The Progressive Teacher Vol 04 Issue 04

Editorial 

Sep/Oct, 2017 Vol. 04 No. 04 

DELBIL/2014/55800 

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New Instructional Tools 

Greetings from The Progressive Teacher. 

When we look at education in this new century, 

the possibilities of new instructional tools seems 

immense. Some of us belonging to the old guard, 

find the developments in science and technology 

affecting classroom teaching, mind-boggling. 

I was researching/reading on the internet (as 

is the norm today) what is the progression in 

classroom instruction, and was blown off my 

feet by the startling advances made in this field. 

What will classrooms of the future be like? 

Emerging technologies such as cloud computing, 

augmented reality (AR)and 3D printing are 

paving the way for the future of education. 

Virtual field trips are possible with AR. 

Students may be able to see supplementary and 

interactive information appearing on historical 

artefacts for them to get to know more about 

its history. 

What can be a better present for a ten yearold 

than a LEGO set? Soon there will be 

3D printers specifically for children. The 3D 

printers will really be essential in classrooms. 

Instead of being restricted to what they can 

play with, pupils in the classroom of the future 

can print out 3D models for various purposes, 

including show-and-tell. The decreasing cost of 

3D printers will lead to teachers being able to 

reconstruct complex concept models to teach 

theoretical concepts. 

The excuse - ‘My dog ate my homework’ - will 

not be acceptable to teachers in the near future. 

In the future classroom, students may just 

need an electronic device to access all their 

homework and all other learning resources in 

the Cloud. The digital library will be accessible 

even when the campus library will not be. 

Cloud computing will virtualize the 

classroom. Schools will be able to leverage 

cloud technology and set up online learning 

platforms for students to log on and attend 

classes in a virtual environment. Assignments 

or even tests can also be easily disseminated to 

the class. 

Social networks allow students to share 

their ideas freely, while teachers moderate. 

Furthermore, this many-to-many interactive 

learning where ideas are allowed to flow freely 

will be more aligned with real-world scenarios 

where collaboration is usually the norm. 

Social networking tools can be incorporated 

to enhance collaboration and team-building 

initiatives. 

Extremely light, paperthin, 

A4-sized digital 

paper prototype will be 

in use in the classroom. 

Laptops and even smartphones will be outdated. 

Another concept adopted by educators does not 

focus on the gameplay or interactivity; rather, it 

emphasizes on how learning the game design 

process can educate students. In Gamestar 

Mechanic, the idea is to impart students 

with basic game designing skills (without the 

complexity of programming) to create their 

own games and consequently help them develop 

broad skill sets such as language, systematic 

thinking, problem-solving (through simulation, 

trial-and-error, etc), storytelling, art and many 

more. 

Students will soon be imparted with the wisdom 

of seeing learning not as a chore, but as a 

critical and gratifying part of their life which 

requires their proactive involvement. 

Thus, the future seems to be full of all kinds of 

exciting possibilities for learning. 

In this issue of The Progressive Teacher, 

Geeta Sehgal and Purbasha Roy discuss the 

instructional tools of the new century; Leena 

Satuluri wonders about the relevance of such 

tools in classroom interaction; Ajay Aggarwal 

looks at Future of Education and Skilling; 

Virender Kapoor has a new take on the new 

tools where he emphasizes that reading, the 

age-old tool used in the classroom, is a very 

important tool even today; Steve Heisler 

reminds us that the Same Old School will not 

work in the New Century with the New Kid; 

plus there are many more articles which will be 

of interest to all of you. 

The Progressive Teacher started its third 

series of its annual Teachers’ Conclaves with 

the first one in New Delhi which was held on 

26th August, 2017 (two more are to follow 

this year) together with S Chand’s Teaching 

Excellence Awards. You will find extensive 

coverage of this event in the subsequent pages 

of this issue. 

I invite you to share your views on Teacher as a 

Leader through the pages of The Progressive 

Teacher which will be featured in the next 

issue. I look forward to your responses. 

Happy Teachers’ Day to the entire fraternity. 

Rita Wilson 

ritawilson@gmail.com 

Subscription / Missed copies helpline: 09350551466 

Rita Wilson has over 40 years of rich experience as educationist including over 30 years of experience in school 

leadership positions. She is the former Chief Executive and Secretary Council for the ICSE, New Delhi. 

She is a consultant to a number of corporate houses and educational institutions. She is serving as a Member of the 

Board of Governors/Managing Committees of some of the most prestigious schools and colleges of the country. 

She has vast exposure to the education systems of Japan, Germany, England, Thailand, Singapore, Sharjah, Dubai and 

Finland. She has initiated, conducted and organised workshops for school teachers and principals all over India 

With a B.A. (Hons) English Literature, M.A., M.Phil. (English Literature), B.Ed. to her credit, she has edited three 

series of English readers and work-books for school children. 

Mar/Apr 2017 

www.progressiveteacher.in 3

C O N T E N T 

14 

TOWARDS A YOUNGER, HAPPIER 

AND FULFILLING FUTURE FOR 

INDIA’S CHILDREN 

It is easier to build strong children 

than to mend broken men – this quote 

by African-American social reformist 

Fredrick Douglass, has never rung more 

true than during the present times. While 

preparing a child to be a global citizen 

and an achiever in adult life, somehow 

the fact that, he is a child who may find it 

difficult to cope with a demanding life at 

that age, is often overshadowed. 

–Asha Narayanan 

20 

PROSPECTIVE FUTURE 

EDUCATION AND SKILLING 

What will drive future learning, skill development and education 

models? What role will be played by new technologies like 

Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Realties in 

shaping these models? To project future scenarios it is important 

to understand the revolutionary changes already affecting the 

way we live, do things, learn and teach. 

–Ajay Aggarwal 

44 

THE PROGRESSIVE TEACHER’S CONCLAVE 

held in New Delhi on Saturday, 26th August, 2107 

50 

WE STILL LIVE IN A PLASTIC WORLD 

Even though the move to remove plastic from Indian market is 

quite palpable and awareness among people is quite appreciable, 

several groups have undertaken large-scale initiatives to make 

India, a plastic free zone, but what the country really needs is that 

every individual should make a difference in his own way. 

–RupsiChauhan 

4 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2017

Editorial 03 


NEW INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS 06 

New century, new kid, 

same old school 


Instructional tools in 21 st century 

Poem 07 

Balance sheet of life 

NEW CENTURY 08 

Harnessing technology for better 

learning outcomes: instructional tools 

in the new century 

teaching 09 

A note to pre-school teachers 


Instructional tools 

for the new century 


Importance of reading books 

in the modern digital age 

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT 14 

Towards a younger, happier and 

fulfilling future for india’s children 

VALUE EDUCATION 15 

Values imbibed and values taught 

INSTRUCTIONAL TOOLS 16 

Relevance of instructional tools in 

classroom transaction 

Poem 17 

A utopian world 

TECHNOLOGY 18 

Help your teen regain 

control of his life from smart 

phone addiction 

Sep/Oct 2017 

Vol 04 I No 04 Sep/Oct 2017 

DELBIL/2014/55800 

62 

Principal Q&A 

Principal 

Ashok Singh Guleria 

58 

HEIGHTEN THE 

HAPPINESS QUOTIENT 

The prerogative of parents and teachers is to 

keep their children happy with a ceaseless 

sense of excitement and curiosity constantly 

brewing within them. The sad or rather 

unfortunate part is that we as adults have 

forgotten the meaning of happiness ourselves. 

–Vera Hajela 

IN THIS ISSUE 

FUTURE EDUCATION 20 

Prospective future 

education and skilling 

NEW TRENDS 22 

Education: to guide the students 

Planner Pullout 23,42 

Classroom Display Pullout 24, 41 

Worksheet 

Class III: EVS 25 

Plants 

Animal life 

Feathered friends 

The human body 

Worksheet 29 

Class V: EVS 

Amazing animals 

Plant reproduction, 

germination and growth 

The skeletal system 

The nervous system 

Worksheet 33 

Class VI: History 

What, Where, How and When? 

On the trail of the earliest people 

Class VI: Geography 

The earth in the solar system 

Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes 

Worksheet 37 

Class VIII: Mathematics 

Rational numbers 

Exponents and powers 

Algebraic expressions 

Factorisation 

technology 43 

Making school data 

work for teachers 

Conclave 44 

The Progressive Teacher Conclve 

Environment 50 

We still live in a Plastic World 

TEACHING 52 

Every experienced teacher was 

a newly qualified teacher 

health 54 

common ailments in children 

and their preventive measures 


Befriending technology 

Tech - no – logy? 

Or tech – know – logy? 

Education 57 

Social media and degradation of 

language amongst youth 

happiness 58 

Heighten the happiness quotient 

support 60 

Give your child a head 

start in English 

Event 60 

Bharti Foundation brings the 

‘Learning with Leaders’ 

series to Ludhiana 

Events 61 

TCS ION launches an 

Integrated Cloud based Solution 

for Educational Institutions 

Cambridge International 

Examinations: STEM Subjects 

Popular among Students 

Principal Q&A 62 

Ashok Singh Guleria 

4th Global Conference on Education, 

Research, and Policy 

15, September 2017 

Washington DC, DC, United States of America 

http://www.advenaworld.com/education-research-andpolicy.html 

2017 EFMD Higher Education Research 

Conference 

23-24, October 2017 

Leuven, Belgium 

http://www.efmd.org/events/conferen 

NEW ZEALAND EDUCATION FAIR 

9, September 2017 

The Park, 15, Parliament Street, Delhi. 

http://www.study-newzealand.in/enz/ads/index.html 

Premier Schools Exhibition - Chandigarh 

28-29, October 2017 

Park Plaza Chandigarh, Chandigarh, India 

https://10times.com/premier-schools-chandigarh 

Education Worldwide India-Chennai 

25, November 2017 

Vivanta by Taj Fishermans Cove, Chennai, India 

https://10times.com/eduworldindia-chennai 

The 4thMELEd 2015 Logo annual Minnesota 

English Learner Education Conference 

26-28, October 2017 

Minnesota, USA 

http://minnetesol.org/fall-conference 

JALT2017: Language Teaching in a Global Age: 

Shaping the Classroom, Shaping the World 

17, November, 20, 2017 

Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan 

https://jalt.org/conference 

5th International Conference On Learning And 

Community Enrichment (ICOLACE) 

4-7, October 2017 

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany 

http://www.iafll.org/icolace5-notice/ 

World Conference on Education 2017 

(WCEDU 2017) 

12-13,October 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka 

http://educationconferences.co/ 

5th International Symposium on Creative 

education 

6-10, November 2017 , Tampere, Finland 

http://www.ccefinland.org/credu2017 

The INTESDA 3rd International Conference on the 

Globalization of Second Language Acquisition and 

Teacher Education - GSLATE 2017 

30-31, October 2017 

Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America 

http://intesda.org/globalization-second-languageacquisition-teacher-education/ 

ICT for Language Learning 10th edition 

9-10, November 2017, Florence, Italy 

http://conference.pixel-online.net/ICT4LL/index.php 

2017– 30th – International Conference on 

Teaching, Education & Learning (ICTEL), 

22-23, November 2017, Bangkok 

https://adtelweb.org/2017-30th-internationalconference-on-teaching-education-and-learning-ictelnov-22-23-bangkok-about-47 

UHAMKA International Conference on English 

Language Teaching (ELT) and Computer assisted 

language learning (CALL) 

2-24, November 2017, Jakarta, Indonesia 

http://uicell.uhamka.ac.id/index.php 

27th International Conference on Teaching, 

Education and Learning (ICTEL), 

15-16, Nov 2017, Kuala Lumpur 

http://adtelweb.org/27th-international-conference- 

on-teaching-education-and-learning-ictel-15-16-nov- 

2017-kuala-lumpur-about-44 


new instructional tools 

New Century, New Kid, Same Old School 

The nature of authority, in case you hadn’t noticed, has changed. Yet school, especially how 

adults interact with students, is still largely a rendition of the way teachers themselves were 

taught and it is, unfortunately, perfect for another time. Or better still, perfect for the fantasy 

of another time. 

–Steve Heisler 

For good or ill our current 

students do not offer 

teachers and school 

officials respect simply because 

of their positions. Of course it is 

also true that few teachers offer 

administrators respect simply 

because they are administrators, 

nor can even a president or prime 

minister expect respect simply 

because of his or her position. In 

our schools, in our classrooms, in 

our society leadership, as Dennis 

Sparks has written, ‘is no longer 

a position, it is an action. One 

can lead from anywhere.’ 

Authority and respect, which 

used to be commanded, now 

must be earned. While teachers 

must maintain authority in their 

classrooms to be effective, the 

means by how that authority is 

established has become more 

complex and negotiable. Hence, 

new teacher practices must be 

developed where high expectations, 

such as in building student 

responsibility for self-management, 

as well as respect and 

trust, are facilitated rather than 

demanded. 

Here is a perfect example of how 

to shift that dynamic. 

Many teachers use the beginning 

of the school year as an opportunity 

to set rules and expectations 

for the year. Once upon a 

time this could be accomplished 

by merely posting the rules and 

strictly enforcing them. Of course 

this still works, albeit less effectively, 

but more to the point, it is 

also much less useful to our children. 

For instance, the modern 

economic structure is built more 

and more on employees being 

independent, resourceful and able 

to apply critical success skills 

such as self-regulation and persistence 

to see a vision through 

to fruition. In this context learning 

to be compliant is much less 

important than learning to be 

cooperative out of self-interest: 

compliance for a purpose. 

Instead of just posting rules, 

consider asking students to 

collaborate on developing a chart 

of successful learning behaviours. 

The fear many teachers have 

when embarking on such an 

enterprise is that if they allow 

students to create such a list, it 

will merely devolve into silliness: 

Rule 1: no homework, ever! 

Rule 2: class attendance optional! 

The key to avoiding disappearing 

down this rabbit hole is to get 

students to own some truth about 

their own successful learning 

experiences before opening the 

gate for brainstorming. Get them 

to think deeply about times when 

they genuinely learned, perhaps 

through a writing prompt or 

discussion before beginning the 

process by which they create 

behaviors for their classroom. 

Ask students to visit a time when 

they really, really felt successful 

as learners. Such experiences 

can be school or even non-school 

related. Learning, after all, can 

happen anywhere. Although for 

the most part you will get school 

related learning victories, you 

may also be amazed at what 

proficiencies some of our most 

reluctant learners are achieving 

outside of the walls of school. 

You will hear stories of coaches 

and parents and bosses at work 

engaging our students in all kinds 

of amazing ways to help them 

connect their competencies to 

their accomplishments. Many 

students will discuss other classes, 

and talk about phenomenal 

experiences mastering complex 

subjects that will make your 

mouth drop open. But, after all 

the anecdotes have been shared, 

drill down to what qualities were 

extant during these successes. 

Doubtless you will have to wean 

them of such phrases as, ‘I had a 

good teacher’, or ‘it just kind of 

happened’ to get them to be a bit 

more specific. Ask instead what 

qualities the teacher was exhibiting, 

and what qualities they were 

bringing to the learning experience. 

What you begin to evolve 

are classroom conditions and 

specific behaviors that identify 

positive learning and teaching 

instances through which students 

Steve Heisler is the author of The 

Missing Link: Teaching and Learning 

Critical Success Skills. Steve is a 

speaker and professional development 

consultant with a focus on teaching 

and instructional development, 

building student success skills and 

parenting. He is an experienced 

teacher and school administrator 

having worked K-12 in schools in 

New York City and New Jersey. His blog and contact 

information are available at www.sheisler.com. 

were able to be successful such 

as: teachers excited about their 

subjects; students paying attention; 

staying on task; everybody 

using positive language; being 

encouraging. Work at it a bit 

more and you can refine it into 

a series of behaviours that can 

be created into actionable items 

that both the teacher and student 

can employ to achieve learning 

success such as: 

• use encouragements instead 

of criticisms; 

• listen more than you speak; 

• talk myself through 

difficulties by reminding 

myself of when I have 

succeeded before. 

Once you have asked students to 

base their suggestions for a great 

classroom on previous actual 

successful learning experiences, 

the silly get replaced by a 

startlingly accurate list of what 

students must do, and want to 

do (and how teachers can help 

them) to foster a great classroom 

work ethic and achieve academic 

success (by the way ,you would 

also be teaching cause and 

effect). 

Of course such a chart, like a 

bicycle helmet, is only effective 

if it is used. Savvy educators 

employ these charts not only as 

teacher driven assessments (to 

be clear this in no way diminishes 

the need to hold students accountable) 

but as key reference 

points to facilitate guided student 

self-reflection for growth and 

progress toward their own longterm, 

proactive plans for successful 

behavioural and academic 

outcomes. It also gives teachers 

excellent ‘data’ for developing 

effective teaching behaviours 

that these students have already 

identified as effective. 

Educators that do this do more 

than teach a subject. They do 

more than teach students how 

to develop habits of success and 

critical thinking skills. They do 

more than teach children how to 

be life-long learners. What they 

teach, is the future. 



–Alka Kapur 

The 21 st century learners have 

come a long way.Today’s 

learner is self-motivated 

who has access to unlimited 

information, and hence in this 

scenario, it becomes imperative 

for educators to be cognizant 

of the exponential growth of 

ICT of which education and 

teaching learning have become 

an inalienable part.Technology 

has become an integral part of 

the education process in this 

technological era. Facilitators 

should strongly believe and 

promote that our future growth 

relies on innovation skills and 

productivity. The 21 st century 

instructional tools have made their 

way into almost all the spheres 

of education. However, ICT in 

the classroom requires students 

and educators to be taught how 

and when to use technology as a 

tool appropriately and safely. One 

such effective tool is the smart 

white board where information is 

presented in exciting and engaging 

manner creatively with motivating 

outcomes. Students are exposed 

to various educational websites, 

audio, visual clips resulting in 

comprehensive learning. A variety 

of activities are provided to cater 

to different kinds of interactive 

learners. Internet, blogs, virtual 

classrooms enhance the knowledge 

and understanding of pupils. 

21 st century is experiential and 

follows Bloom’s taxonomy to 

promote critical thinking and 

problem solving skills. ATL is one 

such project based on the tool of 

experiential learning. It will allow 

the children to ponder deeply and 

to understand how to analyze and 

create new avenues of innovation. 

Today what is required is student 

creating and constructing with 

technology wherein the students 

need to master the 4C’s- Creativity, 

Critical Thinking, Communication 

and Collaboration. Exchange Programmes 

across boundaries, Cross 

Cultural Projects, Excursions, 

Alka Kapur ( M.A , B.Ed) is the Principal 

of Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, 

She is always bubbling with enthusiasm, 

vivacity and cheerfulness. She is a lady of 

manifold virtues who has carved a place for 

herself in the hearts of one and all. Under 

her stewardship and enriched wisdom 

derived from experiences of her life, the 

school has reached unprecedented heights 

of success. 

Alka Kapur is an Executive Committee Member of Forum of Public 

Schools. She has also served as Joint Secretary North West Delhi, 

Sahodhya School Complex. She is rendering her services to Central 

Board of Secondary Education and is on a panel of inspection of 

schools across the globe for up gradation, affiliation, etc 

Alka Kapur encompasses her vision of making the world beautiful 

by spreading the light of education through her meticulous work, 

infinite patience endowed with divine blessings. 

Instructional Tools 

in 21 st century 

John Dewey, educator and philosopher, had remarked, ‘If we teach 

today’s students, as we taught yesterday, we rob them of tomorrow.’ 

Field Trips, etc. are a testimony to 

the fact that the needs of the new 

learner have undergone a major 

transition. To meet the changing 

demands of the 21 st century, teaching 

and learning pedagogies are 

supported by the latest multimedia 

that navigates school learning 

culture. In this era of globalization 

another important technique and 

tool is Collaborative learning. We 

live in a world where countries 

need to collaborate to promote 

practices that ensure sustainability. 

Needless to mention that 

the school is just the right place 

for it as the future of any nation 

resides within the precincts of the 

school. Schools through Exchange 

Programmes, Video conferencing, 

Mail Exchange Programmes are 

progressing to turn the nations into 

big global villages brimming with 

wealth of wisdom and bounties 

of nature. In the words of APJ 

Abdul Kalam, ‘It is through 

the process of innovation that 

knowledge is converted into 

wealth.’ As educators it is our 

prime duty to ensure that our 

students are equipped to use the 

acquired knowledge as a perennial 

fountain and not just a reservoir. 

The education tapestry should be 

designed and delivered in such a 

manner that a new enlightenment 

dawns on the students towards the 

society at large and it is possible 

only when the instructional strategies 

are at par with the fascinating 

world of technology. 

poem 

Balance Sheet Of Life 

Our Birth is our Opening Balance! 

Our Death is our Closing Balance! 

Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities 

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets 

Heart is our Current Asset 

Soul is our Fixed Asset 

Brain is our Fixed Deposit 

Thinking is our Current Account 

Achievements are our Capital 

Character and Morals, our Stock-in-Trade 

Friends are our General Reserves 

Values and Behavior are our Goodwill 

Patience is our Interest earned 

Love is our Dividend 

Children are our Bonus Issues 

Education is Brands / Patents 

B.D.Bhargava 

Knowledge is our Investment 

Experience is our Premium Account 

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately. 

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award. 

–B.D.Bhargava 

Sep/Oct 2017 


new century 

Harnessing Technology for Better Learning Outcomes: 

Instructional tools in the New Century 

The learning divide that exists today between learners who achieve the intended learning 

outcomes and those who do not is not new. This condition has always existed, making 

universal education an unachievable target. The problem continues well into the 21st century 

but today, thanks to technological advancements and innovations, we have at our disposal 

ways and means to bridge that divide to ensure qualitative education that delivers. But what 

is stalling us in taking remedial measures to correct historical wrongs is a lack of progressive 

mindset to embrace change and initiative to become futuristic. 

– Ajitha Paladugu 

There has to be a collective 

push in the direction of 

harnessing technology to 

improve learning outcomes and 

provide a wholesome learning 

experience. 

The instructional tools for the 

new century need to be tech-enabled 

to reach a generation 

which is not just tech savvy but 

lives and breathes technology. 

Whether we like it or not this 

phenomenon is here to stay and 

is even getting more intertwined 

with our lives, so much so that 

it will become the sole prism 

through which the digital natives 

that our children are, engage 

with the world around them. So 

the essential question that every 

educator will have to answer and 

engage with is how differently 

they will engage with the new 

millenials to reach them through 

their preferred mode of interaction 

and learning to gain understanding 

about the fundamental 

life processes, their environment, 

life around them, their world and 

ultimately – themselves. 

One needs to understand that 

life has been evolving and in this 

process of evolution, things only 

get more complex and complicated 

with the birth of every 

new generation. One can easily 

notice these signs of evolution in 

the millenials who are somehow 

more emotionally detached, clear 

about their choices and practical 

minded. One cannot help but see 

the connection between these 

traits and the ubiquitous use of 

technology that has seeped into 

every sphere of human activity. 

We can no longer ignore the omnipresent 

technological advancements 

that have come to redefine 

the way human communication 

and other forms of interaction 

take place today. We are aware 

of the disconnect this has created 

with the real world we live in. 

The virtual world of our creation 

seems to have eroded the authenticity 

of genuine individualistic 

self and brought in its wake a 

host of never before imagined 

complicated life situations. But 

we cannot wish away the all pervading 

technology that seems to 

rule our lives today. Instead we 

have to embrace it to harness its 

benefits to remain not just afloat 

but swim with the tide! 

There are encouraging signs that 

show education providers are 

taking cognizance of the potential 

benefits that would accrue 

from integrating technology into 

the different aspects of curriculum 

transaction, assessment, 

school safety and administration. 

The ripple effect, that such initiatives 

taken up by progressive 

schools are creating, is a promising 

sign. In the coming five years 

I envisage educational technology 

being used extensively by 

teachers in delivering a personalized 

learning content across curriculum 

in order to create a level 

playing field for different kinds of 

learners (of varying ability and 

interest groups). Technology will 

come to the aid of educators in 

enabling them to deliver course 

content using different modes 

of engagement with the curated 

curriculum designed to cater to 

individual needs of students in a 

big way. Standardized testing will 

P Ajitha is a teaching practitioner 

who has been advocating for 

‘liberating’ the education process to 

accommodate change and give true 

freedom that enables the teacher to 

create, innovate and experiment 

with notions of learning; a votary of 

teachers’ rights to empower them to 

become the catalysts of change in 

building a national force of informed 

men and women with sound value system and integrity of 

character; a staunch believer in the transformational nature 

of education imparted with true commitment to the larger 

objectives of this noble endeavour. The author presently 

teaches at Delhi Public School, Coimbatore and can be 

reached at ajithapaladugu@gmail.com. 

give way to individualized learning 

tracking mechanism with 

provisions for mapping learning 

outcomes based on learning domain 

specifications and charting 

the future course of action to 

maximize learning. 

I am very positive about educational 

technology making inroads 

into curriculum transmission in 

every aspect of teaching-learning 

process: from lesson planning 

to assessment of learning; from 

teaching pedagogy to customized 

learning solutions; from 

report generation to building 

comprehensive student portfolio, 

educational technology will be 

harnessed greatly and will come 

to define the way we teach the 

millennials. 

Having said that, I need to emphasize 

the fact that though integrating 

educational technology 

will foster better learning models 

and result in improved learning 

outcomes, the role of teachers in 

the education process cannot be 

undermined. Computers, however 

sophisticated they may be and no 

matter what superhuman functions 

they may perform, cannot 

replace human teachers, however 

limited and flawed they may be, 

because there are other aspects 

of education (value education, 

life skills - especially socio-emotional 

skills and particularly, empathy) 

where virtual experience 

will not suffice or be adequate to 

prepare an individual for challenges 

of the real world. Technology 

can supplement classroom 

teaching, making it interesting, 

engaging and providing a rich 

learning experience but it cannot 

effectively replace the human 

connect that is the most crucial 

element of conventional teaching. 

What is required in the new 

century is creating an interface 

between conventional wisdom 

and emerging knowledge through 

technology to aid in the evolutionary 

process of the human 

mind. If and when we achieve 

this the teaching-learning process 

will be truly educational. 


teaching 

A Note to Pre-school teachers 

Pre-school teachers according to me are the most important part of any school faculty. They 

have to be the most loving, empathetic, sensitive and understanding. They must appreciate the 

psychological needs of the four year olds. The young ones at four are in their own unique world 

which is a heavenly place filled with dreams. They live a life supreme totally unaware of anyone 

else better than themselves. Their lives revolve around themselves and grown-ups who love them. 

–Dr Shayama Chona 

The natural tendency of the teachers 

when the child is going through this 

phase is to start lecturing. The little 

ones do not understand words of wisdom. 

They will only play if they are declared 

winners, even before the game starts. It 

becomes imperative for the teachers to play 

only those games where everyone is a winner. 

The children need to be given confidence that 

yes, they are winners and the world revolves 

around them. If the teachers accept them as 

they are without pointing fingers at them, 

do not argue with them or lecture them, 

the children will turn out to be confident 

individuals in their later life. 

As necessary as it is to teach children good 

values, one also needs to accept their need to 

believe in their own super power. In their play 

oriented classrooms focused on collaborative 

learning, they are bound to pick up good 

values from each other. It is good to make the 

child feel like a king or queen by relaxing the 

rules in the classroom. Do not take tantrums 

seriously. They will disappear if the teachers 

Sep/Oct 2017 

are empathetic at this stage. It does not 

matter if the children are racing up the stairs 

or running around the room, as long as there 

is no risk of getting hurt, go as slowly as it 

takes to ensure that the children are happy 

and victorious. 

Similarly, if a child tells you she is the best, 

fastest, smartest, tallest and most adorable 

kid in the class or bus or park do not argue 

with them. Just listen good naturedly. Do not 

shatter their image by pointing out their flaws 

or packing do’s or dont’s in their day. 

Children take for granted their importance 

and deeply fear the loss of this power. The 

result is that they may crumble or get 

extremely argumentative, if they are not 

allowed their way or realise that there may 

be another one who may get the better of 

them. 

Children do not understand competition 

or code of conduct in classrooms at such 

an early age. From being the centre of 

attention at home the little ones are suddenly 

surrounded with their peers each one having 

his own air of supremacy. 

Dr Shayama Chona, is the former Principal of Delhi Public 

School, R K Puram, New Delhi; Founder President of Tamana 

(NGO for physically & mentally handicapped children); Founder 

of Anubhav Shiksha Kendra (a school for the under-privileged); 

she has been a member of 96 Advisory Boards and Committees; 

she has been nominated to Managing Committees of 46 

schools and other educational institutions; she has been named 

in the Limca Book of Records 2007. She has been awarded the 

State Award for Services in Education 1993, National Award 

for Services as a Teacher of Outstanding Merit 1994, National Award for Outstanding 

Performance for Welfare of People with Disabilities 1997, Padma Shri 1999, Padma 

Bhushan 2008, and 49 other awards. She lives at C10/8, Vasant Vihar, New 

Delhi-110057. Email: shayamachona@gmail.com, tamanapresident@gmail.com 

As the school year progresses children starts 

noticing the world around them; they get 

stronger in body and mind and start caring 

little about winning or losing. This is the 

time when they can be introduced to rules. 

They can be informed about the rules of 

the real world and that their friends long to 

be number one just as much as they do so 

everyone needs to get a chance to be first. If 

they love their friends they will understand 

this. While the children are playing, the 

teachers need to be cautious as when the 

child’s longing to be number one infringes on 

another’s rights, he needs to be gently set 

straight about the rules and can be made to 

understand that the game may not start if 

the he is not yet capable of being a gracious 

loser or winner. 

The delivery has to be subtle, the teachers 

may need to reason out with the children 

on multiple occasions but remember they 

are butterflies just out of their cocoons 

getting ready to fly. Give them wings, do not 

discourage or bound them, give them the right 

impetus so that they can fly. 

At the beginning of the school journey, as 

teachers, do not worry that if you indulge the 

children they may not learn sportsmanship. 

Play with them and love them. By indulging 

them now you will give them something 

precious that will benefit them all their lives. 

Most of us have within us a little voice that 

revs up when we are feeling down. When 

things get tough, that little voice eggs on 

us with the conviction that somehow we 

will prevail. That voice is the vestige of the 

four year old children. So if you want the 

children’s future to be triumphant, do not 

silence the voice. Let them ‘crow’ they are 

only four. 



Instructional tools 

for the new century 

Effective communication, content, creativity and collaboration is the need 

of the hour and tools that are easy to learn, use and implement are plenty. 

Effective communication in this diverse technological environment is 

one of the most important aspects of learning. One should know how to 

effectively integrate these technologies to our classroom practices and 

create engaging student activities. One has to ask a question that what 

is the communication issue in my instruction and can I do something to 

resolve it. Once you look for the answers around ... voila! Technology will 

come smiling at you to your rescue. Take it ... you will not regret! 

–Purbasha Roy 

Now if you have identified 

your instructional 

task your next step is 

to understand the nature of 

communication problem. Do 

you want a one way or two 

way communication? When 

more than two people want to 

establish communication where 

the communication can be in real 

time or asynchronous is called 

multiple way communication. 

A teacher can make a Google 

site page easily for any subject 

topic and ask students to go 

through it or could ask students 

to make one and collaborate. 

They can share information 

mostly by adding text, pictures, 

videos, embed URL’s and even 

Google forms for feedback. 

Teacher can give feedback online 

and a two way communication 

channel can be established and 

maintained. Kahoot, a game 

based assessment tool can be 

used by teachers to make any 

topic interesting and interactive. 

Students can use BoardHost 

or Skype for discussing 

projects. Flipped classroom 

a very popular and interesting 

instructional strategy which is 

much talked about nowadays can 

create a genuine curiosity among 

students about a topic. Google 

Hangout and Google docs are 

also useful instructional tools 

where the students and teachers 

are always connected and can 

work on single platform. 

Therefore importance has to 

be given in selecting these 

instructional tools as per 

the nature of issues faced in 

class. If you have noticed that 

most of your students are 

shy in answering in public by 

raising their hands you can use 

embedded poll or surveys in 

the classroom presentations for 

an instant feedback. But if you 

want all your students to see and 

discuss each other’s response and 

view but you feel the classroom 

time is not enough you can use 

a tool called VoiceThread 

an online platform that allows 

commenting on pictures, videos 

and power point presentations. 

Students can post text, video 

and audio comments which can 

be viewed by others. As you will 

explore more such instructional 

tools, you have to choose the one 

which suits your set of skills and 

tools and add those valuable ones 

in your ‘Instructional Tool-Box’. 

Collaboration is another aspect 

where technology can be a boon 

to the teacher’s instructional 

tools. Communication can 

remain confined to few if there 

is no collaboration. Tools like 

Assign a day, Doodle, Todoist 

or Google calendar can be used 

by the teachers to notify students 

about date for the instruction or 

assignment and the due dates. 

Some other tools are Creately 

- an online tool for drawing 

flowcharts and diagrams; 

MeetingWords - a tool for realtime 

collaborative text editing; 

Stormboard - an online tool 

for brainstorming and planning. 

Many of these collaborative tools 

are also communication and 

instructional tools, and can be 

used to deal with more than one 

instructional issue. 

Encouraging and indicating 

creative techniques is another 

important aspect of instructional 

tools. Instructional tools should 

be selected carefully so that they 

can develop, analyze and evaluate 

worthwhile ideas. Creativity 

issues in teaching environments 

can be addressed using some 

instructional tools which are 

worth mentioning here. Tools like 

Visuwords and wordle create 

word clouds from text. Tagxedo 

Purbasha Roy is a Post 

Graduate in Physics 

with B.Ed. from Ranchi 

University. She has also 

done a Post Graduate 

Diploma in Instructional 

Design and Post Graduate 

Diploma in Educational 

Admnistration from 

Symbiosys Centre for 

Distance learning. 

She is teaching grades 

6-10 at Bombay Scottish 

School, Powai, Mumbai 

since 2009. Her other 

certifications include 

Verified Certification 

in Emerging Trends 

& Technologies in the 

Virtual K-12 Classroom, 

by University of 

California, Certification 

in Powerful Tools for 

Teaching and Learning: 

Digital Storytelling 

from UNIVERSITY OF 

HOUSTON SYSTEM’S 

ONLINE OFFERING 

through Coursera. 

She is very intrigued 

with the way technology 

is making its way in the 

field of education and tries 

to keep herself updated 

so that she can keep her 

students interested in the 

subject. 

can be used to build word images. 

Sketchpad and Graffiti creator 

promote creativity through visual 

learning. StoryJumper makes 

your story look like a comic strip. 

These instructional tools can be 

used to foster creativity using 

sounds, words and visuals. 

Educators can leverage these 

21 st century skills to support the 

learning outcomes. Here the idea 

is not only to prepare a workforce 

but to prepare students 

for unforeseen circumstances 

and life opportunities. Correct 

instructional tools can foster a 

sense of actual interpretation of 

a problem and develop critical 

thinking. 

(Readers can refer to my 

YouTube channel for a typical 

flipped classroom feel by pasting 

the following link to their 

browser- https://www.youtube. 

com/watch?v=P0QuHTUvP3o&t=65s. 

However these are only a few 

tools out of hundreds which I 

have personally explored and 

found interesting. Educators who 

are enthusiastic in exploring can 

go through some free MOOC 

programmes by Coursera, Alison, 

EdX etc. to explore more.) 



Importance of Reading Books 

in the Modern Digital Age 

–Virender Kapoor 

Today we live in a 

disruptive and a 

distracting world 

In the last forty years or so, 

the world has transformed into 

something which could never 

have been imagined by any one 

of us. The progress in computers 

and communication technology 

has made this change possible. 

The most important impact has 

been that we have much more 

information than we can handle. 

This has affected our attention 

span, our ability to actually 

absorb and analyze what our 

brains are bombarded with. We 

are under tremendous pressure 

because of this information 

overload. Television, internet, cell 

phones, Whatsapp and mails are 

snatching our valuable time from 

us. We get information but not 

retainable knowledge. 

At the same time the world 

is moving, as I see it, towards 

disruptivity, which means that 

new innovations and ideas which 

break the existing norms and create 

avenues for new methods of 

doing business, creating products 

that do tremendous value addition. 

Life cycle of such disruptive 

outcomes is short as they are 

quickly replaced by the next wave 

of disruptive thinking. 

In such a scenario imagination is 

at the forefront of all meaningful 

activity. First you imagine, then 

you get an idea, then you plan 

and only then you execute. If 

imagination has to be fired, our 

mind needs to absorb the content 

at ease and with interest. Content 

must also be of different types, 

different genres, and different 

complexions. 

Books as vehicles of 

knowledge, wisdom and 

creating creative minds 

In a chaotic information overloaded 

environment, reading a 

book while tucked up in your bed 

or sitting under a tree or in a 

quiet library is something which 

is no less than meditation! It 

lets you concentrate and lets you 

derive that divine intellectual 

pleasure which nothing else can 

give. 

Have you ever thought why 

in most cases a book is more 

impactful than a movie based 

‘Every block of stone has a 

statue inside it and it is the task 

of the sculptor to discover it’ 

–Michelangelo 

on that book? The reason is 

that while reading a book you 

interpret and imagine things as 

you see them, whereas in a movie 

what you see is the director’s 

interpretation! Every dark street, 

or alley or a tree described in a 

story is owned by you and only 

you see it that way - which is 

uniquely different. 

Every author has to say something. 

A book is years of research 

which not only augments our 

imagination it also adds to our 

Virender Kapoor is a thinker, an 

educationist and an inspirational 

guru. Founder of Orange Ivy 

play schools, former Director 

of a prestigious Management 

Institute under the symbiosis 

umbrella he is an alumnus of IIT 

Bombay. He holds a Masters in 

computer science and Masters in 

International Relations and strategic studies. 

His books on Emotional Intelligence, leadership 

and self-help have been translated in several 

regional and foreign languages. Know more about 

him, at www.virenderkapoor.com or mail him at 

virenderkapoor21@yahoo.com 

knowledge and introduces us to 

different writing styles. While 

reading a story is knowledge, 

the moral of the story is wisdom, 

which is at the core of our 

learning. Therefore, one must be 

able to extract the essence of the 

book to get the maximum bang 

for the buck. 

‘The difference between the 

almost right word and the 

right word is really a large 

matter. It is the difference 

between the lightning bug and 

the lightning’. 

–Mark Twain 

Great people were great 

readers too 

Successful people from all walks 

of life read a lot to enhance their 

knowledge and expression. 

Dr B R Ambedkar was a voracious 

reader and confessed that 

he could develop a good character 

and personality because of 

his good reading habits. Nehru 

and Mahatma Gandhi were also 

devoted to books. Gandhi’s turning 

points in life came because 

of books by Leo Tolstoy. Thinkers 

like Swami Vivekananda read a 

lot and could therefore influence 

the world at a young age. 

Former US President, John F 

Kennedy was a dedicated reader. 

He read almost all books written 

by Winston Churchill. He was 

injured during the Second World 

War and while in the hospital he 

read extensively. Sometimes his 

visitors in the hospital could not 

see him as he was surrounded by 

books around his pillow. He read 

history, politics and also loved 

reading James Bond novels. 

Winston Churchill himself had 

read hundreds of books in his 

life. During the Second World 

War when he was the prime 

minister of Great Britain, he read 


many books. His world view was 

shaped by his reading habits. 

He read the likes of Leon Uris, 

Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw. 

His oratory and parliamentary 

speeches were powerful as he had 

acquired a formidable vocabulary 

and expression because of his 

habit of reading books. 

President F D Roosevelt read 

almost two books a day. Abraham 

Lincoln was a self-educated 

person and he made up the 

deficiency by reading books. 

Many CEOs of big companies 

read almost four to five books a 

month. Film actors like Deepika 

Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan 

read their favorite books. Books 

are not only a good way to pass 

time but also help us in developing 

a good character. Shah Rukh 

Khan bought a set of books on 

Gautam Buddha to learn how to 

remain calm under stress. 

My experience 

as a teacher 

While selecting students for the 

MBA programme at my institute 

at Symbiosis, I tried something 

very simple to know about a 

candidate during an interview. 

He/she was asked to write in one 

page about his journey from the 

time he got his interview call to 

where he was now. This required 

no previous knowledge, yet most 

of them were unable to put 

across their ideas in a coherent 

manner. The main reason was 

they could not articulate as most 

did not read books. 

I started buying fiction of all 

genres for the college library 

and made book review a part of 

business communication under 

a faculty. In two years a student 

had to go through almost twenty 

books and present them to the 

batch. It paid rich dividends as 

people learnt how to express 

themselves better during corporate 

interviews. 

My experience 

as an author 

The most important asset of an 

author is an idea for the book 

that he/she plans. You cannot get 

ideas out of vacuum and therefore 

what you have read through 

your life, especially books, does 

help you formulate and crystallize 

your thoughts. Every author 

is indirectly influenced by other 

authors. Therefore, knowledge is 

not absolute; it is evolving and 

continuous. Authors, thinkers, 

managers and educationists must 

read books covering a variety of 

topics and read several authors 

to enhance their knowledge. 

‘It is better to keep your 

mouth closed and let people 

think you are a fool than to 

open it and remove all doubt’. 

–Mark Twain 

Photo: Lancers International School 

Impact on 

Communication skills 

Communication skill is considered 

a very important asset. It 

involves three things. 

1. How you speak? 

2. How you articulate? 

3. What you speak? 

Unfortunately most of us concentrate 

on the first one alone. This 

can be done very quickly, may 

be with a crash course in spoken 

English. The problem is with the 

next two. What you speak cannot 

be learnt in a month, it requires 

years of reading which builds a 

cumulative knowledge stack and 

also supports point number two 

i.e. articulation. This can be built 

only if a student has been made 

to read as a constant endeavor. 

Books of different type become a 

saviour. We also lay a lot of emphasis 

on presentation skills and 

teach power point to the extent 

of making it a crutch. In fact, initially 

one should work through the 

debate route where you need to do 

a real time bout with an opponent. 

This gives excellent results. 

I always tell my students, ‘If you 

have to use power point then 

there is no power in your point’. 

Orators like Churchill, Obama, or 

Kennedy never used it and they 

have been the greatest orators of 

the world. 

The Road Ahead 

We can do the following - 

1. Introduce students to simple, 

easy and interesting books so 

that they don’t get put off or 

discouraged in the beginning. 

One can start with comics or 

story books which are a light 

read. 

2. Let every student buy some of 

his own books and take pride in 

making his personal library. 

3. Involve parents and tell them 

to buy books for children and 

even their friends on occasions 

like birthdays or festivals. 

4. Buy fiction and self help books 

for the school library. These 

should be of different genres 

like, story, mystery, biography, 

thrillers and so on. This makes 

interesting reading. 

5. Make book reviews a part of 

your curriculum. 

6. Give books as prizes instead of 

some other gift items. 

7. Make book shop trips a part 

of field work, where children 

can go and spend half day in a 

good book shop. 

8. Encourage on-line buying, it is 

cheaper and easier. 

‘If you want your children to 

be intelligent, read them fairy 

tales. If you want them to be 

more intelligent, read them 

more fairy tales.’ 

–Albert Einstein 

Sep/Oct 2017 


positive reinforcement 

Towards a Younger, Happier and 

Fulfilling Future for India’s Children 

It is easier to build strong children than to mend broken men – this quote by African-American 

social reformist Fredrick Douglass, has never rung more true than during the present times. While 

preparing a child to be a global citizen and an achiever in adult life, somehow the fact that, he is a 

child who may find it difficult to cope with a demanding life at that age, is often overshadowed. 

–Asha Narayanan 

A 

2004 research by renowned sociologist 

and best-selling author of Raising 

Happiness, Christine Carter, clearly 

records the direct correlation between adult 

happiness and childhood experiences. But, 

what are the factors ensuring healthy and 

happy development of a child? As suggested 

by Christine, child development is a complex 

derivative of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’, and it is 

largely influenced by parents at home and 

educationists at school, the two places the 

child spends maximum time. 

Teachers today are not just imparters of 

knowledge; they are also mentors and 

counsellors who need to be armed with 

skills to detect signs of early depression, 

aggression, destructive and other kinds of 

negative or harmful behaviour. This insight 

will equip them better in motivating and 

counselling children who face communication 

gaps, so that they can get necessary support 

for soaring over such troubles. 

Education experts and psychologists strongly 

suggest building support systems in schools 

to nurture the mental health of students 

and build a positive atmosphere. In addition 

to this, training the teachers in simple 

classroom exercises can play a pivotal role 

in aiding them to be support givers. A recent 

research by University of Malta suggests that 

drawing exercises can help children break 

communication barriers. Recurring colours 

used by a child during such exercises can also 

be a window into inferring the psychological 

well-being of a child. The alertness on the 

teacher’s part can help channelise the 

student’s energy on to the path of growth 

and help him be self-driven and motivated 

towards excellence. 

Students today have varying aptitudes, which 

could lie beyond traditional streams. Since 

they are far more exposed to the ongoings 

of the world than any other generation, they 

grow up visualising themselves as who they 

aspire to be. Schools providing the right 

work-play balance, help the students acquire 

theoretical and practical knowledge and 

aid exploration of academic and curricular 

spaces to realise their true potential. 

Asha Narayanan is a science postgraduate with a Bachelor’s degree 

in Education. Earlier she was the Principal of St. Mary’s ICSE School, 

Koparkhairane, Navi Mumbai, which she headed successfully for a 

decade. 

Before that she was a teacher at various levels at St. Gregorios High 

School, Chembur, Mumbai. Her interests include teacher training, 

designing learning environments, and reading the educational 

philosophies of great thinkers. She has taught a variety of subjects 

including English, Physics, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, 

Geography, Environmental Studies, and Drama. She has been a teacher for over 20 

years at the Primary, Middle and High School levels. At the CISCE level, she has 

designed the syllabus for Environmental Science for Classes IX and X. Asha took over as 

Principal, Lodha World School, Thane very recently. She is very keen to design a learning 

environment for the students, one which is dynamic and motivates the pupil intrinsically. 

This can result in either them becoming selfmotivated 

to excel or demotivate them as 

being inadequate. Educationists need to lay 

emphasis on their becoming the best versions 

of themselves, which will help them set and 

achieve realistic goals, saving them from 

disappointment. In the case, the child finds 

himself buckling under the desire for good 

grades, support from the parents at home 

coupled with guidance and attention at school 

will ensure that he/she is able effectively 

to ace it all. When the child knows that he/ 

she has someone to get support from and 

communicate with, it will certainly reduce the 

chance of him feeling lonely and distressed. 

Given the fact that we live in a scientifically 

advanced world, technology can serve as 

the biggest boon in aiding the young futuremakers 

with a fulfilling life ahead. Security 

cameras can help keep a watchful eye on 

the activities around the school campus, 

protecting children against bullying, sexual 

abuse or mistreatment. Furthermore, 

smart phones can serve as an efficient 

means to enhance teacher training and 

monitoring mechanisms via apps. An 

intra-communication system facilitates 

easy communication between parents and 

teachers, enables exchange of ideas regarding 

student welfare in order to empower them for 

providing a more positive atmosphere. 

It may not always be possible to tell exactly 

what is troubling a student and where these 

troubles may lead to, but being watchful of 

the students certainly holds the key. In many 

cases, schools may be the last positive social 

connector for students. Acting on these 

warning signs, can help students achieve 

holistic growth. In some cases, technological 

innovations can even help save a life. 


Value Education 

Values imbibed and values taught 

‘Ma’am, what should I do? Are you allowing me to write the paper or sending me home?’ 

The invigilator was dumbfounded for a second; she had caught this girl using unfair means 

during her Grade 11 final examination. The girl had around 8-10 chits kept between the neat 

folds of the sleeves of her school kurta. The audacity, with which the student questioned, 

stunned the invigilator. 

–Dr Deepthi Uthaman 

There was no sign of 

remorse or distress in her 

eyes; instead she seemed 

quite calm and composed. ‘Sir, I 

will not do this again; there is no 

need to call my parents,’ she told 

the admin person in the office, 

who was trying to inform her 

parents. 

Later, at home I shared the 

incident with my teenage daughter. 

‘So!’ she simply gave me a blank 

look. My daughter is in the same 

school, a year senior to the girl 

caught using unfair means. ‘That’s 

how the teenagers are today, 

Mom!’ Her answer shocked me, 

but that was not all. She further 

justified her statement. ‘There are 

teenagers who do not consider 

achieving things by unfair means 

as immoral, be it an exam or 

anything else.’ She continued, ‘For 

most teenagers today, achieving 

something is important rather 

than how you achieve it.’ I was 

astounded to hear all this… are 

these the future citizens of our 

country! What happened to our 

values? ‘Who do you think is 

responsible for all this?’ I asked. 

‘Parents of course!’ came her 

reply. ‘See Mom, there are very 

few parents who actually spend 

time with their children. They just 

believe that fulfilling the needs 

Dr. Deepthi Uthaman is an educator 

by choice, her Ph.D. is on reproductive 

endocrinology. Her school and college 

life gave the opportunity to assimilate 

knowledge and experience diverse 

traditions and cultures from different 

Indian states. 

She has taught students from grade 

VIII to post-graduate level and 

has worked as the Principal of a 

residential school. 

Her teaching pedagogy emerged to new horizons after 

attending the IB & CIE workshops, PBL training (Buck 

Institute of Education, California) and the Wide world 

online training for TFUT (Harvard School of education). 

Currently she is Biology facilitator and HoD, at TGES, and 

is passionate about implementing new teaching strategies 

in her classes. She is also passionate about sharing her 

knowledge and experiences with her teammates to help 

them grow professionally. She can be reached at deepthi. 

uthaman@tges.org 

Sep/Oct 2017 

of their child is the only thing a 

parent is supposed to do.’ 

This had me thinking, being a 

teacher, I have seen that there 

are parents who think that their 

responsibility is just to meet all 

the needs of their child. That, 

according to them is the measure 

of success as a parent. These needs 

include providing a separate AC 

room with LED TV, iphone, car/ 

bike, branded clothes, expensive 

tuition classes, restaurant food, 

etc. Family time is now just a 

vacation to Switzerland, South 

Africa or any other exotic location 

with pictures posted on social 

media. 

Sometime back my daughter was 

talking about an acquaintance of 

her classmate, this boy studying 

liberal arts is staying in a hostel. 

His pocket money is Rs. 5000/-, 

which is equivalent to the monthly 

income of some Indians. The boy 

got into bad company and started 

taking drugs in the first year of 

college. The worst part is that 

the parents are not even aware 

of it; his mother gives him money 

whenever he asks for it. How is 

it that a mother does not even 

realize that there is a change in 

her son? 

Are parents so occupied in 

fulfilling the wishes of the child 

that they overlook the changes in 

the child? 

The fact that the child needs to 

be heard, guided and advised does 

not exist in the dictionary of most 

parents. 

Parents today do not want their 

child to go through any difficulties. 

They try to protect them from the 

problems even before the problem 

truly arises. That’s where the 

trouble lies, because the child then 

does not value things. 

Most of these parents have had 

strict and orthodox upbringing; 

they needed the help of their 

mother to convey something to 

their father. Thus, to avoid such 

situations and be approachable, 

they try to be friendly with their 

children. However, what they don’t 

realize is that there is a fine line 

between being friendly and being 

a friend. Being friendly with your 

child is good as they are able to 

share things, but if you become a 

friend then the equation changes. 

The children then take you for 

granted; parents should thus know 

when and where to draw a line. 

What is acceptable and what is 

not. 

We have heard the saying ‘charity 

begins at home’, so do basic 

morals and values. Parents have 

to teach these at home. The school 

moulds a child; however the clay 

is set at home. What the parents 

need to understand is that even the 

best of schools will fail to mould 

the child if the clay is not proper. 

After all values are imbibed more 

than they are taught. 


instructional tools 

Relevance of Instructional Tools 

in Classroom Transaction 

Ken Robinson, in one of his Ted talks titled ‘Bring on the learning 

revolution’, talks about crisis in education. The most interesting 

fact about his talk is that he considers human resources as natural 

resources, often buried deep and that human life is organic. He 

strongly suggests that there ought to be a shift from industrial 

model of education to a model based more on agricultural 

principles. He 

further explains 

that we must 

recognise that 

Ken Robinson 

human flourishing 

is not a mechanical process but an organic one. 

Hence, the outcome of human development cannot 

be predicted and like a farmer, educationists need 

to create the conditions under which children begin 

to flourish. 

–Leena Satuluri 

Just like the farmer, teachers 

as catalysts create the right 

learning environment to 

facilitate students’ knowledge 

and understanding. As such, 

the need to use the right tools 

to enhance the development of 

each child in terms of cognition, 

creativity and thinking come to 

the fore. 

Any concrete teaching-learning 

materials that stimulate pupils’ 

senses and facilitate concept 

attainment and better retention 

of those concepts in pupils 

simultaneously developing their 

thinking and creativity can be 

called ‘Instructional tools’. 

They can be broadly divided into 

five categories. 

Visual– The chalkboard, the 

content book or additional 

reference material and display 

boards in the class are primary 

instructional resources. The 

chalkboard work needs to 

be planned in advance and 

organised well. Using a roller 

board or charts can be a time 

saver. Graphic organisers, 

I dream and work for a tomorrow wherein 

there is less baggage on students’ 

shoulders and there is a marked shift from 

the factory model of education to a more 

meaningful model based on agricultural 

principles. I am a firm believer in 

revolutionizing ‘Early Childhood Education’ 

and professionalizing its teaching and also 

presented a paper in a UNICEF sponsored 

conference on the the same theme organised by Azim Premji 

University and AECED. I am currently experimenting with blending 

various forms of Arts into learning. In addition to being a teaching 

professional, I am also a storyteller and a theatre art teacher. I 

write short stories using the pseudonym Sitara on Readomania and 

Storyweaver. I presently teach at Delhi Public School, Vijayawada 

and can be reached at englishteacher.dps@gmail.com 

Given below are examples of tools and their usage during any of the elements or components of a lesson plan. 

Subject Element Topic/Concept 

Age and 

Level 

English Induction Tenses 11 to 13 

- Middle 

graders 

Geography Evaluation Metallic 

mineral 

reserves in 

India 

Math Modelling Mensuration 

Science Induction States of 

matter 

14 to 15 

– High 

schoolers 

13 to 14 

– Middle 

graders 

8 to 10 – 

Primary 

Description 

globes, maps, posters, practical 

demonstration of experiments are 

tools that appeal to the visual 

sense. 

Auditory– Radio, CD players 

activate the hearing sense 

and develop listening skills. 

Such tools are mostly used in 

languages or literature classes. 

Audio-Visual– These tools can 

be used to teach Sciences, Maths, 

Social Science and languages 

too. Working models, theorems, 

concepts related to geography 

can be taught well using the 

support of Audio-Visual tools. 

Visual–tactile– These materials 

are primarily used at pre-school 

or kindergarten levels. Pupils see 

and touch things to understand 

concepts. For example textures, 

Audio – Visual tool – Teacher uses the video of 

a celebrity who speaks about his/her daily diet 

and exercise regime. She/he narrates in Simple 

Present tense. 

Visual – Kinesthetic – Maps are handed out to 

students. They mark the places where metallic 

mineral resources are found in India. 

Visual - Origami/Paper folding – This art or 

technique can be used to explain concepts of 

mensuration 

Visual - Solid objects, liquids, a balloon, etc can 

be shown before beginning each concept viz. 

Solid, liquid, gas 

patterns, shapes can be taught 

using tools pertaining to the 

visual-tactile sense. 

Visual–Kinesthetic– In this 

category, students get an 

opportunity to see the material 

and use them. It could be printed 

or pictorial resources. Students 

may sit individually or in groups 

to work on them or they may 

also move about. For example 

– map work can be done sitting 

in a place. A math relay involves 

movement of the body to learn a 

concept. 

What is the criterion for 

selection of instructional 

tools? 

Instructional tools are said to be 

meaningful when they 

• Assist in achieving 


instructional objectives 

• Stimulate and create an 

interest in learning 

• Are age and level appropriate 

• Are content related 

• Give scope for interaction in 

the class 

• Are used appropriately at the 

right time 

The advantages of using 

Instructional tools in the 

teaching – learning process: - 

• They create a stimulating 

environment 

• They make learning active 

and engaging 

• They break monotony 

• They provide direct or first – 

hand learning experiences to 

pupils 

• They facilitate concept 

attainment and better 

retention. 

How to manage resources? 

• It is imperative to document 

the use of instructional tools 

for further reference 

• Tools must be preserved for 

multiple uses. 

• A separate place must be 

arranged for storage of such 

tools. 

• Any instructional tool 

should not be limited to a 

few students. So 

making optimal use of 

resources, i.e., sharing 

with other teachers 

can benefit a large 

number of students. 

Michael Hubenthal 

and Thomas O’Brien 

in their research 

– Revisiting your 

classroom’s walls - The 

pedagogical power of 

posters, conclude that 

‘The visual complexity 

of text and small images can 

set up an overwhelming visual/ 

verbal competition between text 

and graphics for which students 

must gain control in order to give 

meaning to information.’ 

This study suggests that teachers 

must ensure not to over stimulate 

students or cause mitigation of 

auditory skills. While selecting 

instructional tools, teachers 

need to carefully evaluate 

them and their significance in 

developing comprehension and 

understanding of a given topic. 

If the tools are not relevant, they 

make no sense. For example – 

for the topic Visualising solid 

shapes in Mathematics for Grade 

8, showing students 3D wooden 

shapes is not appropriate; such 

shapes are shown at primary 

level. Instead, students can 

be asked to find shapes either 

in patterns or structures. In 

topics, wherein content has to be 

dealt through questioning and 

discussion, using instructional 

tools might distract students. 

In a way, teachers have to be 

reflective practitioners in order 

to successfully choose and make 

good use of resources. 

poem 

A Utopian World 

Together we can build and create 

A Utopian world - a wonderful world. 

But wait; 

For that we will have 

To muster stupendous courage 

To break the fort 

Of indomitable state 

S I M Jafri 

Of intolerance and hatred 

That has sabotaged 

The views of other races, colour, 

Religious beliefs and order, 

For their insanity and whimsicality 

And foremost, those hatemongers- 

ISIS, JAISH, BOKO and hardcore ‘SAFFRONITES’ 

The ilk love mayhem, unrest and genocide 

Their approach is misanthropic; 

Their mind is perverted, polluted 

And clogged with utter negativity 

Oh brothers, come on one platform 

And propagate love and peace 

And teach the lesson of humanism 

Where only world peace and love prevail 

O’ God help us eliminate 

Such black marauders 

Who are a minority, 

Yet overpowering the masses 

And callously shedding 

Innocent human blood 

Irrespective of place and land 

O’ God help us 

And bolster our spirits 

For this noble cause 

And make the world 

Once again a better place 

Accommodating every one 

With our ideology on humanism 

With whatever religion, colour 

And race we are 

Rush, brothers to form that Utopian World 

Before it is too late 

Come friends, 

Together we can. 

In the end I hail the initiative 

Of Indian crusaders 

Bearing the flag of Not in my name 

–S I M Jafri 

Sep/Oct 2017 


technology 

HELP YOUR TEEN REGAIN 

CONTROL OF HIS LIFE FROM 

SMARTPHONE ADDICTION 

If you suspect that your teen suffers from an addiction to his Smartphone, slowly but steadily 

educate your child about the demerits of excessive use of smartphones. Let him know what 

harm it causes to the mind and body. But for parents to overcome their teens smartphone 

addiction is not an easy job. 

–Manmeet Kaur Reen 

Today it is very common for teenagers 

to use mobile phones to connect with 

peers and world through different 

forms of social media such as – Whatsapp, 

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. 

With advancement in technology, a wide 

range of latest smartphones are available in 

the market helping people to connect with 

each other and make them stay updated. 

However, this also leads to a new form of 

obsession among the younger generation 

i.e.smartphone addiction. Teen smartphone 

addiction often leads to: 

- Problems and failure in studies, 

- Social loneliness, 

- Staying isolated , 

- Loss of interest in hobbies and outdoor 

activities, 

- Experiencing ‘phantom vibration 

syndrome’, which means checking his or 

her mobile phone when it hasn’t vibrated 

or rung. 

If you suspect that your teen suffers from 

an addiction to his Smartphone, slowly but 

steadily educate your child about the demerits 

of excessive use of smartphones. Let him 

know what harm it causes to the mind and 

body. But for parents to overcome their teens 

smartphone addiction is not an easy job. 

So, here are some ways to deal with your 

teen’s obsession and help him to regain control 

of his life: 

Make home rules 

Some home rules may be very useful to handle 

teen Smartphone addiction. 

Manmeet Kaur Reen holds a degree in Home Science, M.Sc 

in Child Development, Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in 

Child Guidance and Family Counseling, M.A in Psychology, 

B.Ed, and has also done a course in Learning Disability. 

She loves teaching, to inspire young minds to develop 

their unique personalities. She believes a good teacher 

is someone who enjoys what he/she does and has the 

ability to receive and give feedback to support learning 

among students to make studies joyful and enable students 

to grow. She likes to write articles for newspapers, magazines and journals 

concerning areas related to education, parents and adolescents. 

She is currently working as a PGT Home Science Teacher in Doon International 

School, Mohali. 

For example : Mobile phones should be put 

aside or turned off during meals and family 

members should share news, talk and enjoy 

the time spent together. 

Assign home duties 

Assign your teen with home duties like: 

dusting, decorating their room, helping mom 

in the kitchen, helping dad in shopping. Next 

time you visit a market, ask him to select 

eatables with the least junk element from a 

particular rack, creating their own signature 

dish and so on. Such a task makes a teenager 

more disciplined. 

Family outings 

Plan family outings - family trips, spend time 

visiting places of interest, travelling as you 

will be able to spend quality time together 

and limit the use of smartphones. 

Set limits 

- Set a limit on the money that you pay for 

your teen’s monthly mobile bill. 

- Set a limit on internet data usage. Thus, a 

child will use mobile phone less frequently 

and more thoughtfully. 

Set example 

You cannot expect your child to follow something 

that you are not doing yourself. Become 

a positive example, use your own mobile or 

smartphone less and pay more attention to 

the members of your family. 

It is also important to let your teen know 

that you have full confidence in his ability 

to understand you and that you trust his 

sensibilities. By doing this, you can show your 

child that time spent with family is precious 

and life around us is far more interesting and 

colourful than any social media. 


companies which have developed 

smart softwares. Uber doesn’t 

own any cars but is the biggest 

taxi company in the world. 

Airbnb is the biggest hotel 

company in the world, although 

they don’t own any properties. 

We will also witness more and 

more Digital Disruptions 

- changes that occur when 

new digital technologies and 

business models affect the value 

preposition of existing goods and 

services - in all industries and 

services, impacting the numbers 

and kind of skilled workforce 

required. 

70-80% of traditional jobs will 

disappear in the next 10 -20 

years. Lots of new jobs having 

different job descriptions and 

specification will no doubt be 

created, but it is not clear if 

they will be enough to replace 

all the lost jobs. 

The price of the cheapest 

3D printer has come down 

from USD 18,000 to USD 

400 within ten years. In the 

same time, it became 100 

times faster. All major shoe 

companies have started 3D 

printing shoes. Spare airplane 

parts are already 3D printed 

in remote airports. The space 

station now has a printer that 

eliminates the need for the large 

number of spare parts they used 

to carry in the past. Buildings 

are being constructed using 3D 

printing technology. 

What then will become of the 

largest labour employer, the 

construction industry? What 

will be the skill requirements of 

the new workforce? Will they 

be trained using virtual training 

centres similar to those for 

astronauts? Probably yes. 

Digital transformation 

is another universal trend 

including that in India. Digital 

transformation is the change 

associated with the application 

of digital technology in all 

aspects of human society. This 

transformation means that digital 

applications inherently enable 

new types of innovation and 

creativity in a particular domain 

rather than simply enhance and 

support the traditional methods 

e.g. going paperless. 

Therefore, Digital Literacy, the 

ability to use information and 

communication technologies 

to find, evaluate, create and 

communicate information, 

requiring both cognitive and 

technical skills will be in demand 

and highly valued. 

Universities are transforming 

themselves into digital 

universities with programmes 

to teach emerging technologies 

like Virtual Reality /Augmented 

Realities and Artificial 

Intelligence (AI). Due to 

advances in data mining and AI, 

radiology images can now be 

diagnosed with 99 % accuracy 

by AI compared to 80% 

accuracy by human radiologist. 

Does it mean that radiologists 

will soon become obsolete? Will 

their role change? What new 

skills and knowledge will they 

need to learn and how? We don’t 

know. But status quo is no longer 

the order of things. 

Computers have become 

exponentially better in 

understanding the world. Last 

year, a computer beat the best 

Go player in the world, ten years 

earlier than expected. In the US, 

young lawyers already don’t get 

jobs. Because of ‘IBM Watson’ 

you can get legal advice (for 

basic stuff) within seconds, with 

90% accuracy compared with 

70% accuracy when done by 

humans. So will there be 90% 

less lawyers in the future and 

only specialists remain? 

The cheapest smartphones are 

available for around Rs.1000 

in Africa and Asia. By 2020, 

70% of all humans will own 

a smartphone. That means, 

everyone will have the same 

access to world class education. 

Mobile content will be available 

for all subjects in all languages 

in colour and 3D graphics. The 

best teachers can be accessed 

electronically at low costs.You 

can learn on the move. Real 

talent will attract real premium 

and recruited from any country 

at a fraction of today’s cost. 

Agriculture in Japan is steadily 

revolutionised by farmers using 

robots for sowing, ploughing and 

harvesting. Soon there will be 

low cost USD100 agricultural 

robots available for back 

breaking field work. Land owners 

in the third world countries can 

become managers of their fields 

instead of labouring all day in 

them. But what will become 

of the significant number of 

agriculture labour? 

As schools develop new 

curriculum in material sciences, 

artificial intelligence, Virtual 

Reality, Augmented Reality and 

Robotics on one hand, and as 

new business models of education 

and healthcare delivery, 

agriculture, travel and leisure 

activities develop, some estimate 

that 70-80% of traditional jobs 

will disappear in the next 10 - 20 

years. 

Will there be enough new jobs is 

not clear. Therefore competition 

for available jobs will be tough. 

In such a scenario, willingness 

and ability to embrace lifelong 

and continuous learning 

becomes a survival necessity. 

New information is being 

generated at a mind boggling 

pace and available at the click 

of a mouse. Speed reading, 

ability to visualise, analyse and 

remember information and apply 

it swiftly to solve problems will 

be foundational learning skills to 

cope up with these rapid changes. 

Thankfully, new tools based 

on recent discoveries on how 

the human brain remembers, 

retains and recalls information 

are available for lifelong 

learning on strong foundations. 

Countries like Finland, South 

Korea, Singapore, and China, 

recognised for exceptionally 

high quality education systems, 

have already integrated teaching 

of these foundational new age 

learning skills into their school 

curriculum. 

This new age learning skills / 

tools are? 

1. Speed Reading 

Speed reading skill improves 

reading speed to 500 - 800 

words per minute with minimum 

80 % comprehension compared 

to average reading speed of 

150-200 wpm with only 30 

-40% comprehension of the 

information read. 

Visualisation Skill 

Leaders and top students have 

one thing in common. They have 

excellent abilities to analyse, 

organise and remember huge 

amounts of information to 

solve problems. This requires 

superior ‘visualisation’ skills. 

‘Mind Mapping’® is the new 

age visualisation 

tool, developed 

by Tony Buzan a 

British educator. 

For students it 

is the foundation 

to make quality 

notes, a necessity 

for academic 

excellence. 

2. Developing 

Long Term 

Memory 

The tools for long 

term memory are 

based on recent 

understanding of 

how the human 

memory works. 

It leverages 

visualization 

and association 

concepts with astounding results. 

3. Self-Management 

To achieve long and short 

term goals, it is important to 

manage yourself. Therefore, Dr 

Steven Covey, world renowned 

management guru’s 4th 

generation self-management 

system for work-life balance is 

another foundational skill to 

adopt. 

4. Listening Skills 

Communication skills (reading, 

writing, speaking and listening) 

are critical for effective 

interpersonal relations and to 

influence others. Of these four 

communication skills, listening 

skill is arguably the most 

important but seldom taught, 

Therefore, necessary to learn 

formally. 

(To learn more about these tools 

refer to this author’s articles 

in the previous issues of ‘The 

Progressive Teacher’ or to New 

Age Learning and Reading 

Skills.) 

Sep/Oct 2017 


companies which have developed 

smart softwares. Uber doesn’t 

own any cars but is the biggest 

taxi company in the world. 

Airbnb is the biggest hotel 

company in the world, although 

they don’t own any properties. 

We will also witness more and 

more Digital Disruptions 

- changes that occur when 

new digital technologies and 

business models affect the value 

preposition of existing goods and 

services - in all industries and 

services, impacting the numbers 

and kind of skilled workforce 

required. 

70-80% of traditional jobs will 

disappear in the next 10 -20 

years. Lots of new jobs having 

different job descriptions and 

specification will no doubt be 

created, but it is not clear if 

they will be enough to replace 

all the lost jobs. 

The price of the cheapest 

3D printer has come down 

from USD 18,000 to USD 

400 within ten years. In the 

same time, it became 100 

times faster. All major shoe 

companies have started 3D 

printing shoes. Spare airplane 

parts are already 3D printed 

in remote airports. The space 

station now has a printer that 

eliminates the need for the large 

number of spare parts they used 

to carry in the past. Buildings 

are being constructed using 3D 

printing technology. 

What then will become of the 

largest labour employer, the 

construction industry? What 

will be the skill requirements of 

the new workforce? Will they 

be trained using virtual training 

centres similar to those for 

astronauts? Probably yes. 

Digital transformation 

is another universal trend 

including that in India. Digital 

transformation is the change 

associated with the application 

of digital technology in all 

aspects of human society. This 

transformation means that digital 

applications inherently enable 

new types of innovation and 

creativity in a particular domain 

rather than simply enhance and 

support the traditional methods 

e.g. going paperless. 

Therefore, Digital Literacy, the 

ability to use information and 

communication technologies 

to find, evaluate, create and 

communicate information, 

requiring both cognitive and 

technical skills will be in demand 

and highly valued. 

Universities are transforming 

themselves into digital 

universities with programmes 

to teach emerging technologies 

like Virtual Reality /Augmented 

Realities and Artificial 

Intelligence (AI). Due to 

advances in data mining and AI, 

radiology images can now be 

diagnosed with 99 % accuracy 

by AI compared to 80% 

accuracy by human radiologist. 

Does it mean that radiologists 

will soon become obsolete? Will 

their role change? What new 

skills and knowledge will they 

need to learn and how? We don’t 

know. But status quo is no longer 

the order of things. 

Computers have become 

exponentially better in 

understanding the world. Last 

year, a computer beat the best 

Go player in the world, ten years 

earlier than expected. In the US, 

young lawyers already don’t get 

jobs. Because of ‘IBM Watson’ 

you can get legal advice (for 

basic stuff) within seconds, with 

90% accuracy compared with 

70% accuracy when done by 

humans. So will there be 90% 

less lawyers in the future and 

only specialists remain? 

The cheapest smartphones are 

available for around Rs.1000 

in Africa and Asia. By 2020, 

70% of all humans will own 

a smartphone. That means, 

everyone will have the same 

access to world class education. 

Mobile content will be available 

for all subjects in all languages 

in colour and 3D graphics. The 

best teachers can be accessed 

electronically at low costs.You 

can learn on the move. Real 

talent will attract real premium 

and recruited from any country 

at a fraction of today’s cost. 

Agriculture in Japan is steadily 

revolutionised by farmers using 

robots for sowing, ploughing and 

harvesting. Soon there will be 

low cost USD100 agricultural 

robots available for back 

breaking field work. Land owners 

in the third world countries can 

become managers of their fields 

instead of labouring all day in 

them. But what will become 

of the significant number of 

agriculture labour? 

As schools develop new 

curriculum in material sciences, 

artificial intelligence, Virtual 

Reality, Augmented Reality and 

Robotics on one hand, and as 

new business models of education 

and healthcare delivery, 

agriculture, travel and leisure 

activities develop, some estimate 

that 70-80% of traditional jobs 

will disappear in the next 10 - 20 

years. 

Will there be enough new jobs is 

not clear. Therefore competition 

for available jobs will be tough. 

In such a scenario, willingness 

and ability to embrace lifelong 

and continuous learning 

becomes a survival necessity. 

New information is being 

generated at a mind boggling 

pace and available at the click 

of a mouse. Speed reading, 

ability to visualise, analyse and 

remember information and apply 

it swiftly to solve problems will 

be foundational learning skills to 

cope up with these rapid changes. 

Thankfully, new tools based 

on recent discoveries on how 

the human brain remembers, 

retains and recalls information 

are available for lifelong 

learning on strong foundations. 

Countries like Finland, South 

Korea, Singapore, and China, 

recognised for exceptionally 

high quality education systems, 

have already integrated teaching 

of these foundational new age 

learning skills into their school 

curriculum. 

This new age learning skills / 

tools are? 

1. Speed Reading 

Speed reading skill improves 

reading speed to 500 - 800 

words per minute with minimum 

80 % comprehension compared 

to average reading speed of 

150-200 wpm with only 30 

-40% comprehension of the 

information read. 

Visualisation Skill 

Leaders and top students have 

one thing in common. They have 

excellent abilities to analyse, 

organise and remember huge 

amounts of information to 

solve problems. This requires 

superior ‘visualisation’ skills. 

‘Mind Mapping’® is the new 

age visualisation 

tool, developed 

by Tony Buzan a 

British educator. 

For students it 

is the foundation 

to make quality 

notes, a necessity 

for academic 

excellence. 

2. Developing 

Long Term 

Memory 

The tools for long 

term memory are 

based on recent 

understanding of 

how the human 

memory works. 

It leverages 

visualization 

and association 

concepts with astounding results. 

3. Self-Management 

To achieve long and short 

term goals, it is important to 

manage yourself. Therefore, Dr 

Steven Covey, world renowned 

management guru’s 4th 

generation self-management 

system for work-life balance is 

another foundational skill to 

adopt. 

4. Listening Skills 

Communication skills (reading, 

writing, speaking and listening) 

are critical for effective 

interpersonal relations and to 

influence others. Of these four 

communication skills, listening 

skill is arguably the most 

important but seldom taught, 

Therefore, necessary to learn 

formally. 

(To learn more about these tools 

refer to this author’s articles 

in the previous issues of ‘The 

Progressive Teacher’ or to New 

Age Learning and Reading 

Skills.) 

Sep/Oct 2017 


new trends 

EDUCATION: TO GUIDE THE STUDENTS 

The principal goal of education is to create individuals who are capable of doing new things, not 

simply of repeating what other generations have done. 

–Shani K I 

Our school systems need to change 

according to the pace of the world. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, ‘We 

cannot build the future for our youth—but 

we can build our youth for the future.’ It is 

our duty to do whatever we can to help our 

students connect learning with real life and 

to provide them with the necessary skills 

to prepare them for success. In the past, 

the concept of education was to master the 

‘Three Rs’ (reading, writing, and arithmetic). 

But in the modern day ‘flat world’, the 

‘Three Rs’ have changed into ‘Four Cs’. 

Today students want to compete in this 

global society; however, they must also be 

proficient communicators, creators, critical 

thinkers, and collaborators (the ‘Four Cs’). 

Our education system must simultaneously 

prepare citizens of tomorrow while equipping 

our students with the knowledge and skills 

they need to be successful in a rapidly 

changing economy and society. Students 

should be encouraged to challenge themselves 

at new levels and in new experiences, as well 

as to prepare themselves for future choices in 

their lives and in their communities. 

Modern education system must change 

according to the need of the hour. For 

that schools and educators should prepare 

themselves for accepting the new trends in 

the education field. New education system 

must focus on the new trends such as - 

a. Character Education 

b. Critical Thinking 

c. Collaborative learning 

d. Constructivism 

e. Differentiated learning 

f. Digital education 

g. Inquiry based learning, etc 

Character Education: 

Character education 

is a teaching method 

which fosters 

the development 

of ethical and 

responsible 

individuals by 

teaching them about the good values that 

people should have. It teaches students 

values of caring about other people, honesty, 

responsibility, and other important traits that 

make for an upright citizen. Young people 

these days get exposed to literally thousands 

of negative influences through the media 

and their peers every day; add to this the 

sad fact that parents are spending less time 

with their children. Students need to know 

how to handle these pressures and character 

education will give them the tools that they 

need. 

Critical Thinking 

Teaching critical thinking and problem 

solving effectively in the classroom is vital 

for students. Learning critical thinking leads 

students to develop other skills, such as 

concentration, deeper analytical abilities, 

improved thought processing, etc. 

Collaborative Learning 

Collaboration is a natural part of life 

and should be included in the curriculum. 

Collaborative learning is designed to help 

students ‘play well with others’, as many of 

us learned in the kindergarten. This is highly 

valued by our school system. 

Constructivism in Learning 

Instead of giving a lecture, teachers according 

to this theory function as facilitators whose 

role is to aid the students when it comes to 

their own understanding. This takes away 

focus from the teacher and lecture and puts it 

upon the students and their learning. 

Differentiated learning 

It asks teachers to know their students well 

so they can provide each one with experiences 

and tasks that will improve learning. 

Shani K I, M 

Com & B Ed, 

is presently 

working as 

Academic 

Coordinator 

at the IDC 

English Higher 

Secondary 

School, 

Thrissur in 

Kerala. She has been an avid blogger 

and has also worked as a Special 

Educator at the Ideal Academy, 

Perinjanam. He believes ‘in lifelong 

learning and the constant need to 

upgrade ones skills to meet the needs 

of the ever challenging society. As an 

educator, each successful year I feel 

a strong sense of achievement and 

satisfaction which give me immense 

pleasure and motivation to set goals 

and strive hard to achieve them’. 

Differentiation means tailoring instruction 

to meet individual needs. Differentiated 

instruction is an approach to teaching in 

which educators actively plan for students’ 

differences so that all students can learn best. 

Digital education 

Digital education 

is fun learning 

for all cadres and 

particularly effective 

for child learning as 

the innovative audiovideo 

feature boosts 

the cognitive elements 

in a child’s brain. The INFO-TAINMENT 

combination involved in digital learning 

makes it more practical, applicable and 

relatable to our life and surroundings in an 

interesting manner. 

Inquiry based learning 

Inquiry based 

learning is a form 

of active learning 

that starts by 

posing questions, 

problems or 

scenarios, instead 

of just presenting 

the facts, to help 

students learn through their own agency 

and investigation. An old adage states: ‘Tell 

me and I forget, show me and I remember, 

involve me and I understand.’ The last part 

of this statement is the essence of inquirybased 

learning. Inquiry implies involvement 

that leads to understanding. Furthermore, 

involvement in learning implies possessing 

skills and attitudes that permit you to seek 

resolution to questions and issues while you 

construct new knowledge 

Educators must know about their students 

and should understand every student can 

learn just not on the same day or the same 

way. So educators should actively plan for 

students and help them improve their skills. 


Pullout PLANNER 

Sep/Oct 2017 



Class III: EVS 

Plants 

Tick (√) the correct answer 

1. Which of the following do plants 

need to make food? 

a. Oxygen c. Soil 

b. Seeds d. Sunlight 

10. Which of the following is 

NOT a function of plants? 

a. Providing oxygen in the environment 

b. Giving food and shelter 

c. Helping other living creatures 

d. Helping animals to move freely 

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

2. Which part makes food 

for a plant? 

a. Flowers c. Leaves 

b. Roots d. Stem 

3. Which part of a plant takes in 

water and nutrients from the soil? 

a. Roots c. Stems 

b. Leaves d. Flowers 

4. The flat part of the leaf is called the 

a. Side veins c. Vein 

b. Mid rib d. Leaf blade 

5. The part of the plant which holds the 

plant firmly in the soil is the 

a. Flower c. Stem 

b. Roots d. Leaf 

6. Which of the following is the 

reproductive part of the plant? 

a. Flower c. Root 

b. Stem d. Leaves 

7. Which part of the plant 

is the cabbage? 

a. Flower c. Leaf 

b. Root d. All of the above 

8. What is the thick part of a tree called 

which grows above the ground? 

a. Branch c. Tendrils 

b. Trunk d. Shoot 

9. Which of the following is NOT a function 

of leaves? 

a. Preparing food 

b. Providing food for us 

c. Transporting water 

d. Helping the plant to respire 

11. Which of the following things can 

a plant live without? 

a. Fertilizer c. Water 

b. Oxygen d. Warmth 

Fill in the blanks by choosing 

the correct words. 

germinate life cycle seed trunk 

climber roots air water 

sunlight 

12. Most plants grow from a ______. 

13. A tree has a woody stem called a ______. 

14. ______ absorb water and minerals from soil. 

15. The grapevine plant grows around some support. It is a 

______. 

16. Plants need ______, ______ and ______ to grow. 

17. Match each term in Column B with its 

meaning in Column A. 

Column A 

Column B 

i.The first stage of life for many plants A. stem 

ii.The food factory in a plant 

B. seed 

iii. The plant part that connects the root to 

leaves 

C. fibrous 

roots 

iv. The part of a plant that grows D. tap root 

underground 

v. One main root with small stems E. leaf 

vi. Many small roots growing from the end F. root 

of the stem 

© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher 

25

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

Animal life 


1. Which of the following is a herbivore? 

a. Lion b. Deer 

c. Mice d. Fox 

2. Humans are 

a. Herbivores b. Carnivores 

c. Producers d. Omnivores 

3. The diagram that shows 

how energy is used in the 

food chain is known as the 

a. Food web b. Energy circle 

c. Energy pyramid d. Energy chain 

4. The correct sequence of the 

given organisms in a food chain is: 

i. Grass Hopper ii. Cat iii. Grass iv. Bird 

a. i → ii → iii → iv 

b. iii → iv → i → ii 

c.iii → i → iv → ii 

d. ii → iv → i → iii 

5. An interlinked food chain is called the 

a. Food pyramid b. Energy web 

c. Energy pyramid d. Food web 

6. Which of the following is not 

a decomposer? 

a. Bacteria b. Fungi 

c. Rabbit d. Earthworm 

7. The incorrect statement is: 

a. Plants use sunlight as source of energy to 

prepare their food. 

b. Plants do not store the food prepared, 

but use up all of it themselves. 

c. Last level of energy pyramid 

includes carnivores. 

d. All the levels of a food chain are 

equally important. 

8. A food web will not be affected by 

a. an increase in plants. 

b. an increase in herbivores. 

c. a sunny day. 

d. a decrease in carnivores. 


9. The organism that would lie at the 

top of energy pyramid is a 

a. Hawk b. Rabbit 

c. Grass d. Carrot 

10. The largest group in the 

energy pyramid 

a. lies at the top of the pyramid. 

b. lies at the bottom of the pyramid. 

c. all the groups are equal in size. 

d. lies in between. 

11. An animal with sharp and flat teeth 

that eats grass is probably a 

a. Carnivore b. Herbivore 

c. Omniovre d. Insectivore 

12. Frogs use their long and sticky tongue to 

a. Climb on the trees b. Swim in the water 

c. Catch the prey d. Chew their food 


the correct words. 

consumers, photosynthesis, carnivores, 

decomposers, herbivores, omnivores, 

producers, webbed 

13. Organisms that depend on both plants and 

animals for their food: _________. 

14. Animals that eat the flesh of other animals: 

______________. 

15. Organisms that cannot make their own food 

and depend upon others for it: ___________. 

16. Animals that eat only plants: ___________. 

17. Organisms that make their own food: 

___________. 

18. The process of preparing food by the 

green plants with the help of 

sunlight and oxygen: ___________. 

19. Micro organisms that break down dead 

complex matter into simple substance 

___________. 

20. The _________ feet of ducks help them in 

swimming. 

26 The Progressive Teacher © DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted


Feathered friends 


1. Which of the following is a 

bird that cannot fly? 

a. Goose b. Ostrich 

c. Swan d. Hummingbird 


warm blooded? 

a. Eagle b. Frog 

c. Snake d. Crocodile 

3. Which is true of all birds? 

a. They all can swim 

b. They all hatch from eggs 

c. They all build nests 

d. They all can fly 

4. In what way are birds different from other 

vertebrates? 

a. They lay eggs 

b. They are colourful 

c. They have feathers and wings 

d. They are warm blooded 

5. Which of the following features does not 

help birds to fly? 

a. Their heart beats very fast 

b. They have air sacs that store oxygen 

c. They have hollow bones 

d. They build nests 

6. Birds use their beaks for 

a. Feeding their young ones 

b. Preening 

c. Having food 

d. All of the above activities 

7. Which of the following is not a function of 

feathers in birds? 

a. Giving shape to the birds’ bodies 

b. Keeping the birds warm 

c. Helping the birds camouflage themselves 

d. Helping the birds to fly 

8. What is a bird with long, sharp beak most 

likely to eat? 

a. Insects b. Meat 

c. Seeds d. Fruits 

9. From which of the following did the 

feathers of birds evolve? 

a. Hair b. Wings 

c. Scales d. Back bone 

worksheet 

10. Which class of organisms is covered with 

scales? 

a. Reptiles b. Birds 

c. Amphibians d. Humans 

Max Marks: 20 

11. In what temperature range do birds maintain 

their body temperature? 

a. 40°C – 44°C 

b. 0°C – 5°C 

c. 20°C – 24°C 

d. 10°C – 111°C 

12. Which of the following is an adaptation of 

birds that help them fly? 

a. Feathers b. Light weight bones 

c. Large chest muscles d. All of these 

Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct words. 

feathers, metabolic rate, flippers, backbone, 

fins, streamlined, vertebrates, preen, curved, 

warm-blooded, insects 

13. The wings of birds are ______ ; this helps 

them fly easily. 

14. Birds are ______, since they have constant 

body temperature. 

15. Birds ______, or run their beaks through 

their feathers to maintain their feathers. 

16. Birds, like reptiles, have a skull and a ______ 

and hence are called ______. 

17. The high ______ in birds provides them 

extra energy to stay active. 

18. What distinguishes the class of birds from 

other organisms is that they have ______. 

19. In penguins the wings are modified into 

______, which help them to swim. 

20. A bird with a cracker type beak will eat 

______. 


27

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

tHE HUMAN BODY 


1. Which of the following organ systems 

converts food into a usable form? 

a. Excretory system 

b. Nervous system 

c. Digestive system 

d. Reproductive system 

2. When we breathe in, the air from 

the nose goes to the 

a. Lungs b. Heart 

c. Liver d. Stomach 

3. Which of the following organ systems gives 

form, shape and support to our body? 

a. Digestive system 

b. Muscular system 

c. Excretory system 

d. Skeletal system 

4. Which of the following organ systems helps 

our body to move, work and play? 

a. Muscular system 

b. Digestive system 

c. Circulatory system 

d. Nervous system 

5. The skin removes waste from the 

body in the form of 

a. Blood b. Mucus 

c. Sweat d. Air 

6. Which of the following helps the body to 

move, along with bones? 

a. Nerves b. Muscles 

c. Blood vessels d. Blood 

7. The nerves receive and carry messages 

from different parts of the body to the 

a. Heart b. Lungs 

c. Liver d. Brain 

8. Which of the following organs helps in 

removing waste from the body? 

a. Kidneys b. Stomach 

c. Nose d. Heart 


9. Which of the following organs is a part of 

the digestive system? 

a. Bone b. Nose 

c. Large intestine d. Lungs 

10. Which of the following organs is a part of 

the nervous system? 

a. Kidney b. Stomach 

b. Intestine d. Brain 

11. What do humans take in 

during breathing? 

a. Carbon dioxide b. Sugar 

c. Oxygen d. Water 

12. Which of the following is a function of 

the heart? 

a. Pumping blood 

b. Secreting hormones 

c. Giving a definite shape to the body 

d. Carrying messages to the brain 

Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct words. 

heart brain organs carbon dioxide 

kidneys system nose 

13. ___________ are the organs of the excretory 

system. 

14. Different _______________ join together to 

form a ______________. 

15. We inhale air through the ______________. 

16. Humans give out ______during exhalation. 

Match each term in Column B with its related 

organ system in Column A. 

Column A 

Column B 

17. Respiratory system A. Brain 

18. Nervous system B. Lungs 

19. Excretory system C. Stomach 

20. Digestive system D. Kidneys 


Class V: EVS 

amazing animals 


1. Which of the following is the link 

between birds and dinosaurs? 

a. Archaeopteryx 

b. Triceratops 

c. Ostrich 

d. Platypus 

2. The birds incubate their eggs to 

a. Protect them from predator 

b. Keep them warm 

c. To provide them optimum temperature for hatching 

d. All of the above 

3. Which one of the following is 

an adaptation of polar animals? 

a. Thick insulating fur 

b. Big eye lashes 

c. Humped back 

d. Compound eyes 

4. The wings in penguins are modified into 

a. Flippers c. Feathers 

b. Fins d. Skin 

5. The different stages of insect 

development can be represented as 

a. Eggs pupae larvae adult 

b. Eggs larvae pupae adult 

c. Eggs larvae moth pupae adult 

d. Eggs pupae moth larvae adult 

6. The dinosaurs are closely connected to 

a. Mammals b. Birds 

c. Reptiles and mammals d. Human beings 

7. The white fur coat of arctic 

animals provides 

a. large surface for breathing. 

b. insulation and camouflage. 

c. help in finding food. 

d. help in reproduction. 

8. A marshy woody area is inhabited 

by colonies of ant in a rainforest. 

This area is called 

a. Ecosystem c. Dwelling place 

b. Biome d. Habitat 

worksheet 

9. The opening and closing of 

stomata is regulated by 

a. Loss of water through transpiration 

b. Amount of oxygen present in air 

c. Amount of oxygen produced by the plant 

d. Amount of water vapour present in the atmosphere 

10. In a dense rainforest, 

the small flowering plants 

produce flowers during 

a. Spring c. Winter 

b. Summer d. Rain 

11. If from the following food chain, 

the producer is removed, 

what will happen? 

Leaves Caterpillar/Insects Small birds Owls 

a. Population of owls will increase rapidly 

b. Population of insects will decrease 

c. All consumers will be affected 

d. The birds will migrate 

12. Which of the following 

do not hibernate? 

a. Frogs c. Bear 

b. Lizards d. Polar bear 

Match the following 

animals in Column A with their 

characteristics in column B: 

Max Marks: 20 

Column A 

Column B 

13. Siberian crane a. Nocturnal and carnivores 

14. Bats b. Migratory bird 

15. Chimpanzees and 

monkeys 

c. Generally found in 

grasslands 

16. Whales d. Have mammary glands 

e. Have air bladder 

Write the habitats for the following animals: 

17. Sea Lion______________________ 

18. Deer _________________________ 

19. Camel_______________________ 

20. Emperor penguin ____________________ 


29

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

Plant Reproduction, Germination and growth 


1. Which of these is not 

required by a plant to live? 

a. Carbon dioxide c. Water 

b. Sunlight d. Fungicide 

2. What is the chemical used 

to prevent plants from 

harmful insects known as? 

a. Fungicide c. Fertilizers 

b. Pesticide d. Manure 

3. Which of the following is not 

an agent of seed dispersal? 

a. Water c. Air 

b. Soil d. Animals 


seeds is dispersed by the 

mechanism of explosion? 

a. Apple c. Lotus 

b. Cherry d. Bean 


seeds has wings? 

a. Lotus c. Poppy 

b. Pea d. Dandelion 


not a part of seed structure? 

a. Plumule c. Cotyledon 

b. Radicle d. Stigma 

7. After fertilization, 

what does an ovary transform into? 

a. Flower c. Pollen tube 

b. Fruit d. Ovules 

8. What is the green leaf 

like structure present at the 

base of flower known as? 

a. Petals c. Stamen 

b. Sepals d. Anther 

9. Which of the following parts of the flower 

comprise the pistil? 

a. Style, stigma, filament, ovary 

b. Filament, anther, pollen grains, pollen tubes 

c. Style, stigma, ovary, ovules 

d. Filament, anther, ovary, ovules 


plants cannot be grown 

using its roots? 

a. Sweet potato 

b. Dahlia 

c. Turnip 

d. Hibiscus 


plants is grown using its stem? 

a. Money plant 

b. Mushroom 

c. Carrot 

d. Cotton 

Class V: EVS 

12. What is manure? 

a. It is the fertilizer obtained from organic waste. 

b. It is the chemical used to kill insects. 

c. It is the chemical used to kill microorganisms 

d. It is a type of chemical fertilizer. 

Give one word for the 

following statements. 

kharif, bean, germination, stamen, 

pollination, vegetative propagation, 

pepper, seed coat, dispersal 

13. Crops that grow in summer: ______________ 

14. Male part of the flower: _____________ 

15. The process of transfer of pollen 

grains from the anther to the 

stigma of a flower: _____________ 

16. The process by which seeds 

are scattered away from 

the parent plant: ___________ 

17. The process by which a seed 

changes into a seedling:___________ 

18. Method of growing plants 

from roots, stem and leaves: ___________ 

19. The outer covering that protects 

the baby plant inside the seed: ___________ 

20. ___________flowers are pink 

and ___________ flowers look like stars 


Class V: EVS 

The skeletal system 


1. The place where 

bones meet is called 

a. A ligament c. Cartilage 

b. A joint d. The rib cage 

10. All the bones of the human 

skull are fixed, except the 

a. Upper jaw 

b. Lower jaw 

c. Frontal bone 

d. Nasal bone 

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

2. The bones in the 

spinal cord are called 

a. Little bones c. Vertebrae 

b. Cartilage d. Ribs 

3. The liver, heart and 

lungs are protected by the 

a. Skull c. Ribcage 

b. Girdles d. Spinal cord 


joints is present in the 

hip and the shoulder? 

a. Ball and socket joint 

b. Hinge joint 

c. Pivot 

d. Gliding joint 

5. How many pairs of ribs are 

found in the human body? 

a. 8 pairs c. 15 pairs 

b. 10 pairs d. 12 pairs 

6. Which is the smallest bone in our body? 

a. Femur c. Fibula 

b. Tibia d. Stirrup 

7. The number of bones that 

make up the human skull is 

a. 45 c. 32 

b. 52 d. 22 

8. The lowest two pairs of 

ribs which are joined only 

to the backbone are called 

a. Floating ribs 

b. True ribs 

c. False ribs 

d. Fixed ribs 

9. The strong tissues that bind 

the bones at a joint are called 

a. Cartilage c. Ligaments 

b. Tissues d. Tendons 

11. The joint found between the 

skull and the first two vertebrae 

of the spine is 

a. The gliding joint 

b. The hinge joint 

c. The ball and socket joint 

d. The pivot joint 

12. Which of the following is a 

function of the skeletal system? 

a. It gives shape and support to the body 

b. It circulates blood in the body 

c. It carries messages to brain 

d. It secretes hormones 


the correct terms. 

bone marrow, brain, vertebrae, sternum, femur, 

spinal cord, skeleton, hinge 

13. The ________________ protects the inner 

organs of the body. 

14. The ____________ 

is protected by the backbone. 

15. The thigh bone or ____________ is the 

longest bone in the body. 

16. The knee joint is a ___________ 

___________ joint. 

17. A long bone at the centre of the 

chest is called the __________________. 

18. The skull protects 

the _________. 

19. The hollow bones of the body are filled 

with a jelly-like substance called ______ 

___________. 

20. The backbone is made up of a series of 

small bones called ______. 


31

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

The nervous system 


1. The system that controls 

everything that we do is the 

a. Endocrine system 

b. Respiratory system 

c. Nervous system 

d. Digestive system 

2. The nervous system consists of the 

a. Brain, heart and spinal cord 

b. Heart, spinal cord and nerves 

c. Brain, heart and nerves 

d. Brain, spinal cord and nerves 

3. The organ of the body that 

is the control centre of the 

nervous system is the 

a. Brain c. Heart 

b. Liver d. Stomach 

4. The nerves that carry 

messages from the brain are 

a. Motor nerves c. Relay nerves 

b. Messenger nerves d. Sensory nerves 

5. We can think, learn, remember 

and recall because of the 

a. Medulla oblongata c. Cerebellum 

b. Cerebrum d. Sense organs 

6. Nerves that carry messages 

to the brain and bring 

orders from the brain are 

a. Sensory nerves c. Motor nerves 

b. Optic nerves d. Mixed nerves 

7. Which of the following connects 

the brain to the rest of the body? 

a. Brain c. Muscles 

b. Spinal cord d. Ligaments 

Class V: EVS 

10. Our brain needs a continuous supply of 

blood and what else? 

a. Oxygen c. Carbon dioxide 

b. Water d. Food 


the correct terms. 

motor, medulla, sensory, brain, cerebrum, 

mixed, nerves, cerebellum, sensory nerves, 

reflex action, sense, skin 

11. ___________ pass through the spinal cord 

and carry messages to the ________. 

12. The ____________ controls the heartbeat, 

breathing, swallowing and sneezing. 

13. The ___________ helps us to detect heat, 

cold and pain. 

14. A network of ___________ runs throughout 

our body. 

15. ________________ is the largest 

part of the human brain. 

16. The organs which connect us to the outside 

world are known as ____________ organs. 

17. The automatic response of the body to 

an event is called a___________. 

18. The ___________ is responsible for 

muscle coordination and maintaining 

the balance of the body. 

19. The three types of nerves are _________, 

______________ and ______________. 

20. Label the three sections of the 

brain in the below diagram. 

8. Which of the following actions 

are controlled by the spinal cord? 

a. Reading c. Walking 

b. Running d. Blinking 

9. Nerves that carry impulses 

to the brain are 

a. Motor nerves c. Mixed nerves 

b. Sensory nerves d. Optic nerves 


Class VI: Social studies 

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

Types of Sources 

Literary 

Archaeological 

A: B: C: D: 


33

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

on the trail of the earliest people 

Tick ( ) the correct answer 

1. The transition of man from ape-like creatures 

to human form is called 

a. Creation 

b. Development 

c. Evolution 

d. Advancement 

2. Which one of the following proposed 

the theory of Natural Selection? 

a. James Mill 

b. Hermann Miemer 

c. Herbert Garner 

d. Charles Darwin 

3. In 1974 A.D. where did archaeologists 

discover partial skeletons of 

human like creatures? 

a. Egypt c. Syria 

b. Palestine d. Ethopia 

4. Which of the following was 

the most important function 

of the opposable thumb? 

a. Easy cutting 

b. Easy grasp 

c. Easy protection 

d. Easy adaption 

5. During which age did the discovery 

of fire and emergence of 

prehistoric art take place? 

a. Palaeolithic age c. Neolithic age 

b. Mesolithic age d. Chalcolithic age 

6. The transition from food 

gatherer to food producer and 

settling down, marks the beginning of the 

a. Palaeolithic age 

b. Mesolithic age 

c. Neolithic age 

d. Chalcolithic age 


9. Which of the following is characteristic 

and shows evolution of early man? 

a. Increase in the size of the brain 

b. Increase in sizes of houses 

c. Increase in animal flock 

d. None of the above 

10. Why did early man move from 

one place to another? 

a. In search of houses 

b. In search of food 

c. In search of grasslands 

d. All of these 

11. A scientist who studies humanity 

and human culture is called 

a. Archaeologist 

b. Anthropologist 

c. Sociologist 

d. Afrologist 

12. Which of the following stone tools 

were used in the Palaeolithic age? 

a. Core and flake tools 

b. Core and microliths 

c. Core and Blake tools 

d. Core and flint 

Fill in the blanks using a suitable word: 

Kurnool, Dolphins, Migration, Bhimbetka, Hunsgi 

13. Ash is found in _____________ 

in Southern India. 

14. ____________ and ____________ 

are the earliest human settlements in India. 

15. Studies suggest that the_____________ 

also used tools. 

16. The early human groups followed animal 

________________. 

(History) 

17. Fill the boxes given below with the various 

reasons for the movement of early man: 

7. What does Mesolithic mean? 

a. Copper Age 

b. Middle Stone Age 

c. Old Stone Age 

d. Early Stone Age 

8. What did early man use to 

paint the walls of caves? 

a. Ink c. Paint 

b. Charcoal d. Clay 

Reasons for movement of early man 

A: B: C: D: 



the earth in the solar system 


1. How do astronomers learn about stars? 

a. Constellations c. Space Walks 

b. Telescopes d. Space Stations 

2. What is a ‘Light Year’? 

a. The distance that light travels in one year 

b. The same as the speed of light 

c. The amount of time it takes light to travel one mile 

d. The distance that light travels in one second 

3. What is the difference between long-period and 

short – period comets? 

a. Long-period comets: more than 100 years. Short –period: 

less than 100 years 

b. Long-period comets: more than 200 years. Short –period: 

less than 200 years 

c. Long-period comets: more than 300 years. Short 

period: less than 300 years 

d. Long-period comets: more than 500 years. Short 

period: less than 500 years 

4. Why are constellations useful? 

a. Help in naming stars 

b. All stars can be seen at the same time 

c. Help people to see stars without telescopes 

d. Divide the sky into sections and help in the location of a 

particular star 

5. What is a ‘galaxy’? 

a. A large –scale group of planets, stars, moons bound 

together by gravity 

b. A large-scale group of stars, gas, and dust bound together 

by gravity 

c. A large-scale group of stars, rocks and dirt bound together 

by gravity 

d. A large-scale group of gas, elements and atoms bound 

together by gravity 

6. What type of galaxy is the ‘Milky Way’? 

a. Elliptical c. Irregular 

b. Spherical d. Spiral 

7. By analysing the light that a star emits , 

astronomers can determine 

a. The motion of a star 

b. Composition and temperature of a star 

c. The size and weight of a star 

d. The galaxy that the star belongs to 

8. Which inner planets have almost the same size, 

mass and density? 

a. Mars and Venus c. Mercury and Venus 

b. Earth and Mars d. Mercury and Mars 

9. Which planets show evidence of heavy 

volcanic activity? 

a. Mars and Venus c. Venus and Earth 

b. Earth and Mars d. Mars and Mercury 

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

(Geography) 

10. How do the inner planets differ from the outer planets? 

a. Outer plants are bigger than inner planets 

b. Outer planets have an outer atmosphere and an inner 

atmosphere 

c. Outer planets are located in the outer zone of the Milky Way 

d. Inner planets are smaller, rockier & denser than outer planets 

11. The Greek astronomer Claudius Ptolemy proposed that 

planets moved in small circles, or epicycles, as they 

a. Revolved in larger circles around the moon 

b. Revolved in larger circles around Sun 

c. Revolved in even smaller circles around Earth 

d. Revolved in larger circles around Earth 

12. The Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus 

proposed a model for the solar system that 

was Sun-centred, or 

a. Lunacentric c. Heliocentric 

b. Astrocentric d. Celestracentric 

13. According to Copernicus, all planets revolved around 

a. The Sun in the same direction 

b. The moon in the same direction but at different speed and distances 

c. The Sun in different directions but at the same speed 

d. The Sun in different directions and speed 

14. Upon whose observations did Johannes Kepler 

base his three laws of planetary motion? 

a. Galileo c. Ptolemy 

b. Tycho Brahe d. Newton 

15. Compared with terrestrial planets, the gas giants 

a. Have more gravity, which helps them retain gases 

b. Have less gravity which helps them retain gases 

c. Have the same amount of gravity, which helps them retain gases 

d. Have no gravity, which helps them retain gases 

16. The thick atmosphere of the gas giants is made up of 

a. Oxygen and Hydrogen c. Hydrogen and Helium 

b. Helium and Carbon dioxide d. Carbon dioxide and Oxygen 

17. The gas giants have ring systems that are made up of 

a. Orbiting moons c. Comets 

b. Dust and icy debris d. Asteroids and gases 

18. The composition of asteroids is similar to that of 

a. Inner planets c. Comets 

b. Gas giants d. Outer planets 

19. A comet’s spectacular tail forms when 

a. Sunlight changes the comet’s ice to gas 

b. Sunlight is reflected from the comet 

c. Moonlight is reflected from the comet 

d. Gravity pulls gas from the comet 

20. What happens when a meteroid enters the 

Earth’s atmosphere? 

a. Dissolves in the Earth’s atmosphere 

b. Gives out heat and light 

c. Collides with the Earth 

d. Friction between molecules of the atmosphere and the 

meteroid, heat up the meteroid’s surface; so most of them burn up 


35

worksheet 

Max Marks: 15 

Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes 


1. Which system is used to describe the different 

climatic regions and time zones of the world? 

a. Greenwich Mean Time c. Grid System 

b. Heat Zones d. Time Zones 

2. Which of these is one of the advantages of 

representing the Earth on a Globe? 

a. Distorts the shape of the Earth 

b. Continents and seas can be drawn to scale 

c. Inaccurate representation of the Earth 

d. Globes are difficult to carry 

3. Which of these is the correct method to 

measure latitudes? 

a. Measured from the Prime Meridian 

b. Measured from the North Pole 

c. Measured from the Equator to 90 degrees in the north and 

90 degrees in the south 

d. Measured from the South Pole 

4. Which latitude is almost equal to the 

circumference of the Earth? 

a. Equator c. Tropic of Cancer 

b. Prime Meridian d. Tropic of Capricorn 

5. How do the lines of Latitude help geographers? 

a. To know the exact location of a place 

b. To know the exact location of a place, climate and vegetation found there 

c. To know the distance from the Equator 

d. To know its distance from the Poles 

6. Why do geographers need to use the lines of Longitude? 

a. To know in which hemisphere 

b. Location with respect to the Prime Meridian 

c.To know the exact location of a place and 

to calculate the time of a place with respect to GMT 

d. Location with respect to the Equator 

11. Study the map below and answer the questions that follow: 

i. If it is noon at Cape Town what time is it in Buenos Aires? 

a. 7.00 A.M c. 4.00 P.M 

b. 8.00 P.M d. 5.00 P.M 

ii. If it is Saturday in Honolulu, 

in which city is it a Sunday? 

a. Lima c. Chicago 

b. San Francisco d. Manila 

iii. The Prime Meridian runs 

closest to which city? 

a. Rome c. Greenwich 

b. Mombasa d. Tokyo 

iv. Which city is in the same 

time zone as New York? 

a. Anchorage c. Buenos Aires 

b. Lima d. Chicago 

v. If it is noon in Moscow, 

what time is it in Tokyo? 

a. 3.00 P.M. c. 5.00 P.M. 

b. 4.00 P.M. d. 6.00 P.M. 


7. The lines of Latitude are parallel to each other, 

whereas the unique feature in the 

lines of Longitude is? 

a. Equidistant from each other 

b. Do not meet at one point in the Northern and Southern 

hemisphere 

c. Closer to each other at the Equator than at the Pole 

d. Closer to each other at the Poles than at the Equator 

8. Why does the Torrid Zone 

experience no seasons? 

a. It receives slanted rays of the Sun 

b. It receives direct rays of the Sun 

c. It receives no sunlight 

d. It is located near the Equator 

(geography) 

9. What is the significance of the 

International Date Line not being 

a straight line, but a zigzag line? 

a. The day and date change as we cross this line 

b. Helps to determine the time 

c. Avoids crossing any landmass, since crossing any 

landmass would mean having two dates at the same time 

d. Together with the Prime Meridian it divides the Earth into 

two hemispheres 

10. The meridian of 30 degrees east passes 

through Turkey, and the same meridian 

passes through Zimbabwe. 

What impact will it have on the local time of 

the two countries? 

a. A time difference of less than 5 hours 

b. Will have the same local time, as all the places on the same 

meridian have the same local time 

c. Different local times 

d. Time difference of more than 10 hours between 

the local 

36 

The Progressive Teacher © DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted


worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

Rational numbers 

8. Which is greater, the sum of 4 5 and 7 


1. Every number that can be 

written as fraction, in which both the 

numerator and denominator are 

integers, is 

a. integers 

b. rational numbers 

c. fraction 

d. decimals 

2. The sum of a number and its opposite, 

or additive inverse, is 

a. 0 b. 1 

c. 2 d. Number itself 

3. Number of rational numbers between 

any two rational numbers is 

a. 2 b. 4 

c. 0 d. Infinite 

4. Multiplicative inverse of 0 is 

a. 0 b. 1 

c. does not exist d. none of these 

5. The product of two numbers is 

If one of the numbers is − 4 , 

the other is 

7 

a. 

c. 

9 

20 

7 

35 

b. 

9 

35 

d. 

−7 

35 

−9 

35 . 

6. Which one of the rational numbers... 

− 11 5 29 9 

, − , − , is the greatest? 

28 7 42 −14 

a. 

−5 

7 

b. 

c. − 29 

d. 

42 

9 

−14 

−11 

28 

7. Which of the following rational 

numbers is in the standard form? 

a. 

c. 

−4 

11 

−4 

76 

b. 

d. 

9 

−81 

14 

24 

the subtraction of 2 7 and − 1 ? 

5 

−1 

a. the subtraction of and 2 5 7 

b. the sum of 4 5 and −7 

9 

9. Simplify ⎛2 3⎞ 

−3 

⎜ ÷ ⎟÷ 

⎝5 8⎠ 

5 

a. 16 b. −16 

5 

5 

c. 16 3 

d. 

−16 

3 

10. Simplify −9 −10 15 

× 

⎛ ⎞ 

⎜ × ⎟÷ 

5 

5 ⎝ 3 −4⎠ 

a. − 9 

b. 9 

2 

2 

c. 45 

2 

d. −45 

2 

− or 

9 

Fill in the blanks. 

11. The product of a rational number and its 

reciprocal is __________. 

12. The reciprocal of a, where a ≠ 0, is 

_________. 

13. Zero has __________ reciprocal. 

14. The numbers __________ and __________ 

are their own reciprocals. 

15. As per the ___________________ property, 

the two rational numbers can be multiplied 

in any order, their product remains the 

__________. 

State whether the following statements 

are true or false. 

16. The reciprocal of a positive rational number 

is negative. 

17. The sum of any two rational numbers is also 

a rational number. 

18. Subtraction of rational number is neither 

commutative nor associative. 

19. In case of division of rational numbers, 

commutative and associative properties are 

applicable. 

20. Zero is the smallest rational number. 


37

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 

Exponents and powers 


1. Sum of first n odd natural numbers is 

a. 2n 2 b. n + 1 

c. n d. n 2 

2. Which of the following numbers is a 

perfect square? 

a. 123 b. 576 

c. 189 d. 245 

3. A perfect square number can never have 

the digit ____at the unit place. 

a. 1 b. 5 

c. 6 d. 7 

4. The square of a proper fraction is _________ 

the fraction. 

a. smaller than b. greater than 

c. equal to 

5. The sum of 

1 + 3 + 5 + 7 + 9 + 11 is 

a. 25 b. 16 

c. 36 d. 49 

6. By which number should 588 be multiplied 

so as to get a perfect square? 

a. 2 b. 3 

c. 4 d. 5 

7. A gardener has to plant 500 

saplings in such a way that the number 

of rows and the number of 

columns remains the same. 

How many saplings would be left out? 

a. 16 b. 25 

c. 4 d. 8 

8. A number has 4 zeroes at the end. How many 

zeroes will its square root have? 

a. 1 b. 2 

c. 0. d. Cannot be calculated 

9. (75) 2 – (74) 2 = _______ 

a. 150 b. 149 

c. 120 d. None 


10. A number to the 7th power divided 

by the same number to the 

3rd power equals 256. 

What is the number? 

a. 0 b. 2 

c. 4 d. 6 

11. Find the value of 3 1728 

a. 22 b. 32 

c. 12 d. 82 

−216 

12. Find the value of 3 1331 

−6 

a. 

11 

b. 6 11 

c. − 6 

19 

d. Does not exist 


13. The square of an even number is always 

________________. 

14. The number ending in ___________ numbers 

of zeroes is always a perfect square. 

15. To divide powers with the same base, keep 

the base and ___________ the exponents. 

16. To multiply powers with the same base, keep 

the base and _________ the exponents. 

State whether the following 

statements are true or false. 

17. 25 is read as five raised to the power of 2. 

18. A square number is always positive. 

19. Cubes of all negative integers are always 

positive. 

20. The sum of two perfect squares 

is a perfect square. 



algebraic expressions 


1. Sonal planted t fewer trees than Shelly. 

Shelly planted 32 trees. Which expression 

shows the trees planted by Sonal? 

a. 32 – t 

b. t – 32 

c. t + 32 

d. t 

2. Identify the degree of the polynomials. 

20x 6 + 10x 4 – x 

a. 2nd degree 

b. 7th degree 

c. 9th degree 

d. 6th degree 

3. Add the polynomials 

5 x 2 − 3 x + 7 + 2 x 3 + 5 x 2 + x + 5 

a. 2x 3 +10x 2 +2x+12 

b. 2x 3 +10x 2 -2x+12 

c. 2x 3 +2x 2 +5x+71 

d. 7x 3 +2x 2 +7x+5 

( ) ( ) 

4. Find the product of 

a 2 (b 2 – c 2 ) + b 2 (c 2 – a 2 ) + c 2 (a 2 – b 2 ) 

a. 2a 2 b 2 + 2a 2 c 2 + 2b 2 c 2 b. 1 

c. 0 d. None 

5. Find the value of m, 

if 4m = (52) 2 – (50) 2 

a. 102 b. 4 

c. 204 d. 51 

6. Find the value of 

(u 2 + v 2 ), if (u + v) = 20 and uv = 10. 

a. 380 b. 400 

c. 390 d. 410 

7. If 3a + 5b = 21 and ab = 6, 

find the value of 9a 2 + 25b 2 . 

a. 251 b. 261 

c. 361 d. 350 


8. The degree of a constant 

is _____________. 

9. Algebraic expressions having one, 

two and three terms are called ________________, 

________________ and ______________. 

State whether the following statements 

are true or false. 

10. In (–4x 3 + 6y 2 – 3z) – (–5x 3 – 3y 2 – 2z), 

the second equation will become positive. 

11. The difference of 

3ab – 7ab is a positive. 

Match the polynomials 

in column A to its corresponding 

terms in column B. 

Column A 

Column B 

12. xy a. trinomial 

13. 5x 2 – 8y + 2 b. 4ab 

14. 7x 2 + y c. monomial 

15. Monomial d. 6x 3 + 5x – 9 

16. Trinomial e. binomial 

Write your solution in performing 

the given operations. 

17. (8x5 – 3xy3 + 2y2) + (2x5 – 2xy3 + 2y2) = 

__________________________. 

worksheet 

18. (x3 – 3x2 + 7x + 2) – (5x3 + x2 – 10x + 24) = 

________________________. 

Max Marks: 20 

19. 3x3(4y2) = _____________________________ 

__ 

20. (6y2 + y – 5) ÷ (6y - 5) = 

____________________________ 


39

worksheet 

Max Marks: 20 


8. Factorisation of ___________ is (t + 7) (t + 1). 

factorisation 

9. The factor of 2x + 8y – 3px – 12py is 

______________. 

State whether the following statements are true 

or false. 

10. The factor of 2n2 – 6n + 4 is (n – 1)(n – 2). 

11. The factor of 25 – p2 is (5 + p)(5 – p). 

12. The factor of 12b2 + 17b – 5 is (2b + 1) 

(6b – 5). 

13. The two factors of x2 – 4x + 4 are same. 

Multiple Choice Questions. 

1. (a + b) 2 equals 

a. (a + b)(a + b) b. (a – b)(a – b) 

c. (a + b)(a – b) d. 2(a + b) 

2. Highest common factor of 7p3q3 and 21p2q is 

a. p 3 q 3 b. p 2 q 

c. 7p 2 q d. 7pq 2 

3. The highest common factor of 6a³b + 3a²b² – 

18ab³ is 

a. 3ab b. 3a 2 b 

c. 3ab 2 d. ab 

4. Evaluate (205) 2 – (195) 2 

a. 400 b. 4000 

c. 100 d. None of these 

5. Which one of the following is not a factor of 

x 2 + x ? 

a. x + 2 b. x + 1 

c. x d. x(x + 1) 

6. Evaluate (2.6) 2 – (0.6) 2 

a. 6.4 b. 6 c. 2.4 d. 0.4 


7. The process of finding factors of an algebraic expression is 

called ______________. 

Match the polynomials in 

column ‘A’ to its proper factor of 

grouping in column ‘B’ 

Column A 

ColumnB 

14. 2x 2 – 6x + 8 a. 3(x + 3y) 

15. 5x + 30 b. 3xy(2x + 3y)(x – 2y) 

16. 3xy + 21x – 2y – 14 c. 2(x 2 – 3x + 4) 

17. 5x 2 + 11x + 2 d. (y + 7)(3x – 2) 

18. 3x + 9y e. (5x – 1)(x – 2) 

19. 2x 3 – 4x 2 – 6x f. 5(x + 6) 

20. 6x 3 y + 3x 2 y 2 – 18xy 3 g. 2x(x + 1)(x – 3) 

Plants 

1. d 

2. c 

3. a 

4. d 

5. b 

6. a 

7. c 

8. b 

9. c 

10. d 

11. a 

12. Seed 

13. Trunk 

14. Roots 

15. Climber 

16. Air, Water and 

Sunlight 

17. i-B, ii-E, iii-A, 

iv-F, v-D, vi-C 

Animal Life 

Answer Key - Class III: EVS 

1. b 

2. d 

3. c 

4. c 

5. d 

6. c 

7. b 

8. c 

9. a 

10. b 

11. b 

12. c 

13. Omnivores 

14. Carnvivores 

15. Consumers 

16. Herbivores 

17. Producers 

18. Photosynthesis 

19. Decomposer 

20. Webbed 

Feathered Friends 

1. b 

2. a 

3. b 

4. c 

5. d 

6. d 

7. c 

8. a 

9. a 

10. a 

11. a 

12. d 

13. curved 

14. warm blooded 

15. preen 

16. backbone, 

mammals 

17. metabolism 

18. feathers 

19. flippers 

20. Insects 

The Human Body 

1. c 

2. a 

3. d 

4. a 

5. c 

6. b 

7. d 

8. a 

9. c 

10. d 

11. c 

12. a 

13. kidneys 

14. organs, System 

15. nose 

16. carbon Dioxide 

17. B 

18. A 

19. D 

20. C 

Amazing Animals 

1. a 

2. d 

3. a 

4. a 

5. b 

6. c 

7. b 

8. d 

9. a 

10. a 

11. c 

12. c 

13. b 

14. a 

15. d 

16. e 

17. Polar areas 

18. Grasslands 

19. Desert 

20. Polar areas 

Plant Reproduction, Germination and Growth 

Answer Key- Class V : EVS 

1. d 

2. b 

3. b 

4. c 

5. c 

6. d 

7. b 

8. b 

9. c 

10. d 

11. a 

12. a 

13. Kharif 

14. Stamen 

15. Pollination 

16. Dispersal 

17. Germination 

18. Vegetative 

propagation 

19. Seed coat 

20. bean, pepper 

The Skeletal System 

1. a 

2. c 

3. c 

4. a 

5. d 

6. d 

7. d 

8. a 

9. c 

10. b 

11. d 

12. a 

13. skeletan 

14. spinal cord 

15. femur 

16. hinge 

17. sternum 

18. brain 

19. bone marrow 

20. vertebrae 

The Nervous System 

1. c 2. d 

3. a 4. a 

5. b 6. d 

7. b 8. d 

9. b 10. a 

11. sensory nerves, 

brain 

12. medulla 

13. skin 

14. nerves 

15. cerebrum 

16. sense 

17. reflex action 

18. cerebellum 

19. sensory, motor 

and mixed 

20. 

What, Where, How and When? (History) 

1. c 

2. c 

3. c 

4. b 

5. d 

6. a 

7. a 

8. b 

9. a 

10. b 

11. d 

12. b 

13. History 

14. Chronologically 

15. Gandhara 

16. Birch barks 

17. A: Religious; 

B: Secular; 

C: Monuments; 

D: Coins/pottery 

inscriptions 

Answer Key - Class VI: Social Studies 

1. c 

1. b 

1. c 

2. d 

2. a 

2. b 

3. d 

3. c 

4. b 

4. d 

3. c 

5. a 

5. b 

4. a 

6. c 

6. b 

5. b 

7. b 

7. b 

8. b 

6. c 

8. b 

9. a 

9. a 

7. d 

10. b 

10. d 

8. b 

11. b 

11. d 

12. a 

9. c 

12. c 

13. Kurnool 

13. a 

10. b 

14. Bhimbetka, Hunsgi 

15. Dolphins 

14. b 11. i. a 

16. Migration 

15. a 

ii. d 

17. A: In search of food 

16. c 

B: In search of water 

17. b 

iii. c 

C: Following animal migration 18. a 

iv. b 

D: In search of raw material 19. a 

v. d 

for stone tools 

20. d 

On the Trail of the Earliest People (History) 

The Earth in the Solar System (Geography) 

Globe: Latitudes and Longitudes (Geography) 

Rational Numbers 

1. b 

2. a 

3. d 

4. c 

5. a 

6. d 

7. a 

8. a 

9. d 

10. a 

11. 1 

12. 1/a 

13. no 

14. 1; –1 

15. commutative; 

same 

16. False 

17. True 

18. True 

19. False 

20. False 

Answer Key- Class VIII : Mathematics 

Exponents and Powers 

1. d 

2. b 

3. d 

4. a 

5. c 

6. b 

7. a 

8. b 

9. b 

10. c 

11. c 

12. a 

13. even 

14. even 

15. subtract 

16. add 

17. False 

18. True 

19. False 

20. False 

Algebraic Expressions 

1. a 

2. d 

3. b 

4. c 

5. d 

6. a 

7. c 

8. 0 

9. monomial; binomial; 

trinomial 

10. True 

11. False 

12. c 

13. a 

14. e 

15. b 

16. d 

17. 10x 5 – 5xy 3 + 4y 2 

18. –4x 3 – 4x 2 + 17x – 22 

19. 12x 3 y 2 

20. y + 1 

Factorisation 

1. a 

2. c 

3. a 

4. b 

5. a 

6. a 

7. factorisation 

8. (t + 4)2 – 9 

9. (2 – 3p) (x + 4y) 

10. False 

11. True 

12. False 

13. True 

14. c 

15. f 

16. d 

17. e 

18. a 

19. g 

20. b 


classroom display pullout 

Sep/Oct 2017 

www.progressiveteacher.in 25 41

Pullout PLANNER 


technology 

Making school data work for teachers 

–Payal Jain & Sapna Saleem 

Arthur Nielsen puts it well when 

he talks about data and business. 

The same can be said about school 

classrooms. 

For far too long, scoring well in exams in 

India has been considered the ultimate goal 

of schooling. A student’s status and value 

amongst peers depended on his ranking in 

various areas of academics. The real purpose 

of testing and examinations has been 

quietly ignored and forgotten and, in most 

cases, never been explored at all. This has 

effectively been a barrier to using the data 

produced in classrooms regularly. 

School administrators and leaders need 

to facilitate an urgent change in teachers’ 

mindset towards data. Teachers need to realise 

that data is more than just test scores. 

Teachers must be given time and guidance to 

make connections between different types of 

data that would ultimately enrich the teaching 

environment. 

Schools produce an immense amount of data 

on a monthly and yearly basis. However, 

only a small percentage of this is ploughed 

back to help plan forward. For instance, the 

data received after an examination can help a 

school principal identify the general trend in 

performance of students through the school. 

What particular subjects are getting better 

scores and which are not. Similarly, acquiring 

data about which grades are performing 

well overall and which aren’t. 

An in-depth analysis of such information 

can help the school leader identify teaching 

and learning gaps in students. Records on 

students’ profiles, attendance and even physical 

health can reveal why a certain child 

was not attentive in class. At the level of a 

teacher, student scores and answer sheets 

provide insights into which students need 

help and specifically, in which area. This 

helps the teacher guide her instruction and 

make customised plans to improve student 

learning. When the evaluation of these tests 

is done effectively, with proper feedback, each 

student recognises his area of strength as 

well as weakness. This is one of the most 

effective ways to improve student learning. 

Schools, therefore, need to find a way to 

ensure that teachers see data as another 

useful tool of their trade and collect relevant 

information connected to the larger goals of 

the school. Teachers need to know why they 

are collecting a certain kind of data, how 

it will be used and what insights it has to 

offer. If teachers start seeing data as a useful 

resource, it can help them connect with their 

students and empower their teaching through 

constant reflection. 

For instance, after a workshop on ‘Data in 

classrooms’, the school leader identified two 

key areas that needed improvement. Connecting 

this to her regular classroom observations, 

the school leader realized that the 

current methods of instruction being implemented 

in these classes did not focus on these 

two particular skills. The school leader shared 

these insights with the respective teachers 

Sep/Oct 2017 

‘The price of light is less than the cost of darkness.’ 

- Arthur C. Nielsen, Market Researcher & Founder of A C Nielsen 

and created a monitoring template for the 

same. The teachers then began to conduct 

weekly tests to collect relevant data. After 

collection, teachers would work together to 

analyse this data, group students based on 

progress and define action steps for each 

group. This also resulted in teachers improving 

their weekly plans to target the areas 

for improvement, as identified through the 

analysis. 

Here are some of the methods school leaders 

can implement in their schools and also guide 

their teachers: 

Chalk out time, ideally after exams, for 

teachers to sit together in a group and reflect 

on the data collected and discuss with their 

peers. These reflections can then translate 

into action steps. 

Start by providing teachers with a list of 

simple questions to ask when analyzing data 

(How can I group students based on their 

skills? Which skills have my students not 

mastered at all?) 

School Leader K. Prathyusha, (TSWRS Thorrur) 

Use data when giving feedback to teachers 

after a lesson observation. Ask teachers to 

bring along data from the class (student 

notebooks, test papers, etc.) to provide evidence 

during the de-brief of any lesson. 

Share school-level goals and data with teachers 

to help them realize they are a part of a 

bigger system. Ensure teachers are collecting 

only the right data that connects to the 

school and classroom goals. 

At a further stage of making a school more 

data-driven, schools can also train teachers 

on creating assessments that connect to 

curriculum standards. This will ensure that 

schools collect high-quality data. 

In most cases, there is a lack of this crucial 

communication between school leaders and 

their teachers. Unless this gap is filled, progress 

in student outcomes will be stagnant. 

Communicating data to parents is also as 

essential as it is to communicate to students. 

Very often parents of students from low-income 

backgrounds find it difficult to take 

action on this data due to illiteracy or other 

reasons. Nevertheless, keeping them aware of 

strengths of their ward will be a motivating 

factor for them to further support them at 

home when possible. With this shift in perspective 

towards effectively using data, more 

and more schools can successfully prioritise 

where they need to focus their efforts, leading 

them towards better learning outcomes. 

The article has been written by Payal Jain 

(Monitoring & Evaluation Lead) and Sapna 

Saleem (Curriculum Manager) working at 

the India School Leadership Institute (ISLI), 

an organization that focuses on supporting 

school principals as leaders in private and 

government schools to drive high-performing 

schools that commit to academic achievement 

and character development of children 

from underserved communities. 

www.progressiveteacher.in 43 

Image source: Utkarsh English Medium School, Pune

conclave 

The S. Chand group hosted The 

Progressive Teacher Conclave on 26 th 

August 2017, in the Arya Auditorium, 

C-Block, East of Kailash, New Delhi, in spite 

of the tense situation across Delhi due to the 

breakdown of law and order in certain parts 

of the country the day before. The Conclave 

concluded with the S Chand ‘Teaching 

Excellence Awards 2017’. 

The Progressive Teacher(TPT), a bi-monthly 

magazine,celebrated its third anniversary and 

along with it the commitment and spirit of 

teaching was celebrated. The magazine caters 

to the interests of school teachers who play 

an important role in shaping their classrooms 

and schools, thus empowering the school 

teaching community in India. 

The Conclave comprised a Keynote Address, 

two Panel Discussions and Awards for 

Excellence in Teaching and School Education. 

It was attended by over two hundred and 

fifty delegates – teachers, principals, heads, 

coordinators and educationists. 

The event started at 9:30 with a Welcome 

Note by Rita Wilson, Editor, The Progressive 

Teacher. While welcoming the delegates to 

the Conclave, and congratulating everyone 

for braving such a curfew-like situation, 

she touched upon the following regarding 

meaning and elements of Quality in Education 

while sharing her 46 years of teaching 

experience: 

Quality in Education means that in 

educational institutions the focus is on 

learning which strengthens the capacities 

of children to act progressively through the 

acquisition of relevant knowledge, useful 

skills and appropriate attitudes; and which 

creates for children, and helps them create 

for themselves and others, places of safety, 

security, peace and healthy interaction. The 

terms efficiency, effectiveness, equity and 

quality have often been used synonymously. 

This means that the focus is on learning 

which strengthens the capacity of the children 

to act progressively, through acquisition 

of relevant knowledge, useful skills, and 

appropriate attitudes which ensures a place 

of safety, security, and healthy interaction. 

I. Quality includes: 

• Learners – healthy, ready to participate 

and learn and supported by families and 

communities 

• Environment – healthy, safe, protective, 

gender sensitive, with adequate resources, 

and facilities 

• Content: relevant curricula, materials for 

the acquisition of basic skills in literacy, 

numeracy, skills for life, and knowledge 

in such areas as gender, health, nutrition, 

prevention of diseases, peace. 

ii. Processes in schools through which 

trained teachers use child-centred teaching 

approaches in well managed classrooms 

and schools, skilled assessment to facilitate 

learning and reduce disparities. 

iii. Outcomes: encompass knowledge, skills, 

attitudes, and lead to the national goals for 

education for positive participation in society 

Professional teachers: 

• Have mastery of the subject 

• Use school time effectively 

Examinations should be reformed to test not 

just recall but to test understanding; schools 

THE PROGRESSIVE TEACHER’S CONCLAVE held in New Delhi 

on Saturday, 26 th August, 2107 

Ms Abha Adams, Advisor – Education, Step by Step 

School, Noida. 

should invest in technology; we should work 

on the mind sets of the people through public 

awareness campaigns to change them from 

fixed mindset to growth mindset. 

This was followed by a Keynote Address by 

Ms Abha Adams, Advisor – Education, Step 

by Step School, Noida. 

An alumna of Lady Shri Ram College, Abha 

Adams is Advisor – Education, Step by Step 

School, Noida. She has worked for over 37 

years in the areas of Education, Media and 

Arts management in India and the UK. She 

works with several national and international 

educational, arts and training organisations 

and is the lead education partner for 

Carnegie Hall New York. 

She spoke how education system has 

undergone changes in the last three decades - 

1990s, 2000, 2010. 

In the 1990s the term DOL Daily Oral 

Language was coined by Black Burn 

Twenty-first century: 

Smart classes...smart teachers, smart 

learners… 

Rita Wilson, Editor, The Progressive Teacher 

Four Cs: Collaboration, Communication, 

Critical thinking, Creativity 

Questioning – training on questioning 

BYOD and BYOT: Bring your own device 

(BYOD)—also called bring your own 

technology (BYOT), …. 

Talking about quality in education, she said it 

is not about the report card, but the soul that 

walks out of the institution after fourteen 

years. According to her students should 

be creative, compassionate, courageous, 

participatory, peace loving human beings. 

Quality Education as defined by UNESCO is 

not to be measured by scores. 

According to her we should not force choice 

about subject --- Science, Arts, Commerce 

Eight things to look for in today’s classroom 

1. Voice 2. Choice 3. Time for reflection 

4. Opportunities and innovation 5. Critical 

thinkers 6. Problem solvers/finders 7. Selfassessment 

8. Connected learning 

Both the Panel Discussions were on Quality 

in Education, which was the theme of the 

Conclave. 


Panel-I : The first Panel Discussion was on Quality in Education Introduction & Initiation 

Moderator: Dr Aruna Apasamy : Principal & 

Director, Asan Memorial Sr Sec School, Chennai. 

The Panellists were: 

Dr Aruna Apasamy, Principal & Director, 

Asan Memorial Sr Sec School, Chennai. She 

spoke about the life cycle of a child’s education, 

focusing on the experiences a child undergoes 

before school. 

Mrs Rachna Pandit, Principal, Lotus Valley 

International School, Noida Extension, has 

headed Delhi Public School International in 

Singapore and Delhi Public School, Maruti 

Kunj, Gurgaon. 

Sharing what she feels about Quality in 

Education she said - 

When a child comes to school for the first time, 

it is a duty of the teacher to make her feel at 

home – an environment she can relate to. She 

talked about the importance of compassion and 

love, and the language of touch in teaching. She 

Mr Ashutosh Aggarwal, Mrs Rachna Pandit , Mrs. Rachna Pant 

talked about the process of unlearning as soon 

as the child gets into school, relearning comes 

later; making an effort to know the background 

of the child—family, community, personal 

relations etc., have a connect with the child’s 

family. 

Mr Ashutosh Aggarwal, Founder & Secretary, 

Sanskriti The Gurukul, Guwahati, Co-Founder, 

The Atelier, Guwahati & Bangalore, is an 

Educationist who also teaches Math at the 

senior secondary level. 

He emphasized on bringing change in the 

education scenario of North East India; to 

introduce lateral thinking at the school level, 

and vocational skills at Senior Secondary 

level. He also advocated re-imagination of the 

assessment system. 

Mrs. Rachna Pant is the Principal of Ramjas 

Panel-II : The Panel Discussion II was on Quality in Education – Development 

School, Pusa Road, New Delhi. She was the 

founder Director Academics / Principal of the 

Global Indian International School, Bangkok. 

She started this first and only CBSE school 

in Thailand which was affiliated to three 

examination boards i.e. CBSE, Cambridge 

International Examinations (CIE) and 

International Baccalaureate. As the head of an 

institution, she is constantly working against 

deadlines and managing things with great skill 

and efficiency, thus producing amazing results. 

She also has tie up with schools / organizations 

in the UK, USA and Japan. 

She spoke about the human dimension of 

Quality in Education. She stressed upon warmth 

and support of the family. Other aspects she 

touched upon were: good communication skills 

and creativity. 

Moderator: Ms Debjani Sengupta Principal : 

Surajkund International School,Faridabad, Haryana 

The Panellists were: 

Ms Debjani Sengupta, Dr Sushma Malik, 

Mrs Sandhya Awasthi, Mrs Priyanka Bhatkoti 

Dr. Sushma Malik is the Principal at Bharat 

Ram Global School. 

Speaking about the humane dimension of 

quality in education, she said a teacher needs 

to create a niche in the little hearts by smile, 

greetings and touch. According to her quality 

is inherent in every person and every person 

has the right to education. The aim of students 

should be to become global citizens. She spoke 

about parents spending quality time with their 

children. 

As an educator and administrator she 

keenly supports the pivotal, proactive role 

an educational organization plays in today’s 

society. 

She believes in nurturing multiple Intelligences 

and honing life skills. We hope to create an 

atmosphere of reverence for education and 

a healthy, happy environment where right 

amalgamation of work sports and co-curricular 

activities will mould our students and spur them 

on to be the brightest and the best. Keeping the 

contemporary global and national content in 

mind, we at Bharat Ram Global School strive 

to make the pursuit of excellence a way of life, 

a habit. 

Mrs Sandhya Awasthi, former Principal of 

Salwan Public School, Gurgaon, is the Director 

DPS Society, New Delhi. While speaking about 

quality in education she said, we are committed 

Sep/Oct 2017 

Dr. Sushma Malik, Mr K M Thomas, Ms Debjani Sengupta, Priyanka Bhatkoti, Mrs Sandhya Awasthi 

to personal excellence of each student. We 

impart holistic activity based quality education 

enriched with high moral values in a healthy 

competitive learning environment. Our vision is 

leveraging potential through innovative learning 

methodology, capacity building and continuous 

improvement in the ability driven education 

system. We are also committed to enhancing 

our credibility as an excellent educational 

institution by empowering the learners to the 

satisfaction of our stakeholders and continually 

improve our established quality management 

system, while complying with the applicable 

regulatory requirements. 

Priyanka Bhatkoti, Principal, Maxfort School, 

Dwarka, New Delhi, focused on what her 

school is working towards in imparting quality 

education to students. 

She said creativity will be the most important 

asset that we will be able to give our students 

in the 21st century. Mechanised and replicated 

by machines, we will be taken over taken over 

by the new age computers and robots. Only 

those individuals will be able to carve a niche 

for themselves who create something that 

cannot be thought of by machines. This is where 

schools will need to change their role and 

become centres of excellence with creativity 

and problem solving being nurtured in students. 

Maxfort Dwarka Delhi nurtures all its students 

by making lessons relevant. She also said that 

students get a strong foundation which gives 

them wings to help them soar to the highest 

pinnacle. ‘Through theatre, music, dance and 

presentations we nurture creativity in all our 

students’, she said. Priyanka Bhatkoti also 

talked about the involvement of parents in all 

activities that truly makes them equal partners 

in imparting quality education at Maxfort. 

These two Panel Discussions were followed by a 

sumptuous lunch and a session on Champions of 

Change which was conducted 

by Jeroninio Almeida, 

motivational speaker and 

corporate trainer. The 

entire audience enjoyed this 

session and also actively 

participated in it. 

Everyone had been looking 

forward to the final event 

and the high point of the 

day – S Chand’s Teaching 

Excellence Awards, which 

Jeroninio Almeida, 

motivational speaker and 

corporate trainer 

was the crowning event of the Conclave. Sixtythree 

awards were conferred on educators from 

various parts of the country. 

Mr K M Thomas, Business Head of S Chand 

Publishing, wound up The Progressive Teachers’ 

Conclave with a vote of thanks to all present. 


Teaching Excellence Awards 

S. Chand Group Teaching 

Excellence Awards 2017, 

along with The Progressive 

Teacher Conclave, were 

given away in New Delhi on 

August 26, 2017. Entries 

were called for 63 awards 

in 18 categories. 

Award: sUper star: Lifetime achievement award, 

Dr Pawan K. Samba, Narayana Group of Schools, Hyderabad 

Awardees of TEA 2017 with Rita Wilson, Editor, The Progressive Teacher and K M Thomas, S Chand Publishing 

Award: star contributor (k-12) education in india 

Fr George Paul, Director, Diocese, Agra 

Award: Star Innovation – (Primary) 

Purti Khanna, Bal Bharti Public School, Rohini, Delhi 

Award: Star Innovation – (Primary) 

Jyoti Arora, Mount Abu Public School, Rohini, Delhi 

Award: Star Innovation – (middle) 

Ruchika Chhabra, Ramjas School, Pusa Road, Delhi 

Award: Star Innovation – (middle) 

Shilpi Agarwal, City Montessori School, Lucknow 

Award: Star Innovation – (secondary) 

Aloka Bose, Birla Vidya Niketan, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 


Manisha Chandra, Sanskar School, Jaipur 


Fr Susai Raj, St John’s School, Varanasi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in english – (Primary) 

AM Meenakshi, DAV Public School, Sreshtha Vihar, Delhi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in english – (middle) 

Uma Maheswari, B M English School, Bengaluru 


Fay Marion Bellew, Birla Vidya Niketan, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in english – (Primary) 

Shalini Gupta, Maxfort Public School, Dwarka, Delhi 


Shraddha Agarwal, Bharat Ram Global School, Greater Noida 


Award: Innovative teaching strategies in mathematics –(secondary) 

Sumit Ray, Delhi Public School, Kolkata 


Ajeet Singh Panwar, Maxfort Public School, Dwarka, Delhi 


Shaveta Sachdeva, Ramjas School, Pusa Road, New Delhi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in science – (Middle) 

Purbasha Roy, Bombay Scottish School, Powai, Mumbai 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in science – (primary) 

Ritu Garg, Silver Bells School, Kavi Nagar, Ghaziabad 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in science – (middle) 

Rachna Singh, Hiranandani Foundation School, Powai, Mumbai 


Seema Jain, St Teresa’s Sr. Sec.School, Udaipur, Rajasthan 


Mariamma Joseph, Excelsior English School, Koyattam, Kerala 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in Social St. – (Primary) 

Viranda Syal, Indus Valley Public School, Noida 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in Social St. – (Primary) 

Meenakshi, Maxfort Public School, Dwarka, Delhi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in Social St. – (Middle) 

Rakesh Dewasi, NYMPH Academy School, Jaipur, Rajasthan 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in Social St. – (Middle) 

Dr Sudeshna Ghosh, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Kolkata 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in Social St. – (secondary) 

Rekha Pundir, DAV Public School, Sreshtha Vihar, Delhi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in hindi – (Middle) 

Niraj Jain, Holly Child Auxillium School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in hindi – (secondary) 

Manisha Abrol, GD Goenka Public School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 

Award: rising star – (Middle) 

Karishma Sharma, Ramjas School, Pusa Road, New Delhi 

Award: use of multimedia/ict – (Middle) 

Jitender Kaur Aswal, Ramjas School, Pusa Road, New Delhi 

Award: classroom management – (primary) 

Twinkle Khanna, Sunbeam School, Annapurna, Varanasi, UP 

Sep/Oct 2017 


Award: classroom management – (middle) 

Neelam Khanna, City Montessori School, Lucknow, UP 

Award: classroom management – (middle) 

Prasad P, Al-Azhar Central School, Thrissur, Kerala 

Award: classroom management – (secondary) 

Neha Garg Goel, Ramjas School, Pusa Road, New Delhi 

Award: classroom management – (secondary) 

Sudha Harikrishan, St Martins Group, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 

Award: Innovative teaching strategies in other languages – (spanish) 

Karishma Sharma, Ramjas School, Pusa Road, New Delhi 

Award: star lead teacher – (primary) 

Savita Mehrotra, Birla High School, Kolkata 

Award: star lead teacher – (middle) 

B R Sharadamba, BBUL Jain Vidalaya, Bengaluru 

Award: star lead teacher – (secondary) 

Rachna Gupta, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 

Award: star lead teacher – (secondary) 

Arti Prasad, Soami Nagar Model School, New Delhi 

Award: star cat (curriculum & training) team head 

Nita Pande, Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar, Indore, Madhya Pradesh 

Award: star cat (curriculum & training) team head 

Dr Manju Gaur, Raghubir Bal Mandir Sr Sec School, Aligarh, UP 

Award: Shining star - special education 

Smita Nair, Euro School, Navi Mumbai 

Award: Shining star - special education 

Saswati Das Mahapatra, BBUl Jain Vidayala, Bengaluru 

Award: early childhood (west) 

M B Anitha, BNM Public School, Bengaluru 

Award: effective lesson planning 

Dr Babita Saha, Bhavan’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Vidyaniketan Haldiya, Kolkata 

Award: effective lesson planning 

Neha Khanna, Sunbeam School, Lahartara, Varanasi, UP 

Award: use of varied and stimulating teacher learning resourses 

Surekha Nayani, Delhi Public School, Rangareddy, Secunderabad 


environment 

We still live in a plastic world 

Even though the move to remove plastic from Indian market is quite palpable and awareness 

among people is quite appreciable, several groups have undertaken large-scale initiatives to make 

India, a plastic free zone, but what the country really needs is that every individual should make a 

difference in his own way. 

–RupsiChauhan 

Plastic’, which derives from 

the Greek word plastikos, 

meaning to mold or 

form, has come to be used as a 

general description for anything 

particularly adaptable or flexible. 

The negative effects of plastic 

vary depending on the type 

of plastic in the environment, 

quantity and length of exposure 

time. Plastics contain compounds, 

such as PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) 

and BPA (Biphenyl A) often 

used in containers that store food 

and beverages, water bottles - 

elements deemed a health risk 

to humans and animals.Items 

like plastic packaging, bags and 

bottles are thrown away every day 

ending up in trash sites as well as 

in forests, creeks, rivers, seas and 

oceans around the world. While 

some of these items are recycled, 

the growth of plastic consumption 

and its improper disposal currently 

outpace efforts to recycle and 

produce post-consumer plastic 

materials. 

Plastic bags and their associated 

plastic pieces are often mistaken 

for food by animals, birds and 

marine life like fish and sea 

turtles. The consumed plastic then 

congests the digestive tracts of 

these animals, and can lead to 

health issues such as infections 

and even death by suffocation. 

When marine organisms consume 

plastics in our oceans, these 

chemicals can make their way 

through the ocean’s food web into 

humans who eat fish and other 

marine organisms. 

In fact chlorinated plastic can 

release harmful chemicals into the 

surrounding soil, which can then 

seep into groundwater or other 

surrounding water sources and 

also the ecosystem. 

In reality, most plastic does not 

ever disappear, it takes millions of 

years. In addition to not breaking 

down fast, plastic materials also 

break down dangerously and also 

Rupsi Chauhan is working in 

Kendriya Vidyalaya D.R.D.O Bangalore 

as an Art Education teacher for 

the past 15 years for the promotion 

of drawing skills and creativity in 

children. Her art curriculum consists 

of topics related to current issues on 

Environment and Energy to bring 

awareness in the minds of the young 

ones. She has served as a judge in 

various art competitions and is a member of the panel for 

selection of art teachers in local schools. Twice she was 

invited as art educator from India to the Art Festival held 

in Washington D.C, U.S.A.in 2012 and 2015. 

She has made a 6.38 minute 2D animation film on Nurture 

Nature. She is a science graduate and studied Art from 

Kala Kendra, Dehradun (BFA) . She has served as a 

resource person for the in-service course for art education 

teachers held in January 2016 at ZIET, Mysore. 

She has written six articles on different aspects of art for 

NIE, Times of INDIA in the past four years. 

become long-lasting ‘plastic dust’. 

When items like plastic bags 

break down, they readily soak 

up (and release) toxins that then 

contaminate soil and water, as well 

as harming animals that ingest 

plastic fragments. 

A better solution would be 

to reduce the use of plastics 

altogether. Though it is almost 

impossible to eliminate plastic 

off the face of the earth, here 

are a few basic things we can do 

to discourage the popular use of 

plastic. 

1. Use reusable mugs 

2. Use reusable/ cloth shopping 

bags 

3. Don’t drink water/juice from 

plastic bottles 

4. Shop for organic clothes 

5. Say NO to drinking-straws 

6. Reduce use of electronics 

7. Stay away from packaged 

foods 

8. Know more about plastic 


Recycling on a large-scale may 

not be everyone’s cup of tea, but 

it surely does help to know how 

to segregate waste and send the 

various items to credible centres. 

India’s biggest cleanup effort 

can bring some solution to the 

problem. 

Keeping all these things in the 

mind our school children should 

also contribute to the cause and 

become aware of the danger 

of this plastic world. I have 

taken this initiative through 

the drawings that children of 

Kendriya Vidyalaya D.R.D.O, 

Bengaluru, have contributed on 

this subject and reflected their 

ideas displayed in front of the 

Art room. 

These were not only appreciated 

by all but also successfully 

carried to everyone’s heart and 

mind. 

Sep/Oct 2017 


teaching 

–Surekha Nayani 

A 

newly qualified teacher 

may have lots of doubts 

and lack of confidence, 

when s/he enters his/her classroom 

for the first time. But as the days 

pass, s/he develops rich experience 

in skills like- 

1. Presentation of subject. 

2. Clarification of doubts. 

3. Handling a variety of children 

in class. 

4. Interest in subject and students. 

5. Correction of notebooks and 

answer scripts. 

6. Knowing the attitude of 

children. 

7. Conduct of parent-teacher 

meetings. 

8. Attending field trips with 

children. 

9. Organising school events and 

many more tasks. 

Here are a few things, on which 

newly qualified teachers can focus 

in the early days that might help 

you find your feet- 

1. Get useful information about 

the school. This can be done 

by visiting the school or going 

through the website of the 

school. Get anything that you 

think might come in handy 

and spend some time perusing 

it so you know the right kinds 

of questions to ask before 

you start to teach. Know the 

school policies and schemes 

of work from the HR officials 

and Head of the department. 

This information is relevant for 

it will affect the way you work 

from the first day. 

2. Ensure that your lesson 

plans are well prepared - this 

will give you confidence. 

Preparation for the class and 

teaching materials well in 

advance will lead to qualitative 

teaching in the class with free 

flow of concepts and good 

time management. Preparing 

for lessons is a must for 

every teacher whether new 

or experienced as it results in 

productive teaching-learning 

process. 

3. Most of the schools have 

mentors or HODs who give 

guidance to new teachers in the 

procedures they follow in the 

school. Interaction with them, 

learning and clarification of 

doubts will give good training 

and quick learning so that the 

new teacher follows the path of 

the school system. At the same 

time you have to find time 

to take guidance from more 

than one mentor. Teachers who 

belong to the same department 

- learn from them and also 

observe their classroom 

EVERY EXPERIENCED 

TEACHER WAS A NEWLY 

QUALIFIED TEACHER 

Do you agree that few teachers come to the teaching profession, 

because they have a passion and desire to disseminate knowledge to 

the younger generation but most of the teachers land up in teaching 

with no desire or intention to teach. But as time passes, these 

teachers develop interest and passion for teaching as they see the 

young minds giving importance to their delivery of subject and seeing 

the children doing well. 

lessons. In your free periods, 

take permission to sit in their 

classes and observe their 

teaching-learning processes to 

apply them in your classes for 

quality teaching and a better 

performance. 

4. Learning the discipline 

strategies is equally important 

for a newly qualified teacher. 

He or she has to know the 

measures to be taken in a 

classroom to correct the 

children’s behavior which are 

Surekha Nayani, M.Sc (Chemistry),B. 

Ed has fifteen years of teaching 

experience in CBSE schools and has 

been teaching Physics and Chemistry 

to secondary school students. 

Presently, she is working as Head of 

the Department of Science and also 

as CBSE Co-ordinator in Delhi Public 

School, Nacharam, Hyderabad. As 

HOD she trains teachers in teachinglearning 

processes like developing and presentation of 

content, preparation of worksheets and question papers, 

designing CCE etc. and also conducts workshops on 

various aspects of teaching science. 

She has written articles on teaching science by focusing 

on creative methodologies which arouse interest in the 

subject. She strongly believes that every teacher should 

emphasise proper planning, preparation and effective 

presentation of subject matter, every day and in every 

class with commitment which influences and empowers 

student learning. 

acceptable to the child as well 

as the school. Knowing the 

range of sanctions available 

to you is important for your 

own confidence, as well as for 

managing the behavior of your 

new class. 

5. You can plan your subject 

delivery involving introduction, 

well planned activities, 

active participation of 

students, black-board work, 

summarization, assignment, 

which are a must in every 

class. But at the same time 

each class is different and in 

each class you have varied 

children with different learning 

abilities and interests. Hence, 

to involve all the children 

in learning, your teaching 

plan should have interesting 

activities like usage of ICT, lab 

activities or hands on activities, 

correlating the subjects to 

daily life like sports, food, 

television etc., adding humour 

to sustain the attention and 

interest of the child in the 


classroom along with effective 

teaching aids. 

6. One more important job of 

the teachers is to be a good 

mediator between the child 

and parent. It is part of a 

teacher’s profession to say 

what is necessary, however 

hard this may seem. Parents 

may seek your advice, press 

you for information, confront 

you, perhaps even cry on your 

shoulder; so be prepared. Even 

experienced teachers often 

find working with parents a 

complex task. Make notes 

that are specific and accurate 

about every child to jog 

your memory during Parent 

Teacher Meetings. Do not 

compare children in front 

of parents. Be specific and 

focus on the behaviour and 

academic performance of the 

child. Be calm and listen with 

patience to an upset parent 

and after he or she completes, 

slowly explain your view. 

Showing patience regarding 

every child in the class gives 

happiness to parents. 

7. Do not pile up your work, 

but prioritize your work 

for smooth functioning. 

Maintaining registers, being 

punctual in corrections, 

preparing question papers 

and declaring results, 

maintaining anecdotal records 

of your class children, holding 

additional responsibilities with 

commitment, giving moral 

support to children are a few 

vital functions of teachers. 

Knowledge of computers 

is a must these days in the 

teaching profession, as it is 

needed to prepare activity 

sheets, question papers, ICT 

as a teaching aid in classes, 

to communicate with parents 

and school authorities 

through email, etc. 

8. Attending workshops or 

teacher training programmes 

is definitely a good exposure 

for new learning. Whether old 

or new teachers workshops 

promote growth. One should 

always try to look for 

developmental opportunities. 

9. You need to have a healthy 

relationship with students. 

Teachers must remember that 

students need encouragement 

and reassurance. Appreciation 

for good work, being punctual, 

achieving high scores, active 

class room participation, 

etc motivates the students 

to achieve their highest 

potential. 

10. When designing assessment 

tasks for pupils, work out in 

advance the marking scheme 

you will use to assess their 

work and give them clear 

pointers about what will 

gain them marks. If pupils 

know about how assessment 

works, they produce better 

standard of work. After a test, 

it is always good to explain 

the marking scheme of the 

paper to not only clarify 

doubts but also give the 

expected answers to students. 

Tracking the performance 

of children, finding reasons 

for low scores, appreciation 

and encouragement for good 

performance, suggesting 

right guidelines will help the 

students to perform well in 

academics. 

11. In the teaching profession, 

one of the greatest rewards 

is having former students 

who tell their teachers how 

much they had inspired 

and influenced their lives. 

Effective teachers inspire 

students and act as role 

models just as good leaders 

inspire their followers. A 

teacher should build and 

strengthen culture, values, 

beliefs of society and guide 

the students. As a leader, the 

teacher can communicate 

values and expectations by 

acting as a role model – 

showing loyalty, self-sacrifice 

and service to the students 

beyond the call of duty. 

12. We communicate our 

personal feelings, emotions, 

attitudes etc. through body 

language without using 

any words. Body language 

includes gestures, postures, 

facial expressions and 

appearance. Face is a 

prominent part of our body 

for sending non-linguistic 

symbols. Hence, teachers need 

to be careful with their facial 

expression, gestures, body 

posture, eye contact, personal 

appearance etc. in every 

class because in every class 

many tiny eyes are observing 

you, learning from you and 

evaluating you. 

‘Man errs as long as he doth 

strive.’ Goethe, the great German 

poet, knew that more than 200 

years ago. His words still ring 

true today, but with a crucial 

difference: Striving alone is not 

enough. You have to strive faster 

than the rest. Stop waiting for 

perfection and learn from your 

mistakes. 

Sep/Oct 2017 


health 

Common ailments in children 

and their preventive measures 

Parents want their children to stay as healthy as possible, but reality is far from this. Children 

and infants are most susceptible to infections. The immune system of infants and younger 

children is not completely developed, and hence they are constantly battling a series of 

infections, which they are exposed to almost daily. Among school going children, the chances 

of contracting an infection is higher, as majority of the common illnesses are infectious and 

easily passed on. 

–Dr Santosh Datar 

Below are some of the 

common illnesses children 

suffer from and some ways 

to prevent them: 

Cold and flu 

This is one of the most common 

and infectious illnesses children 

suffer from. On an average, 

school going children contract a 

cold at least around 6-10 times 

a year, which can last anywhere 

from a few days up to two weeks. 

Preventive measures: Influenza 

vaccination will protect the child 

from influenza but not from other 

respiratory viruses. Children 

should be taught to cover the 

nose and mouth while sneezing 

or coughing. Handwashing is 

the most important method in 

prevention of cold. Children 

should be taught to wash their 

hands before and after meals, 

after playing with other children 

or pets, before and after wiping 

the nose, etc. In case of small 

children, the toys which they are 

likely to put in the mouth should 

be washed and cleaned regularly. 

Hand, Foot, Mouth 

Disease (HFMD) 

Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease 

(HFMD) is one of the common 

diseases among infants and children 

below the age of 5, as they 

do not have the immunity to fight 

the viruses that cause HFMD. It 

is a viral and infectious illness. 

Some symptoms to look out for 

include fever, rashes on the hands 

and feet as well as painful sores 

in the mouth. 

Preventive measures: Till date 

there is no vaccine for HFMD. 

But the risk of contracting it can 

be reduced by frequent washing 

of hands. Additionally, ensure 

that your children do not share 

their food and avoid close contact 

with others who are infected. 

Disinfecting the house, the child’s 

toys and other household items is 

another way of prevention if the 

child has come in contact with an 

infected person. 

Conjunctivitis 

Conjunctivitis is a common and 

Dr. Santosh Datar, is a Medical Director 

and consultant doctor at Ziqitza 

Healthcare limited. He is trained 

in Occupational Health, Hospital 

Administration and Medico legal 

issues. He comes with an experience 

of 31 years and has a flair for designing 

systems and procedures and making 

continual improvements in the organizations he works for. 

Dr. Datar has an M.B.B.S degree along with a Diploma in 

Anesthesiology and Industrial Medicine. In the past he has 

worked with companies like Larsen & Toubro Limited, The 

Hindustan Insecticides Ltd, Johnson & Johnson among 

other reputed companies. He is also a part of national 

safety council as an auditor and trainer and a member of 

Life Supporters Institute of Health Sciences, Mumbai. He 

has also been the former president Indian Association of 

Occupational Health, Mumbai Branch and is a recipient 

of Best Resource Person award from Indian Association of 

Occupational Health. 

uncomfortable eye condition 

that can be caused by viruses, 

bacteria and irritants. It causes 

redness of the eye as well as a 

white discharge from the inner 

eyelid. 

Preventive measures: The most 

practical way to avoid conjunctivitis 

is to inculcate the habit of 

washing hands frequently with 

warm water and soap. Also make 

sure, they do not share towels, 

clothes, etc. with someone who is 

infected. In case this cannot be 

prevented, make sure to disinfect 

the items in order to avoid 

spreading Conjunctivitis. 

Stomach Flu 

(Gastroenteritis) 

Stomach flu is an infection of 

the digestive system, which is 

generally caused by germs and is 

not related to the common flu. It 


is medically termed as gastroenteritis. 

It causes an inflammation 

of the digestive tract, which leads 

to diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. 

Preventive measures: As Stomach 

Flu is highly infectious; it 

is advised to keep children from 

coming in contact with an infected 

person. Teach your children 

to wash their hands as often as 

possible, especially after using 

the restroom and before meals. 

Avoid feeding small children 

street food as the water could be 

contaminated and their bodies 

not developed to handle it. Another 

good habit is to discourage 

them from putting their fingers 

in their mouths without thoroughly 

washing them first. Wash 

all fruits and vegetables before 

eating them. Meat should be 

cooked well. Vaccination against 

rotavirus which is one of the 

most common causes of stomach 

flu can be given after consultation 

with your paediatrician. 

Ear infection 

An ear infection is an inflammation 

of the middle part of the ear, 

usually caused by germs, that 

develops when fluid builds up behind 

the eardrum. Ear infections 

in children are one of the most 

worrisome conditions for both 

parents and children, especially if 

they are recurring. 

Preventive measures: Studies 

have shown that babies who are 

around smokers are more prone 

to ear infections. Hence, it is 

best to avoid smoking around 

children. Follow the vaccination 

schedule as prescribed by your 

paediatrician. Avoid bottle feeding 

the baby when he/she is lying 

down. 

Whooping cough 

Whooping cough is a bacterial 

infection that causes inflammation 

of the lungs and airways. The 

name is derived from the birdlike 

whooping sounds that children 

who have the illness typically 

make when they’re trying to take 

deep breaths between coughs. 

Preventive measures: The best 

way to prevent whooping cough 

is to vaccinate the child. Whooping 

cough can be dangerous in 

babies and children under the age 

of 18 months. Those who have it 

should be constantly monitored. 

Continuous coughing could cause 

breathing problems in children. 

Whooping cough is extremely 

infectious. Wash your child’s 

hands before consuming food or 

in case they come in contact with 

the infected person. Teach them 

to cover the mouth while coughing 

and sneezing to minimize the 

spread of germs. 

Chickenpox 

Chickenpox often starts with 

a cold, along with a running 

nose and cough, followed by the 

appearance of rashes a few days 

later. These rashes are quite itchy 

and uncomfortable. 

Preventive measures: The best 

way to prevent chickenpox is 

to vaccinate children against it. 

Vaccinating children with two 

shots before they turn thirteen is 

advisable. In case if one contracts 

chickenpox even after 

being vaccinated, there is no 

cause to worry, as in these cases 

the illness is usually mild. 

Although these are the more 

common ailments children suffer 

from, parents need to be alert 

and keep an eye out for telltale 

signs of an infection. While 

common preventive measures 

can help reduce the severity of an 

infection, each child’s body functions 

differently and it is best 

that parents consult a paediatrician 

on a case to case basis. 

Sep/Oct 2017 



–Mitashi Pawar 

Often educators debate on 

how they can benefit from 

technology. Can they not do 

without it? After all, why disturb 

the ancient pattern of teaching? 

You may support or disagree 

with the argument here. 

If you are the one who feels 

burdened under the pressure of 

staying updated with the latest 

trends, it will be beneficial if you 

practice certain skills to remain 

calm and motivated at the same 

time. 

1. Stay Positive: Well, the 

stay positive mantra needs 

to be applied here as well. In 

the beginning, you may face 

challenges, your patience 

levels may decrease and 

reaction to work pressure 

may increase. Believe me, 

it is important to train 

your brain to stay calm 

and assure yourself that 

you will eventually learn 

all the necessary skills to 

have technology enter your 

classroom. 

2. Plan in advance: If last 

minute preparation of some 

funky presentation or editing 

a video can hamper your 

productivity, make sure to 

begin much in advance. Start 

working on your modules and 

avoid awaiting the deadline. It 

is good to go slow and smooth 

while you have time, instead 

of tossing up everything last 

minute. 

3. Got a minute? Do you feel 

your colleagues are better 

at it? Go, ask for their help. 

They may be having some 

brilliant ideas that could 

suit your requirements. Ask 

them to help you plan it out. 

Be open to their suggestions 

and always be receptive 

of what they may have to 

offer. This in return will also 

strengthen your bond with 

the ones you didn’t interact 

with so far. Go with a 

positive attitude and put all 

your negative assumptions 

aside. These new challenges 

will make you feel even more 

proud of yourself once you 

accomplish them! 

4. The inquisitive-leader: For 

a student, her/his teacher 

will always be an ideal 

leader. Students are always 

motivated by teachers who 

try and excel in all that 

they do. It might be a slow 

progress, but the results 

can be amazing. You might 

just discover a new teaching 

style someday, which can be 

Befriending Technology 

Tech - NO – logy? Or Tech – KNOW – logy? 

The speed at which technology is growing and expanding, it’s almost 

impossible to imagine anybody being able to resist it. Accept it 

or not, it’s difficult to sustain without it. Some survive because of 

this modernisation, whereas, some are still contemplating whether 

it’s needed or not to be a part of one’s life - personally as well as 

professionally. 

engaging for both you and 

your students. 

5. Get involved: Don’t hesitate 

to ask your students for 

support. Students take 

immense pride in helping their 

teachers. It strengthens the 

bond and makes them more 

responsible as individuals. If 

you judge yourself and make 

assumptions on how they 

will perceive your inability to 

master technology, chances 

are you may often reflect 

discomfort in your body 

language and the charm of 

the class may diminish. Rather 

let your students know you 

need guidance too, and how 

you respect their knowledge in 

other domains as well and not 

just academics. 

6. Don’t forget to enjoy it: 

The daily hustle bustle of our 

lives deprives us of the energy 

to enjoy all that we do. Little 

Mitashi Pawar, MA in Applied 

Psychology, PG Diploma in Counselling 

and Family Therapy is at present 

working as a School Counsellor with 

The Shri Ram School, Aravali. She has 

done her schooling from DPS Vasant 

Kunj. Her expertise lies in working 

with kids, parents and teachers. 

Over the years, she has worked for 

several schools such as DPS Ambala, 

DPS Panipat, Apeejay School Kolkata, 

Bal Bharti School to name a few. She is passionate about 

creating awareness about mental health and help people 

understand the benefits of counselling. Her interest also lies 

in doing workshops for students and adults. 

do we realise how important 

it is to have fun while you 

work. Love your subject to 

avoid making it monotonous 

in nature. Technology has 

a lot to offer. Make your 

curriculum interesting, 

attractive, use colourful 

presentations, search for new 

videos, add music to life and 

a lot more. If you are short 

of ideas at any point, simply 

search online. There are 

numerous templates available. 

Choose the one that suits your 

needs and get going! 

7. Age is just a number: Your 

age is no obstacle when 

it comes to learning and 

flourishing in life. The mere 

thought that it’s too late to 

begin now, kills it all! The 

number of years you have on 

your side are proof of your 

success so far. So, push away 

the number game, and simply 

rock your world by giving 

yourself a great re-start. 


education 

Social Media and Degradation 

of Language amongst Youth 

If history books will ever be rewritten, this age will surely find mention in golden letters. In today’s 

era of technological advancement, social media is the unrivalled king. It is so vast an ocean that it 

has engulfed the entire humanity in its purview. India is a shining star in the world of Social Media. 

Today India has 450 million internet users who comprise approximately 15% of the world internet user 

population. Moreover, about 213 million Indians have Facebook accounts; close to 25 million Indians 

have active Twitter accounts and about 175 million Indians are active WhatsApp users. 

–Jagdeep S. More 

More than 65% of our population is 

below 35 years of age and this is the 

age group which remains very active 

on social media. The recent colossal success 

of Reliance Jio exactly proves the point. The 

beauty of social media is the liberty of its 

usage. A child as well as an adult enjoy equal 

privileges. One can pour his heart out in any 

way over these technological platforms. This 

uncontrolled liberty is of grave concern. Of late, 

it has been seen that the users are crossing 

all limits in criticising people, government, 

institutions and countries over social media 

sites. Trolling is the buzzword these days. 

Commenting in the name of religion and 

patriotism is amongst the worst social media 

posts. People tend to hold everything at stake 

while showing their pseudo nationalism. It has 

been seen that children as young as four-five 

years have active Facebook and Instagram 

accounts and enjoy posting text and pictures 

over them. It is a matter of grave concern 

that female users suffer the most. If Facebook 

comments on the posts and replies on the 

tweets of female celebrities are read, one would 

die of shame. The users cross all heights of 

indecency. Some comments are so derogatory 

that not only it brings shame to the person and 

family but to the society and country at large. 

The larger question is that – Is the language 

on social media reflecting the language of our 

society? Are we degrading individuals or are 

we failing to teach our younger generation the 

correct language? Our education system needs 

to look into this aspect very seriously. This ignominious 

language on social networking sites 

demeans our progress. Our age old traditions 

believe in ‘Sarvesham Avirodhen’ which means 

we should not hurt anyone even through our 

words. But today criticising anyone and everyone 

in the name of religion, gender and political 

affiliations is becoming the most common past 

time for the Indian youth. This shows the growing 

shallowness of our education system. 

The roots of this problem lie in the year 2000. 

The then Prime Minister of India Hon’ble Atal 

Bihari Vajpayee constituted Birla-Ambani 

Committee to suggest reforms in Education. 

The policy framework of this committee laid 

stress on making the students a skilled workforce, 

rather than thinking-questioning rational 

students. This committee further undermines 

the importance of subjects like philosophy, 

history, culture and literature. The Committee 

suggests language needs to be taught merely as 

Sep/Oct 2017 

a skill and just enable the learners to write 

business letters. The literature component 

of language was cut down. Secondly, the 

framework document laid stress on technology 

rather than science per se. Research 

and Development will be based on the 

expectations of the industry rather than 

the requirements of the subject or 

the needs of the knowledge hungry 

student. The biggest irony is that 

Vajpayee government accepted 

and implemented the postulates 

of this policy framework. After 

that the ten year rule 

of Congress 

party 

followed the 

footsteps of its predecessor. 

Not only that, both the governments 

remained silent on publicising the report. This 

work marred the education system and language 

remained the worst sufferer. 

I am an 

Engineer 

by my first 

degree. I 

worked with 

an MNC in 

Mumbai as 

a Quality 

Engineer. 

My keen 

interest in teaching brought me to 

the doorsteps of Education Industry. 

I am currently working as a Sr. 

Teacher (PGT) English in one of the 

reputed schools of Haryana. 

I am a CBSE Resource Person 

for Challenging Areas in English 

Core (Class XII), Life Skills, CCE, 

Gender Sensitivity & Classroom 

Management. I possess a rich 

experience in training Students, 

Teachers, Head of Departments and 

Principals. I am also an active career 

counselor. 

I have ample experience in 

applying appropriate teaching 

and assessment methodologies, 

and an expert at designing and 

developing educational objectives 

and preparing teaching material. 

Albert Einstein rightly said Science without religion 

is lame, religion without science is blind. 

Within a decade, this is showing its results 

on the language usage of our youth. The 

younger generation knows how to write but 

does not know what to write. The sorry state 

of wisdom can be seen on social networking 

sites where users press ‘Like’ button on even 

posts of death. Today’s social media literacy 

is equivalent to cultural illiteracy. WhatsApp 

is the last nail in the coffin. The circulation 

of unauthenticated posts and forwarded messages 

claiming to be true is proving dangerous 

for our society. This is the prime reason 

for banning of social media in the times of 

crises and riots. This massive consumption 

of fake knowledge is futile. A WhatsApp 

message beautifully describes this paradigm 

– WhatsApp is teaching youth a new lesson, 

Man is alienating from society in order to 

become Social. 

It is no exaggeration to say that, we teachers 

have to take the driving seat now and take 

control of the situation before it is too late. 

Every school counsellor, language and social 

science teacher has to play a crucial role in 

improving the language of today’s younger 

generation. The time tested cultural and 

literature component of language and history 

needs to be inculcated with Values and Life 

Skills education. Teachers need to teach 

students what to post on social networking 

sites. How much is too much, remains an age 

old question which needs to be answered with 

great zeal by teachers. 


happiness 

–Vera Hajela 

A 

good game of chess, an energetic 

experience of badminton or a 

basketball match, a simple kho kho 

or seven tiles thrill is all amiss these days. 

Remember your days (Parents) of how each 

of these things made you happy. Apart from 

each of these – a heart to heart chat with 

your mom, your best friend, your teacher gave 

you a reassurance that all is good and what is 

not will soon be sorted. Today it’s about video 

chats, conference calls, whatsapp messages 

and calls, IMO - the works. Virtuality vs 

Reality is becoming a fixture in every possible 

scenario. You’ve gone out holidaying with 

your children, each one is busy with his or 

her mobile. Beautiful landscape–instead of 

enjoying it selfie–photography is what one is 

indulging in. A lovely family meal in a good 

restaurant and everybody is busy clicking 

pictures and texting messages and lo behold 

living the moment, celebrating the experience 

is somewhere lost and forgotten. 

Interruption of any kind while you are texting, 

sending a mail on your laptop or your cell 

phone is a serious impediment which ends up 

disrupting your peace of mind, making you 

snappy and ballistic. Doesn’t your child have 

a right to ask you questions, share his joy and 

worries as and when? You are supposed to 

accommodate all of this with a smile on your 

face with pure concern and compassion – 

everything else can wait. 

Your non-participative approach is making 

your child a recluse. You are clueless about 

what is going on in his/her mind. He or she 

succumbs to depression, psychosomatic 

ailments owing to lack of attention. His/ 

her behaviour patterns are disruptive, self 

destructive and converge towards deliberate 

attention seeking. Always remember no 

counsellor can be better for your child other 

than you - yourself. You need to understand 

him/ her, participate and involve yourself 

in all of his/ her activities, spend quality 

time with your children and chat them up 

on a regular basis to be able to fulfil your 

responsibility of a good parent/good teacher. 

Unnecessary pressures, passing on your 

stress, agitation and frustration to your 

children can be devastating. Ridiculing, 

scorning reprimanding in a demeaning 

manner can be damaging and dangerous. 

Children need to be made to feel special 

and unique like no other all the time. 

Encouragement and motivation can really 

move mountains. One has to lead by example 

to enable our children to emulate virtues, 

code of conduct, poise, dignity and integrity 

inclusive of self respect. Stories and examples 

from common life and from the lives of great 

men can be very inspiring for them to ignite 

their minds and to give them a sense of firm 

HEIGHTEN THE 

HAPPINESS QUOTIENT 

Vera Hajela (Principal City Montessori School, Station Road 

Campus, Lucknow) M.A. B.Ed and DPA has 22 years of 

teaching experience which includes teaching of English in 

the ISC Section in City Montessori School, Lucknow. She was 

awarded the Woman of the year Award in I.T. College in 1980 

and is the 2nd position holder in her Masters from Lucknow 

University. She is a gold medalist in Public Administration 

from Lucknow University. She has won many prizes in debates 

and elocution throughout her student life. Her life is devoted to the education of 

children and building their future. 

The prerogative of parents and teachers is to keep their children 

happy with a ceaseless sense of excitement and curiosity 

constantly brewing within them. The sad or rather unfortunate 

part is that we as adults have forgotten the meaning of 

happiness ourselves. 

direction and focus. Patience, Endeavour, 

Tolerance and Perseverance have to be 

displayed by us for our children to imbibe and 

incorporate into their behaviour of 

conducting themselves in society at large 

among the members of their peer group and 

most importantly within the family. 

Fear factor is obsolete when it comes to 

training children these days. Intimidation, 

generating fear, alienation will certainly not 

help. Instead alignment, setting standards 

for oneself like those of courtesy, punctuality, 

loyalty and responsibility will 

have an impacting influence on 

our children. 

Let us lead by example, 

showcasing ourselves with virtues 

ample. 

Reach out from within and take a 

peek therein. 

Connect with your soul and guide 

them towards their goals. 

No fear, No scorn, No ridicule, No 

intimidation, 

It has to be encouragement, a pat 

on the back and only motivation. 

Whenever high or low, see that 

there is no row. 

All should be peaceful and happy, 

There is just no need to be rude and snappy. 

Parenting and teaching are divine 

responsibilities, 

Shaping the future of the world rests on the 

twin authorities. 

Care and connect with compassion and 

courage, 

Constantly be there to motivate and 

encourage. 

Life’s battles will all be fought 

If parent- child, teacher- taught, give each 

other a patient listening and thought. 

For not everything can be sold nor can 

everything be bought. 

Needless to say 

Our children are priceless, 

Let us cherish them with joy and happiness 

Nurture them and educate them 

With compassion, care and a heart 

magnanimous. 


support 

Give your child a head start in English- 

Cambridge English Young Learners Exam 

packages now available on Amazon.in! 

To support the development of English 

language skills of the children, 

Cambridge English Language 

Assessment (part of the University of 

Cambridge) have now launched their 

Cambridge English: Young Learners (YLE) 

exam packages on Amazon.in. The very 

popular Young Learners Examinations 

were available only for schools to offer to 

their students and through this initiative 

the exam packages are now accessible 

for parents to avail for their children. The 

exam package includes official Cambridge 

English preparation material for YLE– Kids 

Box books and CDs along with the selected 

YLE test. The exam packages are available 

through Amazon and are currently offered 

only in Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad 

and Bangalore. 

Cambridge English: Young Learners is a 

series of fun, motivating English language 

tests, aimed at children in primary and 

lower-secondary education. These tests give a 

reliable and consistent measure of how well a 

child is doing in learning English. The exams 

introduce children to everyday written and 

spoken English and are an excellent way for 

them to gain confidence and improve their 

English. The series includes YLE Starters, 

Movers and Flyers. 

Benefits of Cambridge English 

Young Learners Programme: 

• There’s no pass or fail - every child gets 

a Cambridge English certificate which 

celebrates his/her achievements. 

• The test uses realistic everyday situations 

to bring learning to life. 

• The test covers all major varieties of 

English (e.g. British English, American 

English). 

Interested parents can purchase the Starters 

and Movers exam packages 

online on Amazon just 

as they would any other 

products and they can avail 

the various payment options 

offered by Amazon. 

TK Arunachalam, Regional 

Director – South Asia, 

Cambridge English 

Language Assessment, 

said, ‘To enable children 

to demonstrate their high 

quality English language 

communication skills, we 

have now made available the Cambridge 

English: Young Learners Exam packages 

on Amazon, which essentially means that a 

parent can buy this package on Amazon, help 

prepare their child for the YLE exam right 

at home, using the preparation material 

and have the child give the exam at our 

authorised exam centres across India. 

Earlier the YL exams were only available 

to select schools in India and now through 

Amazon.in, this is accessible to all the 

children in India and makes it easy for a 

parent to help build their child’s confidence 

and communication skills.’ 

events 

Bharti Foundation invited Ms Ameeta Mulla 

Wattal, Principal, Springdales school, Delhi 

to share her unique insights with principals 

and teachers 

Throught the ‘Learning with Leaders’ 

series, the Foundation invites exceptional 

educationists to share their inspirational 

journey 

Bharti Foundation 

brings the ‘Learning 

with Leaders’ series 

to Ludhiana 

• Through this series, the Foundation invites exceptional educationists to 

share their inspirational journey with teachers and Principals across 

rural India 

• In the Ludhiana series, Ms. Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal, 

Springdales School, Delhi shared her unique insights with Principals 

and teachers under Bharti Foundation’s education initiatives 

• Bharti Foundation facilitated this inspirational series in Satya Bharti 

Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Sherpur Kalan and Sat Paul Mittal 

School, Ludhiana 

On 26th July, Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti 

Enterprises, organised the ‘Learning with Leaders’ series in Ludhiana 

(Punjab). At the event, Ms. Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal, Springdales 

School, Delhi, was invited to address Principals and teachers under the 

Foundation’s various education initiatives. Ms. Wattal first shared her 

motivational insights at Satya Bharti School, Sherpur Kalan village with 

teachers from the school and then addressed visiting Principals from 

schools that fall under the purview of the Foundation’s Quality Support 

Programme in Jammu & Kashmir, at Sat Paul Mittal School in Ludhiana. 

This initiative is part of the Foundation’s efforts to recognise exceptional 

leaders in the field of education. Through the ‘Learning with Leaders’ 

series, Bharti Foundation invites inspirational educationists to share their 

learning and expertise with not only the attending teachers and Principals 

but also with the Bharti Foundation team. 

Ms Ameeta Mulla Wattal is a prolific educator and has been honoured 

with several national and international awards. She is a member of 

eminent boards and steering committees including NCERT, NEUPA, 

CBSE, etc. She is an active contributor to curriculum development 

at the State and National level and is passionate about sharing her 

expertise with educationists. In her lecture, Ms. Wattal elaborated on 

the importance of directing and supporting effective management of 

scholastic as well as co-scholastic aspects of education. In addition to 

promoting students’ performance in academics, she shared the importance 

of imparting life-skills at the school level. She shared, ‘Teachers play the 

role of leaders when they hone the creative and critical thinking skills of 

their students successfully.’ 

Speaking on the occasion Ms. Mamta Saikia, COO, Bharti Foundation 

said, ‘It is an honour and a privilege to welcome the eminent educationist, 

Ms Ameeta Mulla Wattal in our midst. Bharti Foundation is committed 

to transforming students, who are often first-generation learners, into 

employable and responsible citizens; this requires the presence of a 

strong school leadership especially in the rural context. Our education 

programmes are designed to equip teachers and Principals with tools 

to deliver quality education in remote rural regions of the Nation. The 

Leaning with Leaders series provides exposure as well as opportunities for 

cross-learning amongst educationists.’ 


events 

TCS iON launches an Integrated 

Cloud based Solution 

for Educational Institutions 

On 23 May, 2017, Tata Consultancy 

Services (TCS) announced the Japan 

launch of its ‘TCS iON Education 

Solution’, an integrated cloud-based solution for 

academic and vocational institutions. 

TCS iON provides educational institutions an 

end-to-end solution that streamlines operations 

and management across the institution and its 

campuses. The iON Education Solution digitizes processes throughout 

the student lifecycle including admissions, lesson planning, exams, 

evaluations, and community collaboration. It provides a single 

interface for viewing the entire transactional history of a student 

from admission until graduation – from anywhere, any time and on 

any device. 

Cloud-based iON Education Solution is highly flexible and 

economical, comprising a variety of modules that can be combined 

freely or configured with necessary functions. The modules include— 

amongst others—computer based testing (CBT) and a learning 

management system (LMS), and work in coordination to facilitate 

active learning in the classroom and beyond. 

It gives institutes 360-degree institutional excellence by automating 

governance and compliance processes. It ensures faculty excellence 

with continuous learning through professional development. 

Effectively using learning analytics, it contributes to improved 

learning outcomes to ensure student excellence. Further, it provides a 

collaborative platform with industry and research connect to ensure 

academic excellence. 

Masashi Ohno, Sales Industry Leader at Tata Consultancy Services 

Japan, commented that: ‘Japan’s academic sector, most notably 

tertiary institutions, are today experiencing drastic changes, stemming 

from intensifying competition due to the nation’s declining birth rate, 

advancements in IT, and ever expanding managerial requirements. 

Many of these organizations also face the burgeoning costs and labour 

of maintaining independently developed IT systems or extensively 

customized packaged software, which lack the freedom and flexibility 

for timely modernization.’ 

‘iON Education Solution helps solve these problems, thereby enabling 

teachers and clerical staff to focus on their core activities and deliver 

even higher-quality, advanced education,’ Ohno adds. 

Leveraging its wealth of technological expertise built up across 

the globe, TCS aims to deliver truly innovative services that will 

benefit students, teachers, and managers of Japanese educational 

institutions alike. 

Examination Results 

Cambridge International Examinations: 

STEM Subjects Popular among Students 

Sep/Oct 2017 

On 18 May, 2017, 

Cambridge International 

Examinations announced 

the results of its March 2017 exam series in India for Cambridge 

IGCSE and Cambridge International AS & A Level qualifications. 

With more than 34,000 entries, the March 2017 series grew by 29 

per cent on 2016. 

There was a 31 per cent increase in entries for Cambridge IGCSE 

this year, with more than 26,000 entries. Entries for Cambridge 

International AS & A Level increased by 21 per cent on March 2016 

with more than 7,000 entries. 

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects 

continued to see a strong rise in popularity. There was a rise in entries 

for Cambridge IGCSE in Physics, Additional Mathematics and 

Chemistry, and in Physics and Chemistry at Cambridge International 

AS & A Level. Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives and Business 

Studies saw 16 per cent and 29 per cent growth in entries respectively 

whereas Cambridge International AS & A Level Business saw a 24 

per cent growth since 2016. 

Ruchira Ghosh, Regional Director for South Asia, Cambridge 

International Examinations said, ‘Cambridge focuses on a learner’s 

development by supporting teachers to deliver effectively in the 

classroom, so that learners become confident, responsible, reflective, 

innovative and engaged. These attributes are crucial for success in 

today’s changing world. The significant growth of our March exam 

series since its introduction in 2015, in particular for a crosscurricular 

subject like Global Perspectives that cultivates critical 

thinking, research, and collaboration skills is testament to the passion 

for learning shown by Cambridge students across India. I would like 

to congratulate everyone getting their results and thank the teachers 

and parents who guided them to success.’ 

Every year, new subjects are made available in the Cambridge March 

series based on feedback from schools, parents and students. In the 

2017 March series, three new subjects were added at Cambridge 

IGCSE – English as a Second Language, Combined Science, Computer 

Science – and Information Technology was added at Cambridge 

International AS & A Level. This maps the trend towards STEM 

subjects in the March exam series, first introduced in India in 2015 

to ensure Cambridge students can meet local college admission 

deadlines. 


Principal Q&A 

Principal Ashok Singh Guleria 

Principal, Akal Academy Gomti, UP 

Birthday : 03 rd March 

Place of Birth : Nagrota Surian, Kangra, HP 

Hometown : Kangra 

First school as a teacher: 

I started my teaching at 

Government Senior Secondary 

School Barial H.P as Lecturer 

in English. I served there as HOD 

English and got the opportunity 

to serve as Lecturer in English at 

J.D Degree College in my home 

town. Later in the year 2006 I 

came into contact with Kalgidhar 

Education Trust, Baru Sahib 

and was appointed as English 

Language teacher at Akal academy 

Kajri where I served as Chief 

Coordinator and Vice Principal. In 

the year 2016 I got the opportunity 

to serve as Head of Institution at 

Akal Academy Gomti U.P. 

The best thing about being a 

teacher: 


teacher is to lead a team or 

group of learners distinct in their 

learning styles, habits and social 

backgrounds and cater to all 

aspects of their personality, enable 

them to face the challenges of the 

world with confidence. A teacher 

is a role model who develops 

individuals into useful and noble 

citizens. 

How did you feel on the first day 

being a school Principal: 

On the first day being a Principal 

teacher I was very excited and 

optimistic at the prospect of taking 

on this role. Since I was well 

known to the administration of 

the organization, they welcomed 

me whole heartedly. Even my 

previous school head gave me 

her full support. I as team leader 

started focusing on the top 

priorities of our institution as I got 

valuable directions from the school 

management. 


teacher/leader: 

To develop a work culture that 

everyone wants to be part of it is 

the best thing a teacher or team 

leader must pursue. 

Please describe the role you 

feel parents should play in the 

operation of the school: 

Parents are an integral part of the 

school system. Certainly they have 

a major role in school success. 

Nowadays parents are aware 

about their children’s progress and 

achievements. So, they need to be 

involved in and enthusiastic about 

the school and the academics of 

their wards. No school can work 

alone towards shaping the future of 

children. 

First indications that the 

classroom is an effective 

learning place: 

On several occasions I take rounds 

of the school classrooms and see 

the children happily sitting and 

participating in the learning process 

without being aware they are 

being observed. They remain fully 

engrossed in their academic work. 

This is the best indication that real 

learning is going on. 

Your vision of special education: 

Every child has the birth right 

to get education to fulfill his/her 

interests, desires and dreams. Every 

child is part of a community and 

should be given the opportunity to 

participate in the same projects and 

events as every other community 

member, regardless of any physical 

or mental limitation he may have. 

I think that with the help of special 

education we can bring hope and 

provide every child opportunities to 

grow and develop. 

How can you make inclusion a 

reality: 

Across the globe, children in the 

past were excluded from schools 

where they belong because of 

disability, race, language, religion, 

gender, poverty, etc. Contrary to it 

every child has the right to be part 

of an education system common 

to all children. Thus there is need 

to accept and welcome each child 

by schools’ teachers and peers 

alike. Thus inclusive education 

values diversity and the unique 

contribution each student brings to 

the classroom. In a truly inclusive 

setting, every child feels at home 

and has a sense of belonging and 

commitment to do something. 

Your views on e-learning 

platform: 

In recent times 

e-learning 

has gained 

tremendous 

importance as it 

has opened doors to independent, 

flexible, accessible, convenient and 

technology driven teaching–learning 

mechanisms. Online learning 

resources can play a major role in 

removing educational inequalities 

globally and help in global 

integration of learning programmes 

and job markets. Students from 

developing countries and lowincome 

families will be immensely 

benefited with online learning 

programmes. India must embrace 

e-learning and merge it with 

teacher based school learning. 

Best conference/seminar you 

have attended on education: 

I have attended many seminars 

and workshops on teaching skill 

development. The best one was 

a workshop on Uses of Multiple 

Intelligences in Teaching-Learning 

held at our Organization head 

office at Baru Sahib in Himachal 

Pradesh. 

What qualities do you seek in a 

new teacher: 

I have often noticed that new 

teachers feel that they are well 

qualified and need no more 

learning. I think a teacher must 

always take himself to be a 

learner. Learning is fundamental 

to teaching. It has been said that 

‘you teach what you are.’ Teachers 

should be examples of how learning 

works. The best teachers work to 

improve their ability to teach. They 

read and explore the techniques 

used by others in a never-ending 

effort to better themselves and 

their skills. 

Advice that you want to give to 

new teachers: 

I always advise teachers to spend 

each moment and minute of their 

school life in useful workout. They 

must develop work culture among 

themselves. 

I often get worried and irritated 

when I see any teacher sitting idle 

and finding no work to do in his 

free and spare time. 

Your favourite Book : 

I read a lot randomly 

but my favourite 

book is Wings of Fire. 

The book covers the 

life of a renowned 

scientist who rose 

to glory from a very 

humble beginning. 

One of the things that 

stand out throughout 

the book is Kalam’s 

positive thinking. 

The book has several 

references where 

Dr. Abdul Kalam 

describes his journey towards his 

mission. I love to mention these 

lines from the book. 

‘Why be afraid of difficulties, 

sufferings and problems? When 

troubles come, try to understand 

the relevance of your sufferings. 

Adversity always presents 

opportunities for introspection.’ 

What are the key values that a 

school/ institute must instill in 

students? 

Schools are the temples of learning 

and teachers who work there as 

God’s angels. Our institutions firmly 

follow the principles of Guru Nanak 

Dev Ji and his followers. We carry 

forward the philosophy of our great 

Gurus.As Guru Nanak Dev Ji laid 

down the dictum ‘Kirat Kario’, 

means earn an honest living by God 

given skills, abilities, talents, ‘Naam 

Japo’ refers to the meditation, 

vocal recitation of hymns especially 

chanting of the word Waheguru 

means wonderful Lord, ‘Vand 

Chakho’ means share what you 

have and consume it together as a 

community. This could be sharing of 

wealth, foods, things etc. 

Advice you give to your teachers/ 

staff at the beginning of each 

session: 

The beginning of a new session in 

our school is exhilarating and all 

teachers and learners 

seem to be in high 

spirits. I just at the 

outset of the new school 

term set our school staff. 

We together workout on 

our teaching- learning 

goals. We set and fix 

responsibilities and 

prepare the whole 

school infrastructure 

ready to go ahead. We 

organize ourselves and 

get set the school term 

to go. My advice that 

always goes to all is to uphold the 

spirit of dedication and hard work 

till we achieve our goals.

The Progressive Teacher Vol 04 Issue 04

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