The Progressive Teacher Vol 02 Issue 04

Editorial
Sep/Oct, 2015 Vol. 2 No. 4
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Teaching – Emotional
Fulfillment and Self-Actualisation
Greetings to the entire teaching fraternity
on the occasion of Teachers’ Day from
The Progressive Teacher.
Once again we are in the month of September
celebrating Teachers’ Day. But this year it is
a very special occasion as for the first time
in the history of our country, the President
Shri Pranab Mukherjee will don the cap of a
teacher to teach Class XI and XII students of a
government school located in the Presidential
Estate. The President wonders ‘...what has
happened to quality (education), from base to
apex? We recall the guru-shishya parampara
with legitimate pride; why then have we
abandoned the care, devotion and commitment
that is at the heart of this relationship?’
According to him, teachers, like potters, mould
the destiny of our students.
Why do most teachers enter this profession? It
is, according to Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs, for fulfillment and self-actualisation.
Teachers are not rich in material terms but
in terms of emotional fulfillment, no one in
any other profession can surpass them. We,
as teachers, need to know that our work is
important and that we have a positive influence
on others, and this impact is one of the great
strengths of our profession. It is important to
us that our work is meaningful. Having purpose
in life is one of the things that keep us going.
We feel the work we do has a purpose beyond
ourselves and that we are contributing to the
greater good, and thus, we stay motivated and
passionate about our work. One of the most
challenging aspects of being a teacher is that we
must be able to see the woods and the trees at
the same time.
As teachers, we must notice the seemingly
small but very significant events that take
place in the school or outside to re-affirm our
faith in our profession. For example, a reticent
little child sidles up to the teacher and quietly
holds her hand as the class disperses at tiffin
break; the class bully comes up to the teacher
to share with her a picture of his new puppy;
or well-dressed lady comes up to the teacher
in a railway train and greets her with a – good
morning ma’am. You taught me in school a
couple of years ago. A parent may thank a
teacher for taking
special care of his child;
a colleague may appreciate a comment you
made at a staff meeting; the head of the school
may send you note that your class is doing
well. These small acts of affirmation go a long
way in fulfilling our needs for belongingness,
esteem, love and self-actualisation. So, let us
be passionate and obsessive about teaching just
like a painter is about painting or a singer is
about singing.
In this issue of The Progressive Teacher,
Abha Adams in The Importance of Performing
Arts writes that involvement with liberal and
performing arts allows students’ multiple
intelligences to be acknowledged, developed
and appreciated; P Ajitha , in Teacher
Readiness discusses that very often, the most
crucial element, an undeniable prerequisite,
namely teacher readiness gets overlooked in
our discourses on approaches to maximise
learning outcomes of our students; talking
about parenting, Shayama Chona says Great
expectations can only lead to despair; K P
Khamarudheen in Think beyond the Frontiers of
the Mind warns us that without proper exercise,
the brain begins to stagnate; Raj Kumar
Sharma in Building Healthy Relationships
advises us that there is no single correct
method of raising children; Salila Shashikant
introduces us to some Positive Strategies of
Classroom Management; Payal Adhikari and
Subhashini Ramakrishnan reaffirm our love
for reading; Kiran Gandhi in Any Progress to
Report wonders whether our education system
‘is a stream in its youth, full of vigour or is it
one that has run its course’. Plus you will find
many other interesting stories, case studies and
events in this issue of The Progressive Teacher.
Once again, we invite you to share your thoughts
and experiences regarding teaching, the students
and the school, with the teaching fraternity
through the columns of The Progressive
Teacher.
Wishing you all the best in your journey of selfactualisation
as a teacher
Rita Wilson
rita@progressiveteacher.in
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 and Dubai.
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.
Quotable Quotes
The most important part of
teaching is to teach what it
is to know.
–Simone Weil
Sep/Oct 2015
I like a teacher who gives
something to take home to think
about besides homework.
–Lily Tomlin
A teacher must believe in the
value and interest of his subject
as a doctor believes in health
– Gilbert Highet
www.progressiveteacher.in 3

Vol 2 I No 4 Sep/Oct 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
03 Editorial
Teaching – Emotional
Fulfillment and Self-Actualisation
06
06 Progress Report
The importance of performing arts
07 Teacher Development
Teacher readiness
08 Counselling
Ask Sarita
10 Parenting
Great expactations can only
lead to despair
12 Case Study
Introduction of 'current affairs'
in the Social Studies curriculum -
A study in DPS Coimbatore
14 Brain Training
Think beyond the frontiers
of the mind
16 Parenting
Building healthy relationships
18 Case Study
Complete health management
20 Classroom
Classroom management -
Positive strategies
23,42 Planner Pullout
24,41 Classroom Display Pullout
25 Worksheet
Class I: EVS
Clothes, Air and Water
Good Habits, Major Directions
Living and Non-living Things, Animal Life
Plant Life, Our Universe
53
29 Worksheet
Class II: EVS
Safety and First Aid
Good Habits
Directions and Time
Animal Life
33 Worksheet
Class III: Mathematics
Essentils of Fractions
Length
Capacity
Time
37 Worksheet
Class VI: Mathematics
Algebra
Ratio and Proportion
Line, Ray and Angle
Polygons
44 Teaching
Happy teachers!
letters
to
the editor
Hi this is Nisha, teacher of St. Marys School, Paschim Vihar. I
am working as a TGT Hindi as a new comer in this field. I really
want a good guidance in Hindi language teaching. I am a regular
reader of this magazine. You always print Maths and English
teaching suggestions. I really want atleast one article on tips and
tricks of Hindi language teaching and new ideas on this. I am
waiting for that. Hopefully u will add an article on it. Thank you.
Nisha Chauhan
Chauhan.nisha89@gmail.com
Thanking you once again
for providing a platform for
teachers like me to share
our views and concerns we
encounter in the profession
which unfortunately remains
'noble' only in name.
P. Ajitha
First of all I place my sincere regards on you
for the initiative you have taken to bring out
the latest teaching learning trends to lime
light in a very affordable cost.
Very recently I have come across such a
wonderful magazine.
Dr Kalyan

16
46 Teaching
Alloting reading time in rural classrooms
five unexpected benefits
48 Nutrition
Food education
49 Poem
Proxy
50 Reading
Books open the world for us
14
52 Events
53 Teaching
Real time stories for character formation -
A teacher's perspective
54 From the publisher's desk
??????
56 Fiction Reading for Students
58 Progress Report
Any progress to report?
60 Events
62 Principal Q&A
Dr V Datta
WORLD DIDAC India
September 09-11, 2015, Bengaluru, India
www.worlddidacindia.com
Workshop on 'Developing Life Skills
through Social Science'
September 10-11, 2015, New Delhi, India
www.ulearntoday.com
Digital Leadership Workshop 2015
September 25, 2015
Leela Ambience Gurgaon, Delhi NCR
www.edtechreview.in
The Progressive Teacher Conclave
September 26, 2015, Kolkata, India
www.progressiveteacher.in/conclave
DevLearn 2015 Conference & Expo
September 30- October 02, 2015
MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA
www.elearningguild.com
I AM THE CHANGE: Education
Technology Summit 2015
October 09-10, 2015, New Delhi, India
www.edtechsummit.ulearntoday.
ICEEPSY 2015
(6 th International Conference on
Education & Educational Psychology)
October 13-17, 2015, Istanbul, Turkey
www.futureacademy.org.uk
MAG 2015
(Maryland Assessment Group Annual
Conference)
October 19-21, 2015, Maryland, USA
www.magonline.org
IICE-2015
(Ireland International Conference on
Education)
October 26-29, 2015, Dublin, Ireland
www.iicedu.org
11 th International Language and
Development Conference
November 18-20, 2015.
The Lalit, New Delhi, India
www.britishcouncil.in
2015 CERA 94 th Annual Conference
(Creating Magic in the Classroom:
Inspiring Innovation, Igniting Imagination
and Instilling Leadership)
December 02-04, 2015, Anaheim, CA, USA
www.eventsforce.net
WERA/OSPI Annual Conference
(Learning, Leading, Linking: Promoting
Growth for All)
December 09-11, 2015, Seattle, WA, USA
www.wera-web.org
ICMELT 2016
(18 th International Conference on
Multilingual Education, Learning
and Teaching)
January 18-19, 2016, London,
United Kingdom
www.waset.org
Learning Solutions 2016
Conference & Expo
March 16-18, 2016, Orlando, FL, USA
www.elearningguild.com
EduTECH National Congress & Expo 2016
May 30-31, 2016, Brisbane, Australia
www.edutech.net.au

progress report
–Abha Adams
One of the more positive
developments of Indian
education in the 21 st
century is the waning romance
of the public with Science
or PCB (Physics, Chemistry,
Biology) subjects and widening
interest in the liberal arts and
humanities. With industryincluding
the media- experiencing
an accentuating shortage of
well-educated communicators,
writers and journalists capable
of cogently expressing corporate
messages, news reports, analyses
and highlighting social sciences
issues, there’s a healthy and involvement with the liberal and performing of designing seals and pottery,
socially beneficial revival of
studying hieroglyphics and
parental and student interest
arts allows students’ multiple intelligences
planning townships. Animated
in the liberal-including the to be acknowledged, developed and
discussions of drama students
performing-arts.
re-enacting the signing of the
appreciated. Children who learn and
Looking back, I can confidently
Treaty of Versailles could bring
state that the many hours think differently may well possess verbal, History alive in a classroom.
spent in rehearsing for stage
physical and interpersonal skills, logical and
Unfortunately, limited time and
productions, choreography
the pressure of exam-driven
and dance; attending music intuitive thinking and spatial and kinesthetic syllabuses discourage exploration
festivals; scripting and shooting
intelligences.
of cross-disciplinary linkages
audio visuals; and running the
through co-curricular activities.
The Importance of Performing Arts
art club in school and college,
were intense formative and
learning experiences. Certainly
not a waste of time as popularly
believed. Indeed there’s no
greater thrill than attaining
excellence while performing live.
It’s the equivalent of scoring
a superb goal or making the
perfect abhinaya, brush stroke,
or swara. That’s when you
experience intense exhilaration
and the magical moment when
the performer is in perfect
harmony with her audience.
Yet despite the proven beneficial
outcomes of co-curricular
education, so many children
never experience it because they
are chained to the millstone
of exams and a system which
insists that learning should be
confined to mastering academic
subjects. Well-known author,
speaker and international advisor
on education in the arts, Sir
Ken Robinson bemoans the fact
that globally, education systems
are designed for churning out
university professors. For most
students, learning through the
arts stops in primary school, with
aimless quizzing and debates as
the only so-called ‘co-curricular’
activities in senior school.
The question needs to be
squarely posed and answered:
Why is liberal and performing
arts education important for
students? The answer can
be found in the curriculum
frameworks of many progressive
countries. By studying and
learning the arts, students
develop skills which according
to Robinson are vital for our
future: critical appreciation and
knowledge of artistic techniques,
and familiarity with the cultural
nuances of dance, drama,
media, music, visual arts and a
combination of art forms.
Indeed with new discoveries
in cognitive science, it is now
well-established that cultural
co-curricular education enables
students to:
• Learn creative ways to
express themselves and
develop critical faculties to
assess their own work and
artistry of others.
• Use their senses, perceptions,
feelings and values to
communicate ideas, emotions
and experiences.
• Produce artistic work to
inform, teach and provoke,
challenge existing ideas and
values and offer new ways of
thinking and feeling.
• Discover personal creativity,
satisfaction and pleasure for
lifelong enjoyment.
More significantly, involvement
with the liberal and performing
arts allows students multiple
intelligences to be acknowledged,
developed and appreciated.
Children who learn and think
differently may well possess
verbal, physical and interpersonal
skills, logical and intuitive
thinking and spatial and
kinesthetic intelligences.
The potential for crosscurricular
links are many and
progressive schools are beginning
to encourage projects that
integrate art, music, dance and
drama. For instance, a study
of the Indus Valley civilisation
offers children the possibility
Abha
Adams: As
a founding
team member
of SBS (Step
by Step
School), Noida
she joined
SBS in 2006.
An alumna and member of
the faculty of English at Lady
Shri Ram College, she holds a
second post graduate degree
from University of Leeds. With
37 years of experience in India
and the UK, Abha’s career
spans education, media and
arts management. In the UK,
she worked with University
of Leeds, BBC North and
Arts Council. She has spent
13 years as director of the
Shri Ram Schools and writes
extensively on education. She
is currently a member of the
boards of Assam Valley School,
Ahvaan Trust and Fab India
Education Trust.
So what can teachers do to
arouse and develop the latent
intelligences of children? We can,
as so many of us are doing, offer
a parallel curriculum and hope
students will find the energy and
time to follow it. Regrettably, the
academic system forces children
to choose between learning
through co-curricular education
and cramming for formal exams
in the pursuit of excellent
grades in board exams. However,
students seeking admission
into universities abroad know
the value of engagement with
areas of student life other
than academics, which often
determines admissions.
Another option is for the
teachers’ community to lobby
for an arts curriculum policy
which mandates that every child
in K-10 schooling compulsorily
signs up for at least one
performing arts activity, be it
dance, drama, music, visual arts
or emerging technologies. In an
ideal world, it should also be
necessary for every student to
participate in one sports activity
as well.
If this could happen through
reducing board examination
syllabuses, by cutting irrelevant
and meaningless portions, we
could, as happens in fairy tales,
wake up one morning and find
our students wanting, willing and
happy to learn.
6 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

teacher development
Teacher
Readiness
A lot has been said and written about student
readiness in terms of prepping them up for
learning, motivating them, incentivizing learning,
creating a conducive environment to facilitate
learning and so on. But very often the most crucial
element, an undeniable prerequisite and an uncontentious
factor namely teacher readiness gets
overlooked in our discourses on approaches to
maximize learning outcomes of our students.
Has anyone stopped to wonder how
student learning could happen without
teacher readiness? A holistic approach
to education does not exclude the educators
themselves. This concept does not apply
only to the students because the school is
a learning community comprising students,
teachers, administrators and management
too. The process involved in facilitating
learning of students provides insightful
learning experiences for all the stakeholders,
albeit of a different nature.
Any meaningful educational endeavour is
incomplete without factoring the competency
of the teachers and their teaching readiness.
The following indices when combined
together give a composite picture of what I
mean by teacher readiness:
1. An uncluttered mind, ready to engage with
the learning material in new ways.
2. Openness to embrace multiple perspectives
hitherto not possible because of rigidity
and complacency that sets in because of
mental conditioning over years.
3. Intrinsic motivation to learn and share the
joy of learning by passing it on to others
via teaching.
4. Unobstructed progress on the learning
curve.
5. Thirst for self- discovery.
6. Willingness to go the extra mile to
maximise learning.
7. Ability to transcend all obstacles and
barriers in the pursuit of excellence.
8. Preparedness to move out of the ‘comfort
zone’ by taking untrodden paths of
teaching to facilitate learning.
This list does not end here. The attempt here
is to give a brief overview of what I intend to
convey when I talk of teacher readiness.
Most often than not when educators and
administrators sit for an audit of educational
Sep/Oct 2015
–P Ajitha
practices, teacher readiness is not
accounted for as having a direct
bearing on learner preparedness
and their learning outcomes.
The first step towards
educational reforms that are
vociferously being articulated
is to acknowledge the importance of this
crucial factor to complete the learning circle.
The logical progression would then be to
enable teachers to be ‘ready’, facilitate their
professional growth and constantly keep
assessing the level of readiness to ascertain
the efficacy of the teaching - learning process.
Easier said than done!
One needs to factor in different issues
that plague the teaching fraternity before
any road map for their up-gradation and
professional development can be made. The
following areas need urgent remediation for
any meaningful engagement with the reform
process to kick start:
P AJITHA
is an eager
learner, teaching
practitioner, who
believes that
true education is
transformational in
nature. Teaching
according to her is
an art that can be
mastered through continuous learning and
a skill that can be honed through incessant
practice and developed through constant
reflection but which still remains largely
an intuitive process .She entered the
profession by chance but continues to stay
put by choice. She is a second generation
teacher who claims to have inherited the
aptitude for teaching as a legacy from
her parents and owes them her solid
foundation in education by virtue of having
studied in Sainik School Imphal . She
presently teaches at Delhi Public School,
Coimbatore but prefers to call herself a
co-learner in the journey of self-discovery
she embarks with her students in the
process that we call ‘education’.
a) Aptitude for teaching and attitude towards
professional growth and development.
b) Job satisfaction (which often remains
elusive).
c) Remuneration of teachers (remains
ignominiously low).
d) Autonomy and a free hand in academic
related matters.
e) Representation in policy making with
regard to school rules and service
conditions.
f) Impetus on continuous professional
development.
g) Promoting social restructuring to boost
the image of teaching practitioners.
It is an undisputed fact that teachers are the
backbone of any education system, without
whom this ‘business of education’ cannot be
transacted. So why is it that they don’t get
their due? Why are the present day teachers
a frustrated lot? Why this disillusionment and
disenchantment with the teaching-learning
process? Is this a recent phenomenon or a
malice deeply entrenched but seldom voiced
for want of appropriate forums to address
the genuine problems faced by the teaching
community?
Imagine how wonderful it would be if
teachers are able to work in an environment
which is open and immune from fear; where
freedom to express dissent is not seen as
an act of rebellion or met with a talkdown
attitude; where new ideas and zeal
for experimentation is not countered with
sarcasm; where peer learning is a not just
facilitated but becomes a defining feature
of the learning culture; where reflective
teaching determines and streamlines all the
curricular activities; where passion and zeal
for teaching-learning spurs every teacher to
continuously keep updating and upgrading
knowledge and skills. Is there anything else
that could incentivise the teaching profession
than a climate that has all these features
mentioned above?
It is high time we take a look into the health
of the education system determined primarily
by teacher readiness and practices employed
by them which in turn determine the nature
and scope of learning of students.
www.progressiveteacher.in 7

counselling
ask sarita
Sarita Mathur is a free-lance education consultant offering services to schools, both rural and urban,
in India and abroad. An alumnus of St. Stephen’s College, Sarita has a degree in Mathematics,
Education and a post-graduate degree in Operations Research. The Mathematics background and her
well-honed sense of systems and processes had her institutionalise several long lasting and important
changes as Principal of The Shri Ram School placing it firmly on the map as a progressive and leading
school of India. Sarita has served as a consultant on the International curriculum of the CBSE and also
serves as advisor/consultant to several curriculum companies, schools and start-up ventures.
Q: What is a rubric? I understand it helps a teacher to mark
student work. Can you elaborate?
Ans: A rubric is a tool that is used to assess student work. In a rubric,
work is assessed on fixed and pre-decided criteria. These criteria can
be decided on by the teacher who will be conducting the assessment.
A student is graded on each criterion as per a 5 to 1 scale (5 highest,
1 lowest). How a student gets a particular score is described in crisp,
descriptive detail e.g. what exactly is expected of a student in order
that she gets a 5 on the first parameter? Descriptions are given for the
other scores as well i.e. 4, 3 , 2 and 1. These descriptions are called
‘descriptors’.
The descriptors are valuable to the student and teacher alike. They tell
the student what they have to do or what their work should reflect
and/or display in order that they produce high quality work and hence
score the maximum marks possible on that criterion. At the same time
they tell the teacher what to look for and how to award marks in a
transparent and fair way across all students thereby encouraging and
obtaining high quality work among students.
Here is an example of a rubric that has been designed for assessing
‘hand writing development’ in Class 2 students. The teacher has
chosen four criteria on which to assess handwriting namely: formation
of letters, spacing of letters, slant of letters and neatness. Note, the
teacher is using a three–point scale and not a five-point one to decide
the level of attainment on each criterion.
Criteria
Formation
of letters
Spacing of
letters
Slant of
letters
Neatness
Tops and
bottoms of
various letters
are well
aligned, loops
perfect, letterformation
accurate
Perfectly even
Perfectly even
Descriptors
3 2
No visible
erasing, uses
pointed pencil,
no smudges
Most but not
all letters
are aligned,
loops mostly
well formed,
most letters
are formed
correctly
Somewhat
even
More or less
even
Some erasing,
overall quite
neat but
not quite
spectacular
1
Tops and
bottoms of
letters mostly
not aligned,
formation of
letters sloppy
and irregular
Irregular with
uneven sized
gaps
Uneven, sloping
in different
ways
Messy, work
does not have a
pleasant look;
use of blunt
pencil, smudges
visible.
Many teachers mistake a rubric for a marking guide or marking
scheme. Marking guides are not so specific and descriptive as rubrics.
Rubrics are best used for project work, activities or to assess progress
of students on development of certain skills over a period of time e.g.
essay writing. Marking guides are mostly used for marking tests!
Q: What is the difference between ‘drill’ and ‘practice’?
Ans: Drill is specific type of practice.
When
a student
practices a
certain type of task
with some but deliberately
very little variation for an
extended period of time, it is a ‘drill’.
Drills are usually used to consolidate skills
that have already been acquired. Drills can get
progressively tougher.
‘Practice’ involves performing tasks both repeatedly and regularly
in order to acquire, improve and remain proficient. The benefits of
practice are usually more enduring in nature as compared to the
benefit of drills. However drills are useful as they comprise parts that
make the whole.
A basketball player is being drilled as his coach asks him to repeatedly
do layups with variations in perhaps - line of approach. The player is
practising the skill that he has acquired through drill (taking layups)
by taking passes, being obstructed as he approaches the basket and
shooting.
The simplified examples below highlight the difference.
Practice Task
Expand the following:
1. (a + 5)2
2. (3 – b)2
3. (5x+ 2)2
4. (y – 8)2
5. (2x – 2y)2
6. (a + 5)3
Drill Task
Expand the following:
1. (a + b)2
2. (a + x)2
3. (x + 2)2
4. (2 + b)2
5. (2x + w)2
6. (x + 2w)2
Q: What should I do to teach my senior students to say ‘good
morning’ to me (or their other teachers) when they cross me in
the corridor? They just walk by as if they have not seen me. I feel
it is disrespectful.
Ans: You are right. Most societies do expect individuals to
acknowledge one another’s presence, especially when they are known
to each other with a greeting, smile or body gesture. It is civil and an
accepted norm. If your students are not wishing you, use a strategy
that will work overnight. Don’t wait for them to walk past you, wish
them instead with a loud cheerful ‘good morning’ taking their name as
you greet.
Try it today. Don’t forget to smile!
Email your queries at:
asksarita@progressiveteacher.in
8 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

parenting
–Dr Shayama Chona
Great Expectations
Can Only Lead
to Despair
Most children at an early age require love and affection
more than anything else, if only parents would understand
this. Instead of running a race for materialistic or superficial
success, let us set the stage for eliminating unrealistic
pressures from the minds of the younger generation.
It seems that young parents today are
running a race for their children. They
have great expectations from their
tiny-tots. Each parent expects that his child
must excel, succeed and be the ‘first’ in every
sphere of his little world, to the extent that
he/she must even be the first one to walk, talk
or ride a tricycle. The child is also expected
to earn a stunning report card, and be chosen
as the most talented student of the class. Not
only this, the so-called superchild must be the
star of the Annual Day at school, and also be
the monitor of the class.
This message is hammered by the parents
into the mind of the child, day in and day
out. He is not only the apple of his parents’
eyes but also their only hope to achieve the
‘perfect‘ life they themselves aspired for once.
Who hasn’t heard of the young parent’s
refrain: ‘Dear child, we’re counting on you
to do fantastic things in life. Don’t you
disappoint us.’ The child becomes the status
symbol for the parents, who raise their
expectations as the child grows older. It is
amusing to watch them vigorously competing
with each other in bringing up the best
dressed, the best fed, the best educated, the
best mannered, the best behaved and the best
cultured child. He must also be the cynosure
of relatives and neighbours.
Poor little thing! The hopes, dreams and
ambitions of the entire family rest on the
Dr Shayama
Chona, an academic,
was born in Shimla
on August 12, 1942.
She is the former
Principal of Delhi Public
School, R K Puram,
New Delhi; Founder
President of Tamana
(NGO for physically &
mentally handicapped children); Founder
of Anubhav Shiksha Kendra (a school
for the under-privileged); she has been
a member of 96 Advisory Boards and
Committees; she has been nominated to
Managing Committees of 46 schools and
other educational institutions; she has
been named in the Limca Book of Records
2007. She has been awarded the State
Award for Services in Education 1993,
National Award for Services as a Teacher
of Outstanding Merit 1994, National
Award for Outstanding Performance for
Welfare of People with Disabilities 1997,
Padma Shri 1999, Padma Bhushan
2008, and 49 other awards. She lives at
C10/8, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110057.
Email: shayamachona@gmail.com,
tamanapresident@gmail.com
shoulders of the little one. In this atmosphere
of fierce competition, the parent who
produces this epitome of intellect and talent
is clearly holding the sweepstakes ticket. But
the truth is that exceptional children of the
kind mentioned above are indeed ‘exceptions.’
On the contrary a vast majority of children
are average. It is just not easy for parents
to mould or make their child exceptionally
brilliant or talented. Nature plays its role.
Most children at an early age require love
and affection more than anything else, if only
parents would understand this. Instead of
running a race for materialistic or superficial
success, let us set the stage for eliminating
unrealistic pressures from the minds of the
younger generation. For if you do not do so,
you are certainly heading for disappointment
in the long run.
As parents, it is often good to remember that:
‘The happiest people don’t necessarily have
the best of everything:
They just make the best of each and
everything.’
10 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

case study
Taking this definition that outlines the
function of Social Studies as the basis
of the study about the rationale behind
the introduction of a separate component
in the area of formative assessment, the
following points emerge:
1) Classroom teaching cannot be divorced
from real life occurrences that abound
in the society we live in for the objectives
delineated in the definition above to be
realised.
2) Discussion on a wide range of issues
that have a direct bearing on children’s
understanding and perception of the
society, needs to be made a part of the
teaching–learning process in order to
teach them an important skill of sifting
facts from opinions in today’s ubiquitous
media.
3) The school being seen as the rightful
agency that has been authorised to
introduce the basic tenets of civil society
and instill the principles and values that
society collectively cherishes.
4) The process of this knowledge transfer
and critical analysis of the body of
knowledge that forms the Social Science
curriculum be done through democratic
participation and interaction of students
in the classroom for learning to be
complete and meaningful.
OBSERVATIONS
1) With a vast syllabus to cover and very
little time to consolidate learning,
introduction of a new component in
addition to what is already being
done, compounds the problem
of time crunch that teachers are
already struggling with.
2) Prioritising effective content
delivery and assessment for learning
should be our chief concern. In our
quest for making the subject teaching
comprehensive and current , we are
sidelining practices that call for deeper
engagement with the subject. Provision for
more space and time for reflection on the
part of the students in the class and after
school hours (in the form of discussions in
INTRODUCTION OF
‘CURRENT AFFAIRS’
IN THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM –
A STUDY in DPS COIMBATORE
– P Ajitha
‘The subject of social studies forms that part of the school
curriculum which includes subject matter and activities
that enable the child to acquire an understanding of human
relationships, a knowledge of the environment, dedication
to the principles and values of society and commitment
to participate in the process through which society is
maintained and improved.’
class and assignment questions that call
for higher order thinking skills) should be
made to internalise learning.
3) Real life connect is essential for learning
to be made relevant. Linking incidents/
events taking place in the world around
us to demonstrate in concrete terms the
applicability of theoretical knowledge
being imparted in the school can to
a great extent be achieved through
integrating current affairs into everyday
classroom transaction. This also aids
in furthering the understanding of the
obscure and abstract concepts on the part
of the students and consequently makes
the teaching–learning process educational
in the true sense of the word.
CONCERNS and APPREHENSIONS
1) How do we assess a child’s level of
learning when it comes to something as
generic as ‘current affairs’?
2) What are the intended learning outcomes?
3) Is this something that can be tested?
4) What is/should be the right approach
to realise the objectives of
incorporating ‘current
affairs’ into the Social Studies
curriculum?
5) Is a piece-meal approach (taking
isolated topics and treating them as
separate entities) a really effective and
feasible option?
6) Can we put an expiry date on ‘currentness’
of news (especially while dealing with
human interest stories)?
7) Incentivising learning works for a
majority of students who follow rules and
guidelines implicitly but from a broader
view of education, should learning always
be incentivised?
In the light of broader objectives of teaching
Social Studies and the apprehensions about
‘burdening’ students with a burgeoning list
of tasks to do, it is suggested that a more
pragmatic and balanced approach be taken.
Before introducing a new feature/component
into an already well chalked out curriculum
plan, clarity on the intended objectives
and learning outcomes, modalities of
implementation and criteria of evaluation (if
it is to be evaluated) have to be clearly laid
down for effectiveness and reaping tangible
results.
Another consideration to be borne in mind
at the decision taking stage is the widely
accepted and acknowledged fact that
making something a formal testing
element shifts the focus from the
process of learning to the product
of learning i.e. ‘the presentation’,
ultimately making the entire exercise
something that ‘ought to be done’
rather than something that students
like and do on their own accord.
At a time when all the discourse
about CCE is around stress
free education and the principle
behind formative assessment being
assessment of the level of proficiency
and level of attainment of learning
carried out in non judgmental, nonthreatening
atmosphere and without the child
being conscious of the fact that he/she is
being assessed, introduction of conventional
testing component apart from the pen and
12 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

paper test defeats the very purpose of CCE.
Given below is a general framework that
may be considered after scrutiny and
deliberation.
1. Instead of bringing in a new component
in the form of a stand-alone activity, it is
suggested to have it as a free-wheeling
activity, enabling the participation and
engagement of students to ensure that
the exercise is really enriching .
2. Instead of taking up new topics for
research and presentation, topics and
concepts covered in the class can be taken
up for extended out of class research
through culling out archived news items
from various sources. When students in
groups are encouraged to share with the
class their understanding and analysis of
news items relevant to the topics taught
in the class, it would make the exercise
meaningful and help in insight formation.
3. The new component could instead be
called ‘Independent Study Skills’. The
criteria for assessment could be:
a) Research Work -5M
b) Relevance -5M
c) Conceptual
Understanding -5M
d) Analysis -5M
4. The flipped classroom phenomenon
that is fast catching on and even
being incorporated in leading schools
and colleges is worth studying if not
replicating the model right now. This mode
of engagement in the area of current
affairs can be experimented with, which
would serve the purpose of encouraging
newspaper reading, enhancing students’
general awareness, comprehensive topic
coverage, deeper engagement with the
subject and most importantly save
valuable teaching time that can be devoted
to actual teaching.
An activity carried out in Class VI as
an experiment to test the viability of
incorporating ‘current affairs’ and gauge
its effectiveness opened up more avenues
for making the classroom interaction
participatory, lively and enriching.
After having given a brief on the objectives of
carrying out the activity (detailed in the study
report above), what students were required
to do and outlining the manner in which it
would be conducted, one teaching period was
set aside for students who were divided into
groups to share with the class what they had
gathered through their independent research.
Since the exercise was an extended
classroom activity, that built upon what
was taught in the class (DIVERSITY AND
DISCRIMINATION) and took off from
where it was left in the school, the relevance
and connectivity, that the exercise provided
was enough to spur the children to action.
Students were able to collect news items,
that were not only relevant but also varied.
The interaction that ensued in the class,
did facilitate deeper understanding of the
topics dealt as part of their syllabus. The
informal tone of the discussion ensured active
participation of students, ultimately making
it an engaging learning activity.
Though the students were not formally
assessed based on their participation in the
activity, in retrospect, the activity seems to
provide scope for assessing their research
and analytical skills, if it is made a regular
feature and component of testing. Although
there were a few challenges and limitations
(that can be overcome with more detailing),
like not all students having done the required
research or if they had done it, it was only to
the point of compiling information and falling
short of using the compiled information to
form opinions or analysis, and the time (30
minutes) not being enough to have a wider
consultation and discussion, still the activity
proved to be a successful experiment in terms
of realising the objectives outlined for it.
To sum up, even if the exercise is not
incorporated as a continuous assessment
component, it nevertheless could form a
regular non-testing feature of Social Studies
curriculum.
At the core of the proposed study is devising
teaching strategies that encourage newspaper
reading among students and hone their
critical thinking skills and using that as a
vital resource to further the understanding
of topics covered in the Social Studies
curriculum. It is true that study habits are
not formed overnight and setting aside one
period or stipulated time cannot achieve the
intended results. So for tangible results to
be achieved overtime, integrating study skills
into everyday classroom transaction
is desirable.
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 13

ain training
Think Beyond the
Frontiers of the Mind
–KP Khamarudheen
The Modern Neuro-Cognitive Psychology says brain is like
a muscle that needs adequate nutrition, rest and exercise in
order to maintain optimum brain capacity such as memory,
concentration and processing speed. Without proper exercise
the brain begins to stagnate. Schools can design a scientific
curriculum to train the young minds to help them improve
their memory, concentration, reasoning ability and for
midbrain activation.
Objective of brain training
• Increasing the ability of acquiring,
encoding, storing, and retrieving
information
• Increase the power of selectively
concentrating on things
• Developing the ability to think
constructively
• Increase the ability of visual
thinking and three dimensional
thinking
• Develop the ability of creative
thinking and problem solving
• Develop the habit of physical exercise
to stimulate brain functions
The brain processes information through
a complex network of nerve cells called
neurons. When a new input comes to
the brain, the neurons physically group
to accomplish learning or thinking tasks.
Brain research shows that the neurons are
induced into this process when the task is
new or unfamiliar, or when the intensity of
the learning demand is increased. Once the
task is mastered, the borrowed neurons are
released to go back to other duties; however,
the gains in efficiency and processing speed
required for that task are retained and
make learning-related tasks easier. If the
brain has not engaged with critical activities
appropriate to the age, the brain becomes
inactive and thus it reflects in cognitive
performance. As in our bodies the ‘Use it
or Lose it’ dictum is applied to the neural
pathways and connections in our brain.
The frontiers to explore
The frontiers of memory, attention,
concentration, verbal reasoning, spatial
intelligence, problem-solving skills and logical
reasoning can be improved through this
training.
Anders Ericsson, a psychology professor at
Florida State University, and his colleagues
K P Khamarudheen has done
M.S.W (Masters in Social Work) from
Sree Sankaracharya University of
Sanskrit, Kalady.
Now working as
Department Head
in the Department
of Mind Game
at BenchMark
International
School, Tirur,
Kerala. He is also
serving as Quality
consultant for
various educational
institutions in Kerala. And now doing
research & studies in Activity Based
Teaching and gamified classrooms. He
has published a series of work books
titled TRAIN THE BRAIN -a workbook that
accelerates your mind’ for young children
in the year 2015.
studied expert performances in soccer,
surgery, piano playing, software design,
writing, chess and other pursuits. Their
findings proved that expert performers
are nearly always made, not born. It is
only when a task is repeated many times
to perfection, that people excel. However,
the concept of deliberate practice
emphasised by Ericsson, involves more
than just repeating a task; it includes
setting goals, obtaining necessary
feedback, correcting past mistakes, and
focussing on the process as well as the
outcome.
Tools of brain training
Teaching tools like cross word puzzles,
think out of box activities, puzzle problems,
Sudoku, Jigsaw puzzles, brain teasers,
mechanical puzzles, chess, Rubik’s cube,
paper pencil games like dots and crosses,
stories, worksheets etc can be used in class
rooms or labs and can be played individually
or against each other or one can play against
a computer.
However, this brain training will help the
young minds in explaining the unknown
pathways of the logical mind. Specifically, the
training will scientifically satisfy the cognitive
needs of the learners.
14 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

parenting
Children are born
with an inborn
temperament, a
preferred style of
relating to people and
events. Temperament
is indicated by
behaviour that can be
classified into three
categories – Easy,
slow-to warm up and
difficult. Thus, it is
true that there is no
single correct method
of raising children.
Parenting is a
process that involves
a certain amount of
discretion. Children
need different
levels of attention,
expression of love
and toughness.
– Rajkumar Sharma
Raising children is one
of the toughest and the
most fulfilling jobs in the
world. As a parent we are least
prepared for this job. Learning
on the job how to be a parent
can be fraught with pitfalls. So
instead of talking about good
or bad parenting, I think of
it as Effective or Ineffective
parenting. The best way to raise
positive children in a negative
world is to have positive parents
who love them unconditionally
and serve as excellent role
models.
While there are no easy answers
Building Healthy
Relationships
in parenting, the following
strategies may help you support
your child, while reducing the risk
of serious harm to your child.
Disciplining
school-going children
A) Get your child involved in
setting limits and rules --
Children in the age group of
4-7 are able to talk about
their feelings and are able to
understand why some rules
are necessary. They begin to
develop better self control.
But you should expect some
steps forward and some back
for they are still young.
B) Speak to your child the way
you want him to speak to you,
don’t shout and remember to
say please and thank you.
C) When a child is misbehaving,
talk to him when he is
peaceful. Ask him about what
was making him unhappy or
what he was thinking and
feeling.
D) Focus on behaviour you want
to see, not what he is doing
wrong. So give Do’s instead of
Don’ts.
E) Children at this stage are able
to understand rules, but avoid
going into too much detail.
Long explanations can be
confusing.
F) Be consistent and firm. If you
waver, he will know he can
push boundaries again the
next time.
Tips for busy
parents of Teens
Today’s busy parents are not
always able to make time to
find out what is going on in the
lives of their teens. The following
parenting tips can offer help in
this area -
1) As a parent you must help
your child to do his/her home
work but don’t do it all
yourself.
2) When a child does something
wrong, don’t freak out. Talk
to your child about it when
you are alone with him.
3) Children must spend time on
sports and with their friends,
but they should also have
time for the family and take
up some home responsibility.
4) Don’t trap your child. Some
parents look to ‘catch
their child in the act’ of
misbehaviour that the child
is indulging in. This will not
work.
5) Spend quality time with
your child. This enhances the
child’s self-esteem.
6) Be consistent, follow
through–use actions, not
words instead of nagging or
16 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

Rajkumar
Sharma is
the Principal
of Satyug
Darshan
Vidyalaya
(Residentialcum
Day
Boarding
school), Faridabad, Haryana
under the aegis of Satyug
Darshan Trust (Regd.) whose
vision and mission is based
on the Ideology of Equanimity
& Even Sightedness. Satyug
Darshan Vidyalay is known
for value based education
(VBE). R.K. Sharma believes
that real education prepare
the child for life.
R.K.Sharma has been
awarded by various
organization for his hard work
and passion for teaching
----Rastiya Vidya Saraswati
Puraskar (ISC, Delhi) Rastiya
Siksha Jyoti Award (IIEM,
Delhi), Life time Achievement
& Gold Medal (ISC, Delhi),
Best Principal, Haryana By
SOF, Honoured by Faridabad
Manufacturing Association
and Siksha Rattan Award By
Vishwa Mitra Parivar, Delhi.
yelling. Actions speak louder
than words. Your child will
learn to respect you if you
mean what you say.
7) Appreciate children for tasks
well done, seek their advice
and give them choices. Thus,
they will grow in self-esteem.
8) Withdraw from conflict - If
your child is testing you
through a temper tantrum
or being angry or speaking
disrespectfully to you, it is
best to leave the room or
tell the child to leave. Don’t
leave in anger.
9) Never tell your child that
he is bad. That destroys his
self esteem. Help your child
recognise that you love him
but it is his/her behaviour
that you are unwilling to
tolerate. So separate the
deed from the doer. It will
help your child to have
healthy self-esteem; he must
know that he is loved by you
unconditionally.
10) Most parents want to get
an ugly situation under
control as soon as possible.
They look for an expedient
solution. This often reflects
in the behaviour of the child
who feels overpowered. If we
spank our child, he will learn
to use acts of aggression to
get what he wants when he
grows up.
So understand your child because
nothing in this world is more
important than your child. Do
not worry that children never
listen to you: worry that they are
always watching you.
Positive parenting–for
strong-willed children
Strong-willed children can be a
challenge when they are young
but if sensitively parented, they
become terrific teens and young
adults. They are self motivated
and they go after what they
want; they are almost impervious
to peer pressure. Some parents
call them difficult or stubborn
children. But these children
are people of integrity, who are
not easily swayed from their
own view point. These children
are spirited and courageous.
They want to learn things for
themselves rather than accepting
what others say, so they test
limits over and over. Often
strong- willed children are prone
to power struggle with their
parents. However, it takes two to
have a power struggle; you don’t
have to get into every argument
started by him. These children
can be a handful with high
energy, challenging, persistent. So
we have to nurture their qualities
and encourage their cooperation.
1. Avoid power struggle by
using routine and rules.
2. It is effective to be calm, and
thus avoid wear and tear in
your relationship and of your
nerves.
3. Let the child take charge
of as many of his own
activities as possible. Don’t
nag him. Children who feel
independent and in-charge
of themselves will have less
need to be oppositional;
they take responsibility early
because they want mastery
more than anything else.
4. If you give orders, the child
will almost always get angry.
If you offer a choice, he feels
like the master of his own
destiny. So give your child
choices. He will learn to be
independent.
5. Give him authority over his
own body. If you order he
will naturally resist you.
But teach him that there
is no shame in letting new
information change his mind.
6. Don’t push your child into
opposing you. You will know
when it is a power struggle
between you and your child.
If you are investing in
winning a battle against your
child, you always stand to
lose. What’s most important
is the relationship. You don’t
have to prove you are right.
7. You can set reasonable
expectations and enforce
them. But under no
circumstances you should try
to break your child’s will or
force him to give in to your
views. He has to do what you
want, but he is allowed to
have his own opinions and
feelings also. So listen to
him. Just consider how you
would want to be treated and
treat him accordingly.
8. Discipline him through the
relationship, never through
punishment. The more you
punish your child, the more
you undermine his desire
to please you. Allow him
to express his hurt/ fears/
disappointment, so that he
can overcome them. You are
a role model for your child.
9. Provide a supportive and
loving atmosphere at home.
Most strong-willed children
fight for respect. If you offer
it to them, they don’t need
to fight to protect their
position. So offer him respect
and empathy.
10. Nurture his natural
spirituality. Create an
atmosphere where the child
is encouraged to grow in his
intelligence. The child will
become spiritual without
even knowing the word
spirituality.
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 17

case study
Complete
Health Management
Every teacher knows that
there’s more to school than
simply cramming facts and
figures into impressionable young
minds and hoping for the best. A
school has a responsibility that
goes far beyond simple education.
It’s about providing children with
the tools they need to succeed in
the world. It’s about nurturing
gifts, overcoming challenges, and
discovering dreams. It’s about
building better human beings.
And what better place for
schools to start than with health.
India is a country of many
challenges – one of the foremost
amongst them is the alarming
rise of chronic and lifestyle
illnesses such as diabetes, obesity,
and respiratory diseases. The last,
in particular, affects the children
of India in many ways. While the
medical knowledge to manage
and help prevent or reduce
the impact of such ailments is
available, there is no widespread
framework that allows for the
dissemination of this knowledge.
Building such infrastructure
into our schools is a valuable
step in the fields of Health and
Education - the most important
factors for changing society
as a whole. Yet, implementing
widespread health and health
awareness programmes in
schools requires a significant
investment in time and resources.
That’s why utilising a programme
designed and implemented by
a third-party may be the ideal
solution. This is also a solution
currently being implemented in
a number of schools in India
with the aid of a company called
Simova Sciences.
Simova Sciences is a company
specialising in health facilitation
through technology. Founded by
the same leadership that created
SRL diagnostics and changed the
way the entire country manages
medical tests of all kinds, Simova
has created a Student Health
Management Programme that
supports and maintains Complete
Health Management.
Complete Health in itself is a
new phrase for many. According
to the World Health Organisation
– ‘health is a complete state
of physical, mental and social
well-being, and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity.’
To maintain health on such a
level sounds like a far more
daunting prospect than simply
consulting your family doctor
once every six months. In fact,
for complete health, access to an
enormous variety of information,
contacts with specialists in many
medical fields, and a way to
keep track of every last piece of
When we look at the way forward in the
educational system we often think of
changing syllabi, teaching methods, ways
of evaluation, and a dozen other factors that
go towards building better minds. After all,
that’s what a school is all about. Isn’t it?
related medical information is
needed. No matter how you look
at it – that’s a lot of paperwork
and information.
That’s where technology comes
in. It is only recently that
countries rated foremost in
medical care started to move
towards mandating Electronic
Health Records. By cataloguing
all of a person’s medical
information in a single database
that can be accessed online, any
doctor can be granted access
to a comprehensive medical
history, improving diagnostic
capability and treatment options
greatly while also minimising
complications.
Simova has gone one step further
in their programmes, providing
tools and information to help
manage health in an ongoing
manner, while maintaining strict
global standards and Medical
Best Practices.
To take the specific example
of one school in North India,
Simova has introduced a year
round programme – using
all their tools to provide
a comprehensive level of
healthcare to every child in that
school; a far better approach
than its previous health measures
which included a nurse on
station, and the contact for a
single pediatrician in case of
emergencies.
As an initial step, Simova’s
School Audit was able to do an
evaluation of the school and its
surroundings for health-related
risks. They immediately identified
two street-food vendors near
the school which did not meet
hygienic standards for food
preparation and could be directly
linked to mild food poisoning in
a number of students. Similarly,
a park nearby was classified as
unsafe due to a large pile-up of
garbage and broken playground
equipment. The school was
notified of these and other
18 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

factors, and the students were
then advised as necessary.
During the scheduled health
assessment of the entire student
body, Simova’s team of trained
professionals were able to
actively evaluate the health and
well-being of each and every
student. In doing so, there were
quite a few alarming results.
Nearly a hundred students
exhibited untreated tooth decay
and dental caries, seventy
students exhibited enlarged
tonsils, which could have been
symptomatic of other ailments,
and a large number also had
hearing or sight problems that
were inadequately treated.
Other more serious problems
were also identified. Over
fifty complained of frequent
headaches and dizziness, and
a similar number exhibited
symptoms related to respiratory
problems like asthma. Three
students even exhibited
cardiovascular murmurs.
To take a few specific examples,
three different children can
be considered. One boy, Sahil
(names changed to preserve
confidentiality), had been
performing very poorly in
school, with frequent complaints
regarding inattention, rudeness,
and poor grades. During the
assessment, it was discovered
that Sahil had a large waxbuildup
in his ears that had gone
undetected. After it was removed,
his performance improved almost
immediately.
Another girl, Sara, had certain
symptoms that led the Simova
team to recommend further
investigation. When her
parents followed up on that
recommendation, they found
that Sara actually had juvenile
diabetes, which if left untreated
could have led to far more
serious health issues.
In the case of a third child, Ankit,
an issue regarding spine mobility
was detected and similarly
recommended for investigation.
In Ankit’s case, this revealed that
he had pulmonary tuberculosis.
Complete Health in itself
is a new phrase for many.
According to the World Health
Organisation –‘Health is a state
of complete physical, mental
and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease
or infirmity.’
This detection was vital, not
only in helping Ankit secure
early treatment, but also to
allow precautions to be taken to
prevent further infection among
the student body.
Subsequent health assessments
allowed the tools from Simova’s
Online Health Portal to chart
each child’s overall growth and
development over time. Any
interruptions or problems could
be then identified and correlated
with exhibited symptoms.
Whether it was incorrect
nutrition or an insufficient
amount of exercise or any
other factor, measures
could be taken.
The Online Portal also
allowed both Simova
and the school to share
important educational
health-related material
with both the children in
the programme and their
parents. Access to educational
and informative videos and other
interactive media was provided,
allowing for wider community
outreach and involvement.
Primarily, the content was geared
to keep parents abreast of health
and technology developments,
while seeking to stimulate the
children’s minds and teaching
them to take charge of their own
well-being.
In India, preventive pediatric
care is largely neglected
unless there is a problem
whose symptoms have already
manifested. Thus, the potential
good from such a system is hard
to underestimate. Diagnosis of
serious ailments like juvenile
diabetes and asthma as early
as possible can help manage
and sometimes even reverse
symptoms. Identification of
learning disabilities like dyslexia
allows for adjustment at an early
stage, vastly improving academic
potential.
By instituting proper health
management programmes on
a large scale, it is possible to
transform each school into that
ideal of both educating our
children, as well as providing the
full range of support every child
needs to realise his full potential.
More importantly, by engaging
entire families, community
awareness can be spread
regarding health and health
management, improving the lives
of many.
Creating a secure Electronic
Health Record for every child
in India may seem like an
unrealistic goal, but it has to
start somewhere. School Health
Programmes which make the
best use of available technology
– sharing relevant information
electronically across phones
and emails, can create lifetime
benefits for every child enrolled.
Our country has many challenges,
but also has one of the greatest
resources in the known world –
that of an entire generation of
young Indians just waiting for
the chance to live up to their
potential. If programmes like
Simova’s can help even a fraction
of that generation fulfill that
potential, it is surely worth it.
(www.simovasciences.com)
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 19

classroom
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT-
Positive Strategies
–Salila Shashikant
A
number of techniques
can be devised and
implemented depending
on the nature of the classroom
to achieve the desired learning
outcomes.
AFFIRMATIVE TEACHING
The teacher is a facilitator
who guides the students
towards success by creating an
environment where students are
successful as a result of their
own efforts. This transforms a
classroom into a community of
well behaved and self directed
learners. The Design Thinking
Approach is a perfect example
to achieve this objective as it
encourages students to ‘think
out of the box’ by providing
a work culture which is
research oriented, promotes
inquisitiveness, critical thinking,
hypothesising, predicting and
imagining and thus, instills
confidence in one’s ability to
creatively solve problems.
POSITIVE CLASSROOM
By involving students in practical
and realistic activities a positive
attitude can be developed, thus,
sensitising them towards their
environment, teaching them
dignity of labour, making them
empathetic and developing
them into responsible citizens
of the country. Simple activities
like planting of saplings,
cleaning their surroundings,
contributing to the emotional
and educational development of
the less privileged, saving energy
Gone are the days when corporal punishment, rote discipline,
dismissal from the classroom, raising the voice was acceptable
negative sanctions for classroom management. In the changing
scenario creating a positive classroom community with mutual
respect between student and teacher has become a prevalent
technique in managing a class. Today, effective classroom
management means developing a conducive environment to ensure
that teaching learning takes place smoothly and effectively. It also
involves prevention of disruptive behaviour, issues of motivation,
respect, discipline, inculcation of values, establishment of rules and
procedures and time management.
by switching off lights and fans
when not in use, participating
in various awareness campaigns
could be taken up.
DEVELOPING DESIRED
BEHAVIOUR
Project based learning is a time
tested approach which, apart
from developing confidence in
the learners’ ability to creatively
solve problems, transforms
them into responsible and self
disciplined individuals. Students,
when divided into groups and
given an assignment to work
on, often display a sense of
discipline, responsibility and
camaraderie and actively
participate in learning activities
– exploring ideas, researching,
brain storming, dividing tasks,
coordinating responsibilities,
completing worksheets
and exercises, preparing
presentations, skits, etc. The
role of the teacher is to inspire
and motivate, provide inputs
20 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

Salila Shashikant has
been working passionately
with children for more than
twenty five years. Currently
teaching Social Science at
Apeejay School, NOIDA, she
has been actively involved in
intellectual
and
emotional
development
of children
of diverse
age groups.
Besides
aspiring for
academic excellence and
creative brilliance in students,
she has been handling
administrative responsibilities
at various levels. An alumna
of Lady Shri Ram College and
Jawaharlal Nehru University,
she has been presenting
talks on various issues on
All India Radio, worked on
UK-India Education and
Research Initiative Projects
and conducted a wide range
of enrichment workshops
for compeers. Credited with
numerous accolades, she
has been awarded ‘The
Best Teacher Award’ and
is the recipient of Teaching
Excellence Award 2015
by S. Chand Group in the
‘Star Classroom Manager’
category.
and guidance, rectify errors in
task accomplishment, manage
conflict, maintain discipline and
finally analyse individual and
group efforts.
CONSTRUCTIVE
APPROACH
This approach involves learners
as holistic individuals who need
to manage self and develop
community feeling thereby,
responding to positive stimuli
in class. To strengthen bonds
of oneness, develop traits of
cooperation, instill the attributes
of sharing and caring, love,
brotherhood and unity, activities
involving the whole class can
be organised, e.g. Mother’s Day,
Earth Day, Flag Day, Heritage
Day, National Festivals, etc.
DEMOCRATICALLY
DISCIPLINED
CLASSROOM
At the beginning of the year
concrete directions are given
to ensure that our expectations
become a reality. A contract
is drawn between teachers
and students of rules and
procedures to be observed in
class. It is essential to give
clear purpose and guidance
Sep/Oct 2015
concerning student behaviour
and academics – including
etiquette, seating arrangement
in small heterogeneous groups.
Taking rounds in class guiding
and encouraging students ensures
their involvement in tasks
assigned. Class library helps to
channelise the energy of hyper
active students. Smiley placards
can be used to control undesired/
inappropriate behaviour/
classroom disruption (Happy
face, sad face, etc). However, it is
also essential to be consistent in
enforcing rules and procedures.
HAPPY CLASSROOM
Providing an aesthetically
appealing and creatively rich
learning environment attracts
students and enhances learning.
Starting the class with positive
statements sets the desired
mood. Offering warmth,
unconditional acceptance and
support, use of praise and
rewards for specific skill or
good behaviour demonstrated
(e.g. ‘Star of the Week’ sticker)
transforms the class magically
into a vibrant, lively and smiling
class. All problems and conflicts
need to be addressed quickly
and wisely through class
discussion, peer mediation,
counseling or one to one
conversation.
STUDENT-TEACHER
RELATIONSHIP
To develop a congenial
student- teacher relationship
an appropriate level of
dominance and cooperation is
to be maintained. Integrated
positive classroom rituals – good
morning, please, thank you,
sorry, etc need to be introduced.
Knowing the students you
teach is the first step towards
developing a sound relationship
with them. Thus, interacting
and partnering with parents at
regular intervals is a step in this
direction. Besides developing a
caring relationship, the teachers
should be fair, calm, objective
and impartial. A teacher is a
role model. She must, therefore –
‘Walk the Talk’.
These techniques have been
designed and implemented
keeping in mind the school ethos,
the value system it upholds, the
organisational goals, the age
group of the learner, the social
environment and a few other
factors. However, not every
approach works for every child
or every system. Therefore,
being flexible is necessary.
Trying a new approach, that
best suits the existing situation,
is the way out.
www.progressiveteacher.in 21

Pullout PLANNER
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 23

24 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct Jul/Aug 2015

classroom display pullout
Jul/Aug Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 25 41

Pullout PLANNER
42 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

teaching
It is customary that teachers
get compliments, admiring
comments and titles, gifts
and good wishes from their
students on this special day
(Teachers’ Day) but the things I
admire the most and like from
the children are handmade
greeting cards, beautifully
decorated bunch of flowers or
self written acrostic poems that
really reflect the love, respect
and appreciation they have for
their teachers. But ‘Teachers’
Day’ is not and should not be
just a single day of the year
dedicated to commemorate the
invaluable services the teachers
render.
Teaching: Career with a
divine calling:
Many people enter the teaching
fold to earn a livelihood by
honest means. Our ancient
scriptures and great leaders too
have held teachers and teaching
in high esteem. ‘Acharya Devo
Bhava’ (the teacher is God)
reflects the divinity of the
teacher. Many great teachers
of the past have left behind
this divine mantra to carry it to
the succeeding generations of
teachers. No doubt with growing
materialism and changing values
teachers have fallen from this
pedestal but real teaching is still
and will forever remain divine in
nature.
Need for Empowering
Teachers:
There is a reciprocal relation
between education and teacher
as an agent of social change.
The teacher’s role is very vital
in bringing positive educational
changes and therefore he/she
needs to be empowered in taking
vital decisions with regard
to curriculum planning and
implementation, setting teaching–
learning goals, assessing the
learners, and sharing opinions
in policy making decisions.
But many so called ‘reputed
schools’ do not allow teachers
to express their own viewpoint.
In the current educational
scenario teachers need a lot
of freedom at work to bring
out their creativity, innovation
and personal methodology to
become practitioners in the real
sense of the term. Prof. Krishna
Kumar in his key note address
during The Progressive Teacher
Conclave held in New Delhi aptly
highlighted the ills of the growing
culture of digital inspection of
teachers by many schools. It is
sad but true that the teacher
Happy
Teachers!
(This illustration is by Jashandeep Kaur, Class 10 of Akal Academy, Kajri)
–Ashok Singh Guleria
who is regarded as a role model
and harbinger of change and
upliftment is seen with suspicious
eyes at his workplace.
The real joy of teaching-learning
will come when schools will give
autonomy to teachers.
Teaching Viz–a-
Viz Learning:
Educational reformer,
psychologist and philosopher,
John Dewey once stated,’ If we
teach today’s students as we
taught yesterday’s, we rob them
of tomorrow.’ In many other
specialised professions like
medicine, engineering, accounting,
law, architecture, consistency
of quality is built by building a
body of knowledge by providing
regular pre and post job skill
training in that knowledge. In
teaching too skills need to be
updated. The real joy of teaching
comes to those who harmonise it
with learning. Just as a musician
tunes his instrument before he
performs to bring out melodious
and soul-stirring music, in the
same way teachers with a ‘put
learning first’ attitude can bring
about effective teaching in their
classrooms.
Find Fun in your Work:
Teaching is a serious vocation;
therefore it needs lot of patience
and perseverance amidst the
changes and challenges of the
modern world. Being a teacher,
I have always taken teaching
seriously with conviction and
care. But at the same time
I devise ways to make it
interesting and joyful for myself
and my learners.
On some occasions the school
environment, and teaching itself,
can be stressful for all involved.
The teachers engaged in teaching
and related activities may
suffer from stress and fatigue
Ashok Singh Guleria teacher of
19 years standing, is a post- graduate in
English Literature. He writes on pedagogical
issues and children’s behavioural concerns.
Currently, he is the Head of Department
of English and Academic coordinator cum
Teachers’ Trainer at the Akal Academy Group
of Schools, Kajri U.P.
but humour can give everyone
a temporary respite from such
stress, defusing frustrated
behaviour from students and
allowing teachers to relax and
be more in control of their class.
Teachers who spice up their
teaching with fun and humour
are liked by their students. Just
as a Scottish-American classicist,
academic and writer Gilbert
Highet states, ‘A very wise old
teacher once said: I consider a
day’s teaching wasted if we do
not all have one hearty laugh.’
Niche your Career
with Creativity:
Creativity in teaching is the
science and art of looking for
ideas from everywhere and
transforming them into a useful
tool or aid to enhance interest
and joy, and facilitate more ideas
to come forth from all quarters.
Creativity isn’t something that
just happens by magic. It takes
a lot of planned, prepared
and ‘ready to work’ attitude.
Creativity is an intelligence that
requires tireless work to nurture,
grow, and develop. Creativity
in a teacher’s work brings lots
of ideas and methods to help
the learners grasp the most
complex curriculum related
terms. A creative touch inspires
the learners to move forward. I
always find teachers of my school
busy in writing and preparing
lesson plans, question papers,
home assignments, teachinglearning
aids with utmost care
and creativity. The reflection of
their creativity is seen in their
learners’ work too. The real joy of
teaching comes when a teacher
finds his learners reflecting his/
her creativity. In fact, creativity
as a teaching tool helps teachers
and learners to find joy in their
work, solve problems with ease
and be passionate at work.
Making every child in the
classroom feel special:
I have been very fortunate that
many of my former students have
been placed in top institutions in
the country and many of them
have gone abroad for higher
education. I feel unbounded
joy when some of them call me
and remind me of interesting or
funny events that took place in
the classroom or in the school.
I feel elated when they express
their heartfelt gratitude. Since I
treated them all as special, they
return the same. The real joy of
being a teacher doubles when old
students remember their loving
and caring teachers and the fun
they had in school.
In conclusion, I would like to
quote a few lines from a poem,
Why God Made Teachers’ written
by Kevin William Huff -
When God created teachers,
He gave us special guides
To show us ways in which to
grow
So we can all decide
How to live and how to do
What’s right instead of wrong,
To lead us so that we can lead
And learn how to be strong.
44 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

teaching
ALLOTTING REaDING TIME
IN RUraL CLaSSrOOMS
FIVE UNEXPEcTED BENEfITS
After many unsuccessful
experiments I finally
started reaping benefits
when I decided to reserve
15–20 minutes of my 80-minute
class for compulsory reading.
I thought, in this way the
children could have the silent
concentrated experience of
reading, which was not possible
at home.
The activity was simple:
• The children chose any book
of their interest.
• There was no monitoring of
the genre (topics ranged from
Origami to Dance to Fiction)
or level of book.
• They had to read the book
silently in class.
• They could take the book
home to continue with their
reading.
• There was no monitoring of
the time taken to complete
the book.
I would sometimes nudge them
to read a book which I thought
would be of interest to them
(sometimes I would suggest
books of a higher level as well)
but they were under no obligation
to issue them. As time passed,
to my extreme satisfaction,
I started observing some
unexpected benefits:
1. Discovery learning –
According to Piaget, it is
important for children to discover
new, meaningful information
through spontaneous interaction
with new environments; and
a book qualifies as a new
psychological environment.
With curiosity, I observed where
the natural affinity of the child
would lead him/her. Gender
stereotyping stood attested: girls
often picked books on dancers,
angels, princesses, etc. Books
on cars and superheroes were
quite popular with the boys. Yes,
occasionally there were children
with a special interest, such
a thirteen–year-old who was
always on the lookout for myths
and legends. Another young
girl started exploring books
on horses after she finished an
abridged version of Black Beauty.
2. Observational learning –
The children often shared their
books and stories with each
other, and soon some books
became very popular. I witnessed
– Payal Adhikari
Most of the village children in the school
where I teach come from families which earn
their livelihood through agriculture or manual
labour. In these families there is no culture of
reading or academics. The children grow up
working hard at home helping their parents
and their free time is reserved for watching
television. In such a scenario trying to instil
reading habits was a nightmare, but that is
just what I was endeavouring to do.
a stampede when I brought in a
new batch of Tinkle comics for
the children. Yes, that was fun!
When a child completes a book
which is perceived as tough,
the effects percolate to other
students as well. Something of
that child’s confidence seeps
into the other children, and they
muster courage to approach
the ‘untouchable fat books’.
Some see it as a challenge—if
a classmate can read a tough
book, why can’t they? There is
a healthy competition that sets
in naturally, without marks and
examinations.
3. Transfer of learning –
Cognition in one’s head can be
delightful when the dots add
up and one begins to make
connections between unrelated
nuggets of information. It is
a proud moment when a child
encounters information or
concepts that he/she has read
in a book, and there is the loud
proclamation that they ‘knew it
from before’. In creative-writing
sessions I noticed that children
happily borrowed plots and
characters from the books; I
do not see this as ‘copying’, but
rather as a platform from where
children can launch themselves,
guided by their unique creative
urges. Recently, ‘Bob the Builder’
was given a very Tamil Indian
touch in one of the student’s
notebooks, and I admit that
I was delighted at Bob’s
transformation.
4. DIY mode – Last year a child
picked up a book on origami and
the next day he came to class
with some origami rabbits. This
was the beginning of an epidemic.
Soon all books on origami
disappeared from the shelves,
and strange paper models
started to invade my classroom.
My equanimity, tolerance and
Payal Adhikari, has
been in the field of teaching
for over thirteen years.
She works in both rural
and urban sectors. Payal
believes in a student-centric
teaching paradigm which
aims at integral development
of the child. She works
with young teenagers and
likes to create a democratic
atmosphere where children
can actively participate.
She has spent many years
working with children from
villages and believes it
is a crucial field requiring
creative attention. For her,
providing quality education
at the grassroots levels is
crucial as it can shape social
development and ultimately
nation building.
benevolence were
tested as I saw paper
aeroplanes fly and
pages of English
notebooks take
the form of rabbit
whiskers. However,
the joy of the children
compensated for all
of that.
5. From near to
far - Building on
children’s current level
of thinking: as the
teacher, I am passive
in the first 15/20
minutes of the class;
however, the child is
fully concentrated and
mentally alert. He
is in a psychological
space which is full
of ideas, words, grammar, logic,
sentence structures, information,
plots and so on. His mind is
imbued with interest and silently
absorbing English.
At the beginning of the
programme, I was apprehensive
as the children picked only ‘thin’
books with lots of pictures and
minimal text. However, I decided
not to interfere and let the
process continue. With time, I
noticed that as their confidence
grew the children began to
graduate organically to tougher
and ‘fatter’ books.
Independent of the teacher, the
child reaches the psychological
moment when she does not see
the book as a marshy land to
plod through. Instead, it becomes
a lagoon or a river, where wading
becomes easy and adventurous.
And then? The age-old joy of
reading reasserts itself in a new
seat of consciousness.
46 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

nutrition
Here comes the role of education. If
we educate ourselves about various
aspects of food, we can stay healthy
and can guide our future generation to make
good choices regarding healthy intake
of nutrients.
THE LUNCH BOX TREND
Bread jam,
parantha with
potato vegetable,
noodles, bread
toast, pakora,
sandwich, etc, have
been observed as a common lunch box trend.
This type of lunch is not only rich in one type
of nutrient i.e carbohydrates but also lacks
various other nutrients. Several schools have
introduced fruit break and weekly menu
system to increase the intake of fruits and
green vegetables in the diet. Some of the
government aided schools introduced mid-day
meal programme to improve upon physical
growth of the children. In metro cities, where
the parents are busy with fast life-style
trends, the lunch box is often replaced by
cash to be paid in the canteen.
CANTEEN FOOD
Pastry, chips,
crunches, burgers,
patties, pakora,
ice-cream, pizza,
cold drinks, etc,
are the most
common items available in any canteen
within the school or near the school premises.
Teenagers are especially more attracted
towards the canteen culture. Many a time
there are no proper storage units in the
canteen and hygiene is not maintained. In
such cases, food contamination leads to
food borne infections and food poisoning by
bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.
This is the right time to think about the
quality of food we are offering to the younger
Busy lifestyle and rapid
industrialization have
boosted the food industry
with abundance of food
choices. A wide variety of
processed food available in
supermarkets, restaurants
and streets, equipped with
attractive packaging, enticing
smell and efficient services,
triggers unavoidable
temptation. Aggressive
advertising, diet fads, vested
business interests, etc adds
to this. Every day we hear
news about food poisoning
and poor nutrition in our
diet. This disturbs us and we
are left wondering whether
we are consuming the right
food or not? So it becomes
important for us to learn
how to make the right choice
about food.
generation. Food that is low in hygiene and
nutritive qualities - is this food or junk?
JUNK FOOD
Calorie rich and nutritionally poor food is
called junk food. It is rich in carbohydrates
and fat with hardly any proteins, vitamins
and minerals. In today’s scenario, junk
food has created a niche in our society by
replacing traditional
cooking. This has
undoubtedly led
to diseases like
diabetes, obesity,
cardiovascular
diseases, cancer
and other health
ailments. Junk food has an addictive tendency
and provides enough taste that you don’t even
bother to chew your food but swallow packets
of chips and cookies and still are ready to
eat more. Junk food lacks fibre and is thus
consumed in higher quantities to satify the
appetite. After consuming junk food one is
not likely to eat healthy food like fruits and
vegetables.
FOOD AWARENESS
Food that looks very attractive in the market
is actually chemically processed with a
number of food additives such as flavouring
agents, colouring agents, taste enhancers and
preservatives. New techniques are emerging
day by day to make food more aesthetically
pleasing because of market
competition.
The chips and
crunches
contain a
chemical
called
Olestra
that
has a
tendency
to block the
absorption of vitamins
A, D, E and K. This leads to prevention of
essential functioning of these vitamins in the
body and as a result the physical and mental
growth of a child is affected.
Sugary drinks, candies, ice-creams, sweets
and cake toppings contain artificial chemical
colouring agents. These chemicals are
48 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

Rashmi Prabha
is vice-principal of St
Kabir’s School, Hisar,
Haryana. She holds
MSc in Biotechnology
(MS University, Baroda).
Rashmi applies
scientific principles
of research in teaching and learning
process based on observations, analysis,
predicting hypothesis, experimentation
and formulating theories. She has a great
passion for environment and engages in
projects and activities on environmental
awareness and conservation involving
students, teachers and parents.
associated with hyperactivity in children
along with asthma. The flavour enhancers
such as monosodium glutamate used in soups
and other foods are responsible for nervous
disorders if consumed in high amounts.
Canned food, tomato sauce and nonvegetarian
food available in the market are
laced with preservatives such as sodium
nitrate to prevent bacterial growth and fast
decaying of food. Over a period of time, the
chemicals transform to nitrosamines which
are highly carcinogenic.
The oil used to cook various items is actually
partially unsaturated fat. This produces
trans-fat. Sometimes repeated use of oil
for frying also creates trans-fat which is
dangerous as it gets deposited in arteries
causing cardiovascular diseases.
Also the oil when stored for a long time in
contact with the atmosphere becomes rancid
and releases free radicals which have the
tendency to damage body cells.
Providing food which is rich in artificial
substances can lead to insulin resistance and
poor health in future.
GOOD HEALTH
It is aptly said - A healthy mind resides in a
healthy body. If we continue to eat food low
on nutrition on a daily basis, our immunity
will automatically decrease and we are likely
to suffer from health ailments. Inculcating
healthy eating habits will help a child to
remain physically and mentally active and
to do well in studies. This will also ensure a
bright future for the child.
WHY AND HOW OF FOOD
CONSUMPTION
Consume fresh juice, instead of packaged
juice as it contains high amounts of sugar.
The fresh juice intake is an easy way to get
high doses of vitamins and minerals which are
protective food. Although juice lacks fibre but
it provides adequate minerals like magnesium,
zinc, potassium etc.
Whenever possible, eat unprocessed food
as some of the chemicals that are naturally
present in the vegetables act as antioxidants,
anti-carcinogenic and anti-mutagenic agents.
These chemicals are carotenoids, flavonoids,
lycopene and polyphenols. Therefore, they
provide extended protection to the body.
These chemicals are active against free
radicals, inflammation, allergies, microbes
and tumours.
Whole grain should replace refined cereals
such as white flour, semolina etc. The
consumption of whole grain raises the
blood sugar levels slowly leading to lesser
hunger pangs. Fermented food such as idli,
curd, cheese, dhokla etc. are always healthy
because during fermentation, bacteria
add useful ingredients to the food such as
enzymes, vitamins, minerals, omega 3 fatty
acids, etc. This helps to improve bowel health,
aids in digestion and improves immunity. So
the food quality is improved.
Another healthy food is soaked and sprouted
seeds. Sprouts are rich in active enzymes and
functional proteins that help in body building.
SHARING EXPERIENCE
To inculcate the practice of healthy eating
and healthy cooking, St. Kabir’s School
organised cooking sessions during the Annual
Summer Camp - Summer Hoopla in which
senior students participated enthusiastically.
The students were taught how to satisfy their
temptation by eating healthy food without
using any food additives. We focused on
squashes such as plum shake, raw mango and
ripe mango shake, lemon coffee, cumin sip,
fennel sip, etc. The snacks were all fermented
products such as whole wheat bread
buttermilk, idli, uttapam with various types
of salads. For cooking purposes, students
made efficient use of solar cookers, especially
for cookies and cakes. The objectives of the
project were:
• To understand the biochemistry of
cooking.
• Cooking with less fat.
• Intake of all essential nutrients in a diet.
• To know more about food aesthetics.
• To minimise wastage of energy and food.
This experience induced lots of learning
and awareness in cooking and eating habits
among students, teachers and parents.
POEM
PROXY
Come dear friends, listen everyone
A Proxy class is so much fun.
In regular class, what is planned we do
But in a Proxy class, there’s so much new.
We can make the students play or sing
Or tell stories of queens and kings.
We are here to work for six hours
The Proxy class children! Aren’t they ours?
Why is it so painful, to share someone’s load
Don’t we need everyone, when we are alone on
the road.
Yesterday I was unwell and so you got one
God forbid, tomorrow might be your turn.
-Aparna A Thosar
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 49

eading
– Subhashini Ramakrishnan
I
was very young when I
read my first book. This
was a borrowed one from
a government library and thus
the journey began. Mary Pollok
or Enid Mary Blyton started it
off. Famous Five and Seven, The
Noddy Tales set the ball rolling,
just when I felt that maybe it
was too childish and it was time
to graduate to Nancy Drew
and the Hardy Boys. Someone
said why not Perry Mason and
Books open the
world for us
Reading is a passion that makes one ignore the
surroundings that one lives in and transports
us to another world, time and place. It is an all
consuming passion and it is this habit that makes
us learn about the world at large. Attending
speeches, listening to sermons etc may not
bring us closer to the person as much as reading their prolific work; identifying with
them and their ideas which would probably be the only way of gaining knowledge and
becoming erudite.
then started a series of mystery
stories, criminal minds and
sharks in the courts. Seventy odd
James Hadley Chase later, it was
time for classics.
The government libraries
surprisingly offered a range of
thriller and horror tales and of
course the ubiquitous Sherlock
Holmes with his stories of The
Hound of the Baskervilles, The
Sign of Four and The Valley of
Death. Conan Doyle was the best
but wait a minute did I not
mention Agatha Christie?
Death on the Nile was a
notch above the rest saying
nothing about Murder on
the Orient Express definitely.
Ordeal by Innocence was
the pinnacle of human
psychology undoubtedly.
Dyslexia was definitely not
stopping that lady any time
then!
The journey continued with
Harold Robbins, Arthur
Hailey and Ken Follet.
College saw the rise of the
traditional classics which began
with Daphne du Maurier’s
Rebecca, closely followed by
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand,
the sacred two of a literature
aficionado. Thomas Hardy,
Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen
closely followed. Shakespeare
mesmerised, Bernard Shaw
remained his poignant best while
Sidney Sheldon took me by the
thumb. The Russians swayed
with Chekov, Dostoyevsky and
Leo Tolstoy and sometime later
tastes changed.
The classics held their grip
rather strongly for many years
to come. It was necessary to
churn out names and talk about
the works and discuss at length
whether Christopher Marlowe
was a better playwright than the
great Shakespeare. The debate
continued while I personally
loved Geoffrey Chaucer. It was
always a question of have you
read this or that, and the feverish
quest would continue till it was
read, discussed and dismissed for
something better.
Introspecting strongly whether
Shobhaa De could actually
replace R K Narayan yet the
equation of Indian writers does
not end unless Khuswant Singh
is added to the list. Just when I
was deeply contemplating their
importance in my life, I met
P G Wodehouse who enthralled
me with his Jeeves and Bertie
Wooster. I gave myself the
email identity of the ‘empress’ a
dedication to Lord Emsworth.
When I decided to name my
home as ‘Blanding Castle’ I was
steered away by the gripping
Harry Potter mania. Pace and
speed eventually took me along
with Dan Brown and James
Patterson.
The Indian brigade now attracted
my attention and I plunged
headlong with Jhumpa Lahiri,
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and
Gita Hariharan. When Chetan
Bhagat came on the scene I felt
that Indian writing has been
revolutionised. Jeffrey Archer
took me on a spin when one day
the buck stopped with his post
incarceration rebound. While the
oscillation continued, I managed
to read the intense yet grossly
revolting works of Tarun Tejpal.
Vikram Chandra’s ‘Sacred
Games’ took forever to complete.
Suddenly the urge was to read
the Man Booker awardees and it
was ignited by none other than
Arundati Roy and later followed
by Adiga and Kiran Desai. When
neither Orhan Pamuk nor Gabriel
50 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

Subhashini Ramakrishnan is the
Vice Principal of St. George’s School,
Alaknanda. She graduated in English
Honours from Kirori Mal College, Delhi
University and is a post graduate in English
from Madras University. Thereafter, she
pursued her education and acquired her
degrees in B.Ed and M.Phil. She has a
working experience of 22 years having
worked in different schools across the country and has taught
all the syllabi including the A level. She has published her book,
a collection of short stories namely No Stones Upturned in the
year 2012 and continues to write for various newsletters and
magazines. She has contributed vastly to teaching, training and
content writing for various schools and corporate organisations.
Garcia Marquez kept the fire
burning I stopped the intellectual
pursuit with Howard Jacobson,
only to take up Rohinton Mistry
and later wind it up with the
romantic Nicholas Sparks.
Robin Sharma’s The Monk
who sold his Ferrari took me
on a practical yet realistic
tangent and I realised that
sermonising was not just Osho
or Vivekananda or Swamy
Chinmaya’s forte but a different
ball game altogether. Shiv Khera
came along and propounded
a new mantra for self growth,
realisation and introspection.
Romance touched my heart
with Heathcliff from Wuthering
Heights yet I never underrated
poets and poems, being a great
fan of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
and Subramanian Bharati.
Drama too held its sway and
Streetcar Named Desire by
Tennessee Williams did what no
other play could have done; but
it was fiction that attracted my
attention and short stories in
particular. Guy de Maupassant,
Oscar Wilde and O. Henry told
stories that captured my heart
and soul. Whether it was Abdul
Kalam with his Ignited Minds or
Sudha Murthy with being Wise
and Otherwise the zest continued.
Then came Amish Tripathi and
changed my perspective towards
my beliefs and convictions. He
humanised Lord Shiva in his
Shiva trilogy and continued to
inspire my reverence with the
legendary tale of Lord Ram.
Khalid Hosseini added And the
Mountains Echoed to his iconic
The Thousand Splendid Suns and
his Kite Runner
I thought that maybe Fifty
Shades of Grey would save me
from the pursuit of excellence
when significantly Toni Morrison
showed The Bluest Eye. Every
age, every genre of writers I
explored, read and ingested.
The cornucopia of information
and knowledge was exponential.
Somewhere along the way I
realised that they have nurtured
and groomed me to become
what I am today. It is their life,
feelings and emotions that I
could sense, empathise with and
believe in; and that has helped
me teach and share with all my
students over the years.
Once when a student thanked me
for helping her answer a question
about a writer and his book
in the Kaun Banega Crorepati
series, she was elated because her
parents had praised her for her
general awareness while the truth
was, she had not read the book!
It was my passing reference
to the writer in the class that
she had recalled. Till date this
remains in my memory and
reminds me of the influence upon
my students who I encourage
constantly about the importance
of reading.
I use my Kindle now and
read as many as three books
simultaneously. As I strongly
propagate against wastage of
paper, I took to the e-book like
fish to water and I am obliged to
my constant companion, which
has always made me laugh, cry
and feel excited all at once. In
the company of writers, I have
travelled the length and breadth
of the country and the world
over and each experience has
been more enriching than the
earlier one.
I possess a strong inclination
and craving to read translations
of many works of countries and
languages and writers who are
unknown to me and perhaps
there would be a lot more to
learn than what I have learnt
over the years; surely the journey
would continue with much to
be explored.
Sometimes during the night I
ask myself exactly why I love
books. The answer is they are
my life.
events
Educational Leadership in the Digital Age:
Hands-on Workshop & Certification Opportunity
Real-world ready schools are those which are focused on
learning in a digital age and preparing students for the world
of today and of the future.
The culture of these real-world ready schools is based on building
a leadership team, establishing a coherent vision for change,
developing a systematic action plan, modeling for leaders effective
and efficient ways to leverage digital tools to increase effectiveness,
and modeling for teachers how to harness tools to support students’
learning. Working smarter not harder by discovering natural
complements to the work already being done enhances outcomes.
This highly engaging and interactive session will allow leaders to
practice using digital tools to create a culture focused on rigor,
relevance and engagement.
A successful leader is one who communicates effectively with all
stakeholders and takes control of public relations by becoming the
storyteller-in-chief. Sharing your vision for learning in a digital age
is about building a community
and strengthening relationships
with your stakeholders. This day
of professional learning will
provide strategies and tools for
digital leaders to build their
community through effective
communication strategies to
market the highly rigorous and relevant student learning.
With the aim to make educational leaders aware of these traits of a
Digital Leader, to help them understand what it takes to lead in the
digital age, EdTechReview invites Eric Sheninger for the ‘Digital
Leadership Workshop’ which is first of its kind in India will be held
on 25 th September 2015.
Workshop link: www.edtechreview.in/digital-leadership
‘Digital leadership is a dynamic combination of mindset, behaviours,
and skills that are employed to change and/or enhance school
culture through the assistance of technology. It is about working
smarter, not harder, and achieving better results in the process.
This workshop will help you establish direction, influence others,
and initiate sustainable change through the access to information
to establish relationships in order to anticipate changes pivotal to
school success in the future,’ says Eric Sheninger.
‘We are thrilled to have digital pioneer Eric Sheninger lead this
workshop for EdTechReview. I have read Eric’s book and have
seen the comprehensive Agenda for the workshop; I am sure that
each educational leader especially a school principal will relate
to it because of his practical insights on leading in the digital
age. Our aim with this ‘Digital Leadership Workshop’ is to certify
some educational leaders and to train more educational leaders in
different cities across the country with their support,’ says Utkarsh
Lokesh, CEO, EdTechReview.
EdTechReview (ETR), which is India’s premier EdTech community
& International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), which
is world-renowned for leadership in education will certify all the
participants as ‘Digital Leaders’. Each participant will also receive
Eric Sheninger’s book ‘Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for
Changing Times’ apart from the certificate.
School teachers and leaders can register in groups to avail discounts
at: http://edtechreview.in/digital-leadership/#registration
About Eric Sheninger
Eric is currently the K-12 Director of Technology and Innovation
for the Spotswood School District (NJ). He is an experienced
practitioner who walks-the-walk when it comes to embracing
technology to support learning. An award-winning principal of
New Milford High School, Sheninger oversaw the successful
implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that
radically transformed the learning culture at his school while
increasing achievement. New Milford High became a globallyrecognised
model for innovative practices under his tenure. His
efforts to implement technology as a mechanism for transforming
teaching, learning, and community engagement has led to the
formation of the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for
all educators to initiate sustainable change to transform school
cultures. A frequent blogger, Eric is also the author of Digital
Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times.
52 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

teaching
Real life stories for character formation–
A teacher’s perspective
–Mathew Panamkat
As principal of a school, I’ve had
numerous occasions to address
children in the morning assembly,
classrooms, value education classes, seminars,
workshops or functions of various types.
They’re ideal occasions for telling stories.
Stories appeal not only to children, but also
to adults, for as Dr. Seuss has said, ‘Adults
are obsolete children.’ Real life stories and
anecdotes captivate the interest of children
and adults alike because of their immediacy
and relevance.
Educationists agree that character formation
is the very essence of education. Sudeshna
Sinha , a noted educationist and social
worker talks of the need to improve the
teaching content. She further adds, ‘The use
of fables has faded somewhat in today’s
world. The necessity is perhaps to look for
new stories from the very life situation of
the students in our millennial classrooms.’
Dr Karan Singh, Chairman, Indian Council
for Cultural Relations(ICCR) laments the
curricula and insists on fundamental change
and adoption the Delors commission of which
he was a part, identifying the four pillars of
education as ‘ Learning to know, learning
to do , learning to be and learning to live
together.’ He elaborates the last: ‘Fanaticism,
exclusivism, hostility, enmity and feuding have
no place in a society that is bound together
now by instant communication, satellite
technology, and conceptual convergence.’ Fr.
T.V. Kunnunkal, a great educationist, calls
for a culture of peace and non-violence. He
defines culture as ‘the way an individual and
especially a group of people live, think, feel
and organise themselves, celebrate and share
life.’ He concludes by saying, ‘Historically
culture and religion were closely linked as
inter- dependent realities.’ He realises the
necessity of periodic review of culture, lest we
‘go on clinging to a past that does not make
sense.’ He sees the fundamentality of dharma.
Kunnunkal goes to its root dhr, which means
‘to hold together, to integrate or bond. Unity
in diversity is embodied in the very concept of
dharma’. If this is understood and followed,
peace and non–violence will be the fruits, and
a national regeneration can come about.
As an educator, I am aware that real life
stories illustrate and enliven the meaning and
scope of character and character building.
One day, it may be about courage to do
what’s right. So I tell the real life story of
Nisha Sharma, the brave bride, who dared
to call the police minutes before the wedding
ceremony when she was pestered for more
dowry. I tell the inspiring story of K.J.
Alphonse, the IAS officer, and a former DDA
Vice Chairman, who took up the broom and
swept the streets when the sanitation staff
Sep/Oct 2015
A teacher is always in touch with students as well as adults,
that is, teachers, parents and the public at large. It’s a truism
that teachers are engaged in the noble work of education.
But no one is quite sure as to what education really means.
There are as many definitions of education as there are
many people who have expressed their views on it. My
favourite definition of education is that by the Marquis of
Halifax: ‘Education is what remains after we have forgotten
all that we learnt in school.’ His emphasis is on the civilizing
and humanizing aspect, in other words, that of character
formation. You may forget maths and history, but you remain
the good human being that you have become.
went on strike illegally in Delhi.
I narrate the story of Gandhi ji who fought
injustice in South Africa and India and
suffered. I talk of the brave woman Mrs.
Staines who forgave her husband’s murderer
and prayed for him. These are real life stories
of extraordinary courage.
Character is a broad term and involves many
Mathew Panamkat
holds Master’s degrees
in English literature and
Linguistics, and also
degrees in Philosophy
and Education. He is
Director of Laurel High
School, Pitampura,
Delhi. A writer of
children’s books, he also conducts
workshops for teachers, parents and
students on the inculcation of the
reading habit.
Email: mpanamkat@yahoo.com
traits, such as patience, perseverance, justice,
respect, truthfulness, honesty, kindness,
helping those in need, humility, etc. One story
that goes down well with children is that of a
young orphan boy of Connaught Place, New
Delhi. A foreign tourist was strolling down
the inner circle. He then bought a sandwich
for his brunch. Almost from nowhere an
urchin no older than seven years appeared
and begged for the sandwich. The tourist was
moved by the plight of the hungry boy and
gave his brunch to him. The boy didn’t eat it,
but ran off with it and disappeared round the
corner. The tourist, out of curiosity followed
him. He then saw a most moving sight. The
boy sat near another emaciated little boy
sitting there and shared the sandwich equally.
His unusual act of caring and generosity
earned him the admiration of the tourist who,
there and then decided to do something for
him. Today, this boy is studying in a boarding
school in Delhi and his expenses are being
met by that tourist.
Living together requires that we respect the
www.progressiveteacher.in 53

ights and feelings of others, and also possess
civic sense. How about the story of the young
man who used to put on loud music in his
house, disturbing all his neighbours in spite of
their gentle protests? He never cared about
others, but suddenly, one day, the music and
noise ceased. Did the young man realise his
folly? No. He had become completely deaf.
There are numerous real life stories inspiring
courage in the hour of peril. Once, a child
was sitting at the edge of the school ground
during the recess when a snake suddenly
climbed on his leg and coiled around it. The
child screamed for help. A crowd of teachers
and students gathered but nobody dared
come forward to help. His class teacher
heard the flashed news and rushed out to
the playground with the newspaper she was
reading. This lady teacher had presence of
mind. She grabbed the head of the snake
with the newspaper and freed the child. I also
tell the sad story of one of my senior college
mates who sacrificed his life in trying to save
his classmate who had accidentally slipped
and fallen into a fast-flowing river. Without
wasting a moment, he jumped into the water
and saved his classmate but was himself
swept away by the current. Such courage is
an important trait of a strong character.
History is a subject that is full of anecdotes
for one’s edification. There are many real
life stories in history based on the lives of
rulers and the common people that one can
learn from. An imaginative history teacher
can increase the pupils’ knowledge and
also contribute to the edifice of character
building. When talking of the evils of flattery
and sycophancy, I love to narrate the story
of Akbar’s Ghazi who was left in charge
of the capital at Agra when Akbar had
gone on a long campaign. On his return, the
Ghazi proudly reported that he had passed
the death sentence on a man (whom even
the emperor did not like) and had had him
executed. He expected Akbar to thank him
for getting rid of that troublesome man. But
Akbar became sad and said to the Ghazi:
‘You were the judge and final authority.
Could you not have found some extenuating
circumstances to save the life of that man
and forgiven him just once more.’
Why is it that the construction of the
Qutub Minar ( situated in Delhi ) started
by Qutubuddin Aibak was continued by
his successors, while another tower meant
to be twice the height of the Qutub Minar
started by Alauddin Khilji was abandoned?
No one wanted to contribute to the building
of a monument conceived in cruelty and
arrogance!
It requires great courage to forgive someone
who insults us. Yet, we know that forgiveness
is the only way to reform and win back the
foe. I tell children the story a military officer
who had become an alcoholic and for this
his superiors had issued severe warnings.
One night at a party, he drank excessively,
and then confronted his immediate superior,
who had a grudge against him, as he had
imagined. He went to him fully drunk and
abused him in front of other officers. The next
day, he arrived late to office, but now being
fully sober realised the enormity of his action
and expected dismissal from service. He
was summoned to his superior’s office. They
chatted over a cup of tea as if nothing had
happened. The offending officer then realised
the greatness of the man who had really
forgiven him. This act of forgiveness changed
the life of this young officer. He quit alcohol
and became a model of good behavior.
In these days of scams, dishonesty and
corruption, real life stories abound about
men of character. M’d Hussein, a taxi driver
in Chicago, noticed a bag that had been left
behind in his taxi. It contained expensive
jewelry. He realised it belonged to the two
men whom he had dropped off at a hotel.
M’d Hussein returned to their hotel with the
bag and gave it back to them. For his act of
honesty, he was awarded a handsome
cheque and a Citizen’s Award by the Mayor
of the city.
There are innumerable real life stories
of children who were obedient to their
teachers and elders, or had been able to
develop good habits when young, and later
achieved success. Here is an anecdote about
an interschool competition held for senior
secondary students. None of the senior
students were able to answer a tricky science
question put to them, although they came
from some of the most prestigious schools of
Delhi. Finally, from the audience, a child of
class V gave the correct answer. The assembly
was stunned. Being a witness to this incident,
I asked him how he knew the answer. He told
me that he was a voracious reader and had
read many science–fiction books written by
Isaac Asimov. In the bargain, he had also
read a book where mysterious science facts
had been explained.
The reading habit enhances the reader’s
personality, transforming it into one that’s
humane, benevolent and civilised. The reason
is that in books one comes across varied
ideas and situations: meet good, intelligent
and interesting characters. When I ask the
question, ‘What is a library’, the answer I get
is, ‘It is a store house of books.’ But I tell my
students that for me a library is ‘an assembly
of the greatest minds that have ever lived on
this earth.’ A reader, therefore, mingles with
these minds. ‘If we encounter a man of rare
intellect,’ said Emerson, ‘we should ask him
what books he reads.’
Reading enhances and ennobles one’s
character. Eminent writer and columnist,
Khushwant Singh reported an interesting
incident. Once, an acquaintance of his
phoned him to say that Khushwant Singh’s
best friend, Mr. X had been arrested for
corruption. Mr. Singh thought for a moment
and said, ‘It’s impossible. He can never be
corrupt.’ ‘Why so?’ asked his acquaintance.
Khushwant Singh replied with confidence,
‘Because he is a reader.’ Mr. Singh was
proved right, for soon it turned out that it
was a case of mistaken identity and the
corrupt person was another man having the
same name.
Stories culled from the media, biographies of
eminent persons, and every available source,
will stimulate a love for books in young
people and will help build character. No
doubt, real life stories are a powerful tool in
the classroom and beyond.
From the publisher’s desk...
What if you are a student in your own class?
As a teacher, have you ever wondered
what would happen if you are a
student in your own class? Well,
that needs a lot of retrospect…and you
have to be true in your assessment.
Imagine yourself as a student in your class.
Do you like your teacher? Do you like
his/her way of teaching? Do you
understand what is taught in the class?
Is the teacher ready to explain the
concepts again? Does he/she get irritated?
Is the teacher unbiased? Do you like what
is taught? Do you look forward to attend
the class the next day?
If the answer is yes to all these questions
above and you are happy to be a student
in your class, you are a perfect teacher.
But, if you feel intimidated or are not able
to understand the concepts, it is time to
think again.
Children come to school to learn and
enhance their knowledge. A teacher or the
guru imparts this knowledge and kids look
up to their teachers to enhance it…day
after day. After all, a good teacher can
inspire hope, ignite the imagination,
and instill a love of learning.
Let us aim to instill the love of learning
Sonal Khurana
sonal@progressiveteacher.in
and go through this litmus test time
and again!
54 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

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
56 The Progressive Teacher Jul/Aug 2015

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 the above list would be of interest to your students.
- Editor
Jul/Aug 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 57

progress report
– Kiran Gandhi
ANY PROGRESS TO REPORT?
An education system is like a free flowing stream. Ideally it should
never remain the same. Owing to the exigencies of time it should be
as dynamic as possible. The moment a stream’s flow is interrupted,
its demise begins. So how healthy is our education system? Is it a
stream in its youth, full of vigour or is it one that has run its course.
The Annual Status of
Education Report(ASER)
is an ideal place to start
to know about the present state
of education in India. ASER
is an annual household survey
to assess children’s schooling
status and basic learning levels
in reading and arithmetic. ASER
2014 covered 577 rural districts
and is the most extensive survey
done in India on education.
ASER findings do not provide a
happy reading. ASER findings
have been reporting low levels of
learning amongst the 5 to 16 age
group in rural India since 2005.
The worrying fact is that these
are floor-level tests (basic twodigit
carry-forward subtraction
and division skills), without
which one cannot progress in the
school system.
Some key findings
of ASER:
1. The most significant finding
is that learning levels across
the country, whether in public
or private schools, have not
improved.
2. Another important finding
shows the increased shift
towards private schools. The
private school enrolment
percentage which was
only 16 percent in 2005
has gone up to nearly 30
percent. This number is
likely to reach 50 percent
by 2020. The enrolment
in government schools has
declined during the same
period, understandably so. The
poor quality of government
schools and the public
perception towards it are
contributory factors for this.
One interesting
fact is that this
trend of preference
for private schools
is seen in rural
areas too which
receive SSA
funding and where
other Government
programmes are
also in place.
This reveals the
ineffectiveness of
the Government’s
efforts in this
regard and a
retrospection of
its strategy is
required.
3. While the
percentage of
Class V students
who are able to
read a Class II text
Kiran
Gandhi is
a freelance
writer with
a degree in
engineering.
He mostly
writes short
stories,sports
articles and on education
related topics. He blogs at
Kirangandhiblog.wordpress.
com. He can be reached at
kirengandhi@gmail.com.
increased slightly from 47
percent in 2013 to 48 percent
in 2014, the percentage
of Class III children able
to solve simple two-digit
subtraction fell from 26.1
percent in 2013 to 25.3
percent in 2014.
So statistics reveal that our
education system is having
many ebbs and flows. There
are many areas in which
58 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

significant improvement can
be done.
CBSE’s recent introduction
of PSA (Problem Solving
Assessment) is a welcome
change and a long overdue
one too. It is basically a
litmus test for assessing a
student’s learning levels. It
tests their comprehension and
arithmetic skills as well as
basic understanding of
the subject.
The following areas are
assessed by PSA:
precisely the skills PSA is trying
to assess.
Many students lose touch with
Maths and English language
depending on their stream
of higher education. After
graduation, when they enter the
job market they usually find these
recruitment tests a hard nut to
crack. But if you are imparted
training from your school years,
then it will definitely hold you
in good stead. The immediate
advantage of PSA is that the test
items are so designed that they
should be subject to timely
changes and give teachers more
leeway to innovate and improvise.
So how can teachers innovate?
To start they can distribute
Hannah’s sweets. Now you may
be wondering who Hannah
is. Hannah’s sweets is a
mathematical problem which
puzzled the British Mathematics
students who took the GCSE
exam. They took their anger to
twitter and other social media
sites and the question got
trending. Here’s the question–
international standards.
Teachers should try new things to
keep the class more interactive
and shed the monotony. Problemposing
tasks are one innovative
measure. Students can be asked
to frame questions on some
given data. Researches have
shown that Problem-Posing and
Problem-Solving abilities are
inter related. A student good at
problem-solving will be a good
problem-poser and vice-versa.
The kind of questions framed by
the students will throw light on
their cognitive skills.
• Quantitative Reasoning
(found in mathematics,
science and technology)
• Qualitative Reasoning
(found in humanities, arts
and social sciences)
• Language Conventions
One constant criticism of our
education system has been
that it seldom prepares one
for a job. Entrepreneurs and
Business heads have long been
complaining about the lack of
employability of our work force.
In any recruitment test (be it
conducted by the government
or private entity) the creative
and critical thinking, decision
making, problem solving and
communication skills of the
candidate are assessed. These are
will help in improving the scores
within the core school subjects as
the Problem Solving Assessment
(PSA) test items are designed to
improve generic and higher order
thinking skills.
PSA tests give teachers the
opportunity to innovate their
teaching styles and include
more interactive and problem
solving activities in their classes.
More emphasis should be
laid on assessing a student’s
ability to process, interpret and
use information rather than
assess student’s prior subject
knowledge. This will help make
the class livelier and will be a
welcome departure from the
usual one-way traffic.
The curriculum across boards
There are n sweets in a bag.
6 of the sweets are orange.
The rest of the sweets are yellow.
Hannah takes at random a sweet
from the bag.
She eats the sweet.
Hannah then takes at random
another sweet from the bag.
She eats the sweet.
The probability that Hannah eats
two orange sweets is 1/3
(a) Show that n 2 – n – 90 = 0
(b) Solve n 2 – n – 90 = 0 to find
the value of n
Will our children find Hannah’s
sweets sour? There is only one
way to find out.
Teachers can keep an eye out on
the internet for questions like
this. They will be an assessment
of our students against
Staff meetings and Parent-
Teacher meetings can be made
platforms for discussions on
improving the learning levels
of students. As statistics show,
Government policies and
programmes from the top are not
yielding the desired results. The
focus of such programmes has
been skewed towards quantitative
results like enrolment percentage
and the likes. When it comes to
ensuring the quality of education,
the onus lies solely on the
teachers and they are the most
reliable entity at that.
Melinda Gates has aptly summed
up the situation -
‘Kids are falling through the
cracks and nobody notices it.
That to me is what’s wrong with
the school system.’
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 59

events
The Global Education & Leadership
Foundation(tGELF) - Annual Summit
LIFE 2015, the fifth
edition of The Global
Education & Leadership
Foundation’s (tGELF) annual
summit focused on ‘Education
for Leadership’ with an emphasis
on global citizenry and the
need for collective action. This
year tGELF worked closely
with partners around the issues
established by the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals,
the Global Agenda Council
on Education of the World
Economic Forum and the
work being done by the Global
Poverty Project. There was also
special focus on supporting
the rebuilding efforts in Nepal
after the human tragedy of the
earthquake, with particular
attention on education.
The highlight of the conference
was the keynote address by
Nobel laureate and founder of
the Bachpan Bachao Andolan,
Kailash Satyarthi. While
addressing the gathering of young
students, he said, ‘There’s a
leader within each one of you. A
leader must develop the qualities
of 5Cs; Clarity, Creativity,
Courage, Conviction and
Collectivity. Every leader must
translate his wisdomin to action
and convert obstacles into social
good.’ He also said, ‘Leaders love
obstacles. They love success, but
they don’t hate failures. They
like the challenge of translating
failures into success.’ At the end
of his address, he invited the
youth and children to join his
100 million campaign to stand
up for the rights of the left-out
children.
Other eminent people, both from
Dilip Shankar Workshop
tGELF members
The tGELF Nepal team
India and abroad, who spoke to
the students during the course of
the conference included:
• Binalakshmi Nepram, Activist
and Founder, Control Arms
Foundation of India.
• Brian Page Bauerle, Monk
and Executive Director of the
Asian Leadership Institute.
• Dr Dwight Jaggard from the
University of Pennsylvania.
• Kelly Traver, MD, Practicing
Partner and Clinician at
Menlo Medical Clinic and
Assistant Clinical Professor
at Stanford.
• Rabbi Shai Piron Former
Education Minister,
Government of Israel and
member of Knesset.
• Robert Wilson-Black, CEO
Kailash Satyarthi
Rabbi Shai Piron
Rupa Pal Chowdhury
Sojourners and Board
co-chair of the National
Museum of American Religion
(NMAR).
• Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati,
President of Divine Shakti
Foundation & Founding
Director International Yoga
Festival, Parmarth Ashram.
• George Joseph Deputy
Director of the Whitney and
Betty MacMillan Center
for International and Area
Studies at Yale University.
• Wei Soo, Co-founder and
Managing Director of
Operations of the Global
Poverty Project (GPP).
• William Gaudelli, Associate
Professor of Social Studies
Gowri Ishwaran
Radha B Subramanian
Shiv Khemka
Binalakshmi Nepram
Roopali Arora
Wei Soo
and Education at Teachers
College.
The conference also celebrated
the achievements of three
outstanding teachers who were
awarded The Education Prize
2015: Harnessing Innovation in
the primary, middle and senior
school categories. An eminent
jury chose these winners based
on their ability to innovate,
try new techniques, creatively
engage and enrich the
educational process in their
practice included:Radha B
Subramanian, Padma Seshadri
Bala Bhavan, T Bhavan, Chennai;
Rupa Pal Chowdhury, Shiv Nadar
School, Noida and Roopali
Arora, Sanskriti School, New
Delhi.
Modern School bids farewell to outgoing students of 2014-15 batch
To felicitate the outgoing
students and to wish
them luck, Modern
School (Barakhamba Road),
New Delhi recently organised
‘PTA Academic & Sports
Awards 2014-2015’ in
recognition of excellence in
academics and sports among
the Class XII students of
2014-15 batch. The event
started with the singing of
ABBA’s all time inspiring song
I Have A Dream by a student
of Class VI. This was followed
by the lamp lighting ceremony
by the chief guest Gowri
Ishwaran, Founder-Principal,
Sanskriti School and a
Padma Shri Awardee. ‘I’m
totally impressed with this
celebration,’ she announced
in her keynote address to the
gathering, which comprised
parents of the jubilant
students.
‘This occasion is not just
about getting prizes but
we have gathered here to
celebrate the ‘excellence’
within you. Apart from
getting marks in the
exams, I wish you all reach
the pinnacle of success; enjoy
what you feel you desire. My
wish is you fulfill your dream
as I heard in the opening song
of this event,’ remarked Gowri
Ishwaran in her words of
encouragement to the students.
Dr V Datta, Principal, Modern
School, congratulated the
batch of 2014-15 for excelling
in all spheres of academics
and sports. The memorable
event came to a close with
Pooja Kothari, Secretary, PTA,
proposing a vote of thanks to
the chief guest, the dignitaries,
and the students whom she
wished ‘great days ahead’.
60 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

Educational Leadership Conference
EdTechReview organised
the 3 rd Educational
Leadership Conference on
7 th August 2015 where Knit was
the Principal Partner and BoniO,
Explorars, KidZania, iBranch
and Flinnt were the Associate
Partners.
The conference witnessed over
200 school leaders that included
directors, chairpersons, principals
and administrators from private
schools in Delhi NCR.
The ‘Educational Leadership
Conference (ELC) 2015 | New
Delhi’ was an array of sessions,
panel discussions and case study
presentations on the effective use
of educational technology and
best practices for 21 st century
education. With the central
theme ‘Leading in the Digital
Age’, the conference offered a
platform for school leaders to
learn and share experiences and
practices regarding the use of
technology in schools across
learning, teaching and leading
processes.
The conference clearly
highlighted the need for
technology integration and a
future-ready vision for schools
to meet the needs of the 21 st
century. The discussions also
brought a consensus on the need
for bringing Digital Citizenship
into the school curriculum,
making the most of available
apps for effective communication
in schools and emphasised the
need for continuous professional
development.
The ELC brought educators
and K-12 educational leaders
together to understand the
inevitable role of technology in
education and share insights and
practices for effective learning,
teaching and leading in the 21 st
century. All participants agreed
that there is need for a strong
education community whose
members come together and
develop resources to support
each other with a commitment
to effective technology
implementation and integration.
It was a unique learning
experience for all in
understanding the inevitable
role of technology in education
and amazing digital leadership
practices.
Encouraged by the positive
feedback from the educational
leaders, EdTechReview has
already launched a series of
similar events on themes related
to ‘leading in the digital age’ in
the year ahead in various cities
of the country with the next in
Bangalore on 9 th October,
2015 at Vivanta by Taj, MG
Road, Bangalore. Link: -
edtechnext.com/educationalleadership-conferencebangalore-2015.
Joining Hands organised
INCEPTUM’15: Annual
Inter School Debate
at the Baha’i Auditorium
on August 7, 2015 on the
topic ‘Urban Waste-Toxic or
Treasure’. It was the
fourth successful
event in the series
of INCEPTUM
with participation
of twenty-six (26)
schools across Delhi-
NCR.
The purpose of
this initiative is to
foster sensitivity and
social consciousness
amongst youth. It
gave the students a
platform to engage
and interact about the
burning issues related
to environment and at
the same time helped
in building capacities
of individuals
and educational
institutions.
INCEPTUM’15-
Annual Inter School
Debate was judged by
eminent personalities
from the field of urban
waste management,
environment and
social work. The
programme was
supported by Fru
Juicy Jelly, Baha’i
House of Worship,
WWF-India, Kingdom
of Dreams, Urban
Chulha and Fieldfresh
Foods Private Limited.
Students from classes
9 to 12 from various
schools across Delhi-
NCR were encouraged
to participate. First
prize was won by
debater Barkha
Batra, Step by Step School,
Noida, second prize by Ji Hun
Park, DPS International, third
prize by Harshita Diddee,
The Heritage School, Vasant
Kunj and Best Interjector by
Raghav Sharma, Indraprastha
International School.
The highlight of this event
was the new Group Debate
format which received an
overwhelming response from
one and all.
As an extension to
INCEPTUM and under our
broader vision of creating
positive behavioural
change among individuals,
communities and/or societies,
Joining Hands runs awareness
programmes in schools on
various aspects of environment
and health and also conducts
workshops with schools and
institutions to build their
capacities on Sexual
Harassment of Women at
Workplace (SHAWP),
Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences Act (POCSO)
and Gender Sensitisation.
For further details,
please contact us at: Joining Hands,
A-38, 1st Floor, Amar Colony,
Lajpat Nagar –IV, New Delhi-110024
011-46562487/011-46562485
www.joininghandsindia.org
E-mail ID:info@joininghandsindia.org
Sep/Oct 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 61

Principal Q&A
Principal Dr V Datta
Modern School, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi
Birthday: October 25
Place of Birth: Ajmer
Hometown: New Delhi
The best thing about being a
Teacher?
Being a teacher is one great
opportunity for me to impart
education to the future
generations.
How did you feel on the first
day being a School Principal/
Leader?
The transition was marked by the
feeling that you could put into
action the things that you kept in
mind for a long period of time.
The best thing about being a
Teacher-Leader?
What our children are thinking
and doing all these formative
years will make the future;
leading them and shaping the
young minds to perfection is the
best thing I ever get to do as a
Teacher-Leader.
What are the traits of an
effective Principal?
Well, the best is to be
‘democratic’ where you take
ideas from everyone, listen to
everyone, rather than being
authoritative or just doing
everything in an autocratic
manner and trying to force
your ideas on others without
convincing them.
Please describe the role you
feel parents should play in the
operation of the school?
Parents and teachers are
never at cross purposes. There
should be no mistrust between
parents and teachers. Both are
stakeholders in the education
of the children. Parents should
cooperate with the teachers
to solve the problems of their
children.
When you visit a classroom,
what are the first things you
look for as signs that the
classroom is an effective
learning place?
I essentially believe that a child
learns not just from books for
learning is not limited to books.
A lot of learning takes place
in and around the classroom
- in a corridor or a staircase
of the school. The classroom
should be designed as a learning
aid, surrounded by objects
related to academia. It is not
just formal education that we
focus on because a child learns
a lot informally. For this, we
implement BaLA (Building as
Learning Aid) concept where
children get into the right
academic mood straight away.
What is your vision of Special
Education?
Special education is all about
nurturing the children with
special attention to address
their individual needs and
differences—it could be either
in connection with academic
or extracurricular activities.
Children always look up to what
their teachers do; so the faculty
needs to be practical about what
they preach. They (teachers)
should train the students
practically, not just through mere
preaching.
What is your view on
CCE (Continuous and
Comprehensive Evaluation)?
The basic idea of CCE
was to focus on life skills
and scientific attitude,
but it has turned out to
be like putting too many
eggs in one basket and as
a result, the purpose is
defeated. It has become
a drudgery for teachers
to fill in the gap which
they do in a perfunctory
manner without giving
it adequate thought and
children take it as a relief from
academic pressure. Of course,
there was pressure earlier, but
some pressure is required for
children to study. If they know
that the examination they are
going to write wont carry much
weightage or make any big
difference, they tend to take
it very lightly. So, it’s better
to reconsider and revisit the
CCE system and modify it in
whichever way possible so that
it can be of real use to the
students.
What is your view on the
e-learning platform?
This can be defined as yet
another advanced learning
platform for children,
advantageous in multiple ways.
How can you make ‘Inclusion’
a reality?
Of course, there have been a lot
of developments taking place
for differently abled children,
which include cases like dyslexia
among school kids, over the last
one decade or so. First of all,
we must place ourselves in their
shoes or situations and think
from their point of view what
they require; then we will be able
to cater to their needs in the
best possible way. Even CBSE
has taken relevant steps and
measures for the same.
The most touching things that
school children have done for
you?
To be with them, every single
interaction with them and even
a simple greeting from them is
always a touching thing.
Best conference/seminar
that you have attended on
education?
A series of seminars and
conferences, which I attended
while doing PhD in Education
from the Regional College of
Education in Ajmer, contained
a lot of substance to empower
teachers; I still
consider those
events to be the
best I have ever
attended.
The count
also includes
The Teachers
Foundation
seminars in Mysore.
What are the
major qualities
you seek in a new teacher?
A new teacher must be able to
orient and be in sinc with the
ethos of the school and learn
the way to coordinate with
colleagues/teachers. In addition,
he or she must be committed and
sincere in his/her approach to
teaching.
Your favourite Book?
Emotional Intelligence by
Daniel Goleman. If you have
EQ (Emotional Intelligence),
you can move the world—this is
what we require both in teaching
and school administration. It
is rightly said that once upon
a time Intelligence Quotient
(IQ) was considered to be the
most important aspect, but
today Emotional Quotient (EQ)
has overtaken it. You see many
children who are academically
very bright don’t do as well as
those with high EQ.
62 The Progressive Teacher Sep/Oct 2015

DELBIL/2014/55800