Usha Raman
The ‘hijab row” is now an issue that the nation is caught up with. How does the ban on the hijab make students better learners or more focused on their education? When we talk of inclusion, should we not be providing flexible and open spaces so that there is room for dialogue, so that children will stay in school and not drop out of studies altogether?
Category: Editorial
Time to recharge
Usha Raman
After two years of complete or partial lockdowns and meeting online, we have begun going back to school again. When the boundaries between work and home had disappeared and we were left with little or no “me time”, work felt like a chore and energies were always low. It is time to redraw those boundaries that separate work from home so that we can be the best both in school and at home.
Taking responsibility, leading the way
Usha Raman
Responsibilityand accountability are a part of a leader’s vocabulary. Leadership cannot be successful without either of these two characteristics. But in the education space, are there any boundaries within which a teacher works? A teacher’s areas of responsibility cannot be defined and she/he is accountable to multiple stakeholders. So much can the teachers take on?
Clarity amidst chaos
Usha Raman
The pandemic is still very much present in the world, but after almost two years, people are ready to rebuild their lives. At Teacher Plus we begin this new year with a look at a topic that has been constantly debated upon. Homework. What is homework? Why do students have to do it? What do we intend them to learn from it?
My kind of heaven
Usha Raman
This issue on libraries brings together some varied and rich experiences of librarians, library educators and book lovers. It gives us a bit of history and also hope that learning, knowledge seeking and escape can really all come together in a space where books and resources are available aplenty and where people are able to connect with people.
Making health a habit
Usha Raman
Health and hygiene have never been so in the limelight as in these past 20 months. While our “new found knowledge” about keeping ourselves and our environments clean and healthy is not really new, it is time that we actually start putting into practice what we know and create environments that not only educate but also promote wellbeing.
Up close and far away
Usha Raman
Educational technology is more than just online classroom Instruction. It is also about school structure, digitization, organization etc. It can provide solutions for the entire system too, if educators choose to take it on. But there is the other side in all this celebration of technology. We need to care for what is in the present and the immediate and learn from our surroundings.
Making memories, celebrating life
Usha Raman
This Teacher’s Day we decided to take a look at the beginnings and endings and all there is in between. We bring you memories and stories that teachers and students have shared with us of how felt that first day entering a classroom, the first time they went to school, the day someone passed out, the day a teacher retired. We hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as we enjoyed putting them together. Happy Teacher’s Day.
Rethinking the context of teaching
Usha Raman
A recent webinar co- hosted by Teacher Plus in association with Wishwa brought to the fore several concerns that parents and teachers had about online learning and about the aims and objectives of education. Parents were concerned about screen time and teachers about keeping the children engaged and motivated. It was however an opportunity for teachers and parents to come together and build on their collaboration.
Showing the soft side
Usha Raman
In the pre-pandemic days life was always rushed. We never stopped to think about anyone or anything. Today, the pandemic has consumed all our lives and changed the way we do things. Amidst all the adversities, it has also provided us with opportunities to learn new things about ourselves; it has shown us that in many ways we are all the same. Hopefully our new realizations will help us create more empathetic and understanding living and learning spaces.