Escape from reality

Tim Hibsman
With schools closed, this is the perfect time for students to embrace research writing for all subjects. Students can be asked to research different topics and then provide their project through a traditional research paper and presentation. The optimum way to give students their assignments is through a model scenario. Provide students a role playing situation where they conduct research, write a report and present their findings.

I observe, therefore I am

Maya M. Nathan
A teacher recounts her experience of Science Day celebrations at her school and what it taught her about the teaching-learning process.

Team teaching: a true account

Neeraja Raghavan
What happens when two teachers team up to teach a subject together? Is this kind of collaboration even possible? What about the dynamics between the two teachers? Here is an amazing true account of a rare collaboration and how their boundaries and roles unfolded as their work progressed.

Parents in the library

Sonam Gangsang
In our series of writings which share the work of library educators, the focus this time is on an educator’s journey in a small Tibetan school in Karnataka and how she managed to engage parents and the community to develop an interest in library practices and learning.

Screen time panic

Neerja Singh
How much of screen time is good or not good for children? With digital devices everywhere and for everything, is it time to put the brakes on their use? Can the present generation of children do without them? Though these devices can improve learning, excess use can also be harmful and interfere with everything from sleep to creativity. How can teachers and parents help within these technological contexts, is the question.

Pay attention… naturally

Aruna Sankaranarayanan
Is there an upside to this global pandemic? Initially there were some positive reports about pollution receding, people sighting birds in their balconies etc. How can we forge this relationship with nature anew? Can communing with trees, birds and bees enhance children’s ability to focus? This article talks about how one can appreciate nature more mindfully.

Rendezvous with Nick Middleton

Leena Satuluri
An interview with an acclaimed travel writer, geographer and an environmentalist upped the ante for children who were absolutely delighted to speak to Nick Middleton. His book,’ Extremes along the Silk Road’ has been prescribed for CBSE students of grade 11. Here are excerpts from the interview done by the students and the author.

Misconceptions can mess it up

Savita Ladage and Hanza George
Did you know that chemistry is connected to everyday life? However, these connections are not apparent in the text books used in schools. Also, the abstract nature of the concepts in the subject poses several challenges to both learners and teachers leading to misconceptions. This article aims to help teachers understand these learning challenges.

Lockdown lessons from a Netflix show

Chintan Girish Modi
For a change, here is something that teachers will love to follow up on. A Netflix show revolving around the life of a teenager named Sam Gardner –who lives with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Since there is very little awareness among educators about the needs of students with disabilities, this show will help them to make an effort to sensitize themselves.

The challenge of the exceptional

Anuradha C
While educating children with learning disabilities brings with it a fair amount of problems, the task of dealing with children having above normal learning capabilities is equally challenging. Both inside and outside the classroom, these children with a high IQ are unable to blend with their peer group and thus remain ’outsiders’. It is up to the teacher and the parent to engage and inspire these fast learners so that their future is taken care of.