Chintan Girish Modi
Here is the first children’s book in English that highlights the Chera kingdom and life in Kerala in the 11th century. A wonderful addition to school libraries, the book highlights Kerala’s multiculturalism and explores the matrilineal system that was prevalent in Kerala. An interview with the author gives an insight into the process that went into writing this book.
Category: November 2022
Rising from the abyss
Gita Nambiar
Board exams can be a stressful experience for students. Teachers need to be extra sensitive during this period and help students stay positive so that this threshold can be crossed with minimal tensions. Any kind of insensitive remarks can pull a child down or demotivate him/her. Instead, exerting the right amount of pressure, giving tips on time management, goal setting etc. will help the child to sail smoothly.
SEL begins with teachers
Bindu Subramaniam
How can teachers get children to be empathetic and kind? It has to be incorporated into everything that they do right from modelling behaviour to encouraging role play or even storytelling. Students who take part in these activities tend to internalise the ideas of kindness and empathy and make them second nature.
Assessment for learning
Mrinmayee Vaishampayan and Varsha Puranik
This article is about a recent experiment conducted in a school in Pune. The teachers planned it as a new approach of looking at examinations as an evaluation for learning instead of an evaluation of learning. Observing the psychosocial changes in students and the difficulties they had while facing the examinations after recurrent lockdowns and the whole shift from online school to in-person school, this proved to be an insightful experiment for both students and teachers.
A case for a simple structure and form
G. Gautama
The emergence of new technologies has seen schools taking to them without batting an eyelid. However the core systems have not changed simultaneously. The schools, classrooms and pedagogies have remained untouched and there is an urgent need for a redefinition. The author outlines some relevant and important changes that can be adopted to invigorate the entire school system.
Building resilience
Joyita Ambett and Neha Pradhan Arora
What is resilience and how can it be built in children, to help them prevent, respond to and tackle abuse, violence and exploitation? Low self-esteem, helplessness, depression are some of the life-long effects of abuse in children. All this in turn affects overall development and learning. Resilience is a critical skill that will help children cope with trauma or negative life events and bounce back from difficult situations. This article outlines a framework and approach that schools can adopt to build safer spaces.
Making learning more enjoyable
Aruna Sankaranarayanan
Why Don’t Students Like School? is an interesting book that most teachers must read since it gives insights into how teachers can create conducive conditions in the classroom to propel children to love school. What is the content or knowledge that schools should focus on to help children engage more with their subjects? Schools need to allow students to choose smaller subset of topics which they can pursue more deeply.
Remembering a library mentor
S. Mundayoor
A heart-warming tale about a young man who owed all his education to his library mentor who allowed him to borrow books and complete his education.
Engaging students with the world
Guncha Mehta
Why is a language class looked down upon by students who feel that there is no need to master a language when their goals or aspirations are inclined towards the sciences? How can students be made to realise the value of a language and its importance in the larger scheme of things? One way is for teachers to bring a global perspective to the language class so that this ‘irrelevant subject’ can get its worth.
Rebirth of reading
Suhail Abdul Hameed
Libraries usually serve as a memorable space for avid book lovers who love to just browse and perhaps even read the books that they choose. Everyone has their own experience of engaging with libraries as a space. This article throws light on efforts to create such a space for students in a government primary school in Chhattisgarh.