Re-imagining the gurukul

Anuradha C
The gurukul tradition was the epicentre of learning in ancient India. With modernization, however, this system has seen a decline. Is it time now to revive some of the best practices of this system? Some aspects worth adopting are the holistic way of learning and human development, honing the individual abilities of children and learning to live in harmony with nature.

Indian by choice

Chintan Girish Modi
Teachers who may want to talk to their students about the Indian freedom struggle can now include Freda Bedi in their conversations Who was Freda Bedi? She was not born on Indian soil but devoted herself totally to India. Her story needs to be read.

A story of the solar eclipse

Farheena Naseem
Here is a wonderful story about the solar eclipse narrated in a simple way to help children know about eclipses.

Understanding the eye: an integrated approach

Santosh Sharma
Can science be taught using an inter-disciplinary approach such that it can help students reinforce their thinking and develop their problem-solving skills? Here is a classroom plan for a topic that shares an interface with other subjects such as physics and chemistry.

The strength of ideas

Brendan MacCarthaigh
When students have to face a nightmare called exams, it is up to the teacher to help them face their ordeal in a less frightening way. Teachers can motivate the students to look at it as an adventure or even as a challenge which they need to overcome and that it requires just that bit of extra practice and preparation.

Creating happy classrooms

Payal Khanna
Happy classrooms help children take ownership of their learning. A pendulum shift occurs when children feel happy. Happy children are more likely to be naturally engaged than children who are unsure of their presence in the class. So, how can teachers create happy classrooms? The idea is to give children the choice of taking charge of their own learning and this would mean teachers may need to be invested beyond their duty as educators.

TPD programs in Tibetan schools

Tenzin Dhargyal
Teachers in Tibetan schools have increasingly taken to participating in professional development programs where collaborative practices such as peer teaching, study groups etc have helped them in improving their own teaching methodologies.

Uniforms suck: teaching through consequences

Tim Hibsman
Is it essential to have a school uniform? What if children do not like wearing a uniform? Can parents and teachers engage children by giving them rational answers?

The staff room: Sanctuary or stressor?

Mehak Siddiqui Teaching at a school can in many ways be different from working at an office – whether it’s the larger moral responsibility of shaping the younger generation or the lofty goal of making a difference in students’ lives Read More …

Faculty meetings: Look how productive they are!

Gopal Midha Faculty meetings were a part of my work life when I was a middle school math teacher in Mumbai. These faculty meetings would sometimes consist of sleep-inducing administrative affairs or endless debates on new school policies. Inevitably, as Read More …