Making the most of the commute

Life has become extremely busy. Nobody has the time to take a break, to relax, to unwind. Teachers, like everybody else, hardly have the time to breathe–first with household chores and then at work in school. But without those small breaks, how does one recharge oneself? How can one energize oneself to face the day ahead? The answer lies in one’s daily commute. We all take the bus, either private or school, or the auto, or drive to school or perhaps even walk. Let us make utmost use of this time we take to travel to work. Let us use this time to switch off things and draw from the energy that surrounds nature.

Decoding decimals

Sinny Mole

Decimals first make their appearance in primary school. And they are always a tricky topic to teach young minds who are only aware of the whole number system. Here are a couple of activities that will help your students grasp the concept of decimals better.

Bringing Harry Potter to class

Sonali Bhatia

Harry Potter is very popular with young adults and that makes these books an attractive teaching tool. Use the Harry Potter books to instill values and life skills in your students.

Mixing the old into the new

Anumeha Fatehpuria

Puppets are among the attractive teaching aids for primary school. Puppets can range from being extremely complicated to being extremely simple. Their adaptability and flexibility allows teachers to use them in many different ways. Here is how to teach the concept of less and more using very simple puppets.

The uses of theory

Prakash Iyer

The idea that teachers need to reflect on their teaching practices is gaining a lot of popularity. But excessive theorizing is not recommended either. So how does a teacher know when and where to stop theorizing or analyzing her practices? Read to find out.

Is the price right?

VSK Sundari

Children can always grasp concepts better when they see how useful or not what they are learning is in real life. See how a math teacher not only helped her students see this connection between studying and life but also see the connection between different subjects.

It’s not where you go, but how you get there

Arun Elassery

Alternatiview this time looks at Manzil, an after school learning space that helps children of various age improve their skills at art, music, math and English among other things.

Understanding the ‘constitution’ of our democracy

Nivedita Dwivedi

What was once called civics is today called political science. The change in the name of the subject is significant for it tells the learner that this branch of social science not only looks at how the administration of a country works but also looks at the important role that politics plays in the carrying out of those administrative responsibilities. But how does a teacher help generate political discussions in class without any biases?

Reawakened art

Matthew Baganz

This retired educator in the US pays tribute to teachers and the students whose lives they transformed by painting and refurbishing discarded school desks.

With no strings attached

Amit Deshwal

Learning happens best when there are no boundaries or restrictions. Children enjoy learning if we let them be and don’t tell them what they should be curious about or force them to walk along a path we have drawn for them. Here’s hoping for a future where children are allowed to learn and grow without any strings attached.