ghosh
Physical Education needs to be redefined from its present idea of regimented drills, marching and annual sports days. Children must have access to proper play spaces to engage in rigorous physical activity either through games, free play or any other sport. A look at how sports can be taken out of the confines of school spaces.
Classroom Connect | May-June 2019.
From the console to the playground
Aditya Deshbandhu
In this age of technology, e-sport is catching up and may soon be included as part of curricula in high schools and universities in the West. Against this context, it is important for educators to acknowledge the popularity of video games as a platform. This article explains the possibilities of students engaged with video games to seek physical activity as a consequ
Do, Think, Decide | May-June 2019.
Is the ball rolling in government schools?
Aditi Mutatkar and Hemanta Mahanta
Can we ensure quality output by making PE compulsory? In the government system, PE is near dysfunctional and the immediate need would be to look at PE as a learning opportunity, thereby thinking about having specific curricula, assessments and in- service teacher training models.
Read more articles from this issue