I read Teacher Plus with interest and curiosity because it is practically grounded and it shares distilled experiences by quality writers. It caters to all levels of scholastic education right from preschool to class XII with its out-of-the-box ideas, activities, success stories and experiences.

The language is de-jargonised and reader-friendly. And its special issues are dedicated to specific aspects of a multifaceted profession like teaching.

Lt. Col (Retd.) A. Sekhar
Principal, Atul Vidyalaya, Atul

Creative and practical approach
I have been a teacher in both regular and alternative schools and have been reading Teacher Plus issues for long now. I appreciate the depth and creativity it brings forth in each issue. The approach of Teacher Plus that emphasises classroom learning is also praise-worthy.

Meeta Mohanty, New Delhi.

Articles of note
I read the editorial, ‘A hard look at soft skills’ with deep interest. I have been a school teacher for more than two decades and have always enjoyed the talk and laughter of children in school. But I often find teachers shouting at the top of their voice to get the children to keep quiet with the result that the teaching-learning process gets strained and noisy. Living in noisy surroundings can lead to several illnesses. So a rethink on soft skills is imperative today. Soft skills are healthy; let us tell our kids that.

I also quite liked the article ‘Dealing with year end tension and exams!’ by Suchitra Reddy. The author cites the case of her son simply copying from the internet to complete his projects. I completely agree with the author that in this IT world of quick and easy access, children fail to process the information they copy. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

Anita Choudhary, Indirapuram.

Childhood is precious
It was heartening to read the cover story in the January issue of Teacher Plus, ‘Do singing stars sometimes sink audiences?’ by Chandita Mukherjee. Heartening because here is a sensible stand on the insensitive attitude towards children. Heartening, more so because it is written by a film maker and someone associated with media and communications.

Childhood with its innocence is a necessary predecessor to a strong, mature adulthood. Often adults are thrilled when children imitate adult behaviour. Childhood needs to be cherished and revered; it has its own laws and not the laws of grown-ups. Once the blossoming time is over, it will never come again. The ground that early childhood experiences prepare needs to be solid and this would later be important for the individual to develop creative power and strength of character. The more we have ‘ripened in the bud’ kids today, the more we will see immature adults tomorrow.

The dangers of robbing children of childhood cannot be undermined. Misplaced priorities, superficial and artificial lifestyles are sure to ruin a society.

The writer’s concluding remarks need to be understood by every parent. Schools should circulate such articles among parents and initiate discussions among parents regarding such issues. Sometimes mere ignorance or lack of awareness leads one to ape the majority.

Seetha Anand, Hyderabad.

The article titled “The theatre of English Language” (August 2008) sounded tempting and with the hope of getting some insight into making English teaching interesting I started reading it. But the insensitivity with which the author has discussed the cases of people trying hard to communicate in English was very disappointing.

Language is a crucial component of any one’s personality. This is because it is not just a medium to communicate but also to express feelings. People are comfortable communicating in a language they are more exposed to. But, when it comes to communicating in another language it really takes time and a lot of effort on part of the learner; especially when exposure is limited.

We all understand our role in motivating the learner and scaffold him/her in the process of learning when the learner is an infant or a child. We respond even to meaningless cooing and babbling. We are thrilled when the child starts with two syllable words like mama and papa.

For all the people the writer has discussed about English is a second language for all of them. Obsession to learn English is not baseless our country where knowledge of English ensures you good paying jobs and allows you to access the culture of the elite. In our society not everyone is fortunate enough to get exposure to this “highly valued language” right from childhood and acquire it in a natural way. Therefore, many of us (those who do not inherit it) ended up attending coaching centers which promise to teach the language in a short period and in the money that most of us can afford to pay as students.

You are a tailor if you know the local language but the moment you can talk to your customer in “good” English, your shop is called a boutique and you, a designer. Every parent wants to send his/her child to a good English medium school but when the time comes to meet the teacher even many qualified parents hesitate if they are not fluent in English. In Delhi there are many institutes which arrange classes for such parents and prepare them for interviews (for children’s admission) and to participate in parent- teacher meetings. Recently, in my interaction with some teachers I was taken aback when they referred to non-English speaking parents as uneducated.

From job classifieds to matrimonial, fluency in English becomes a must for upward mobility. Let’s take the case of a teacher education institution which I attended. In a batch of 42, 10 students studied in Hindi medium. And in spite of the limited availability of the literature most of them performed quite well. But in campus recruitment none of them could get a job as they had the desired knowledge in a “not so preferred language”. Most of them could not apply for a master’s in their desired courses as not many university offer subjects in Hindi. This is not limited to Hindi but to most regional languages. As the level of teaching advances, not knowing the regional language and not making any effort to learn it becomes a cool thing. But for a college teacher, even if s/he is teaching a regional language, not knowing English becomes a stigma to the department s/he belongs to.

I agree with the author that understanding is more important than speech and therefore I think that there is a need to go deeper to understand the reasons behind the performances like the one cited by the author.

This Article was under the Last Word which I understand is meant for light reading but if it found a place in Teacher Plus it should have should promised at least some substance for teachers. Hope the message of the article has not been understood as “English is the legacy of few elites and others better not attempt to mess with it”.

Shikha Sharma, Bengaluru.

Interesting and disappointing at the same time

Your library articles in the August 2008 issue, especially the ones discussing the experiences of two different organisations in taking libraries to people in two different settings, were very interesting and informative.

However, I can’t say the same about Last Word. The insensitivity with which the author has discussed the cases of people trying hard to communicate in English was very disappointing. Today, knowing English and being able to speak it fluently has become the means by which you measure a person’s standing in society and when you are not exposed to the language from childhood, what can you do but approach the “institutes” that promise to teach it.

I understand that Last Word is meant for light reading, but if the article found a place in Teacher Plus it should have promised some substance for teachers. Hope the message of the article has not been understood as “English is the legacy of few elites and others better not attempt to mess with it”.

Shikha Sharma, Bangalore.

Intellectual treat

Just one word can be used to describe your magazine – brilliant. The issue that I read was an intellectual and visual treat. Most of the articles were splendid. I hope you will continue with this freshness and enthusiasm in all your issues. I really liked your magazine. It is like an all-rounder in the field of education because it covers all topics and needs. It helped me know the answers to many questions I had in mind on different things. I truly enjoyed reading it and I wish you all the best in the future with all your issues.

Vasiliki Rachel, Dubai.

A mistake

I just got the copy of your Teacher Plus Teachers’ day Special.

I was sad to note that you have punctuated the word Teachers’ Day wrongly in many places starting from the cover. We don’t write it as Teacher’s day. It should be Teachers’ day. The apostrophe should come after the s. We don’t say child’s day, do we? We say Children’s day.

The word was wrongly written in colourful posters in many pages as well.

B O Sebastian, Kerala.

Diana Muscat, Dubai.

Innovative ideas
I liked the July issue of Teacher Plus. The innovative ideas inspired me a lot. More teachers need to explore themselves through this magazine. It will help them unite in a special way to exchange their ideas and share their views and turn their profession into something meaningful.

I have a suggestion: An article by Sudha Murthy will add value to the magazine.

Akila, Hosur, Karnataka.

Storehouse of information
I work as a Mathematics teacher in an International school in Hyderabad. I started reading your magazine and found it very interesting and creative. I am much pleased to see the kind of articles you publish. Being a teacher in Mathematics I am always interested in finding new methods to teach the subject. I have gleaned several new ideas from your magazine and I believe other teachers have done the same.

Ramesh, Hyderabad.

Elizabeth Motwatle, Dubai.

Worth reading
I wish to express my happiness for being one of the readers of your popular monthly, which is worth reading as it enhances the confidence and creativity of a teacher to make the class more effective and interesting.

Ramya Deepika Aluri, Kakinada.

An educative magazine
I had the pleasure of reading through the April and May issues of Teacher Plus. It pleases the eye to begin with and reinforces the idea that small is (in this case the size) beautiful. The editorial board’s reach and depth is laudable. Allow me to say your journal helps transform literates into educated. At least those who care to read.

Jyotsna Subbarayudu, Hyderabad.

Hooked
I chanced upon a issue of Teacher Plus at my workplace. I just have to convey that it had me hooked instantly. I was mesmerised by all the articles and rest assured, I will attempt to read the back issues during my vacations. Thanks for a fantastic read.

Ruwan Azar, Dubai.

Counsel the adults first

Children are largely guided by the adults in their lives – the parents and the teachers. As a mental health professional I feel it is essential to talk to these adults in order to reach out to the children. To help a child realise himself, we have to first help the adult recognise his/her concerns, and deal with emotions such as anxiety and anger. Once the parents and teachers are less stressed, I am sure that the children will themselves be less stressed and have better lives.

Anjum Khan, Hyderabad.

Why I don’t read ‘teacher magazines’

I was once asked if I read teacher magazines. My reply was ‘No, I do not, because I seem to have too many interests’. And that, apparently is not too good a thing? A teacher must be seen all the time trying to update herself professionally. I beg to differ.

While it is wonderful to be a teacher and have a class full of eager young children raring to learn, reality hits you when you start teaching a class of 45 young kids, each with different needs. Believe me, they are a treat, sweet, sour and bitter all rolled into one; like wet cement if you please, just waiting for you to go in there and make them into Davids (educationally, mentally and physically).

And where does that leave you at the end of the day? Tired, mentally stressed out. And you realise you still have the note books to correct, make lesson plans and draft question papers. As a wife, mother and homemaker, how much time do you have for yourself? Speaking for myself, very little, and you want me to read a teacher magazine? Standard reply, “Sorry, no time”, the same I say to my kids and husband. And, excuse me, I want to get away from it all even if it is only for a few minutes.

So, teacher magazines? No thank you. I need time for myself.

Rajyalakshmi Marty, Hyderabad.

N Sreekumar, Hyderabad.

Useful resource

Introducing worksheets along with the magazine is a great idea. I must say I welcomed it. The first one on birds will be a useful resource when we take students to bird sanctuaries as well as during our classroom teaching.

Also, we really liked the article by Cheryl Rao on the A to Zee of a class magazine. Normally, students do not get to read this magazine but such articles are handy for teachers as they can be used as a sample to be shown to students.

Anita Choudhary, Delhi.

A good break

I really enjoyed the section titled ‘Tea break’ in your March 2008 issue. Finding mistakes in the ads was fun. In fact, this section helped spark off an idea. I have asked my students to collect clippings or take photos of ads that have mistakes in them and make a scrap book. At the end of the year we will have a large collection of funny ads. This will be both a learning and enjoyable experience. Thank you, Teacher Plus.

Sangeetha Ghosh, Jabalpur.