Love me as I am

Soma Chakraborty
The inclusion and acceptance of special children into regular society and school will affect them positively. Here’s how this school and teachers held Anjali’s hand and helped her confidently stand on her own feet.

What the Summerhill school can teach us

Shamayel Zaidi
Summerhill by A S Neill is a book which seldom fails to shake the reader. There is a lot in the book which makes one think and re-think. If, however, there are four elements we want to learn from Summerhill what would these be? Are these thoughts and ideas viable in our country today?

Can a school be happy with unhappy teachers?

Shabira Banu
Trust and space are crucial for children. There is largely an agreement on this. Where do trust and space stand when it comes to teachers? Do teachers get the space and trust they deserve and seek? Can the teachers trust children and enable them space to perform when they do not get support on these fronts?

Why do we chop off children’s wings?

Vikash Sharma
The society runs like a well-oiled machine. Everyone plays their roles and no one strays from their duties. So why upset the applecart? Because if we don’t, everything that is wrong with the way things are functioning now, will continue to be wrong and that is not right.

Means versus the end

Ranjeeta Prajapati
It is all very well to say, ‘enjoy the journey, the destination does not count’; but how many of us believe this statement? Most parents when they attend parent-teacher meets are only concerned about the marks they children receive and are not too bothered about their growth as human beings.

The science behind the MCQ

Sanjhee Gianchandani
Multiple-choice questions can be assessed easily and make thinking visible. This is why they are a reliable method of conducting assessments. Since the questions are short and sharp, they can be used in a test situation and give test takers an intensive examination of how much they understand about a given subject. As most teachers struggle to create these type of questions, this article attempts to break down the process into simple steps and teach the skill using examples and non-examples.

Get ready…to pause

Aarthi Prem
Life today is always on the fast track. Too busy even to do our work properly, we rush through things. As teachers, in our rush to complete the syllabus, reach the next staff meeting, or finish correcting assignments, we don’t have the time to see whether what we are teaching is actually reaching our students. It is time that we learnt how to pause both in the classroom and outside it.

Design thinking as a teaching framework

Rupangi Sharma
What is design thinking and how can it be relevant for teachers? Design thinking is all about defining and solving tough problems. It focuses on creating prototype solutions and learning from mistakes. It can be very empowering tool for teachers to create a lasting impact. This article breaks down the possibilities that design thinking offers.

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.