The Progressive Teacher Vol 03 Issue 06

Editorial
Jan/Feb, 2017 Vol. 03 No. 06
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Arts in Education
Greetings from The Progressive Teacher
for a happy and fulfilling
New Year.
We have said good bye to the year 2016; let us
learn from the mistakes we made in 2016 and
work to improve ourselves and take ourselves
towards a more enriched life. Let us all
welcome the New Year 2017 with open hearts
and a deeper commitment to our dreams. I
pray to God that may we all live fearlessly and
with grace (though the two are considered
mutually exclusive), may we all be able to
laugh out loudly even though the world
around us is going crazy, may we find the
fortitude that we know lives deep within us,
may we learn to forgive others, and live and
smile without any expectation from others.
Someone has aptly remarked - the purpose
of education is threefold. We are preparing
our children for jobs. We are preparing them
to be citizens of tomorrow. And we are
teaching them to be human beings who can
enjoy the deeper forms of beauty. The third
is as important as the other two. This can be
accomplished through arts in education.
There is a lot of evidence that children
immersed in the arts do better in their
academic tests. The arts can be used as a
learning tool (for example, musical notes to
teach fractions); arts can be incorporated into
other core classes (writing and performing a
play); arts can create a school environment
rich in culture (classical music can be played
in the open areas every day) and hands-on
arts instruction.
A fine arts education in theory and practice
has been a part of a well-rounded curriculum
over the years. But unfortunately this is
changing as there is more and more stress
on academic subjects, viz STEM. Studies
have shown that students who miss out on
art classes also miss out on a key creative
channel, face difficulties in core academic
subjects, have higher dropout rates and have
more disciplinary problems. Arts can be used
to break the monotony of a boring school
day and can be used as a therapy for the
inescapable stress and fatigue of academics.
An arts education creates opportunities for
children to develop
skills for life, open and innovative thinking,
social adaptability, cultural awareness and
inter-personal skills. Studies have reported
that those students with access to an arts
education did better at standardized tests,
improved their social skills and were more
motivated than those with little or no access
to arts education. While researchers admit
that art is not a panacea for all struggling
students, but it is a valuable asset for
teaching students of all ages.
In this issue, which is dedicated to Arts
in Education, Ashok Kumar Singh Guleria
shows us how to Open Doors to Learning
through Arts; Shani K I explores the link
between Art and Schooling; and Mausumi
Dutta goes on to use Art As a Teaching tool
for Autistic Children. Plus we have some very
interesting stories and columns on Teaching-
Learning moments from Kung-Fu Panda by P
Ajitha; Chemistry is Life by Surekha Nayani;
Harleen Kaur exhorts us on Inculcating
Compassion among children & Practicing
Compassionate Motivation in School
Teaching; Mona Shipley talks passionately
about the Power of Sport for Development;
Shelly Wadhwa gives Parenting Tips to help
your child be Independent plus many more.
The Progressive Teacher continued the
series of Teachers’ Conclaves as part of its
commitment to teachers. After the Delhi
Conclave held in August, a Conclave was
held in Lucknow on 19 th November and the
third one in Hyderabad on 10 th December. The
reports of both the Conclaves appear in this
issue. I am sure you will find these interesting
reading.
I would like to invite you to share your best
class-room practices and innovative teaching
methods with the teaching fraternity at
large, through the pages of The Progressive
Teacher. I look forward to your contribution to
The Progressive Teacher.
With best wishes
Rita Wilson
ritawilson@gmail.com
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 two
series of English readers and work-books for school children.
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 3

C O N T E N T
06
Opening Doors to
Learning through Arts
Teaching through arts for learning sake’ is
wonderful but scarcely being done in schools.
Let’s see how Arts amalgamation in teachinglearning
can bring significant development in
the academic as well as holistic growth among
children in our schools.
– Ashok Singh Guleria
18
Inculcating Compassion
among children
& Practicing Compassionate
Motivation in School Teaching
Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without
them, humanity cannot survive –Dalai Lama XIV.
This is not a cliché but a necessity of our times. This is
true religion. Love for others and concern for their dignity
are all we need in this egotistical world.Only then we will
experience unalloyed happiness.
– Dr Harleen Kaur
10
Teaching-learning
moments from
Kung-Fu Panda
While watching the movie Kung-Fu Panda with my 8-year-old son, it
struck me how relevant the movie is in the context of our classrooms.
The connection was instant. Throughout the movie, I stumbled upon
many typical classroom scenarios.Teaching- learning moments abound
in the movie.
–P Ajitha
46
Spirit of teaching unleashed
at The Progressive Teacher
Conclave in Lucknow
The northern chapter of The Progressive Teacher Conclave 2016 was
held in Lucknow on the theme - Making a Difference through School
Education. Organised on November 19, 2016, the content of the
conclave consisted of a keynote address by an eminent educationist,
along with two very interesting panel discussions. Hundreds of
delegates comprising teachers, principals, educationists, school
heads, among others thronged the event.
4 The Progressive Teacher
Jan/Feb 2017

Editorial 03
Arts in Education
Arts 06
Opening Doors to Learning
through Arts
Project Work 08
Adjectives - Learning
through Analytical Reasoning
(Teaching the Concept of
ADJECTIVES)
Teaching 10
Teaching-learning moments
from Kung-Fu Panda
Motivation 11
Motivation
Arts 12
Art, CCA and Schooling
Arts 14
Art As A Teaching Tool
For Autistic Children
Teaching 16
Chemistry is vital and
chemistry is life
Values 18
Inculcating Compassion
among children & Practicing
Compassionate Motivation
in School Teaching
Jan/Feb 2017
Vol 03 I No 06 Jan/Feb 2017
62
Principal Q&A
Principal
Vinita Malik
52
IN THIS ISSUE
Sports 20
Power of Sport
for Development
Planner Pullout 23,42
Classroom Display Pullout 24, 41
Worksheet
Class IV: EVS 25
Force, Work and Simple Machines
Time
Weather, Season and Climate
Our Universe
Worksheet 29
Class V: Mathematics
Lines, Ray and Angle
Plane Figures - 1
Plane Figures - 2
3D Geometry
Worksheet 33
Class VI: Mathematics
Whole Numbers
Playing with Numbers
Integers
Fractions
Worksheet 37
Class VII: Science
Weather, Climate and Adaptation of
Animals to Climate
Winds, Storms and Cyclones
Soil
Respiration in Organisms
Conclave @
Hyderabad
10th December,
2016-NewvSaraswati House
Upbringing 43
Architects of te Future
Poem 44
Smile
Conclave @ Lucknow 46
Spirit of Teaching Unleashed at
The Progressive Teacher Conclave
in Lucknow
Event 50
Exhibition - the joy of learning
Information 50
Launch of Mobile learning Apps
for Cambridge English Exam
Make a movie, win a
Trip to Ausatralia 51
Conclave @ Hyderabad 52
Social Science 55
Social Science to
Sensitise young minds
Fiction Reading for Students 56
Parenting 58
Parenting tips to help
your child be independent
Impression Management 60
Teacher recruitment in schools
Principal Q&A 62
Vinita Malik
2017 International Symposium on Teaching,
Education, and Learning - Winter Session
(ISTEL-Winter 2017)
January 24-26, 2017
Bankok, Thailand
http://ibac-conference.org/istel-winter/
8th ICPPP,2017 (International Conference of Pre-
Primary and Primary Principals)
February 3-5, 2017
World Unity Convention Centre,
CMS Kanpur Road, Lucknow
EdTechReview organizes the 1st National Early Ed
Conference 2017
Feb 3rd, 2017
Hotel Leela Ambience, Gurgaon
http://events.edtechreview.in/early-education/2017/
Higher Education Leaders Asia Forum 2017
28 February- 01st March,2017
Malaysia
http://bit.ly/2e3TBUw
EdTechReview to host 3rd edition of Higher Ed
Conference in 2017
10th March, 2017
Vivanta by Taj, MG Road, Bangalore
http://events.edtechreview.in/higher-education/2017/
ICEPS 2017 4th International Conference on
Education and Psychological Sciences
February 12-14, 2017
Barcelona, Spain
http://www.iceps.org/
The Education Show 2017
March 16-18, 2017
NES, Birmingham, UK
http://www.education-show.com/
ASCD Empower17: The Conference
for Every Educator
March 25-27, 2017
Anaheim, California
http://empower.ascd.org/program.aspx
International Exhibition for Education, Training,
Technology and Supply
4 - 6 April 2017
Exhibition Center Korme
www.worlddidac-astana.org/en
International Exhibition for Education, Training,
Technology and Supply
26 - 28 April 2017
Mexico City World Trade Centre
www.gessmexico.com
Global edLeadership Summit
April 20-22, 2017
Bangkok, Thailand
http://www.gels.asia/
K-12 Ed Leaders Congress
June 8-9, 2017
Expo & Congresses International
Convention Centre, Sydney
http://www.edutech.net.au/k-12leaders.html
ICELW 2017 - The 10th International Conference
on E-Learning in the Workplace
June 14-16, 2017
New York, United States
http://www.icelw.org/
Global MindEd
June 222-23, 2017
Denver, Colorado
http://www.globalminded.org/index.html
www.progressiveteacher.in 5

Arts
– Ashok Singh Guleria
So often while visiting
my school’s classrooms
I engage children into
writing a short poem on the
planets of the universe, write
a letter to any one of their
favourite planet or star, draw a
picture of their darling family
member and write a short
description of it, or collect a
picture of an important tool
they use daily and write its
composition or process, organize
a 10 minute mock market, selling
things or advertize any product
they like most or role play parts
of speech in grammar class or
figure of speech in literature.
They all do wonders and learn
with a smile.
Research Findings:
Recently a group of researchers
at Otago University in
New Zealand after doing a
comprehensive survey and
research on students have stated
that engaging children every
day in creative arts activities
not only helps them to engage
in productive workout but
enhance their academic backup
nevertheless facilitating their
interest in learning.
Arts and Learning:
Our education system as a
whole places more importance
on academic development. As
a result, arts based teachinglearning
practices are being
reduced or even eliminated from
classrooms to accommodate
more didactic teaching methods.
Many Art educators and child
development specialists recognize
that the arts are not a ‘frill’
Opening Doors
to Learning
through Arts
Teaching through arts for learning sake’
is wonderful but scarcely being done in
schools. Let’s see how Arts amalgamation
in teaching-learning can bring significant
development in the academic as well as
holistic growth among children in our
schools.
or enrichment activity, but are
basic to education. Studies and
researches have shown that
teaching and learning using arts
pedagogy can increase student’s
cognitive and social development.
The arts can be a critical link for
students in developing the crucial
thinking skills and motivation
they need to achieve at higher
levels. Child development is a
sequential process as learning
develops from simple to complex
and concrete to abstract.
Integrating Art
into the Classroom
‘I hear and I forget. I see
and I remember. I do and I
understand’. This quote from the
Chinese philosopher and reformer
Confucius has been recognized
by teachers and educationists
since 5th century BC and has
wider implications in teachinglearning
that focuses on learning
by doing than learning by hearing
or listening.
Art is an outstanding tool for
teaching not only developmental
skills, but also academic
subjects such as math, science,
and literacy. The most effective
learning takes place when
children do something related to
the topic they are learning. When
children study any given concept,
they learn it better and retain it
longer if they do an art activity
that reinforces that learning.
In our school, every day I plan
arts activities for our children
that include preparing a ‘school
newspaper’, dramatization of
historical events in classrooms,
organizing mock market,
advertizing a product by children,
composing poems on any subject,
teaching grammar topics
through role play, etc.
Seeding Arts
into Curriculum:
Despite many successful
efforts leading to integration
of curriculum into other core
subjects at schools, embedding
arts into curriculum has often
been deviated from school
curriculum and is treated
secondary to it. Scientific
researches and other studies
have demonstrated that arts
6 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Ashok Singh Guleria teacher of 21 years standing is a post- graduate
in English Literature. He writes on pedagogical issues and children’s
behavioural concerns. Currently, he works as Head of Department
of English, curriculum planner and Academic coordinator cum
Teachers’ Trainer at the Akal Academy Group of Schools run by
Kalghidhar Education Trust, Baru Sahib, at Kajri in Uttar Pradesh. The
author strives to develop and facilitate the building of a robust and
sustainable teaching-learning fraternity embodied with a strong sense
of work culture through which initiative and change can emerge in an
educational institution. He can be reached out at ashok.guleria70@gmail.com
education can enhance students’
maths and language skills and
improve test scores which in
turn increase chances of higher
education and good jobs in the
future. Nowadays, as the need
for academic development is
higher and teaching learning is
more dynamic, therefore, it is of
utmost importance to use arts
liberally.
Arts, in one of its form, can
enhance the learning of a child in
a science subject. For example, in
fourth grade science classroom
on the classification of flower,
integrated visual arts pedagogy
was used. The teaching member
used the close observation of
a flower taking realistic versus
abstract art. Students visualized
and drew realistic drawings
based on the composition of a
flower. Then they made abstract
art based on the scientific
qualities of the flower. When
the students are engaged in
hands-on experiences through
arts and are creating learning,
they are deepening their level of
understanding about a specific
topic.
Learning through Arts
is Comprehensive:
Arts are the mother of all
learning. Learning in arts is
comprehensive in the true sense
of the word. It opens all door
of learning in collaboration
and creativity which is the
hallmark to learning. It is true
that children learn through
different intelligences and
reflection of oneself and one’s
own creations is an essential tool
for growth. Curriculum laced
with arts strikes all domains
of learning: socio-emotional,
physical, cognitive (intellectual),
and communication (language
and literacy). An arts based
curriculum designed to support
children’s learning in a more
specific area such as literacy
or mathematics is a valuable
resource and provides additional
ideas to help children learn in
that domain. It is considered a
supplementary curriculum, while
it complements a programme
selection of a comprehensive
tool that supports children’s
integrated learning
and development.
Arts for Academic
Growth:
Arts as an academic
performance enhancement
tool has been widely accepted
across the education world.
Studies show that there is a
correlation between art and
other achievements. A report
by Americans for the Arts
states that young people who
participate regularly in the arts
(three hours a day on three
days each week through one full
year) are four times more likely
to be recognized for academic
achievement, to participate in a
math and science fair or to win
an award for writing an essay or
poem than children who do not
participate. In my classroom,
I have observed noticeable
academic progress in students
if the teachers use arts inputs
in teaching. Children writing
a story on a given picture,
some academically challenged
children preparing a model on
volcanic eruption, a group of
children preparing for a dramatic
presentation on ‘Villa for Sale’
in class IX, a child collecting
seeds of plants in the school
compound really bring learning
that works wonders.
Before I end this piece, I just
sit and contemplate over the
tremendous power of arts in a
child’s life. Lets us go through
this composition I scribbled
while the class was engaged in a
project on numbers.
Why I Teach them through Arts:
I teach them through arts,
Not only to excel in skills smart,
But raise them up to embrace learning,
In all forms they like to seek earning,
Their goals in their own way.
How the day begins and ends they say,
Embracing the scenes and sights,
Visualizing their growth through arts.
They discover their ways through participation,
Rejoice to see their success in anticipation.
Let every child get his chance,
Through arts.
Surely they will achieve the best in them,
With sweet sounds, sights, music and its rhythm.
Jan/Feb 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 7

project work
Adjectives - Learning
through Analytical Reasoning
(Teaching the Concept of ADJECTIVES)
My journey of teaching the concept - ADJECTIVES began on an uncertain note with fourth
grade students as they were aware of what an adjective means. Adjectives are to be used
carefully and sparingly. The use of too many adjectives results in sloppiness and verbosity.
–Rathna Sindhur
To explain the known
concept it required what
exactly to understand
in the topic and how it is used
further in their learning process.
Anubandha Chatusthayathe
phrase says there are four
integral parts of any lesson to be
planned and delivered.
1. What is the aim of the lesson?
2. Who it is meant for?
3. In what way is the subject
related to the learners?
4. How the learners are
benefited using this
knowledge?
Defining ADJECTIVE - to
define an adjective I started
with ‘Arrangement Problem –
Analytical Reasoning’ classroom
activity and dwelt on the
importance of adjective for my
primary learners.
Adjectives are words used to
qualify nouns. They do so by
describing or indicating or
enumerating what is denoted by
the noun and so may be classified
under three heads:-
1. Descriptive
2. Indicating
3. Numeral or Quantitative
–G.K.Chettur
Introduction of G.K. Chettur’s
way of giving definition of
Adjective and its kinds gave a
different essence to the lesson.
All the activities focused more
on Subject Integration. To
begin with students learnt the
methodology of understanding
the reasoning problems and
designing a road, arranging
buildings according to the
directions given. This unique
activity kindled the exploratory
skills, creative skills and
organizing skills to a great
extent. Content mastery was not
the only priority but motivated
the weaker students as they
saw that there were other
areas in which they could score
well. Activities for Adjectives
resulted in giving a notable and
expected outcome.
Noting the points of the given Problem
Discussing the sequence of the buildings
Presenting the concept learnt
Excellent Work Kids!!!
Rathna Sindhur with
her ambitious aim
inspires young minds
about love of learning
and helps them become
free thinkers. Rathna
currently teaches
English from Class
III-V at Edify School in
Bengaluru. Prior to this
she taught French at
elementary level from
2009-2012 at VIBGYOR
High. Rathna loves to
be working with people
from different trades
and walks of life at
varied levels. As an ISA
coordinator at Edify
School, she balances
concerns of different
groups in order to
reach a common goal.
Academically, Rathna
is an MA in English
from KSOU Mysore
University; she holds
Diploma in Teachers
Training, Cambridge
TTF and Level-A in
French from Alliance
Francaise.
8 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

teaching
–P Ajitha
–Ajitha Paladugu
Teaching-learning
moments from
Kung-Fu Panda
The inimitable Po (Kung-
Fu Panda) grows on
you through the sequels.
This adorable character could
be just any regular student we
teach everyday, who feels out
of place, out of step with the
rest of the peers, underrated,
forced to take up things he has
no real liking for. In the story
the only thing that keeps the
protagonist going, adding a
little magic to his monotonous
and meaningless days is his
obsession with Kung- Fu. He
inhabits an imaginary world,
surrounds himself with miniature
figures of the exponents of the
art form, whom it is his destiny
to lead. Hello teachers! Doesn’t
this sound familiar? Don’t we
encounter such students - ones
who day-dream their way
through a school day, distracted,
pre-occupied, showing no real
inclination to what is required
of them or rather what they are
told to do? Welcome to the world
of Po.
While watching the movie Kung-Fu Panda
with my 8-year-old son, it struck me how
relevant the movie is in the context of our
classrooms. The connection was instant.
Throughout the movie, I stumbled upon
many typical classroom scenarios.Teachinglearning
moments abound in the movie.
Perhaps the most poignant
teaching-learning moment occurs
towards the climax of the first
part when Po’s father in order
to cheer him up and divert him
from his self proclaimed failure
and defeatist state divulges the
most liberating secret to success.
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.
He says, ‘The secret is there is
no secret ingredient. To make
something special, you just have
to believe that it is special’.
This moment of epiphany
which dawns on the protagonist
in the most unexpected of
circumstances and through
the least likely of all teachers
which marks the transformation
of the character from a selfdepreciating,
evasive, awkward
character to a confident,
powerful one, capable of creating
his own destiny is especially
significant. How often we come
across such students suffering
from low self esteem and poor
self image in our classrooms
- battered from all sides,
having never experienced any
winning moments and eternally
entertaining self-defeating
thoughts! Hardly any attempts
are made to make them feel
that they are equally capable,
if not more capable than their
successful peers. School is a
place where a child is made for
10 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

motivatioin
motivation
–Vaneet Kaur
life and teachers, the one who
mould them into the desired
shapes. The teaching-learning
process when carefully designed
to give each child a taste of
success will boost his confidence
and go a long way in helping
him identify his sweet spot and
reach his potential. This positive
learning curve will manifest
only when the child is made
to feel special. The magical
transformation is only a few
successful experiences away.
Faced with unprecedented threat
and danger, the identity crisis
that gnaws at the protagonist
in the third instalment of the
movie series is a very pertinent
one. We can see its parallel
playing out in the classroom.
The key to tackle the issue is so
beautifully echoed in the words
of the teacher, Shifu , when he
tells Po, ‘I don’t want to turn you
into me. I want to turn you into
you.’ Can you imagine what a
learning paradigm this approach
implies! Most often than not, it
is the teacher who, by ignoring
the fact that every child is
unique and different, follows the
one-size-fits-all approach which
undermines the actual capacity
of students. There should be no
ideal to follow, no one sure way
to succeed and definitely no
imposition of my way of doing
things. If only teachers saw
what a child is capable of and
uniquely talented at and use
that knowledge to provide the
right medium to capitalize his
strengths, I am sure every child
will become a winner.
Another striking parallel in the
movie is the relationship between
the teacher and the taught -
Shifu and Po. The character of
Shifu is portrayed with a good
share of flaws like in real life.
He has his favourites among
his students through whom he
wants to achieve greatness.
He, too, is not without doubts
and errs in discerning the true
potential of his wards. He takes
up the task of training Po rather
unwillingly as he had not chosen
to teach him but was rather
thrust upon him. Finally, when
he comes to terms with the
inevitable situation where he
has to accept Po as his student
Jan/Feb 2017
and teach him everything he
knows, he does his job with
utmost sincerity and unequivocal
faith. Using innovative teaching
techniques and customized
learning solutions with rewards
and incentives to motivate his
pupil, Shifu successfully effects
a dramatic transformation in
Po. Here Shifu symbolizes the
predicament of an average
teacher - one who has no choice
in selecting the students he/she
teachers and is often required
to teach students who are
considered ‘unfit material’. But
after mentally accepting the
inevitable situation of having
to teach such students, if the
teacher makes concerted efforts
to initiate the students on the
journey of self- discovery and
keeps them motivated and
pushes them to overcome the
self-imposed limitations and
shatter the labels given to them
(often by the well-meaning
teachers themselves), one would
be amazed to see many such
Pos emerging out of their shells
and surprise everybody by their
never- before- seen persona.
Another reality the movie reflects
is how very often the student
becomes greater than the master
seen through Po’s mastery of
not only the martial art form
but the science of attaining inner
peace at will. History is replete
with such examples where great
masters had greater pupils who
went on to become luminaries
and guiding beacons to illumine
the path for others seekers. This
captures the essential purpose of
a teacher - to initiate the student
on the path of self-discovery
and guide him through periods
of self-doubt, reluctance to
explore or go the extra mile and
by doing so make him realize
his true potential. And when
the student reaches the selfactualized
stage, the teacher
can have the satisfaction of
being instrumental in leading the
student to his destiny and thus
fulfilling one’s role in the larger
scheme of things.
The best part is all this
enlightenment and insights
through a movie! I guess it is
true what they say about the
medium becoming the message.
‘Failure gives you the reason and motivation
for success. People who succeed don’t just
succeed but they have reasons why they
should succeed.’
Often we hear from our parents,teachers,relatives and elders that
‘Study hard!!,this is the only time to score marks’
‘Look at that student (often one of your relative’s child),
she/he is so intelligent!’ ‘What will you do in life if you do not get
good result’?
Look at your brother/sister,learn something from him/her. And so on…
And a student’s reaction to all of this is – Why compare your child
to someone else?There
may be infinite reasons
for unsatisfactory
performance of the child.
This is just not an
appropriate approach to
encourage or motivate a
child to study.Students
need a reason or reasons for acting or behaving in a particular way.
This is called Motivation.If a student is motivated in proper legitimate
and effective way,then the results could be prodigious and incredible.
Below are some useful ways to motivate a child to study and
perform well:
• Show keenness in your child’s interest
• Help your child to explore
and research to select
a subject as per his/her
interest.
• Provide the child with new
and latest types of learning
methods.
• Do not teach the child in
traditional chalk and board
method.
• Celebrate the child’s
triumph, be it big or small
• Introduce rewards every
time your child does
something good.
• Let your child/student
participate in class.
• Do not make fun of the
child,even if he gives an
incorrect answer.
• Communicate and interact
with your child.
• It is very important to help
the child set his/her goals
• Create a friendly and good
enough environment for
the child.
Ms Vaneet Kaur
is working in G
D Goenka Public
School,Greater
Noida, where she
teaches Business
studies and
Entrepreneurship
to the senior
classes. She has
B Com (Hons)
and M Com degrees from the Delhi
University, and has also done B
Ed and M Phil. Currently she is
pursuing Ph d in Commerce and
Management. She has won many
prizes – foremost among them is the
first prize in Inter School Teachers’
Quiz Contest and an award from
the former HRD Minister, Smt.Smriti
Irani, for excellent class results in
Business Studies. She has written
many articles for students about
how to score good marks and how
to prepare for board examinations.
• Always promote and use language of appreciation, encouragement
and motivation.
• Try to emphasise learning at home.
• Let the child experiment, learn through trial and error and then come
to a solution- this will help the child to retain the concept for long.
• Get involved with the child.
• Foster and stimulate curiosity in the child.
• Give prompt and immediate praise to the child.
• Take the child for a field visit related to subject or topic to help
him understand the concept in a better way.
www.progressiveteacher.in 11

Arts
– Shani K I
A
Chinese proverb very aptly states, ‘Tell
me, and I forget, teach me and I
may remember, involve me and I
learn.’ The most important goal of education
is to prepare children for life as adults and
to impart knowledge, skills, qualities and
attitudes which make them self-supportive
individuals and productive citizens. Today
many schools encourage activities not falling
within the regular school programmes termed
as co-curricular activities or extracurricular
activities. These CCA activities include
various activities like arts, sports, games
etc. Some happen before school, some after
school and a few may even take place on the
weekends. They are the fun factors of a well
rounded education system.
An effective education system which
connects arts and CCA helps students to see
what they look at, listen to what they hear,
and feel what they touch. One can trace the
concept of Co-curricular Activity to our
ancient literatures. Ancient scriptures of
India like Vedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata,
Ramayana, all inform us about gurukulas and
ashram systems. Co-curricular activities like
cleaning the ashram, collecting wood, milking
the cows, wrestling, archery, dyeing clothes,
cooking, singing, playing, warfare activities,
etc. were quite common.
Cocurricular Activity plays a vital role in
shaping the life of a person, especially the
students.
Co-curricular activities help in the
development of the mind and personality. For
the all-round development of the personality,
intellectual, emotional, social, moral
and aesthetic growth is of utmost
importance. This growth takes place
if curricula are supplemented
with co-curricular activities.
All round development
essentially means
intellectual, physical,
moral, sensory
and social
development. To
fulfill this objective of all round
development, there is a prime need
of striking a balance between
syllabus, curriculum, and also
cocurricular activities. A co-curricular
activity essentially takes place outside a
typical pen and paper classroom experience.
It gives the students an opportunity to
develop particular skills and exhibit their
non-academic abilities. Co curricular
activities render a number of values like:
1. Educational value
2. Psychological Values
3. Development of Social Values
4. Development of Civic Values
5. Physical Development Values
6. Recreational Values
7. Cultural Values, etc.
Engagement in the arts helps students to
stretch their minds beyond the boundaries
of the printed text or the rules. The arts
free the mind from rigid certainty. Art helps
to develop tolerance for coping with the
uncertainties present in the everyday affairs
of human existence.
Art, CCA and
Schooling
‘Our education has got to be revolutionized. The brain must
be educated through the hand. If I were a poet, I would
write poetry on the possibilities of five fingers. Those who
do not train their hands, who go through the ordinary rut of
education, lack MUSIC in their life.’
-Mahatma Gandhi
Why are Arts and CCA
necessary in school?
Students need to be thinkers, problem-solvers,
demonstrate creativity, and work as
members of a team. We need to
offer more in-depth learning
about the things that matter
the most: order, integrity,
thinking skills, truth,
flexibility, fairness,
dignity, justice,
creativity and
cooperation. The arts provide all of these.
Arts also provide learners with non-academic
benefits such as promoting self-esteem,
motivation, aesthetic awareness, cultural
exposure, creativity, improved emotional
expression, as well as social harmony and
appreciation of diversity. The importance of
arts in schooling is:
• Classroom lesson strengthens when some
co-curricular activity is performed.
• Develop co-ordination, adjustment, etc
among children.
• Provide life enriching experiences.
• Develop habits of constructive
competition, improve skill and
competence.
• Bring pleasant changes and
develop joyful experiences.
• Make one a responsible
member of family and society.
• Develop the capacity
of organizing events and
enable managerial and
leadership activities.
• Develop the ability of
decision making.
• Develop the sense of
belongingness.
Every child is born with
artistic sensibilities. A
student who grows up
with an artistic sensibility
looks at the world from a
different perspective. This
sensitivity actually moulds
his behavior, his interpersonal
communication and his actions.
Artistic sensibilities are to be
nourished and encouraged at home, at
school and ultimately, the society has to do
its bit. A balanced society not only requires
a good number of engineers, doctors and
Shani K I, M Com & B Ed, is presently working as Academic
Coordinator at the IDC English Higher Secondary School,
Thrissur in Kerala. He 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’.
12 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

teachers but also artists, writers, actors,
poets, etc.
Role of Arts and Co curricular
Activities in schooling
1. Creativity. Art can help students generate
creative ideas. The arts allow students to
express themselves. These activities give them
a better insight and let them choose what
they enjoy and what they wish to learn and
stimulate playing, painting, acting, dancing,
singing and speaking skills in students.
2. Motor Skills. Simple things like holding a
pen, crayon, pencil, paintbrush and scribbling
with a crayon are an important element to
developing a child’s fine motor skills. Arts
help to improve the motor skills of a child
and also lead to accurate movements in
various activities.
3. Strengthen self Confidence. Getting
on a stage and singing gives children
a chance to step outside their comfort
zone. As they improve and see their own
progress, their self-confidence grows. The
goal of co-curricular activities is to give
fitness to students and inculcate a sense of
sportsmanship, competitive spirit, leadership,
cooperation and team spirit.
4. Visual Learning. Children need to know
more about the world than just what they can
learn through books. Art education teaches
students how to interpret, critically evaluate,
use visual information, and how to make
decisions based on it.
5. Decision Making. The arts strengthen
problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Learning how to make choices and decisions
will certainly carry over into their education
and other parts of their future life.
6. Focus. Focusing is vital for the perfection
of an activity. Engaging with arts will develop a
culture of focusing in studying and learning in
class as well as doing a good job later in life.
7. Collaboration. Many of the arts and co
curricular activities require students to work
together. They must share responsibility and
work together to achieve their common goal.
They become aware and learn that their
contribution to the group is integral to its
success. They learn that they are accountable
for their contribution to the group. Thus,
students connect with each other better.
Jan/Feb 2017
8. Improved Academic Performance.
Their academic performance will improve
and they learn to balance their co-curricular
activities with their academics. They also better
understand how to manage their time efficiently.
9. Overall Personality. It helps to enhance
the all-round personality of the students to
strongly face the difficult road of future life.
Students who participate in these activities
show higher academic results, stronger
relationships in schools and are more likely to
lead a healthy and active lifestyle.
Picasso once famously asserted ‘Every child
is an artist .The problem is how to remain an
artist once we grow up’. A creatively inclined
student has a positive bent of mind and aesthetic
approaches in every work he or she does.
Above all, such a student gradually develops
a balanced approach towards life. There’s
no doubt that the arts are fun for students.
The arts also help children develop on many
fundamental levels of their personal life. In
short, art and co-curricular activities play
a vital role in the 21st century education.
Teachers and schools have to create an
environment where creativity is generated.
Teachers have to use of 21st century
skills in imparting education in visual and
performing arts and make classes more
lively and dynamic.
www.progressiveteacher.in 13

arts
Art As A
Teaching Tool
For Autistic
Children
–Mausumi Dutta
Autistic children are
usually visual learners.
They understand pictures
better than verbal instruction.
So, it is advisable for educators
to avoid giving long strings of
verbal instructions while teaching
a child with Autistic Spectrum
Disorder (ASD). The use of art as
a teaching tool can be a great and
effective way in developing the
learning process of an ASD child.
Many children with autism are
good at drawing. These talent
areas should be encouraged by
parents, educators and therapists.
Art gives them a degree of
control over their learning. An
ASD child when shown a picture
and taught prepositions (in,
on, under, in front of etc.), may
become bored. However, if the
same child is asked to draw ‘A
rat sits on a mat’ or ‘The ball is
under a table’, he finds it more
interesting and achieves much
more control over his learning
experience.
Although many autistic children
are good at numbers, they usually
find it difficult to solve story
sums or word problems. They
face issues in understanding the
language of the problem. So for
better results, break down the
whole sums into parts and help
the child ‘translate’ the language
into pictures. Drawing a picture
of the problem facilitates
understanding the problem.
‘What is the problem actually
asking?’ This can be an effective
way of teaching story sums to an
ASD child.
Many autistic children have
problems with their fine
motor skills. Art activities like
colouring pictures with crayons
can bring about improvement.
The educator can ask a child to
‘colour the big ball or colour a
small balloon’ while teaching the
basic functional concepts. In this
way, he can not only help a child
to learn concepts but also hone
his motor skills.
Children with ASD struggle with
focus and attention, and that
affects their learning process.
So, incorporating close-ended
activities like art and drawing
assignments which require
more focus and concentration
Autism is a complex developmental disorder
that manifests in children by the age of
three. The incidence of autism is on the rise.
But the exact cause of it is not known.
Experts believe that it occurs due to
neurological impairment that has
an effect on normal brain function
and causes significant social,
communication, and behavioural
challenges. Autistic children
process information in their brain
differently than other people. Hence, teaching
these children needs different strategies.
in teaching methods would be
a better idea for their effective
learning.
An autistic child, who is nonverbal
and cannot communicate,
gets angry and frustrated when
unable to open up his feelings
and choices. Art can be
used as a medium to
express his emotions,
interest or choice.
Communicating a
simple choice of ‘No’ and
‘Yes’ can be encouraged
by drawing ‘X’ or ‘√’.The
more the child is able to
express his thoughts in
colours, the better the
Mausumi Dutta is currently
associated with an intervention
therapy clinic in Delhi for special
needs children. She is also associated
with a Bangalore-based online
counselling start-up where she gives
her expert advice and guidance to
students and parents. She has more
than six years of hands-on experience
in handling children and adolescentrelated
issues as well as parent counselling. Her interest
area is educational psychology. She deals with children
having academic and behavioural issues. She is also an
avid blogger.
An M.Tech in Computer Science, Mausumi did her
Certification in Child Guidance course – and Masters in
Psychology later on. She worked as a software engineer
at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) for a couple of years
before changing her career to a completely different field.
Her desire to help young people, especially children,
motivated her to change her career. She can be reached at
mausumidutta@gmail.com.
teacher understands him. It is of
enormous benefit when it comes
to teaching an ASD child.
Teaching through creative
methods is highly recommended
for providing a highly interesting
and unparalleled level of
communication and engagement
with autistic children.
Educators, therapists and
parents should also encourage
the talents of ASD children
which often go unnoticed and
not utilised properly. ASD
children are not unskilled but
there is a need to guide and
help them in recognising and
highlighting their talent so
that it can be converted into
skills. Art as a teaching tool
undoubtedly helps struggling
learners and allows them to
experience happy learning.
14 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

teaching
Chemistry is vital and chemistry is life
– Surekha Nayani
Chemistry has grown as a discipline
during the last 250 years. In chemistry,
there is a huge body of theories, facts,
knowledge and applications already worked
out. Thousands of new compounds are made
annually and lakhs of entries are reported
in chemical literature every year. The vast
number of products of chemistry is not only
seen in pharmacy but in every aspect of
our daily life. The products of the study of
chemistry are inseparable from our lives and
the things which we use from the start of the
day till the end involve chemistry.
The following story attempts to show the
importance of chemistry in our everyday life.
Risheeta Madireddi is a student of class X.
She is called Rishi by her parents and friends.
Rishi is an active, smart and multitalented
girl. On her birthday, she woke up early at
5.30am to get ready for school. She quickly
wore her slippers to rush to the restroom
(Slippers are made of materials like rubber,
velvet, cotton, wool, elastic or leather with
some design on it. These materials are
insulators, durable and light in weight. They
are made of long chain of polymers which
are resistant to heat and current; they can
be natural or synthetic products). She picked
up her tooth brush and applied paste on it to
brush her teeth for good oral hygiene (tooth
brush handles are made of plastic, containing
long chain of polymers and bristles are made
of synthetic fibres such as nylon. Both the
products are light, durable and do not absorb
water. The recently produced electric tooth
brushes contain tiny rechargeable batteries
and an electric surface board. Tooth pastes
are made of mild bases, so that
the medium in the mouth
becomes basic which
can neutralise the acids
released by the bacteria.
These bacteria grow due
Chemistry is the study of
‘the knowledge of the natural
world’. The separation of the
natural sciences into physics
and chemistry divides a
larger body of knowledge
into more manageable
branches. But the concepts,
techniques and applications
of the various sciences
are interdependent. Most
students wish to pursue the
principles and applications of
chemistry as a foundation for
their specialty.
to food left over between the teeth. Hence,
it is good to brush morning and night before
going to bed to protect our teeth from decay.
A variety of toothpastes are available in the
market for anti-cavity, extra whitening, etc.
with varied compositions - basic abrasives
to scour off bacteria films, fluorides to
harden teeth against decay, strong flavour
to hide bad odour are some of the varieties
in toothpastes). She switched on the geyser
to have a hot water bath (electric switches
are made of bakelite plastic, which is
thermosetting plastic (insulator) and can
be moulded only once. Bakelite is made by
mixing phenol and formaldehyde and heated
strongly. It is widely used in preparing
switches, handles of cookers, body of phones,
etc due to its toughness and insulation
property). Coils of geysers
are made of alloys (mixture
of metals or metals and
nonmetals) but not pure
metals as they require
current and not melt or
get burnt when excess current flows due
to their high resistance compared to pure
metals. The function of a water heater is to
convert electric energy to heat with the help
of coils. The thermostat present inside the
geyser controls the temperature of water and
does not allow the temperature of water to
rise more than a certain level).
Rishi uses soap and shampoo to clean her
body (soaps are sodium salts of higher fatty
acids, which are manufactured by mixing
sodium hydroxide – NaOH- with oils like
sandal wood or rose or milk cream, etc and
also ethanol and some common salt - NaCl).
Detergents and shampoos also have similar
composition but stronger than body soaps.
Detergents are made of strong synthetic
petroleum products like salts of benzene
sulphonic acids. The soap molecules contain
an ionic part to remove water soluble dirt
from the body and an organic (hydrophobic)
end to remove oil dirt from the body.
Rishi wears her white school uniform made
of polycot fabric (mixture of polyester and
cotton) and stockings with shoes.(Different
variety of fabrics are used in manufacturing
uniforms like cotton mixed with polyester,
terry cotton, polyester viscose, etc. These
are mostly mixture of natural and synthetic
fibres, having features like anti-pilling,
shrinkage control, colour fastness, stain
resistant finish, durability, etc. Stockings are
made of nylon, a synthetic fabric made from
petroleum products. Nylon is light weight,
has incredible tensile strength, durable and
takes dye easily. Nylon is widely used to
manufacture stockings, bags, ropes, dress
materials, etc. Nylon has many varieties,
Nylon6, is made by the condensation and
polymerisation of two materials Adipic acid
and Hexa methylene diamine. Shoes are
made from a combination of materials. The
sole has 3 layers - insole is made of a thin
layer of synthetic ethylene vinyl acetate; mid
sole is for cushioning made of polyurethane
and outer sole is made of carbon rubber and
these may differ from company to company.
16 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

The rest of the covering is made of leather or
nylon overlay with laces made of cloth.)
Rishi’s mother and father, Radhika and
Ravi wish her a happy birthday and they
have breakfast together. Radhika serves
Rishi with bread, fruit jam and warm milk
(milk obtained from the cattle is cooled to 7
degree celsius within two hours of milking.
The collected milk is tested for antibiotics
before taking it to the processing plant. If
no evidence of antibiotics is seen, the milk
is subjected to pasteurisation - heating milk
to a temperature of 60 degree celsius and
cooling to kill the germs). It is then sold as
whole milk. If cheese is removed from the
milk by centrifugation, the milk is then sold
as toned milk. Various milk and milk products
sold in the market involve many chemical
processes. The preparation of bread involves
mixing of wheat flour, salt, water and yeast.
The mixture is kneaded into a soft mass, cut
in to required shapes and heated strongly.
The yeast present in the dough releases
carbon dioxide gas and makes the bread
spongy or fluffy. Jams or jellies are prepared
from fruit. Fruits are cut, boiled and filtered
and the thick syrup is added with sugar or
pectin and boiled again. Vinegar or vitamin
C is added as a preservative. These processes
result in plasmolysis of cells of fruit and the
preservatives added prevent spoiling of food.
Rishi carries her school bag (made of
nylon), with lunch box, water bottle (made
of polythene) and rushes to board the
school bus. (Polythene or polyethylene is an
important plastic, manufactured in different
forms to pack foods like milk, cold drinks
and water and has many more uses like
manufacture of boxes, toys, pipes, furniture,
etc. Plastic has become inseparable from our
lives due to its many advantages but the great
disadvantage of it is its non biodegradable
nature. Polythene is produced in three main
forms - low density (LDPE), linear low
density (LCDPE) and high density (HDPE).
LDPE or LLDPE is preferred for film
packaging, for electrical insulation, buckets,
food boxes, squeezable bottles, etc. HDPE
is used to make containers for industries,
pipes, etc.). Though Rishi’s father and mother
have a car each, Rishi uses the school bus, to
save fuel and also reduce pollution (school
buses are generally painted yellow, as it
gets your attention faster than any other
colour. Compared to any other colour, lateral
peripheral vision for detecting yellow is
1 to 24 times greater than for red. Diesel
is used as fuel in heavy vehicles like buses,
trucks, etc. Diesel is composed of about 75%
saturated hydrocarbons and 25% aromatic
Jan/Feb 2017
Cyclodecane is a
cycloalkane with
the chemical
formula C 10
H 20
hydrocarbons. The chemical formula of
diesel ranges from C 10
H 20
to C 15
H 28
. It is
manufactured by the fractional distillation
of crude oil. Compared to petrol, diesel gives
higher power (1.5 litres) and is less volatile
than petrol but diesel gives more carbon
dioxide emission.
Rishi reaches her school and attends school
assembly. She donates a plant to the school
and plants it in the school garden as it was
her birthday and later distributes chocolates
to her class-mates (chocolate is the product
of a long complicated refining process and is
obtained from bean pods of the ‘the obroma
cacao’ tree, which means ‘food of the gods’.
These trees grow in temperatures within
20 degrees celsius. Chocolate preparation
begins with the harvest of the cacao pods.
The pods are split to separate beans and
pulp and allowed to ferment for 2 to 8 days.
After fermentation, the beans are spread to
dry and packed to prepare chocolates. In
factories, beans are roasted and transferred
to a winnower to separate shells and nibs
of beans. These nibs are ground to a thick
rich paste called chocolate liquor which is
foundation for all chocolate products).
Rishi gets busy with her classes reading
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
teaching-learning 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.
books and writing notes (paper is made
from a variety of materials like wood
pulp, rice, cotton, old clothes, etc. Today
paper mainly comes from wood logs
and recycled paper products. Much of
the paper we use is a blend of new and
recycled fibre. Ink is a liquid or paste
that contains dyes and is used to colour
a surface to write text or design. Ink
was first used by Egyptians around
4000 years ago and ink is widely used
every day by students, teachers, writers,
etc. Many varieties are available in
the market. The basic dye material is
obtained from plants or animals or minerals
like graphite.)
Rishi completes all her classes and the last
class is sports period. She takes a basket ball
to play with her friends in the play ground.
(Basket ball is made of composite leather,
a synthetic material designed to withstand
slam dunks and have good grip. Leather and
rubber balls are also made which are more
durable .Beneath the surface, basket ball has
a grid work of nylon and butyl material which
help the ball stand up to hours of double
dribbles.)
Rishi reaches home, completes her home
work quickly and gets ready for the birthday
party. All her friends reach on time and she
blows the candles and cuts the cake. Rishi’s
parents serve snacks and soft drinks to all the
guests (the chemistry of cake involves mixing
of flour, eggs, sugar, butter and baking powder.
The mixture is heated strongly at appropriate
temperature and time. Flour provides the
structure, eggs bind the ingredients, butter
tenderizes, sugar sweetens and baking powder
(a mixture of baking soda and tartaric acid)
reacts on heating to release carbon dioxide
and gives sponginess to the cake. Candles
-manufacture of candles involves 3 steps
-making the wick, the cotton or linen wicks
are braided and treated with chemicals so
that they bend at 90 degree angle while
burning. Wax is obtained from paraffin wax
(product of fractional distillation of crude
oil) is heated and melted, filtered and added
with dyes or perfumes. Finally, moulding of
the candle involves pouring molten wax in
to desired shape trays and wick is passed
through the material and cooled).
Rishi is happy with her parents and friends at
the birthday party. When all her friends leave,
she feels tired and says good night to Mom and
Dad. She goes to her room and switches off the
tube light to sleep.(Tube lights consist of a long
glass gas discharge tube and the inner surface is
coated with phosphorus; the tube is filled with
an inert gas like argon. The tube is sealed at low
pressure with two filament electrodes at both
ends. The current supplied heats the electrodes
and gas, which emits light)
Rishi goes into deep sleep with sweet
dreams, which too involve some bio-chemical
processes happening inside the body. All
the life processes like respiration, digestion,
excretion, etc involve bio-chemical reactions.
Thus, all the objects we see around us, all
the living organisms (plants and animals) we
observe, are the products of chemistry and
only chemistry.
(An attempt has been made to know the
chemistry behind a few things in our daily
lives in the form of a story)
www.progressiveteacher.in 17

values
– Dr Harleen Kaur
When we are motivated
by these things the
results of our actions
benefit everyone and we are able
to condone inconsiderate actions
of the past and constructively
solve the problems of the present.
I think the greatest degree of
inner tranquility comes from the
practice of love, empathy and
compassion which ultimately
puts you at ease and brings
equanimity in you. Now the
question arises how do we get
equanimity? Simple - by having
an open mind. The mind that you
carry right now is a collection,
an accumulation. If you leave it
behind and walk away, then you
are in your original mind and
love, compassion and empathy is
well, within you. I believe that:
Work is an expression of who
you are, so who you are needs
to be worked at.
As a teacher, I follow and keep
advising the staff also to follow
Compassionate Motivation
which means, as a teacher
we motivate our students to
do well in studies. But if we
are compassionate towards
our students, if we really feel
from within that the child is
not doing well in academics
he/she will suffer, then we can
communicate better with them,
the inner strength will help us
spontaneously connect within
them. So in short Compassionate
Motivation means if I feel for the
student, I will be able to motivate
him/her better. As I think:
Every child is special in his
own way and the best brains
may be found on the last
benches of the classroom
– A P J Abdul Kalam.
As a teacher, the cultivation of
compassion is an important part
of my daily teaching practice.
One aspect of my work involves
merely sitting quietly in my office
room. That can be very good and
very comfortable, but the true
Inculcating Compassion
among children
& Practicing Compassionate Motivation in School Teaching
Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them,
humanity cannot survive –Dalai Lama XIV.
This is not a cliché but a necessity of our times. This is true religion.
Love for others and concern for their dignity are all we need in this
egotistical world. Only then we will experience unalloyed happiness.
aim of cultivation of compassion
is to develop the courage to think
about others and to do something
for them. For example, as a
teacher and an administrator, I
have a responsibility towards all
the parents, who trusted me and
handed over their bundle of joy
to us so that we can carve them
into gems. This responsibility
means that I have to confront
and deal with many problems.
Dr Harleen Kaur is the Founder Vice Principal at Solitaire International
School, an upcoming day-boarding luxury school at Panchkula. She has
done her Ph.D in Medical Biotechnology from Punjabi University, Patiala
and did her research work at ICMR(Belgaum) and AFMC(Pune). She
and her team at ICMR were first to submit a gene sequence of PVL gene
from Staphylococcus aureus in NCBI gene Bank, Geneva from India. She
has also various published papers in national and international journals.
She has 13 years of experience in teaching Biology and Biotechnology
at senior secondary level. She has been appointed External Examiner
and Paper Setter Evaluator for Biology and Biotechnology for XII standard by C.B.S.E
board. She also has the credit of setting Biotechnology labs at Guru Harkrishan Public
School (Vasant Vihar, Delhi) and Army Public School (Pune). She has also been awarded
appreciation letter by Army Welfare Education Society for her dedication towards the
excellent class XII board results.
Imbibing compassion into
children is no small feature
these days in school teaching.
Because of the egocentrism of
children’s early years combined
with the increasingly prevalent
messages of selfishness and
indifference that popular culture
communicates to them, children
are not likely to readily learn
compassion on their own. This
means that we as teachers
have to make an extra effort to
instill this essential value in our
children’s lives.
Children’s ability to care about
others must be nurtured in early
years of schooling and woven
into the very fabric of their
life. The wonderful thing about
compassion is that there are so
many conduits through which we
18 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

can communicate its messages
that can impact the children.
When we immerse our children in
a sea of messages of compassion,
they are all but assured of
getting the messages loud and
clear.
As a teacher we send the most
powerful messages about
compassion to our children
by living and expressing those
messages in our own life. If we
lead a compassionate life, our
children will get this message
frequently and consistently, and
will likely internalize it in their
own lives.
I would also like to advise
parents to help children in being
compassionate. Expressions
of compassion in your life are
communicated to your children
in several ways, both obvious and
subtle. Your children, particularly
when they’re young, will most
notice the larger compassionate
acts you engage in, for example,
volunteering your time for a
worthy cause. As your children
get older and begin to grasp
the subtleties of compassion,
they will also see the smaller
expressions of compassion you
make, such as comforting them
when they scrape their knee or
compassion in your family, for
example, being kind to their
siblings. You can also highlight
ways they can show compassion
toward their community and the
world at large such as donating
old clothes to charity or people
who suffered due to a natural
calamity.
You can make compassionate
activities family affairs in
which all of you participate, for
example, helping a blind man to
cross the road or fostering an
abandoned pet. You can then talk
about the experiences over dinner
to share stories and to share
the feelings that the experience
evoked.
Compassion is such a wonderful
attribute because it is the
wellspring of so many other
special qualities, for example,
kindness, love, and generosity,
that not only help your children
become just a decent person, but
will also serve them well in so
many aspects of their lives.
Compassionate children
are gentle, considerate, and
sympathetic. They are responsive
to others’ needs, helpful,
and motivated to do well.
Compassionate children are also
generous and willing to give of
assuming dinner duties when
your spouse is stressed out
from work. Even smaller acts of
compassion for example, being
kind to the house maid, offer
your children more subtle lessons
about the depth and breadth of
living a compassionate life.
As your children mature, you can
begin to talk to them directly
about compassion. This conduit
enables them to develop an
intellectual understanding of
what compassion is and the role
it can play in their lives. You can
explain what compassion is and
why it is important to them, your
family, and the world. The way to
really reinforce this message is
to offer your children examples
of compassion. Point out ways in
which your children can express
themselves to others. Children
who express compassion are
loved, valued, and respected
and, when they grow up, become
extraordinary friends, coworkers,
spouses, and parents.
What makes compassion so
wonderful for children is that
its expression is a win-win for
those involved. The giver feels
the satisfaction of giving and the
receiver expresses appreciation
and will likely reciprocate in
some way with that person and
others. In the end I would like to
ask each one of you:
Our heart is like a garden
It can grow love, compassion,
fear, anger, resentment
So, what seeds do you want to
plant there?
Jan/Feb 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 19

sports
Power of Sport
for Development
(This article is in a series of articles on Power of Sport and Play wherein we will highlight how sport contributes
to human, social and educational development. It is in continuation with the article on Power of Physical
Education and School Sport in the September/October 2016 issue of The Progressive Teacher. In this issue
we will focus on Power of Sport for human and social development.)
–Mona Shipley
It is critical that engagement
or interest in any sport or
physical activity be inculcated
from an early age to develop
respect and understanding
for lifelong engagement in
professional or recreational
activities. Hence, schools and
especially teachers play an
important role. These articles
intend to raise the awareness
levels of school teachers to be
able to engage every child in play
and make play matter for them.
The Power of Play makes a
compelling case for further
participation in Sport for all
age groups and abilities in India.
Entire community efforts are
required for successful sport
for development programmes.
Success will stand or fall on the
combined effort of the individual,
community participation,
government, private sector, nonprofit
organizations, media and
sometimes international agencies
Sport for Development
The opportunity to participate
in and enjoy sport and play is a
human right as per the Charter
for Physical Education and
Sport adopted by UNESCO in
1978. Sport and Play is a key
tool for development cutting
across all human and social
barriers. Engagement, learning
and development through sport
are 100 percent guaranteed
irrespective of age, gender,
culture and ability.
The benefits of sport are many
- from physical and mental
health to development of team
work and leadership abilities
to building of confidence. On a
larger scale sport can help with
social inclusion and harmony and
can promote equal opportunities
for women and for people with
disabilities. Paralympics are a
case in point.
More than six hundred million
people tuned in to watch FIFA’s
World Cup Final. This amazing
figure is one of the many
statistics that demonstrate
how sports captivate our lives.
Across the world, athletic
competition activates a
collective spirit that enhances
community participation
among children, adolescents
and adults. Attracting youth
participation and development
through a powerful tool such as
‘sports’ should be a paramount
investment to be made in the
years to come by public/private
sector and communities.
Benefits of sport and play are
huge and hence sport has been
linked to the The Millennium
Mona Shipley is a Social entrepreneur, Change maker and Sport for
Development expert with over 18 years of progressive experience in
education sector. Formerly at the British Council for over 15 years she
has expertise in Business Development with Private/ public sector
and strategic engagement with Ministries and Policy heads in India
and UK. She has headed various transformative, bilateral programmes
leading to reforms within the schools, higher education and vocational
education sectors. Physical Education Cards, PEC and Connecting Classrooms are some
of the key innovative programmes meeting global standards she led on with a buy-in from
MHRD and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sport. Other key organisations she worked with
closely are UNICEF, UNESCO, DFID, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), London
Olympics Organising Committee (LOCOG) Youth Sport Trust, UK Sport, Special Olympics,
National College of School Leadership UK, School Standards Inspectorate bodies OFSTEAD
and Qualifications and Curriculum Authority QCA , UK. She has represented India and the
British Council as a speaker on various National and International forums. Is an Aspen
institute of Leadership Scholar - awarded to leading thinkers, innovators contributing to
their country’s development.
20 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Development Goals (MDGs).
These are the world’s timebound
and quantified targets
for addressing extreme poverty
in its many dimensions - income
poverty, hunger, disease, lack of
adequate shelter, and exclusion -
while promoting gender equality,
education, and environmental
sustainability.
Sport for Social Development is
a method of bringing about social
change through the use of sports.
Sport and play are used as tools
for peace and development.
Sport and play help children
learn lifelong skills, empower
women and communities, and
remove discrimination. Sport
can be used as a tool to reach
personal and community goals.
1. Sport for Educational
Development
Sport and physical education
have an educational impact.
Physical activity is vital to the
holistic development of young
people, fostering their physical,
social and emotional health. The
benefits of sport reach beyond
the impact on physical well-being
and the value of the educational
benefits of sport should not be
under-estimated.
Changes can be seen in (i)
motor skills development and
performance and (ii) educational
potential. This shows the positive
relationship between being
involved in physical activities and
psychosocial development.
Sport provides a forum for young
people to learn how to deal with
competition and how to cope
with both winning and losing.
These learning aspects highlight
the impact of physical education
and sport on a child’s social and
moral development in addition to
physical skills and abilities.
Sport and physical education
is fundamental to the early
development of children
and youth and the skills
learned during play. Through
participation in sport and
physical education, young people
learn about the importance of
key values such as:
• Honesty
• Teamwork
• Fair play
• Respect for themselves and
others
• Adherence to rules
Learning through sport:
While the physical benefits
of participation in sport are
well known and supported by
large volumes of empirical
evidence, sport and physical
activity can also have positive
benefits on education. Sportbased
programmes have shown
improvement in the learning
performance of children and
young people, encouraging
school attendance and a desire
to succeed academically. Whilst
a majority of research into the
health and development impact
of sport has been conducted
in developed countries, there
are studies that support this
relationship in developing
countries.
For example, a study on sports
involvement among children
and young people in Namibia
has shown that those who
participated in sport and physical
activity were more likely to pass
the Grade 10 examinations. There
is further research that suggests
this relationship continues in
tertiary education.
Life long involvement in
physical activity: Physical
education and sport also build
health activity habits that
encourage life-long participation
in physical activity. This extends
the impact of physical education
beyond the schoolyard and
highlights the potential impact
of physical education on public
health.
Leadership in sport: The real
benefits of sport involvement
appear among children and
youth who have experienced
appropriate forms of leadership.
For example, research shows
that martial arts taught with a
philosophy of respect, patience,
responsibility and honour were
related to decreased delinquency,
when compared to martial arts
taught with a focus on free
sparring and self-defense.
Attitudes towards school: A
number of studies show that
once sports are introduced, pupil
attendance increases. But the
distinction between recreational
and competitive youth sport and
physical activity must be drawn
to understand the extent to which
sport acts as a magnet or a
repellent to school.
2. Sport for Personal and
Life Skills Development
Just as philosophy and the arts
help develop the intellectual,
spiritual and emotional aspects
of ourselves, sports help us
develop the physical. We need
balance of mind, body and spirit
to feel and function at our best.
The benefit of sports extends
much beyond the physical
aspects. It builds character,
teaches strategic thinking,
analytical thinking, leadership
skills, goal setting and risk taking
to name a few. And those are just
the non-physical aspects!
Participating in sports/physical
activity develops the five
components of fitness, which are:
strength, speed, skill, stamina
and flexibility.
When we are under stress
from personal problems, work
pressures and anxiety, apart
from the fitness benefits, exercise
through playing sports helps
release pressure and tension in
a healthy and controlled way.
Benefits of engaging in sports or
physical activity:
1. Sports are fun
2. Heighten sense of overall well
being
3. Improve sleep patterns and
levels of anxiety
4. Clear the mind
5. Develop motor skills and
mind/body connection
6. Stave off depression
7. Reduce risk of many diseases
3. Sport for Professional
Development
Sport management is an
industrious field concerning
the business aspects of sports
and recreation. It provides an
opportunity to gain financial and
marketing knowledge as well
as business management skills.
Specifically, you will be able to
perform research analysis and
explore international business
and marketing strategies. You
might also gain expertise in
sports event planning and brand
building.
Some examples: recreational
sport managers, sports
marketing, event management,
facility management, sports
economics, sports finance,
sports journalism and sports
information.
Sport also offers a range of
professional development
or continuous professional
development courses to enable
coaches, team managers, sports
administrators, teachers, sports
leaders, physiotherapists,
occupational therapists and
sporting professionals to enhance
their skills and knowledge.
4. Sport for Health
Development
World Health Organization
(WHO) World Health Report
indicated that mortality,
morbidity and disability are
attributed to major noncommunicable
diseases and
accounted for over 60% of all
deaths; and unhealthy diet and
physical inactivity were among
the leading causes of these
diseases. Sport and physical
activity are crucial for life-long
healthy living. Sport and play
improve health and well-being,
extend life expectancy and reduce
the likelihood of several noncommunicable
diseases including
heart disease.
Regular physical activity and
play are essential for physical,
mental, psychological and
social development. Good habits
start early. The important
role of physical education is
demonstrated by the fact that
children who exercise are more
likely to stay physically active
as adults. Sport also plays
a major and positive role in
one’s emotional health, and
allows building valuable social
connections.
(In the next issues we will focus
on sport for employability, sport
for women empowerment, sport
for inclusion, sport for social
development and peace, sport for
economic development, sport for
environment development and
specific organizations involved
in sport development and their
programmes.)
22 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Pullout PLANNER
Jan/Feb 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 23

24 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb Jul/Aug 2017 2016

Class IV: EVS
Force, Work and Simple Machines
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Which of the following is not a simple machine?
a. Pulley c. Screw
b. Forceps d. Sewing machine
2. On which surface would it be easiest to move an
object?
a. Marble floor c. Play ground
b. Carpet d. Sand
3. Which of the following statements about force is
incorrect?
a. Direction of force decides the direction of motion.
b. Greater the force applied, higher is the speed of the
object.
c. Force always makes a body move.
d. Force when applied can change the shape of an
object.
4. Two inclined planes ‘A’ and ‘B’ are built to move up
heavy boxes. Plane ‘A’ is steeper than plane ‘B’.
Which of the following statements is true?
a. It will be easier to move the box on plane ‘B’.
b. It will be easier to move the box on plane ‘A’.
c. It will be more difficult to move the box on plane ‘B’.
d. It will be equally difficult to move the box on the two
planes.
5. What are the factors that affect the motion of a
body?
a. Mass of the object
b. Amount of force applied
c. Direction of force applied.
d. All the above.
6. Which of the following objects will take the least
amount of force to move?
a. Plastic ball c. Chair
b. Table d. Bed
7. In which of the following activities, scientifically, no
work is done?
a. Lifting a school bag
b. Kicking a football
c. Mentally planning the activities for the day
d. Throwing a stone
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
9. The simple machine that keeps bottle cap tight and
secure, is a
a. Screw c. Lever
b. Wheel and axle d. Wedge
10. In which of the following cases is earth’s
gravitational force not acting on the object?
a. Moon revolving around the earth
b. Ball thrown up and falling back on earth
c. Planets moving in their orbits
d. Plane moving in the sky
11. The ‘See Saw’ is an example of which simple
machine?
a. Screw c. Wedge
b. Lever d. Pulley
Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct terms.
Pulley, wedge, force, gravity, friction, simple
machine, machine
12. Two inclined planes placed back to back: _______.
13. A force that pulls all the objects towards itself:
____________.
14. A machine with few or no moving parts: ________.
15. A force that slows down an object moving on a
surface: ____________.
16. Something that helps to make-work easier: ______.
17. A simple machine that consists of a wheel with a
rope around it: ____________.
18. A push or a pull that makes things move: _______.
19. Identify the types of simple machines that you see
in the picture below
lever, inclined plane, wheel and axle, lever
8. Which is the force that pulls us back to the surface
when we jump?
a. Magnetic force c. Muscular force
b. Gravitational force d. Frictional force
(a) The slide is an _____________.
(b) The shovel is a _____________.
(c) The broom is a _____________.
(d) The screwdriver is a _____________.
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher
25

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Time
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. The part of the Earth above the equator is
known as the
a. Axis
b. Northern hemisphere
c. Southern hemisphere
d. Pole
2. The Earth takes 365 days to
a. Rotate around the sun
b. Rotate around itself
c. Revolve around the sun
d. Revolve around itself
3. The effect of variation in climate caused due to
tilting of the Earth’s axis is felt more when one
moves
a. Away from the equator and the poles
b. Away from the poles and towards the equator
c. Away from the equator and towards the poles
d. Towards the equator and poles
4. The spinning movement of the Earth on its axis is
called its
a. Revolution c. Orbit
b. Path d. Rotation
5. The fixed path on which the Earth moves around
the sun is called its
a. Equator c. Axis
b. Pole d. Orbit
6. A leap year has one extra day in a year. This extra
day comes in the month of
a. January
b. February
c. June
d. October
7. The imaginary line dividing the Earth into two
halves is called the
a. Centre
b. Half line
c. Equator
d. Path
8. We have longer days and shorter nights in
a. Spring c. Autumn
b. Summer d. Winter
Class IV: EVS
9. The Earth rotates from
a. West to east c. South to north
b. North to south d. East to west
10. The sun’s rays fall directly on the
a. North pole c. Tropic of Capricorn
b. South pole d. Equator
11. What causes days and nights?
a. Rotation of the Earth c. Revolution of the Earth
b. Rotation of the sun d. Rotation of the moon
12. The axis of rotation of the Earth is
a. Tilted c. Horizontal
b. Vertical d. Straight
13. The seasons are caused by the
a. Revolution of the Earth c. Movement of the moon
b. Tilted axis of the Earth d. Both A and B
14. The temperature of a place depends on its
a. Height from sea level
b. Distance from water bodies
c. Distance from the equator
d. All of the above
15. For a few days in the summer the sun shines for 24
hours a day near the North Pole. This phenomenon
is known as the
a. Night sun c. Midnight sun
b. Full sun d. No moon
Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct terms.
23.5, 24, tilted, 366, north, 4
16. The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of __________
degrees.
17. The Earth’s axis runs from ____________ to south
of the globe.
18. The Earth completes one rotation in __________
hours.
19. A leap year has __________ days and comes after
________ years.
20. The midnight sun occurs because the northern
hemisphere is ________ towards the sun in
summers.
26
The Progressive Teacher
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted

Class IV: EVS
Weather, Season and Climate
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. How much time does it take the earth to complete one
revolution around the sun?
a. 30 days c. 365 days
b. 24 hours d. 15 days
2. Which is the longest day in a year?
a. 22 December c. 21 September
b. 21 June d. 22 March
3. Which of the following animals does not hibernate?
a. Turtle c. Zebra
b. Land squirrel d. Bear
4. Which of the following is not responsible for change in the
weather of a place?
a. Temperature c. Winds
b. Rain d. Soil
5. In which season do most plants shed their leaves?
a. Autumn c. Spring
b. Summer d. Winter
6. Why do some animals acquire a thick fur coating in winters?
a. To look beautiful. b. To keep themselves warm
c. To change their appearance. d. To find food
7. Which instrument is used to measure wind speed?
a. Wind vane c. Thermometer
b. Anemometer d. Speedometer
8. Which of the following is not a form of precipitation?
a. Hail c. Fog
b. Snow d. Rain
9. Why do birds migrate?
a. To join their relatives.
b. To search for a place with more suitable weather conditions.
c. To spend their extra time.
d. To visit more places.
10. Which of the following is an example of adaptation?
a. Change of animal fur colour from brown to white
b. Adoption of a sleep like state by animals during winters
c. Eating a lot of food during summer
d. All of the above
11. Which is the shortest day of the year?
a. 21 December c. 25 November
b. 21 January d. 22 March
worksheet
12. Which of the following processes is not a part of the water
cycle?
a. Condensation c. Precipitation
b. Evaporation d. Sedimentation
Give one word for the following statements.
migration, season, rain gauge, meteorologists, adaptation,
wind, hibernation, water cycle
Max Marks: 20
13. Natural division of year marked by changes in weather and day
light hours:______________________.
14. Process/Quality that helps an animal to survive:
______________________.
15. Instrument used to measure the rainfall in an area:
______________________.
16. The sleep like state adopted by animals during winters:
______________________.
17. The movement of air caused by the uneven heating of
places:__________________.
18. The continuous exchange of water between the water bodies,
land and air: ______________________.
19. The movement of organisms from one geographical place to
another with the change of season: ______________________.
20. The scientists who study weather: ____________.
Force, Work and Simple Machines
1. d 2. a
3. d 4. b
5. d 6. a
7. c 8. b
9. a 10. c
11. b
12. Wedge
13. Gravity
14. Simple Machine
15. Friction
16. Machines
17. Pulley
18.Force
19. a) The slide is
an inclined
plane.
b) The shovel
is a lever.
c) The broom
is a lever.
d) The screwdriver
is a wheel and
axle.
Time
Answer Key - Class IV: EVS
1. b
2. c
3. c
4. d
5. d
6. b
7. c
8. b
9. a
10. d
11. a
12. a
13. d
14. d
15. c
16. 23.5
17. North
18.24
19. 366, 4
20. Titled
Weather, Season and Climate
1. c
2. b
3. c
4. d
5. a
6. b
7. b
8. a
9. b
10. d
11. a
12. d
13. Seasons
14. Adaptation
15. Rain Gauge
16. Hibernation
17. Wind
18.Water cycle
19. Migration
20. Meteorologists
Our universe
1. a
2. b
3. b
4. b
5. b
6. d
7. a
8. a
9. b
10. b
11. Astronomy
12. Weather
13. Mercury
14. Mars
15. Constellation
16. Satellite
17. Stars
18. Sun
19. Cold
20. Solar System
Lines, Ray and Angle
1. c
2. c
3. a
4. b
5. d
6. c
7. a
8. b
9. b
10. d
11. Perpendicular
lines
12. 36 o
13. Reflex
14. Complete
15. False
16. True
17. False
18. True
19. True
20. False
Answer Key - Class V: Mathematics
1. a
1. c 2. b
2. c
3. b 4. c
3. b
5. b 6. a
4. a
7. Equal
5. b
8. Equilateral
6. b
9. Acute Angled
7. d
10. Sides; Angles
8. c
11. 180 o
9. d
12. False
10. Parallel
13. False
11. Right
14. True
12. Centre
13. Congruent;
15. False
Supplementary
16. True
14. Right
17. Acute angled
15. True
Triangle
16. True
18. Obtuse angled
17. False
triangle
18. True
19. Isosceles
19. False
triangle
20. False
20. Scalene triangle
Plane Figure - 1
Plane Figure - 2
3D Geometry
1. b
2. c
3. d
4. b
5. d
6. a
7. d
8. c
9. c
10. b
11. Solid shape
12. Net
13. Cube
14. 8; 12; 6
15. 5; 8; 5
16. One; Flat
17. False
18. True
19. True
20. True
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher
27

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Our Universe
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. When the side of the moon that is lit by the sun faces away from
the Earth, this is called a
a. New moon
b. Gibbous moon
c. Full moon
d. Crescent moon
2. What kind of climate do places higher than sea level have?
a. Extreme c. Hot
b. Cool d. Moderate
3. An instrument which helps us to see distant planets is known as a
a. Kaleidoscope
b. Telescope
c. Microscope
d. Stethoscope
4. Heavenly bodies that move around the sky are called
a. Satellites c. Moons
b. Planets d. Stars
5. How many moons does Mars have?
a. Six c. Thirteen
b. Two d. None
6. Why is planet Venus called the Earth’s twin?
a. It has air and water.
c. It is nearly the same in size.
b. It has the same temperature.
d. It rotates at the same rate.
7. The planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are known as the
a. Gas giants
b. Red giants
c. Rocky giants
d. Dwarf planets
8. The first man to land on the moon was
a. Neil Armstrong
b. Yuri Gagarin
c. John Glenn
d. Edwin Aldrin
9. Which is the only natural satellite of earth?
a. Sun c. Mars
b. Moon d. Aryabhatta
Class IV: EVS
10. Which is the constellation with the shape of a hunter?
a. Ursa minor
b. Orion
c. Ursa major
d. Big dipper
Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct terms.
Stars, Constellation, Sun, Solar system, Astronomy, Mercury,
Weather, Satellite, Mars, cold
11. The branch of science that deals with the study of celestial bodies
____________.
12. Condition of the atmosphere at a given time and place
____________.
13. The planet nearest to the sun ____________.
14. The red planet ____________.
15. Group of stars forming a pattern ____________.
16. A celestial body that orbits a planet ____________.
17. Glowing balls of gases that spread out heat and light in the space
18. Huge ball of fire that gives earth heat and light during day time
____________.
19. Brocolli is grown in ____________ weather.
20. The sun, eight planets and their satellites are called____________.
Whole numbers
1. b
2. a
3. a
4. d
5. b
6. a
7. b
8. a
9. c
10. 9
11. True
12. False
13. False
14. 5
15. 785
16. -43
17. 232
18.40x(15-5)=400
19. (240-20)÷11=20
20. 45÷3x(3+2)=3
Answer Key - Class VI: Mathematics
Playing with Numbers
1. c
2. b
3. a
4. c
5. d
6. d
7. b
8. c
9. c
10. b
11. 21, 14 and 10.5
12. False
13. False
14. True
15. True
16. Factor
17. 10
18. 6
19. Co-prime
numbers
20. Factor
Integers
1. b
2. c
3. d
4. b
5. a
6. c
7. b
8. a
9. c
10. a
11. +3
12. -9
13. True
14. False
15. False
16. 9
17. 0
18.5
19. -6
20. -13
Fractions
1. d
2. c
3. b
4. b
5. a
6. b
7. a
8. a
9. c
10. d
11. d
12. c
13. a
14. b
1
4
15.
16. Proper
17. Improper
18. 5 6
19. 5 2
20. 9 2
Weather, Climate and Adaptation of Animals to Climate
Answer Key - Class VII: science
1. a
1. d
1. c
2. b
2. c
2. d
3. c
3. a
3. b
4. d
4. c
4. a
5. b
5. a
5. b
6. a
6. c
6. b
7. d
7. a
7. a
8. a
8. a
8. d
9. c
9. b
9. a
10. c
10. b
10. a
11. a) True, b) False
11. d
11. a
12. Texture
12. b
12. d
13. Soil
Match the following
13. c
13. a
14. Sandy
14. e
14. d
15. a) Deforestation
15. f
15. b
b) Percolation
16. a
16. True
16. 8ml/min
lablel of the soil profile
17. False
17. False
17. Top soil, A-
18. True
18. True
Horizon, B-
19. False
19. False
Horizon, Bed Rock,
20. True
20. False
Parent Rock
Winds, Storms and Cyclones
Soil
Respiration in Organisms
1. a 2. a
3. a 4. d
5. b 6. d
7. a 8. d
9. a 10. a
11. Haemoglobin
12.Lungs
13. Co 2
14. Inhalation
15. Mouth
16. Trachea, Brochil,
Bronchioles, Alveoli
17. Exhalation
18. Labels for the
diagram:
A. Lungs
B. Bronchioles
C. Nose
D. Mouth
E. Trachea
F. Diaphragm
28
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Class V: mathematics
Lines, Ray and Angle
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. The straight path between two points A and B is called
____________.
a. Ray c. Line segment
b. Line d. Plane
2. A line segment has __________ end points.
a. 0 c. 2
b. 1 d. Many
3. An angle whose measure is less than 90º and
greater than 0º is called
a. Acute angle
b. Obtuse angle
c. Right angle
d. Reflex angle
4. An angle whose measure is less than 180º and greater than
90º is called
a. Acute angle
b. Obtuse angle
c. Right angle
d. Reflex angle
5. An angle whose measure is 180º is called
a. Acute angle
b. Obtuse angle
c. Right angle
d. Straight angle
6. An angle whose measure is 90º is called
a. Acute angle
b. Obtuse angle
c. Right angle
d. Straight angle
7. Two angles, the sum of whose measures is 180º are called
a. Supplementary angle
b. Complementary Angle
c. Obtuse angle
d. Right angle
8. Two angles, the sum of whose measures is 90º are called
a. Supplementary angle
b. Complementary Angle
c. Obtuse angle
d. Right angle
9. A set of railway tracks is a perfect example of
a. Line
b. Parallel lines
c. Perpendicular lines
d. Intersecting lines
10. Find the measure of x.
x
48 0
a. 42º c. 130º
b. 48º d. 132º
Fill in the blanks
11. Two lines which intersect at right angles are called
_________________.
worksheet
12. The complement of an angle of 54º is __________________.
13. An angle whose measure is greater than 180º and less than
360º is called a/an ______________ angle.
Max Marks: 20
14. An angle whose measure is 360º is called a/an ______________
angle.
State whether each of the following statements is true or false.
15. A line has a definite length.
16. A plane has no boundary.
17. A ray has one end-point, while a line has two
end-points.
18. Two lines in the same plane are either parallel or
intersect each other.
19. If one of the two supplementary angles is obtuse,
the other is acute.
20. The length of ray in drawing an angle affects the
measure of the angle.
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29

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Plane Figures - 1
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. ABCD is a rectangle. Its shorter side is half the
length of the longer side. If the length of the longer
side is 10 cm. Calculate the length of the shorter
side of the rectangle.
a. 5 cm c. 10 cm
b. 20 cm d. None
2. Find the length of the unknown side.
?
5
a. 3 c. 5
b. 4 d. None
3. Consecutive angles of a square are
a. Complementary angles
b. Supplementary angles
c. Right angles
d. Acute angles
4. The longest chord of circle is
a. Diameter c. Chord
b. Radius d. None
5. The diameter is ____________ the radius.
a. Equal to
b. Double
c. Half
d. One-fourth
6. Two circles can intersect in only ___________
points.
a. Three c. One
b. Two d. Infinite
7. A 2-dimensional shape made by drawing a curve
that is always the same distance from a centre is
a. Square c. Arc
b. Rectangle d. Circle
4
Class V: mathematics
Use the below given figure to solve. Choose the
best answer. (Q8 and Q9)
F
C
A
E
G
8. Which of the following is a diameter?
a. BD c. AE
b. GD d. FC
9. Which of the following is a radius?
a. FD c. CG
b. FB d. CB
Fill in the blanks.
10. A rectangle has two pairs of ____________ lines.
11. Each angle of a rectangle is a/an ______________
angle.
12. The point inside a circle that is the same distance
from all the points on the circle is ____________.
13. In a rectangle, opposite angles are ____________
and consecutive angles are _______________.
14. The diagonals of a rectangle bisect each other at
______________ angle.
D
State whether each of the following statements is
true or false.
15. The opposite sides of a rectangle are equal.
16. All the radii of a circle are equal in length.
17. The diagonals of a square split each angle
of the square into two 90º angles.
18. The diagonals of rectangle are equal.
B
19. Every rectangle is a square.
20. A circle has only four radii.
30
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Class V: mathematics
Plane Figures - 2
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1 Each angle of an equilateral triangle measures
a. 30° c. 60°
b. 45° d. 90°
2. The measure of each of the two equal angles of an isosceles
right angled triangle is
a. 30° c. 60°
b. 45° d. 90°
3. If an angle of a triangle measures 88° and the other two angles
are equal, then each of the equal angles measures
a. 36° c. 56°
b. 46° d. 92°
4. Which triangle has three unequal sides?
a. Isosceles triangle
b. Equilateral triangle
c. Scalene triangle
d. Right triangle
5. An equilateral triangle is also a/an _______ triangle.
a. Obtuse angled
b. Acute angled
c. Right angled
d. Isosceles triangle
6. A triangle has angle measurements of 24°, 33°, and 123°.
What type of triangle is this?
a. Obtuse angled
b. Acute angled
c. Right angled
d. None
Fill in the blanks
7. The angles opposite to equal sides of a triangle are
___________.
worksheet
8. The triangle which has 3 sides that have the same lengthis
a/an ____________ triangle.
9. The triangle in which each of the 3 angles is less than 90° is
a/an ________________ triangle.
10. The triangles are classified into various types on the basis of
______________ and ________________.
11. The sum of the three angles of a triangle is
____________________________.
State whether each of the following statements is true or false.
12. A triangle can have two right angles.
13. The sum of any two sides of a triangle is either equal
to or greater than the third side.
14. A scalene triangle has all angles of different
measures.
15. A right angle triangle cannot be isosceles.
16. If one angle of a triangle is equal to the sum of
the other two, then the triangle is right-angled.
Classify each triangle by the measure of its sides/angles.
17. 55°, 60°, 65° _____________________________
18. 178°, 1°, 1° ______________________________
19. 12 cm, 22 cm, 22 cm ______________________________
20. 3.9 cm, 8 cm, 4.69 cm ________________
Max Marks: 20
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31

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
3D Geometry
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Two flat surfaces meet in a straight line segment is
called a/an
a. Faces
b. Edge
c. Vertex
d. Base
2. Three or more edges or faces meet in a/an
a. Faces
b. Edge
c. Vertex
d. Base
3. The shape of Earth is most like a
a. Hemisphere
b. Circle
c. Cylinder
d. Sphere
4. A gas pipe is an example of
a. Cube
b. Cylinder
c. Cone
d. Cuboid
5. Which of these statements is not true about a
cylinder?
a. It has 2 circular bases
b. It has a curved lateral surface
c. It is a solid figure
d. It is a polyhedron
6. How is a triangular prism different from a triangular
pyramid?
a. The prism has 2 bases
b. The pyramid has 2 bases
c. All of the prism’s faces are triangles
d. The pyramid has 5 faces
7. A glass prism reflects white light as a multicoloured
band of light called a spectrum. The prism
has 5 glass faces with 9 edges and 6 vertices. What
kind of prism is it?
a. Triangular pyramid
b. Cube
c. Square pyramid
d. Triangular prism
Class V: mathematics
8. Pamela folded an origami figure that has 5 faces,
8 edges, and 5 vertices. What kind of solid figure
could have Pamela created?
a. Triangular pyramid
b. Cube
c. Square pyramid
d. Triangular prism
9. Which of the following objects is an example
of a hemisphere?
a. A basketball
b. A circle
c. A dome
d. A planet
10. A ____________ has no vertex and no edge.
a. Cylinder
b. Sphere
c. Cone
d. Cube
Fill in the blanks
11. Any object which occupies space is called a
____________.
12. A _____________ is a two-dimensional pattern of a
three-dimensional figure.
13. A cuboid whose length, breadth and height are
equal is called a____________.
14. A cube has _________ vertices, ________edges and
______ faces.
15. A rectangular pyramid has ______ face, _____edges
and _____ vertices.
16. A cylinder has ______________ curve face and two
______________ faces.
State whether each of the following statements is
true or false.
17. Each face of a cuboid is square.
18. A sphere has no edge.
19. A square pyramid has 5 square faces.
20. Faces can be flat or curved.
32
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Class VI: mathematics
Whole Numbers
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. How many whole numbers are there upto 50?
a. 50 b. 51
c. 49 d. none of these
2. Which of the following properties best explains this statement:
8 × 3 = 24?
a. Closure Property
b. Commutative Property
c. Multiplicative Identity
d. Associative Property
3. Which property of whole numbers is used in the following
expression?
(6 + 85) × 14 = (6 × 14) + (85 × 14)
a. Distributive b. Commutative
c. Associative d. Closure
4. What should be the correct answer to fill in the box?
+ 45 = 45 + 1
a. 44 b. 0
c. 45 d. 1
5. Rahul added two whole numbers. Which of the following
numbers is a possible answer?
a. 33.2 b. 23
5
c. d. 0
24
6
6. Identify the whole number that makes the following
statement true:
On multiplying any whole number by ____, you get the same
whole number.
a. 1 b. 2
c. 0 d. 3
7. The difference between the largest three digit number
and the largest three digit number with distinct digits is
a. 10 b. 12
c. 0 d. 22
8. Which number represents 47,78,332 rounded to the nearest
thousand?
a. 47,78,000 b. 47,78,300
c. 47,79,000 d. 47,78,400
9. The value of 9307 × 937 – 9307 × 837 is
a. 93070 b. 930070
c. 930700 d. 900730
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
10. According to the order of operations, which part of the
following expression can you simplify first 15 × 2.2 – 5 + 1.1?
a. 15 × 2.2 b. 2.2 – 5
c. 5 + 1.1 d. 15 – 5
State whether the following sentences are True or False.
11. There are no distinct whole numbers p, q and r such
that p ÷ (q ÷ r) = (p ÷ q) ÷ r
12. If a whole number m is divided by another whole
number n and n > m, then m ÷ n is a whole number.
13. Zero is the smallest natural number.
Use the given place-value grid and answer the questions below:
2
2
Ten
Thousands
9,
8,
Thousands
0
2
Hundreds
3
5
Tens
5
0
Ones
14. What is the difference in the ones place? _______
15. The difference between 29,035 and 28,250 is _______
Simplify each of the following expressions.
16. 5 – 12 × 4 _______________
17. 3 of 81 – 11 _______________
Write the expression for each of the following using brackets and
simplify.
18. Forty multiplied by the difference of 15 and 5.
_____________________
19. Divide the difference of 240 and 20 by 11.
____________________
20. Forty five divided by three times the sum of 3 and 2.
_________________
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33

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Playing with Numbers
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Which of the following numbers is divisible
by 7?
a. 2,031 b. 3,201
c. 5,887 d. 6,035
10. What is the LCM of 6 and 14?
a. 21 b. 42
c. 6 d. 14
Class VI: mathematics
11. Complete the table to show four different factor
pairs of 42.
2. The smallest digit which can replace * to make
1*45 divisible by 3 is:
a. 1 b. 2
c. 3 d. 4
3. The greatest 3-digit number which is exactly
divisible by 3 is:
a. 999 b. 990
c. 996 d. 991
4. Which of the following is a prime number?
a. 81 b. 63
c. 29 d. 91
5. Which of the following is a composite
number?
a. 67 b. 79
c. 89 d. 63
6. Which of the following are the prime numbers
between 1 and 14?
a. 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13
b. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13
c. 2, 3, 5, 7 and 13
d. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11 and 13
7. All the common factors of 20 and 25 are:
a. 1, 3, 5 b. 1, 5
c. 3, 5 d. 5
8. Which of the following is a pair of
co-primes?
a. 5, 25 b. 12, 27
c. 3, 39 d. 9, 57
9. HCF of 21, 39 and 87 is:
a. 2 b. 7
c. 3 d. 1
State whether the following statements are true
or false.
12. Sum of two prime numbers is prime.
13. Every multiple of a number is less than
or equal to the number.
14. The smallest composite number is 4.
15. Every prime number other than 2 is odd.
Fill in the blanks.
16. A _____ of a number is an exact divisor of
that number.
17. A number is divisible by _____, if its unit’s
digit is 0.
18. A number is divisible by ____, if it is divisible by
both 2 and 3.
19. Two numbers with only 1 as a common factor
are called ___________.
20. _________________ of a number is an exact divisor
of that number.
34
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Class VI: mathematics
Integers
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Which of the following is correct?
a. –75 > –25 b. –25 < 15
c. –15 > 16 d. 18 < –19
2. What is –56 rounded to nearest 10?
a. –50 b. 60
c. –60 d. 50
3. Which is the correct order of integers in the set
from least to greatest?
a. –4, 2, 1 b. –2, -4, 1
c. 1, –2, –4 d. –4, –2, 1
4. Which is the correct order of integers in the set
from greatest to least?
a. 7, –4, 3, –5 b. 7, 3, –4, 5
c. 3, –5, –4, 7 d. –5, –4, 7, 3
5. The absolute value of a number is its distance from
_______ on a number line.
a. zero b. one
c. two d. three
6. Which of these is the correct choice to fill in the
blank?
(–3) + (__) + ( +4) = –3
a. +3 b. –3
c. –4 d. +4
7. Which of these is the correct choice to fill in
the blank?
(–1) + (–6) = ___
a. +1 b. –7
c. +5 d. –5
8. Which of these is the correct choice to fill in the
blank?
(–7) – (–4) = ____
a. –3 b. +3
c. 11 d. –11
9. Which of these is the correct choice to fill in
the blank?
(+8) – (+3) = ____
a. 6 b. 4
c. 5 d. 7
worksheet
10. Which of the following is the greatest number?
–10, –7, –9, –5, –13, –1, –87, –6
a. –1 b. –87
c. –13 d. –10
Max Marks: 20
Find the solution of the following using the number line.
11. (–7) + 10 = ____________
12. –3 + (–6) = _______________
State whether the following sentences are True or False.
13. Zero is neither a negative integer nor
a positive integer.
14. Farther a number from zero on the left,
larger is its value.
15. –100 is to the right of –50 on a number line.
Fill in the blanks.
16. (–9) + __ = 0
17. 15 – (15) = ___
18. ____ – 20 = –15
19. (–6) + ___ = –12
20. 13 + ___ = 0
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35

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Fractions
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. What fraction is represented by the shaded region
of this bar?
a.
9
5
7
c.
9
b.
4
9
d. 5 9
2. Which of the following represent the sum
of 1
6 and 2
6 ?
a.
1
6
c.
1
2
b. 1 4
d.
3
12
3. Which of these is a proper fraction?
a.
13
5
c.
2 7 11
b. 7 9
5
d.
2
4. Which of these is the lowest form of 12
18 ?
a.
c.
1
3
4
6
5. Which of these is the equivalent fraction of 15
45 with
denominator 9?
3
a.
9
4
c.
9
b.
d.
2
3
3
2
b. 12 9
d. 5 9
6. Which of these is the sum of 2
7 + 5
7 + 3
7 + 1
7 ?
a.
9
7
11
c.
7
b.
4
7
d. 13 7
7. Which of the following is the difference of 5
8 and 2
8 ?
3
a.
8
8
c.
3
b.
d.
2
8
4
8
Class VI: mathematics
8. Which of these is the correct answer for the given
expression?
3 4 - 2 3 8 6
a. 1 b. 3
c. 2 d. 4
9. Which of the following is the product of 2 1 8
13
a.
5
c.
17
5
b. 17
40
d. 17
40
10. Which of the following is the product of 3 20
a.
c.
15
8
14
5
b.
d. 1 8
3
20
and 1 3 ?
5
5
and ?
6
Match each fraction to the one that best matches it.
11.
3
5
12. 5 1 4
4
13.
4
5
14.
3
A. is equal to one
B. is an improper fraction
C. is a mixed number
D. is a proper fraction
15. Write the fraction that represents the shaded region
in the give picture.
Fill in the blanks.
16. A __________ fraction is any fraction where the
numerator is less than the denominator.
17. An _______ fraction is any fraction where
the numerator is greater than or equal to the
denominator.
18. The multiplicative inverse of 6
5 is______.
Reduce the following fraction to its simplest form.
65
19.
26
90
20.
20
36
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Class ViI: science
Weather, Climate and Adaptation of Animals to Climate
worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. Sahil wishes to measure the speed of wind. Which instrument
should he use?
a. An anemometer
b. A barometer
d. A thermometer
c. A rain gauge
2. If a meterologist says that the amount of water vapour present
in air is 91%, then the day would be
a. Cloudy c. Sunny
b. Humid d. Stormy
3. The hump of the camel stores
a. Fat c. Water
b. Milk d. Fat
4. The climate of a place depends upon
a. Latitude c. Longitude
b. Altitude d. All of the above
5. The regions covered with snow all around the year are
a. Rainforests
b. Polar regions
c. Deserts
d. Savannah grasslands
6. Which features help polar bears survive in icy conditions?
a. Wide paws, sense of smell, fat under the skin
b. White fur, flippers, gills
c. Strong claws, wide paws, long eyelashes
d. Long tail, fat under the skin, gills for respiration
7. Which of the following is not an element of weather?
a. Temperature c. Rainfall
b. Humidity d. Sunlight
8. The saturation of air with water vapour leads to
a. Rain c. Lightning
b. Dust storm d. Thunder storm
9. Wind blows when
a. Air travels from a region of low pressure to high presure
b. Air travels from a region of high pressure to low pressure
c. Air travels from a region of high humidity to low humidity
d. Air travels from a region of low humidity to high humidity
10. Which of the following is not adapted to live in the polar
region?
a. Penguins c. White foxes
b. Siberian cranes d. Seal
11. Which of the following is not a migratory bird?
a. Humming bird
b. Siberian crane
c. Arctic tern
d. Parakeet
12. Camouflage is a characteristic feature of
a. Monkeys c. Crows
b. Chamelons d. Penguins
Match the following:
Column A
Column B
13. Sticky pads on feet a. Migration
14. Inactivity in animals
during winter
b. Polar bear
15. Bright colours c. Red eyed -frog
16. Movement of animals
from one place to another
d. Camouflage
e. Hibernation
f. Rainforest birds
State whether the following statements are true or false:
17. All animals undergo hibernation in summer
18. In cold climates animals adapt to conserve body heat
19. Temperature on the earth’s surface increases with
increasing latitude
20. It is warmer in plains as compared to hills, as the air
is thicker in the plains
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37

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Winds, Storms and Cyclones
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. What is the name of the wind that blows constantly
from the same direction?
a. Fog c. Ozone
b. Local wind d. Prevailing wind
2. Which instrument would you use to measure the
pressure of the surrounding air?
a. Anemometer c. Barometer
b. Hygrometer d. Thermometer
3. The centre of a cyclone is called
a. The eye c. Water spout
b. Debris d. Thunder
4. As we go higher up in the atmosphere, the air
pressure
a. Increases c. Decreases
b. Remains the same d. Cannot be measured
5. A hot air balloon rises up in the air because
a. Air expands on heating and exerts pressure
b. Air contracts on heating and hence, exerts more
pressure
c. It moves from a region of high pressure from a
region of low pressure
d. Due to the uneven heating of the balloon by the
sunlight
6. The heating of the earth is
a. Equal on all the surfaces
b. Maximum near the equator
c. More on higher altitudes
d. Maximum on the poles
7. During a storm, we should
a. Go to the park
b. Take shelter inside a car
c. Take shelter under a tree
d. Take shelter inside a house
8. Which of the following is true about cold and warm
air masses?
a. Warm air is denser than cold air; cold air exerts
more pressure
b. Cold air is denser than warm air; cold air exerts
more pressure
c. Warm air is denser than cold air; warm air exerts
more pressure
d. Cold air is denser than warm air; warm air exerts
more pressure
Class ViI: science
9. Why do the equatorial regions of Earth tend to be
warmer than the poles?
a. The sun’s rays directly strike the equator
b. The sun’s energy is concentrated on a smaller area
at the equator
c. The sun’s energy is concentrated on a smaller area
at the poles.
d. The strong polar winds push warmer air toward the
region.
10. Wind is caused by
a. Differences in air temperature and pressure
b. Differences in air temperature and humidity
c. Differences in air composition and pressure
d. Differences in air composition and humidity
11. Which one the following is not a stage in
thunderstorms?
a. Developing stage c. Dissipating stage
b. Maturing stage d. Lightning
12. Which of the following is not true about air?
a. Air exerts pressure c. Air occupies space
b. Air has weight d. Air is a pure susbstance
13. The movement of air during winter is
a. Land to sea
b. Sea to land
c. High altitude to low altitude
d. High temperature to low temperature
14. Which of the following is not due to differences in
air pressure?
a. An aeroplane taking off
b. A house’s roof flying off during a storm
c. Breeze
d. The water cycle
15. Upward and downward current of air which results
from uneven heating of air is called
a. Conduction currents c. Wind
b. Convection currents d. Radiation
State whether the following statements are true or false:
16. The monsoon wind carries moisture
17. The centre of a cyclone is called water spout
18. Cold air goes up but hot air moves down
19. A cylone is generated, when a low pressure area
is surrounded with higher pressure all around
20. During summers there is movement of air
from land to sea
38
The Progressive Teacher
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Class ViI: science
soil
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. The rotting dead matter in the soil is called
a. Clay c. Humus
b. Gravel d. Compost
2. Which of the following is not a type of soil?
a. Sandy c. Clayey
b. Loamy d. Marshy
3. Silt is generally found
a. In the bedrock c. In sand particles
b. As a deposit in a river bed d. In humus
4. Plants grow best in
a. Loamy soil c. Clayey soil
b. Sandy soil d. Silt
5. The topmost fertile layer of soil is called
a. Bed rock c. B – horizon
b. Top soil d. Soil profile
6. Which of the following kind of soils have the
maximum water holding capacity?
a. Sandy soil
b. Clayey soil
c. Loamy soil
d. Mixture of sandy and loamy soil
worksheet
10. Soil erosion is
a. Adding pollutants to soil
b. Weathering of soil
c. Removal of top soil by wind and running water
d. Formation of humus
11. State whether the following statements are true or
false:
a. Overgrazing leads to soil erosion.
b. B- Horizon is the most fertile part of the soil.
12. Soil differs according to its ___________.
13. ___________is formed by weathering of rocks.
14. The most coarsely textured soil is _____________
soil.
15. Give one word for the following:
a. Cutting of trees
b. The amount of water that travels per unit of
time
Max Marks: 20
16. Calculate the rate of percolation for a 50g sand
sample, in which 200 ml water takes 25 minutes to
travel.
17. Label the soil profile given below:
7. Which of the following is a soil pollutant?
a. Waste products and chemicals
b. Dead and decaying leaves
c. Micro organisms
d. Gravel
8. If a 50g of soil sample loses 25g of moisutre after
drying what is the percentage of moisture in the
soil?
a. 50% c. 10%
b. 75% d. 2%
9. Which layer of the soil determines the type of soil?
a. Subsoil c. Bed rock
b. Parent rock d. Top soil
© DS Digital Private Limited I Photocopying permitted The Progressive Teacher
39

worksheet
Max Marks: 20
Respiration in Organisms
Tick ( ) the correct answer
1. The presence of oxygen is essential for
a. Aerobic respiration
b. Anaerobic respiration
c. Photosynthesis
d. Digestion
2. The tiny air sacs present in lungs are called
a. Alveoli
b. Bronchi
c. Bronchioles
d. Larynx
3. The air inhaled is cleaned
a. By the cilia present in the nose
b. By trachea
c. By the cartilage in the nose
d. By the mouth
4. In lungs the exchange of gases takes place through
a. Bronchi c. Nose
b. Trachea d. Alveoli
5. The muscles of the heart are
a. Voluntary c. Capillary
b. Involuntary d. Veins
6. Which one of the following is not a part of
respiratory system?
a. Trachea
b. Alveoli
c. Bronchioles
d. Valves
Class ViI: science
10. The wind pipe is made up of cartilage and not
bones because
a. It is elastic and hence prevents collapsing
b. It is hollow
c. It connects the nose and bronchi
d. It connects the trachea and alveoli
11. The substance present in blood that transports
oxygen is called ___________.
12. The blood in our body is oxygenated by the organs
known as ______________.
13. Exhaled air is rich in ______________.
14. The process of drawing air into lungs is
called___________.
15. The process of breathing starts in the __________.
16. Complete the path of oxygen during respiration by
filling the blanks:
Nose and nasal cavity
_____________
___________
Lungs
_____________
___________
cells
17. In the bell jar experiment the deflation of balloons
indicate the process of ______________.
18. Label the following diagram of a respiratory system.
7. Which one of the following cells carries oxygen?
a. Red blood cells
b. White blood cells
c. Platelets
d. Plasma
8. The blood clots due to the presence of
a. Proteins c. Oxygen
b. Plasma d. Platelets
9. The blood in our body is filtered and cleaned with
the help of
a. Kidneys c. Lungs
b. Heart d. Respiration
40
The Progressive Teacher
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classroom display pullout
Jul/Aug Jan/Feb 2016 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 25 41

Pullout PLANNER
42 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

upbringing
We often remark that
our children and our
youth are the citizens
of the future. And indeed, they
are! It is important for them
to know the power they have to
design and build the world we
will have in a few years. There’s
an indelible connection between
what they make of themselves
and the kind of future they will
build as individuals and as an
entire generation for the new
world. The clincher is: the onus
for how effectively they lay those
foundations rests on us - those
of us in a position to enable,
influence, guide and mentor them.
Children and young people are
constantly exposed to learning
environments not only in school,
but even at home and at play.
What are some of the ways we,
as teachers, parents and role
models, can imbibe qualities
which will set the stage for
them?
1. Reading is always in:
Today’s world is ruled by
technology – and children
are the fastest learners.
However, excessive time spent
with technological gadgets
is often detrimental to other
activities. Inspiring children
to read (either physical books
or e-versions) is essential.
Books are a unique way to
gain knowledge, free the
imagination, strengthen
focus, build intelligence and
find the best company, to
name just a few. The list
of benefits which reading
affords is exhaustive, and
more so in the present milieu
where children are hooked to
games on gadgets, shows on
television and myriad apps on
mobile phones. Do not tire of
reiterating the importance of
the habit of reading. Go ahead
and suggest books good for
every age group.
2. Time outside is good for the
‘inside’: Fun play and activity
outdoors does wonders to
clear the mind, boost health
and promote overall growth.
It is scientifically proven that
physically active children
and teens may have fewer
symptoms of depression than
their peers. With the advent of
various indoor entertainment
options, children today tend
to choose them over going
outdoors for a game, a walk
or even time with friends
and family. Encourage (and
if needed, push) children to
refresh their mind and body
by spending time outdoors.
Jan/Feb 2017
Architects of the future
‘The future depends on what you do today,’ said Mahatma Gandhi.
This wise observation effectively summarizes the importance of
laying the right foundation, in the right way and at the right time,
for the world we want to see tomorrow.
Allocate time at school and
subsequently at home to
ensure your children get their
share of fresh air and physical
activity. A healthy body
definitely bodes a healthy
mind.
3. You become the company
you keep: Mentor children
in your purview on the
importance of finding the
best set of friends and also
about how to be one. The
circle of friends we build
has a huge impact on us,
right from our childhood.
Making healthy connections
and social networks is one
of the pillars for confidence
and belief in oneself, which is
essential in the growing years.
One’s friends circle becomes
the benchmark against
which children consciously
or unconsciously measure
themselves. And when this
peer group is the right one,
children recognize their own
strengths and thrive. Being
available for verbal and
nonverbal conversations sets
the stage for any wisdom
you may want to share. A
straightforward and honest
manner always works best
with children. Children
soon recognize whose
company makes them better
individuals and also helps
them grow.
4. Keeping an ‘open
door’approach: More
often than not, children
view adults as threats or as
disciplinarians and so tend
to shy away from them. They
would rather sort out their
problems by themselves or
take it to their peers, which
may not be really helpful in
resolution. Often, just having
a trusted confidante who
can gently guide and support
without impinging on their
space makes a big difference
in the decisions children
and young people make. As
teachers, parents, instructors
or support groups, we are in
that unique position.
5. Decide what you stand
for: The world view we
adopt when growing up is
more often than not, the
one we will carry through
our lives. Experiences and
circumstances may tweak
it around a little bit but
honestly we know that by
and large, those changes
are very minimal. Providing
an environment in which
children get to see our
values and beliefs helps them
understand the world we
live in better. It gives them a
chance to shape their minds
and align themselves to
what will become their core
belief system. Pick up any
opportunities you may have to
demonstrate what you stand
for. Encourage them to stay
aware and open.
6. Keep an eye open for
genius: Being intuitive
enough to recognize
extraordinary talent, gifts
and brilliance is a boon for
the children in your field of
influence, whether at school or
at home. If you see a spark, it
only takes a little confidence
and backing for it to fan out
into a flame. And be assured,
that the child or that bunch
of children will not fail you.
Once you are in the zone, it
will be easier to spot other
sparks and before you know
it, there’s a fire of growth
and change. Make sure to
www.progressiveteacher.in 43

encourage talent – whatever
it may be. Let children know
that no talent is too small
or too insignificant to be
developed and nurtured.
7. Make room for mistakes:
Often children suppress
themselves, their thoughts
or their actions because they
are afraid of failure. Our
environment by and large puts
a curb on learning through
making mistakes, with an
unrealistic pressure on
perfection. You can break that
misconception by being vocal
about and demonstrating that
it is okay to be wrong if it
means it will encourage the
child to correct that mistake.
Creating an atmosphere of
trust and encouragement
takes time, but it is well worth
the effort as you will see your
children grow, mature and
learn lessons which will take
them through life. The kind of
learning which comes from a
process of trial and error is
enduring!
8. Dreams are great for
direction: Children are
never too young to be
involved in an activity which
requires imagination and
resourcefulness. Steer their
minds towards planning and
envisaging what they see for
themselves, who they want to
be, how they want to impact
their immediate environment
and consequently the
world. Encourage such
conversations frequently,
giving them an opportunity
to think and expand the
horizons of their minds.
Having something definite
and visible to work towards
encourages children to
push themselves and keep
bettering their own efforts
and achievements. Dream
with a child and he or she
will never forget that!
Children demonstrate an
amazing ability to adapt
very quickly to stimuli in the
environment. They flourish in
environment which supports
them as they grow and learn and
will keep drawing from it. While
they are naturally resilient and
hardy, the impact of negative
influences is lasting. Much of
what our children imbibe comes
from us and honestly, it is
clear that the architects of the
future are really in our circle of
influence today.
poem
SMILE
Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like a flu.
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too!
I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realized,
I had passed it on to him.
I thought about that SMILE,
And then realized its worth.
A single smile just like mine,
Could travel around the Earth.
So if you feel a Smile begin,
Don’t simply abort it or leave it undetected,
Let’s start an epidemic
Deliberately!!!
And get the world Infected!
Keep the smile going by
Sending this to a friend,
Everybody needs a SMILE.
And believe me, you’ll not be,
Considered as fully dressed up,
Unless you’re wearing a SMILE!
–B.D.Bhargava
44 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

conclave @ LUCKNOW
Spirit of teaching unleashed
at The Progressive Teacher
Conclave in Lucknow
The northern chapter of The Progressive Teacher Conclave
2016 was held in Lucknow on the theme - Making a
Difference through School Education. Organised on
November 19, 2016, the content of the conclave consisted
of a keynote address by an eminent educationist, along
with two very interesting panel discussions. Hundreds of
delegates comprising teachers, principals, educationists,
school heads, among others thronged the event.
The onset of the conclave
was marked by a brief note
on S Chand Publishing,
the host of the event, and was
presented by K M Thomas,
Business Head of the group.
He mentioned that S Chand
Publishing is not just about
publishing books, but helping the
teaching fraternity to meet their
objectives. This publisher boasts
of more than 13,000 academic
book titles catering to 20 million
students. K M Thomas informed
the audience of some ‘fresh’
ventures of S Chand Publishing.
According to KM Thomas,
S.Chand Publishing helps
empower the teaching fraternity
through their books, among
which some worth mention are:
The Grammar Gate; Science
for IX and X by Lakhmir
Singh; Mathswiz; Maths Today
(Revised); New Computer
Series; ICSE History Civics;
New Atlas, and others. He
further mentioned that they
always look forward to building
closer and stronger association
with education service providers
who believe in taking learning
and education ahead.
In her welcome speech,
Rita Wilson, Editor of The
Progressive Teacher, started with
a famous quote from HG Wells,
‘Civilization is a race between
education and catastrophe’. Let
us learn the truth and spread
it as far and wide, for truth is
the greatest weapon we have.
Being a teacher for over the last
40 years Rita feels a high when
teaching. According to her the
wealth she has earned over the
years is not in terms of money
but goodwill of people and
relationships with the students.
‘Man doesn’t live by bread
alone’; one needs something
more to live by. As educationists,
we must understand the impact
of teaching and learning. People
fear globalization. We must teach
Dr Sunita Gandhi, Chief Academic Advisor,
City Montessori School (Lucknow)
our children the skills of the 21st
century like communication,
sustainability, collaboration, etc,’
conveyed Rita, quoting words of
Prof Richard Howard who said
schools must have clear idea of
what needs to be done—be it
from the appointment of best
teachers to improving children’s
learning skills.
Rita mentioned that teachers
are the greatest asset of schools
and humanity. ‘They (teachers)
are our hope for tomorrow;
they shape the future of our
children. We as teachers must
invest in ourselves to upgrade
the skills of our children, making
every moment they spend in
the classroom meaningful for
a bright tomorrow. The most
essential part of education is not
books, or school infrastructure or
principal, but the teachers,’ she
said.
In her keynote address,
Dr Sunita Gandhi, Chief
Academic Advisor, City
Montessori School (Lucknow)
spoke on the theme ‘Making
a Difference through School
Education’. She said, ‘There is
a world of potential in a child;
but we are not doing justice to
identify it, because we still use
those methods of teaching we
used in the 1990s. The difference
between incremental change and
paradigm shift is that between a
landline telephone and a mobile
phone. With the mobiles we have
come across incremental change
every year. But in terms of
education, no incremental change
has taken place over a period of
time.’
‘How old is the blackboard?’ Dr
Sunita asked. ‘200 years old, but
we still use it’, she said, adding
that the teaching methods are
outdated therefore no progress is
visible. She argued said changes
should be incremental and
progressive. Incremental change
is necessary and what we need
to change is a long list: teaching
front; assessments that judge;
preparing students for jobs that
do not exist; comparing students
with others; exam-to-exam
cycle; rushing through syllabus;
focus on whole class, but not
individual; old ways of teaching
(verbal, listening), among others.
As of now, the scenario is,
teachers are teaching content
and not skills. In this, she
further listed some areas
where incremental changes are
required, such as, too much
homework that has no impact;
late feedbacks; looking at the
imperfections only; assessing
children when they are not
ready; teaching system; delayed
extrinsic rewards and immediate
punishments.
When it came to finding out
which part affects the student’s
future the most, Dr Sunita
pointed out ‘teacher and other
staff; curriculum and assessment;
process. We are not learners
but we should be learners. A
teacher’s experience of twenty
years is of no use if one-year
experience is repeated 20 times,’
she explained, adding that
systems need to be changed.
Everybody should think about it.
She asserted, it is very well said
by Albert Einstein: Insanity is
doing the same thing again and
again and expecting different
results. We must do things
differently to achieve different
results. Trust and motivation are
lacking; love and care is missing.
Four building blocks of
education, according to
Dr Sunita, are Universal
Values, Global understanding,
Excellence in All and Service to
Humanity. She said that schools
must be the lighthouse to society
where standards must be both
set and met.
46 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Panel Discussion 1: ‘Education for Living or Education for Life’
Moderator: Lt Col (Retd) A Sekhar,
Principal, Atul Vidyalaya, Gujarat
Speakers:
• CA McFarland- Principal, La
Martiniere School, Lucknow
• Punita Nehru- Principal, Sri Satya
Sai School, Indore
• Aditya Nath Mubayi- Author and
Quizmaster
CA McFarland, Aditya Nath Mubayi, Lt Col (Retd) A Sekhar, , Punita Nehru
At the opening of the Panel 1
Discussion on the topic ‘Education
for Living or Education for Life’,
C A McFarland, Principal of La
Martiniere School (Lucknow)
said – what are we doing in
schools? We ask our children to
study for ten hours a day. When
will they dream? Give them
the freedom to dream. Sitting
and talking doesn’t make any
sense if we still complain of 60
percent marks as student score.
Character building is not about
praying to all the gods of diverse
communities. It should be sports
and all co-curricular activities.
Earlier marathons were held and
even those who came last were
appreciated. Whether a child
stands alone or with a team,
what’s the difference? We are
holding on to something that is
rapidly decaying. It’s time for
arbitration, he explained.
‘Where is our parenting? Are
we fit to be parents?’- to these
questions, C A McFarland replied
that education for a living for a
child is very important. If you
and I are fit to do the job for
which we get paid that is what
matters. In the context, Lt Col
(Retd) A Sekhar, Principal, Atul
Vidyalaya (Gujarat) said, children
have to learn, re-learn which is
not good. In some places, it’s a
crime to let children study after
10:30 at night. He took up the
example of Abraham Lincoln
who failed everywhere, but
became the role model of Barack
Obama today. It’s not only IQ,
but being a good human that is
important, he explained.
The second speaker at the
session, Aditya Nath, who
talked about difference between
knowledge and information,
stated that something could
be ‘information’, but giving
reasons for that is ‘knowledge’.
Nothing can be taught, it can
be learnt through the inner self,
he asserted. According to him,
a teacher’s role is to make sure
that children learn. No man is
an island; you have to better
yourself if you want to live in a
better society, he urged.
Punita Nehru, Principal, Sri
Satya Sai School (Indore)
shared, when somebody asks me
‘how should I be referred to’, the
answer is – ‘24x7 educator’. For
most women, I am a mother first
then a daughter-in-law, then a
wife and a teacher in spare time.
But first I am a teacher, then a
mother. What is education? What
is its purpose? What we pursue
is correct or not? Answering
these crucial questions, Punita
said the system is hypocritical;
we talk and continue to do
wrong. We equate education with
academics—that’s not right. The
percentage-based admissions
are taken and the rest are
rejected. Till we continue to do
that we will suffer. Knowledge is
imparted but it changes, what
we read in books changes. But
what is fact is not changeable.
Education for life has an
education for living in it,
she stated.
In her success mantra, Punita
mentioned that success stories
come from average people,
therefore we need to bring the
changes that would change the
mindsets of parents as well
as change the policies and
there is need for educators to
change themselves too. Future
generations are ahead of us so
they must be set free to follow
their dreams. Unity in diversity
should be the aim, she explained,
adding, we nurture children,
but love should be practiced. If
you love your children, it can do
wonders. Encourage, motivate,
love. Mindset of teachers must
be changed; monotonous way of
teaching should be stopped. You
don’t get success with IQ, you
need EQ + IQ, she said.
Jan/Feb 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 47

Panel Discussion 2: ‘Value Systems in The Changing Educational Scenario’
Moderator: Virendra Kapoor,
founder, Orange Ivy Play Schools, Pune
Speakers:
• Dr Krishna Gupta- Director,
Patanjali Group of Institutions,
Allahabad
• Susmita Basu- HOD at Quality
Assurance and Innovations
Department (QAID), City
Montessori School (CMS),
Lucknow
• Rita Wilson- Editor, The
Progressive Teacher, New Delhi
Topic for the Second Panel
Discussion was ‘Value Systems
in The Changing Educational
Scenario’. In this session,
panelists discussed things that
revolved around ‘what is taught
in PG should be taught in KG’.
The Moderator Virendra Kapoor
said we are bound as teachers;
we must give importance to
small things. Punctuality and
sense of responsibility should be
the hallmark of teachers. There
is urgent need to change the
current scenario where dishonest
people are rewarded, but honest
people suffer. Instead of saving
Virendra Kapoor, Dr Krishna Gupta, Susmita Basu, Rita Wilson
tigers, we should save the honest
man. Values can be taught in
schools. Narayan Murthi, Ratan
Tata, Asim Premji are good
examples of it. Parents play a
very important role in making
a child a bright student. But
we don’t want to change. Only
paying fee to the school does not
make a horse out of a donkey.
Workshops for parents should
be conducted, he appealed to
schools.
Dr Krishna Gupta said teachers
are silent workers behind the
child; education must become
flexible and it must generate
innovative skills. There is a
negative impact also of change
these days. Many things bring
positivity, but certain things bring
negativity, she explained. Further
talking about the negative
impact of science and technology,
Krishna Gupta said it has
increased disparities, widening
the gap between the poor and
the rich. At the individual
level, erosion of values leads to
helplessness and alienation. Crisis
of values is a crisis of education;
science and technology must be
integrated with values, she stated.
What is value education?
According to Krishna Gupta it
is deep concern for others, love,
kindness and helping others.
Value education is the urgent
need of the 21st century. The
gap between materialistic and
value-based education systems
is widening. We must develop
a system where the whole
world gets educated. Children
learn self-esteem, learn about
aesthetics. Besides academics,
human learning is also important,
she explained.
Susmita Basu, Head, Quality
Assurance and Innovations
Department (QAID), City
Montessori School (CMS),
said values cannot be taught,
they must be caught. The basic
philosophy is that ‘what is caught
cannot be taught’. In this respect,
the whole community should be
changed. Only then change can
be brought about, she explained.
Picking up the famous quote
from Mahatma Gandhi—‘Want
to bring the change, be the
change’ - Susmita urged everyone
to head towards a new direction
of change.
Sharing her view on value
systems, Rita Wilson, editor,
The Progressive Teacher (New
Delhi) said the entire enterprise
of education is linked with values
and these values are integral to
human beings. Teachers should
nurture students to become true
human beings by inculcating
values in their teaching in the
classroom. From the ecological
perspective, a child is educated
by the entire environment
in which it grows and that
environment is determined
equally by the parents, teachers
and the society around. The
kind of individual we produce
in turn determines the kind of
society we live in. If we produce
individuals who are self-centred,
aggressive, competitive and
greedy, we cannot have a society
that is non-violent, peaceful,
cooperative and harmonious.
Education is the main agency
for individual transformation
and social change. It is not
possible to bring fundamental
transformation in society unless
the individual is transformed. The
kind of education we provide to
our children will have a bearing
on the values of the society.
The Conclave ended with a vote
of thanks proposed by Himanshu
Gupta, MD, S Chand & Co.
48 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

event
Exhibition - The Joy of Learning
Salwan Public School
Mayur Vihar is committed
to empower the children
and faculty with the best
practices in education followed
the world over in collaboration
with The Reggio Emilia Institute
for Early Childhood, Italy. The
Reggio philosophy is being
practiced in our early childhood
classrooms for more than two
decades.
The school organized an
exhibition on Early Childhood
Education – ‘The Joy of
Learning’ at Indira Gandhi
National Centre for the Arts,
Man Singh Road Delhi. His
Excellency, the Ambassador of
Italy, Mr Lorenzo Angeloni, and
Mr Harpal Singh, Chairman
(Emeritus) Fortis Healthcare
inaugurated the exhibition on
17th December. Various eminent
educationists, school principals,
administrators and educators
across India also graced the
inaugural ceremony with their
benign presence. His Excellency
appreciated the effort put by the
institution and Reggio Emilia
for more than two decades
towards research in the field of
Early Childhood Education. Mr
Harpal Singh in his address laid
stress on cross cultural links for
the growth of education and the
need to respect the differences in
society. This exhibition showcased
through panels and models the
vivid expressions of the young
minds as they progress towards
wholesome learning, having
adopted the Hands-on–Approach.
The need of the hour is to
contribute to two paradigm
shifts: first, the shift towards
recognizing the period of early
childhood as an essential
development period, during
which children benefit greatly
from receiving developmentally
appropriate education and
second, the shift from didactic to
child-centred joyful learning in
early childhood.
The approach of mixed and
inclusive classrooms as practiced
by countries like Finland, Sweden
and Denmark should be emulated
in our classrooms too, to help
improve our learning outcomes.
information
Launch of mobile learning apps for
Cambridge English exams–
TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) and Linguaskill on the Flinnt technology platform
Cambridge English Language
Assessment (part of the
University of Cambridge)
through their exams partner,
Concepts Edu has launched
mobile/online learning apps for
the TKT (Teaching Knowledge
Test) and the Linguaskill exams
on their Flinnt technology
platform.
TKT is a flexible series of modular
teaching qualifications which test
one’s knowledge in specific areas
of English language teaching. It
is ideal for all teachers who want
to prove their teaching knowledge
with an internationally recognised
certificate. Linguaskill is the
new, affordable online test
from Cambridge English. It
provides a true picture of
English reading and listening
skills – delivered instantly and
conveniently. Institutions can
choose Linguaskil to ensure that
their students meet course exit
requirements while Corporate
organisations can assess their job
applicants quickly and fairly or
measure the outcomes of their
training programmes.
Institutions can register their
candidates for these exams
online through https://learn.
flinnt.com/tkt/ and https://learn.
flinnt.com/linguaskill/ and once
registered, the candidates receive
the respective learning apps free.
These apps can be accessed both
through PC online or through
mobile devices.
Talking about this, Guy Nicholson,
Director of Operations -
Cambridge English Language
Assessment said, ‘We are moving
to new modes of teaching and
learning all the time. The learning
apps for Linguaskill and TKT
exams reflect this constant shift,
as the candidates, whether they
are teachers for TKT, or students
for Linguaskill, will benefit greatly
as these tests are flexible and
deliver a very approachable exam
experience.’
TK Arunachalam, Regional
Director - South Asia, Cambridge
English Language Assessment,
said, ‘This is a very exciting time
for us in Cambridge English. We
are looking forward to making
great strides with the launch of
the learning apps for our TKT and
Linguaskill exams. These learning
apps are being introduced at
a very opportune moment, as
we live in a digitally connected
world. All the learning content is
available at the swipe of a touch
screen and accessible anywhere.’
Harish Iyer, Co-Founder & CEO,
Flinnt said that the Cambridge
TKT and Linguaskill apps on
Flinnt would add a lot of value
to the 600,000+ learners and
18,000+ educators already using
the Flinnt platform.
50 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

information
Make a movie, win a
trip to Australia
Video competition for students to
compete for a study trip to Australia
Students from schools across India will have the opportunity
to win a study trip to a leading Australian university by
participating in the A2Oz India Schools Video Competition
2016. School students based out of Chennai region are invited to
display their creativity and seize a chance of visiting well-known
Australian Universities.
Organised by The Australian Trade and Investment Commission,
Australian Government and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE),
the competition is open to students from grades 9 to 11 from schools
across India. Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) is an in-depth,
high-level qualification offered by Cambridge English Language
Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge.
The 3rd edition of the annual A2Oz India Schools Video Competition
allows students to explore next generation fields of study in areas
of growing career opportunity. The competition involves production
of short films by students around the themes of aerospace,
nanotechnology, earth sciences, story-telling through dance and
construction management.
The winning teams for all the five themes will have the opportunity
to participate in a study programme in University of Sydney, RMIT,
Australian National University, Macquarie University and University
of Southern Queensland. This would also include return flight tickets
from India to Australia, for two students and an accompanying
teacher, accommodation, and other travel and living expenses in
Australia for the study programme.
The competition is sponsored by University of Sydney, RMIT,
Australian National University, Macquarie University, University
of Southern Queensland, Urbanest, Allianz Worldwide Partners
and Credila.
The students will be provided background information on the themes
by the participating Australian universities and schools can nominate
a team for each of the five themes and each team can have minimum
of two students and one teacher.
Registration for the competition commences on 9 November 2016
and the submission of competition video entries is between 15 to 25
February 2017.
Technical sessions on video production will be conducted for schools
and students across India participating in the competition in
December 2016. The sessions will feature Australian experts who will
train the participants on film-making and production.
The 2nd edition of the competition, held in 2015-2016, attracted
380 schools from across India and featured winners from Seedling
Public School, Jaipur; Carmel Junior School, Jamshedpur and Vaels
International School, Chennai. The winning schools travelled to Bond
University, Curtin University, Charles Darwin University, James Cook
University between April to July 2016 to experience life in Australian
Universities.
For more information on participating in the competition,
please visit www.a2oz.org or contact Neha Grover at the Australian
Trade and Investment Commission at 011-45756213
or e-mail to neha.grover@austrade.gov.au
Jan/Feb 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 51

conclave @ hyderabad
Another chapter of The
Progressive Teacher
Conclave, was held
at Hyderabad, the ‘City of
Nawabs’. The event was hosted
by New Saraswati House India
Pvt. Ltd. on Saturday, 10th
December, 2016 at the ITC Hotel
Kakatiya, Begumpet, Hyderabad.
As always, the hall was full of
enthusiastic teachers, principals
and other educationists. The
session started with a welcome
note by Ms Jyoti Nanda, the
Publishing Head along with
a beautiful introduction about
Hyderabad, the City of Nawabs.
Mrs Rita Wilson, Editor in
chief,The Progressive Teacher
Magazine took over the stage
and briefed the audience about
her 40 years wonderful journey
in education. She expressed
her emotions as a teacher that
even after spending so many
years in teaching, she still
gets a high after teaching.
She was overwhelmed while
sharing the kind of satisfaction
and happiness she feels after
teaching. Mrs Wilson spoke
about the changing role of a
teacher to a facilitator and
a learner. According to her, it
is not the infrastructure that
is important; in fact it is the
teacher who is important. A
good teacher will always keep
learning new strategies to teach
in a better way. Mrs Rita thanked
the MD of S Chand Group,
Mr Himanshu Gupta for his
support in always facilitating
and executing innovative ideas in
education as a publisher.
Ms Jyoti Nanda welcomed Dr
Prabhat Kaushik, Director
General, Zee Learn for the
Keynote Address. Dr Prabhat
Kaushik is a renowned
institutional strategist and an
educationist who pioneered
a wide range of innovations
for gifted underachievers in
education. He started the keynote
address by sharing that he
was not an outstanding student
as a child; rather he was a
student who was always asked to
stand outside the class because
of his over inquisitive nature. He
expressed the reality that our
Dr Prabhat Kaushik, Director General,
Zee Learn
current education system does
not have answers to many of
the questions. He spoke about
a question raised by a student
that why do we have to learn
the alphabet in a particular
order and not just in any
sequence. He emphasized that
our education policy is confusing
and answerless. According to
him, failing a child is murdering a
child and he had set examples by
having a no fail system at many
of the institutions he worked in.
He believes that teachers have
to find ways to make students
understand rather than giving
them a pass or fail tag. He also
shared a number of examples
where he actually brought about
revolutionary changes, a few of
such examples were:
• Laying more emphasis on
basic English language skills
before going forward to any
other subject like Social
Studies, Science, etc. because
all these subjects are taught
in English. If students have
command over the English
language, they will be able to
understand the other subjects
as well. (Block Teaching)
• Discontinued working with
experienced teachers and
created a team of people who
had never taught; trained
them in his own way for a few
months and brought about
excellent results. (Syndicate
Working)
• His thinks learning stops
in the classroom so he
initiated learning outside
the classroom. According
Conclave @ Hyderabad
10th December, 2016-New Saraswati House
MD of S Chand Group, Mr Himanshu Gupta welcomed
Dr Prabhat Kaushik, Director General, Zee Learn
Ms Jyoti Nanda, Publishing Head,
New Saraswati House
to him, it is not the teacher,
it is the student who can
make the difference so one
should focus on the student
and give him/her enough
opportunities to show his/
her calibre. To illustrate this
thought he shared an amazing
video- TOI- Lead India Tree:
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=JR8i9p3pcPg
Dr Prabhat also shared the irony
behind school teaching that
children are forced to learn so
much under pressure that they
just cram things without any
actual logic and many times
during this process students find
shortcuts or wrong means to just
clear the examination. Also, many
times the teachers are under
pressure from the Principal
Mrs Rita Wilson, Editor in chief,
The Progressive Teacher Magazine
and they resort to actions
that are not right in respect to
students. These observations and
thoughts were demonstrated
through another interesting
video. Dr Prabhat emphasised
that teachers should be flexible
enough to unlearn what they
learnt decades ago and adapt
themselves to learn the new
trends in education. Dr Prabhat
suggested that whatever project
work is given to students as
homework should be covered in
class rather than just giving them
as a copy and paste activity from
Google at home. According to Dr
Prabhat, the learning objectives
and outcomes are not clearly
defined in our present education
system, and teachers should first
know the teaching objectives
before practicing teaching. This
session was followed by a number
of questions from the audience
which Dr Prabhat answered. Mr
Himanshu Gupta, MD, S. Chand
Group honoured Dr Prabhat
with a token of appreciation for
sharing his wonderful thoughts.
With many enthusiastic
participants in the event, the
event now progressed towards
Panel Discussions.
52 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Panel Discussion 1: Creating a Responsive Classroom
through Collaborative Learning
Moderator: Lt Col (Retd) A. Sekhar
Principal Atul Vidyalaya, Atul
Speakers
• Ms Amritha Chandra Raju-
English HOD, The Hyderabad
Public School, Begumpet,
Hyderabad
• Ms Rani- Academic Director,
Ravindra Bharathi Global School,
Hyderabad
• Ms Jayanthi Venkataraman-
Principal, Sister Nivedita School,
Hyderabad
Lt Col (Retd) A. Sekhar made
an interesting start of the topic
with a number of practical and
real life examples. He shared a
few instances of some wonderful
teachers who experimented
with unique strategies to teach
students and were amongst the
award winning teachers. He
emphasised that we do not need
to necessarily force children to
learn in our way, rather we can
experiment with unique
and different ways to make
learning joyful.
Ms Amritha Chandra Raju
said she likes to be introduced
as a student of English language
rather than a teacher, because to
her, learning never stops and a
teacher is a constant learner. She
feels that we are all the products
of the traditional classroom and
should try to update ourselves
wherever possible. We should
celebrate the spirit of teaching
rather than discussing what
we cannot do in the present
circumstances. According to her,
we should create an environment
of collaborative learning in class
and try our best to find out ways
how it can be done. To this Col
Sekhar added that collaborative
learning need not necessarily
follow digitization; rather it is
Jan/Feb 2017
Ms Rani , Lt Col (Retd) A. Sekhar, Ms Amritha Chandra Raju and Ms Jayanthi Venkataraman
as simple as the collaboration
between the mother and the
father to bring up their babies;
we have to find out ways to make
collaborative learning happen in
the modern classroom.
Ms Rani believes that different
children possess different skills
and abilities and they should be
put together in heterogeneous
groups. For example to create a
project in SST on pollution, if we
have children from heterogeneous
groups then children can come up
with a variety of ideas. According
to Ms Rani, 95% of learning
takes place automatically during
collaborative learning. Teachers
only give collaborative learning a
formal shape.
Ms Jayanthi Venkataraman
believes that teachers need to
create a healthy environment
to make collaborative learning
possible. She shared a very
practical classroom example
that whenever we as teachers ask
students, have they understood
the concept, the immediate
response from the students
is the nodding of their heads
expressing that they have
understood everything, but,
actually it’s is not the truth
in all the cases. There are a
number of students who have
not understood anything but still
they just nod their heads. So to
enable collaborative learning, the
relationship between student and
the teacher is very important.
The first panel discussion
was very interactive and the
Business Head of New Saraswati House,
Mr Shammi Manik
audience was asked to share the
challenges with collaborative
learning in practical classroom
teaching. The audience raised a
number of questions like what
is the practical possibility of
having collaborative learning
in the classroom; how to tackle
the noise in the classroom
while practicing collaborative
learning? It was suggested that
teachers be patient and keep
trying their best to achieve
results and spend more time with
children to get the desired results
out of collaborative learning.
Ms Amritha Chandra mentioned
that the Principals and the
teachers should be re-invigorated
to deal with the 21st century
students to get effective results.
The panelists summarised the
discussion by concluding that
collaborative learning needs to
be designed very carefully; it has
to be meticulously structured
before taking it to the classroom
for effective learning. The
panelists were presented tokens
of appreciation at the end.
After the first panel discussion,
the Business Head of New
Saraswati House, Mr Shammi
Manik made a presentation on
the role of educational publishers
in the current education system.
Mr Manik spoke about the
contribution by New Saraswati
House to the schools in terms
of user friendly and updated
books both for CBSE and ICSE,
digital content in the form of
CDs with a number of series,
enabling multidisciplinary
approach through various study
material and support system
through empowering teachers
by conducting workshops. Mr
Shammi Manik showcased a
number of new titles launched
last year for ELT, Maths and
Science by the organisation like
The English Route, The English
Treasure, The Science Hub, etc.
through his presentation. He
also spoke about Sampurana
Telugu Grammar and Telugu
Sankalapam and Saras Hindi.
Later, there were new product
launches which included:
• Tippy Tippy Tap- Pre
Primary series launched
by Mr Murli Dhar Jhawar,
Director, ALPAKS Schools
• Connections- Social Studies
series launched by Ms
Padma, Primary Academic
Director, Chaitanya Group
• Semester Plus- a semester
series launched by
Mr Sanjeev Rao, Head,
School Programme,
Podami Group of Schools
and Mrs Rita Wilson.
www.progressiveteacher.in 53

Panel Discussion 2: Critical Thinking for the
21st Century in Your Classroom
Moderator: Mr T. Sathish Kumar
CEO of Little Sparks Global
School, Hyderabad
Speakers:
• Ms K. Lakshmi Rao- Academic
Director, Jain International Group
of Schools, Hyderababd
• Ms Raghu Kumari Kolli-
Executive Director, Akshara Group
of Schools, Hyderabad
• Mr Prem Shankar Dubey-
Principal and Correspondent,
Shanthiniketan Group of Schools,
Hyderabad
Mr T. Sathish Kumar aroused
the interest of the audience
by relating a very appealing
anecdote about a father and
son regarding critical thinking.
Thus, he brought to fore the fact
that stories are an excellent
medium for teaching and ‘if you
put the man right, the world
becomes right’.
Mr T. Sathish Kumar, Ms K. Lakshmi Rao, Ms Raghu Kumari Kolli, Mr Prem Shankar Dubey
Ms K. Lakshmi Rao considers
critical thinking as a child’s
ability to distinguish between
truth and falsehood. To her,
critical thinking is related to a
child’s intellectual levels. She
also believes that a teacher needs
to unlearn and get prepared for
the new things to be in sync with
the students of the present times.
The teacher should not be just
the information provider rather
should be proactive to trigger the
thought processes of the child.
According to Ms K. Lakshmi
there are a number of stages in
the thinking process of the child
in which he/she is involved as an
ignorant beginner, a practitioner,
an advance learner and a master.
Ms Raghu Kumari Kolli felt
that critical thinking in the life
of a child starts from the very
morning in his day to day actions.
Critical thinking enables students
to make critical decisions. To
her, collaborative learning and
critical thinking should go hand
in hand. To facilitate critical
thinking, the facilitator should
encourage children to think
beyond the curriculum. Teachers
should involve students in brain
tickling exercises and activities
to bring out the critical thinking
skills in them.
Mr Prem Shankar Dubey
spoke about the four C’s in the
process of learning ie Creativity,
Collaboration, Communication
and Critical Thinking. According
to Mr Dubey, if the child is not
able to understand the concept
taught, then the methodology is
of no use. He emphasised that
children should be given enough
freedom to raise questions and
teachers should resolve all the
issues and queries raised by the
students. Mr Dubey felt that the
child can be involved inside and
outside the classroom. Teaching
should be effective so that
children are able to relate to it.
He concluded by saying ‘how you
say matters more than what you
say’.
After the discussion amongst the
panelists, there were interesting
questions raised by the audience.
A few of the questions were -
How far are we killing critical
thinking when we focus on
digitization and smart classes.
The panelists responded that we
have to maintain an appropriate
balance between the two. There
were more questions like all
students are not same so how
to cope with students with
different abilities. The answer
was different learning styles have
to be used with children with
different capabilities.
Mr Sathish summarised the
session through a number of
interesting stories based on the
prevailing topic in his own special
way that was appreciated by
everyone present. The panelists
were presented tokens of
appreciation.
As a whole the entire session was
very well organised by the Sales
Team of New Saraswati House
at Hyderabad headed by Mr G
Hariharan and the Marketing
Head, Dr Nisha Singh. It was
an interactive and knowledgeable
session with everyone looking
forward to more such events. Mr
Himanshu Gupta thanked all the
participants whole-heartedly for
their meaningful contribution in
making the event a success.
54 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

social science
–Dr R Kishore Kumar
The world including India
allocates sufficient budget,
spends human energy and
invests on 200 plus working
days of an academic year on the
most precious members of our
society, our future, the children
aged five years to eighteen years
in schools. We are not sure what
really happens in the Indian
school classrooms. There is no
well-defined ‘academic audit’
to establish the outcome of
such magnitude of work done
both in the government sector
and in private institutions. To
my understanding, schools are
sacred institutions wherein
the seeds of our country are
sown, to be irrigated, nurtured
and grown to provide the most
important ‘human resources’ of
future India. Are these seeds well
handled, thoughtfully processed
in all spheres of knowledge and
intellectual growth? And most
crucially, are these seeds well
treated and facilitated with the
appropriate inputs to nourish
them well in the domain of
‘social science’ as we find that
this subject alone connects the
growing youth to the roots of
our soil. Don’t we have sufficient
reason in today’s global scenario
to look into the curriculum of
India’s social science (taught as
one of the basic subjects from
class one to ten) more closely/
carefully under the lens of
modern global India!
The aim, purpose and function
of schooling is to educate our
children for the future and the
focus is making them learn for
life. According to T P Nunn,
‘Education is the complete
development of the individuality
of the child so that he can
make an original contribution
to human life according to the
best of his capacity’. Educators,
all the stake holders of a school
particularly the curriculum
designers, heads of schools,
professional teachers and
even the parents should think
about the quality of education,
curriculum, the content, the
learning objectives and the
process of schooling that
happens in our classrooms in
all our schools. They should
analyse, assess and ascertain the
purpose which is served in the
portals of school education. It
cannot be denied that in most
schools we prepare students
only for the class / school /
public examination ignoring
the fact that each child needs
to be prepared for the most
difficult examination called
Jan/Feb 2017
SOCIAL SCIENCE
To Sensitise Young Minds
Deeper understanding of social science together
with knowledge of the contemporary world and
that of yesterday will enable our young students to
lead a well-balanced social life that will eradicate
caste discrimination, religious fanaticism and social
barriers, and empower them to work towards the
betterment of our society.
life. Even the most important
elements of aesthetic education
like art & craft, music, lifeskills
and value education are
presented to the children with
the help of bookish knowledge
without realising the essence
of inclusion of such subjects
in the totality of providing a
comprehensive education. Every
person, by nature, is different
from others. The chief purpose of
education would be to produce
good citizens through the
implementation of education.
Man is a social being. He cannot
live apart from society and so it
should be the foremost aim of
Dr R Kishore Kumar’s educational
career spanning from schooling with
CBSE curriculum to the award of a
Doctoral Degree in Education by The
City University, Los Angeles, USA
serves as an inexhaustible resource
for his multi -faceted contribution to
Schooling.
His professional career has spanned
from being a teacher of Biology to blossoming into
an Eduprenuer and his professional understanding is
unique. His wide experience and expertise enabled him
to establish and evolve quality institutions – St John’s
International Residential School, St John’s Academy
(Residential) and St John’s Public School, widely acclaimed
for their academic excellence and social relevance.
He is the recipient of many prestigious awards of
which the most significant are: National Award for
Computer Literacy Excellence for Tamil Nadu (2003),
Science Popularization Award by the Tamil Nadu State
Government for Science and Technology (2000), Best
Principal Award (1998) by NIIT, Chennai and The Times
of India –Edupreneur Award (2014).
education to inculcate a sense of
social understanding in the child;
to enable him to enjoy the various
attributes of life and utilise
his own innate power for the
benefit of others. Thus, schools
should assume wider functions
and definitely set themselves the
task of creating and fostering a
sense of obligation and loyalty
to the society by apprising the
student community of the needs
of the society. In the current
times when a lot of importance is
given to the learning of sciences,
technology and mathematics,
adequate attention should
be given to enlightening the
upcoming learning community
to the environmental and social
sciences as their content provides
the most important structures of
realistic education necessary to
develop a socially, economically,
politically and environmentally
conscious democratic society.
The study of social science brings
to the fore its significance and
relevance to their lives, life-style,
to their own families, to the
society and the community they
live in. The vital social issues,
problems and concerns of the
society should be understood by
the students as per their age,
more than merely studying the
content to answer the questions
from their text books. The
syllabus of social science should
be revisited and rewritten to
suit the minds of today’s young
learners who are not keen to
study old history but to write
a new history in today’s global
perspective.
Even our evaluation pattern
with respect to social science
should be re-defined so that
our young learners shift from
rote-learning to real-learning.
The syllabus should include
financial literacy programmes
and social leadership. The
classroom dynamics should
include discussion, debates,
dialogue, case studies and panel
discussions.
Deeper understanding of social
science together with knowledge
of the contemporary world and
that of yesterday will enable our
young students to lead a wellbalanced
social life that will
eradicate caste discrimination,
religious fanaticism and social
barriers and empower them to
work towards the betterment of
our society.
www.progressiveteacher.in 55

Fiction
Reading
for students
• Reading is the basic foundation
on which academic skills of an
individual are built.
• Reading doesn’t just enhance the
child’s ability to comprehend various
concepts with ease, but also develops
critical thinking skills.
• Reading helps in mental development
and is known to stimulate the muscles
of the eyes.
• Reading is an activity that involves
greater levels of concentration and
adds to the conversational skills of
the reader.
• Reading is the single most important
skill necessary for a happy, productive
and successful life.
Reading …
In these busy times, when we don’t
even have time to eat breakfast, it isn’t
surprising that we have given up on
reading ... or rather we have forgotten
the importance of reading. Reading is the
basic foundation on which academic skills
of an individual are built. Our education
system acknowledges the fact that reading
is important for the holistic development of
a student, and hence ‘it’ is considered a top
priority. Reading doesn’t just enhance the
child’s ability to comprehend various concepts
with ease, but also develops critical thinking
skills.
Educational researchers have found that
there is a strong correlation between
reading and academic success. Reading
helps in mental development and is
known to stimulate the muscles of the
eyes. Reading is an activity that involves
greater levels of concentration and adds
to the conversational skills of the reader.
It consistently enhances the knowledge
acquired. Reading is the single most
important skill necessary for a happy,
productive and successful life. A child who
is an excellent reader is a confident child,
has a high level of self-esteem and is able
to easily make the transition from learning
to read to reading to learn. Learning to read
well is an essential life skill that teachers
must ensure that their students acquire. So
if you want your students to be successful
encourage them to read.
I am sure that this list would be of interest to
your students.
–Editor
56 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Jan/Feb 2017
www.progressiveteacher.in 57

parenting
Parenting Tips
to Help your Child be Independent
Between four to five years is a great age to train preschoolers to be
independent as they enjoy doing things like their mummy and daddy.
Though there is no doubt that preschoolers need plenty of parental
help, they can still do much more than many of us imagine. So the
earlier we start training our preschoolers, the better and easier it
would be.
–Shelly Wadhwa
While it is true that
there is no right or
wrong method of good
parenting, a few parenting tips
can go a long way in helping your
child to become an independent
and confident youngster.
As a preschool teacher who has
taught 4-5 year olds for more
than 15 years, I offer some
suggestions that you may choose
to consider to make your children
more independent and selfreliant.
1. Assign a task– As parents
we like to do everything for
our children, thus making
them dependent on us. Give
responsibility by assigning
small tasks such as putting
their toys/books/crayons in
place, carry their bags and
water bottle to school. ‘I can
do it’ tasks will build their
confidence in the long run.
2. Don’t look for perfection–
Try not to redo the task
your child has done. Forget
perfection and accept that
he/ she can’t do the task as
flawlessly as you can. So
remember to reassure your
little ones that their efforts
are praiseworthy and it is
okay to make mistakes, as
long as they continue trying.
3. Set expectations- In school,
preschoolers are expected
to do their work – to keep
their books/notebooks in their
bag, spread their mats/wear
aprons and feed themselves.
If parents raise the bar of
expectations, their children
will happily meet those
expectations.
4. Let them try to solve their
simple problems– Narrate
social stories with open ended
questions and encourage your
child’s problem solving skills
by asking if he/she can come
up with a solution. Also, don’t
rush in to solve minor issues
when they arise. Instead,
encourage your child to take
his/her own decisions. You
may offer them options A and
B. At first your children may
not make the right choice, but
eventually they will, because
the wrong choice will not get
them what they want.
5. Reward /Praise–
Appreciating preschoolers for
doing small tasks brings them
closer to ‘being independent’.
Avoid offering them incentives
for everyday jobs. Do not
bribe them either. Instead
reward them in proportion to
the desired behaviour.
6. Clean Your Own Mess– Let
the children learn to clean
their own mess, be it in their
Shelly Wadhwa is
a student focused,
warm and friendly
Preschool Teacher
with more than 15
years of experience
in teaching 4-5 year
olds. She regularly
liaises with parents
to provide tips on
different concerns
related to children.
She has taught in
different schools but
has spent most of
her teaching career
in Mount Carmel
Junior School, Delhi
where she is presently
teaching.
own room, at the dining table
or writing on the wall.
7. You Can Do It– Identify
opportunities and make a list
of things which they can do on
their own.
8. Patience –Finally, as parents
we need a lot of patience to
watch them do things on their
own. Do not give in to the
temptation of enjoying peace
and quiet for a few moments
by encouraging dependence
every day. Instead, while it
may take time for children to
form a habit of doing things
by themselves, when they do,
it gives a boost to their selfesteem.
‘I did it all by myself’, is so
worth waiting for.
Reading aloud with children is known
to be the single most important
activity for building the knowledge
and skills they will eventually require
for learning to read.’
58 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

Impression Management
–PV Satya Ramesh
Based on their past experience, recruiters
often decide to be careful while
recruiting teachers for the new session.
However, it is not very easy to decide whether
or not we have chosen the right candidate.
Why? It is because in the process of choosing
the best candidate, sometimes recruiters
too become biased without their knowledge
which social psychologists refer to as ‘Halo
Effect’. The halo effect is a specific type of
confirmation bias, wherein positive feelings in
one area cause ambiguous or neutral traits to
be viewed positively.
Most of the job applicants too, strongly
desire to make a favourable impression on
the recruiters who would be meeting them
for the first time. Social psychologists use
the term impression management (or selfpresentation)
to describe these efforts to
make a good impression on others. The results
of their research on this process suggest
that it is well worth the effort: People who
perform impression management successfully
do often gain important advantages in many
situations.
‣ What tactics do people use to create
favourable impressions on others?
‣ Which work best?
‣ Is impression management related to
subsequent behaviour in social or work
situations?
While individuals use many different
techniques for boosting their image, most
of these fall into two major categories:
self-enhancement and other-enhancement
described in the table.
Does Impression Management
Work?
In a meta-analysis, Barrick, Shaffer and
DeGrassi (2009) examined the results of
dozens of studies concerned with the tactics
and success of impression management.
These studies were primarily concerned with
the use of impression management tactics
in job interview, and results indicated that
in this respect, impression management is
often very successful. The greater the extent
to which job applicants used various tactics
of impression management, the higher the
ratings they received from the interviewers –
and so the more likely they were to be hired.
This was especially true when interviews were
open-ended rather than carefully structured,
but overall there was clear evidence that
using both self-enhancement and otherenhancement
tactics was beneficial to job
applicants; these tactics did succeed in
TEACHER RECRUITMENT
IN SCHOOLS
Every year starting from November till April or May, we come
across a number of advertisements in various newspapers
for recruitment of teachers. This is the time when some of
the teachers make up their mind to leave the organisation
in the next academic session and also the time when school
managements start working on their staff requirement for
the new session keeping in mind the performance appraisal
of the existing staff. In this regard each school has its
own criteria for recruiting teachers be it with reference to
qualifications or experience.
raising their evaluations in the interviews.
‣ What happens after people who use
impression management successfully,
are hired?
‣ Do they actually turn out to be
excellent employees?
There are some grounds for predicting that
this would be true. People who use impression
management tactics successfully may be
higher in social skills than people who don’t.
As a result, after they are hired, they may
get along better with others, and can help
Self-enhancement
Efforts to increase their appeal to others.
Specific strategies include efforts to boost one’s appearance
– either physical or professional. Physical appearance relates
to the attractiveness and physical appeal of the individual,
while professional appearance relates to personal grooming,
appropriate dress, and personal hygiene.
Additional tactics involve efforts to appear competent
and accomplished through such steps as describing past
achievement, describing positive qualities one possesses, taking
responsibility for positive events in one’s life that occurred in
the past, or explaining how they overcame daunting obstacles.
Other-enhancement
Efforts to make the target person feel good in various ways.
Individuals seek to induce positive moods and reactions in others through
the use of a variety of tactics. The most commonly used tactic of this type is
ingratiation – flattering others in various ways.
Additional tactics involve expressing agreement with the target person’s
views, showing a high degree of interest in this person, doing small favours
for them, asking for their advice and feedback in some manner, or expressing
liking for them nonverbally.
60 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

P V Satya
Ramesh is
working as a
Post-Graduate
Teacher in
Psychology
at the Shanti
Asiatic School,
Ahmedabad.,
where he teaches Mathematics
up to Class X and Psychology to
Classes XI and XII. He is M Sc in
Psychology, M Phil in Counselling
Psychology, B Ed, and a UGC NET
qualified teacher. He has published
value based articles oriented
towards counseling all the stake
holders in the arena of education in
a number of educational journals.
He has a strong belief in the
ancient Indian Value System. He
strives to inculcate courage in
young minds and teaches them to
always stand for what is right. He
works in the direction of providing
his students an environment which
promotes critical thinking and
ways to express their point of view
without fear.
them succeed in their new jobs. On the other
hand, many other factors aside from being
effective in making a good first impression on
others play a role in job performance. So the
relationship between these two factors – use
of impressive management tactics and job
performance – may be relatively weak. That’s
exactly what Barrick and colleagues (2009)
found: While effective use of impression
management tactics did increase ratings by
interviewers, they were only weakly related
to later ratings of actual job performance.
So, as the authors note, ‘what you see (in an
interview) may not always be what you get’ in
terms of excellent job performance later on.
Many other studies report similar findings
and conclusions (Wayne, Liden, Graf &
Ferris, 1997; Witt & Ferris, 2003). But –
and this is an important ‘but’ – the use of
these tactics also involves potential pitfalls:
If they are overused, or used ineffectively,
they can backfire and produce negative
rather than positive reactions from others.
For instance, in one interesting study, Vonk
(1998) found strong evidence for what she
terms the slime effect–a tendency to form
very negative impressions of others who play
up to their superiors, but treat subordinates
with disdain and contempt. And in another
research (Baron, 1986), it has been reported
that the use of too many different tactics
of impression management (especially, too
much flattery of others), can lead to suspicion
and mistrust rather than increased liking
and higher evaluations. The moral of these
findings is clear: While tactics of impression
management often succeed, this is not always
the case, and sometimes they can boomerang,
adversely affecting reactions to the people
who use them.
In the light of the above discussion, one can
understand the potential pitfalls that could
be encountered in the process of recruitment.
However, in the case of recruiting teachers,
Jan/Feb 2017
it is always advisable to prefer an
approach which is fully structured
rather than a format which is
open-ended and could produce
results which are biased. The
structured approach can include
the following steps:
‣ Proficiency Test
‣ Demonstration Class ( It is
always advisable to go for
more than one)
‣ Interview by the subject
expert
‣ Interview by the Management
One wrong choice by the School Management
can affect generations. In addition it is
highly difficult to control the damage and
arrange for relearning sessions preceded
by unlearning of what was taught wrong.
Even if it is late, it is always better to have
a class with no teacher rather than having
an incompetent teacher. Lastly as recruiters
let us consciously make efforts to overcome
the Halo Effect and as job applicants let us
exert self control in overusing the tactics of
impression management. Only then can we
produce a generation of students who become
educated in the true sense and thus be able
to lead the nation forward in the direction
of what our great visionary Dr.A.P.J.Abdul
Kalam advocated to each one of us.
Reference: Social Psychology, Robert A.
Baron and Nyla R Bransombe (13th Edition)
www.progressiveteacher.in 61

Principal Q&A
Principal Vinita Malik
Delhi Public School, Bhopal
Birthday : 22nd March
Place of Birth : New Delhi
The best thing about being
a Teacher:
• You are a lifelong learner as
you continue to discover new
things and grow till your last
breath.
• You have a sense of
belongingness and purpose
and also develop long term
relationships.
How did you feel on the first
day being a School Principal:
Overwhelmed. The emotions and
feelings of the day cannot be
expressed in words.
Please describe the role you
feel parents should play in the
operation of the School:
Understanding the deep -
rooted importance of family
and parental involvement in
education and its effect on
the academic performance of
a child requires recognizing
the fact that parents are the
child’s first teachers. Home is
the first school, and as such,
it is the place where children
learn an abundance of skills,
knowledge and attitudes, some
of which support what is taught
in schools.
Parents need to be role models
and should teach and learn
as collaborative partners in
the education process. They
should be aware of their child’s
progress, should promote
regularity and punctuality
and instill a positive attitude
towards education and school.
First indications that the
Classroom is an effective
learning place:
It is a place where Bloom’s
Taxonomy is constantly used
from the simple to the complex
in an effort to learn and
understand content. An effective
classroom has voice, choice, time
for reflection, innovation, critical
thinking, problem solving, self
assessment and connected
learning.
Vision of Special Education:
To understand students as
individual gifted learners with
special needs and aspirations
and assist them in finding
opportunities for success and
self esteem.
To make inclusion a reality:
• Collaborative endeavour to
maximize the experiences of
all learners.
• Focus on adopting
appropriate child centric
strategies based on individual
needs.
• To serve an expanding special
needs population without any
discrimination and ensuring
success for each child.
• To stimulate active
participation of special
needs children in the regular
curriculum.
View on CCE:
If implemented and followed
in the right spirit, CCE system
works effectively. A child
develops life skills which enable
and empower him to face future
challenges. It leads to holistic
development integrated with
teaching learning process and
enables students to expand their
horizon and be more creative.
View on E - Learning
Platform:
• Integration of E - Learning
Programme into the existing
education system has
promoted transformation.
It is a powerful tool that
the teachers can use and is
a blended approach mixing
face to face class room
method with technology based
activities.
• This platform can provide the
highest learning outcomes
and develop 21st century
skills such as critical
thinking, problem solving,
communication, collaboration
and creativity.
• It offers ease, flexibility and
the ability to remotely access
a session, gives easier access
to online resources, databases,
periodicals and other
material.
• It is designed to cater to
the needs of different types
of learners and the number
of students who receive
instruction and guidelines
from subject experts can
be much larger as it brings
quality education.
• It also empowers the teachers
to facilitate the learning
process by transforming
themselves into team leaders
and role models of continuous
learning.
Best Conference / Seminar
you have attended on
Education:
Learning in the Changing Digital
Times - Inter DPS ICT Meet
2015 under the aegis of DPS
Society.
Qualities you seek in a new
teacher:
Passion, Patience and
Perseverance. Should have sense
of humour, right instincts and
work ethics.
Advice that you want to give
to new teachers:
• Expect the unexpected and be
prepared to face it.
• Make yourself a valuable
member of the school system.
• You need to be organized,
flexible, and have a sense of
time management.
• Ready to wear many hats
– communicator, conveyer
of information, manager,
counselor, role model, parent.
Your Favourite Book :
Wings of Fire by APJ Abdul
Kalam
62 The Progressive Teacher Jan/Feb 2017

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