The Progressive Teacher Vol 02 Issue 01

Editorial
Mar/Apr, 2015 Vol. 2 No. 1
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The journey which
began a year ago
Greetings to all our readers of
The Progressive Teacher on the
completion of the first year of
publication of this journal. The journey which
began a year ago with the first tentative,
unsure steps has turned into one of triumph
with the unstinted support of our contributors
and 20,000 plus readers across the country
and overseas. I hope you have enjoyed reading
The Progressive Teacher as much as I have
enjoyed my association with it. Through this
endeavour, we have tried to establish our
commitment towards providing a credible
academic resource for the K-12 educators. The
creative expedition of every new issue is a time
of excitement, anticipation and also a little
nervousness regarding the outcome. The entire
team of The Progressive Teacher joins me in
thanking you for your encouragement during
this initial year.
Since we are at the end of the academic
year and this is the time of examinations and
assessment, this issue of The Progressive
Teacher has a number of pieces dealing with
these aspects of education. Stiggins, a wellknown
educationist, has remarked that the
assessment world has become steeped in stress
and anxiety fuelled by fear of examination.
During the better part of the academic year, the
school heads, teachers and students abandon
learner-engagement practices to pursue the
examination agenda. According to the 2009
Save the Children Report students are unable
to acquire important and basic life skills
because of the dominance of traditional rote
teaching and learning methods, unreflective
and teacher-centred pedagogy leading to
examinations, making learning a straight
jacket. These practices do not teach students
‘how to fish but only to get fish’. The teachers
seem to believe that maximum anxiety on the
part of students will lead to maximum learning
and desired results in the examinations. Our
preponderance towards passing an examination
on regurgitated material is harmful for the
students’ intellect and an affront to quality
education. Looking at quality from a narrow
‘tunnel approach’ in terms of examinations has
created dysfunctional systems where students
pass with flying colours but fail to prepare
themselves to participate meaningfully and
effectively in their own development and that
of the nation as a whole.
In this issue, Ajay Agarwal and John Victor
tell us how to conquer exams and exam day
jitters; Kanchan Shine and Priyanka Ohri help
students in examination preparation and also
apprise us of digital detox; Meenal Arora
offers students some smart tips to excel in the
examinations; Neera Chopra in School Based
Assessment laments ‘we are a nation obsessed
with failing students’; R K Sharma in Value
based Education is committed to ethics and
excellence in education; Tanvi Parwal apprises
us of the child’s journey from the spoken word
to the written language; we have the usual
column on parenting by Dr Shyama Chona
where she advises parents how to help their
children overcome the first-day blues of school
while Aditi Sharma enlightens us on how to
handle our Tweens; Dr N Bhardwaj warns us
against smoking and tobacco consumption and
Sarita Mathur helps with the educational and
academic concerns of educators.
I take this opportunity to invite all our readers
to The Progressive Teacher Conclave which
will be held on 25th April, 2015 at the FICCI
Auditorium in New Delhi, to celebrate the spirit
of teaching. Please send in your registration to
enable us to send you the invites. The Conclave
will conclude with Teaching Excellence
Awards. I call upon you to send your
applications/nominations for these Awards. You
will find the form for these Awards in this issue
ofThe Progressive Teacher.The last date for
sending your entries is 31st March. Please do
apply for these Awards.
I look forward to meeting you at The
Progressive Teacher Conclave.
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
‘It is the supreme art of the
teacher to awaken joy in creative
expression and knowledge.’
–Albert Einstein
‘A teacher who is attempting to teach
without inspiring the pupil with a desire to
learn is hammering on cold iron.’
–Horace Mann
‘Teachers can change lives
with just the right mix of
chalk and challenges.’
–Joyce Meyer

Vol 2 I No 1 Mar/Apr 2015
EXAMINATION
SPECIAL
IN THIS ISSUE
03 Editorial
The Journey Which Began a Year Ago
06 Examination
Utilizing the Exam Preparation
Time Well!
08 Assessment
School Based Assessment
09 Meet the Author
A Teacher’s Journey into Authorship
10 Parenting
First Day Blues:
You can Help Your Child Cope
12 Examination
Conquering Exam Day Jitters
13 Promotional Feature
Save Paper and also Create Personalised
Documents for Each Student
14 Examination
Written Language:
A Part of Children's Language
12
44
08
16 Assessment
E-learning Testing Tools - Pass or Fail?
17 Counselling
Ask Sarita
18 Examination
How Teachers can Assist Students
with Exam Preparations
20 Parenting
Our Tweens
23,42 Planner Pullout
24,41 Classroom Display Pullout
25 Worksheet
Class I: Mathematics
Plane Figures
3 Dimensional Shapes
Patterns
Picture Graph
29 Worksheet
Class II: Mathematics
Plane Figures
Dimensional Shapes 3
Number Patterns
Displays
letters
to
the editor
Wish you a happy new year!
I recently received the Progressive Teacher
magazine. ( I was traveling last two weeks and
just received all my mails). It was a pleasure to
read the insightful articles by eminent leaders in
the teaching profession.
Thanks for presenting me with the opportunity
to be heard among a large audience.
Kalpana Agarwal
The first time I received this magazine I was pleasantly surprised. I
felt like "wow" a teacher's magazine, a much needed one both for
the information & guidance provided to teachers as well as boosting
a teacher’s image. Congratulations for this wonderful thoughtful
magazine.
I am a principal of a private, unaided 4-year old CBSE school in
Hyderabad. Can you please guide me on how to send an article to your
magazine?
Mrs Sujatha
Thanks for sharing your bi-monthly magazine The Progressive Teacher,
It is indeed a very well drafted valuable magazine for teachers. We
would like to invite you to be the part of the Education Summit.
Shruti
This is with reference to the Jan/Feb 2015 edition of The
Progressive Teacher. I wish to comment on the following
item:
Class VIII: Science worksheet on "The structure of an
atom" given in the middle of booklet.
The last question "Match the following" has 4 items under
column A. Item 13 talks about a device and items 14
to 16 are about scientists. Under Column B the first 4
options are names of scientists, while the last option is a
device. Obviously, without thinking, any student would
match item 13 with option (e). I feel this is not the way
match the following items are to be designed. May be this
is taken care of in future in your magazine.
Venkatragavaraj

14
33 Worksheet
Class V: Mathematics
Perimeter and Area
Volume
Symmetry and Patterns
Collecting and Representing Data
This is Pardeep Wadhwa from Delhi Public School,
Sonepat, Haryana. I am working in the school as
Maths Teacher and also bearing the responsibility of
Academic coordinator. I visited WORLD BOOK FAIR
in New Delhi on Feb 14, 2015 and came across
your wonderful magazine THE PROGRESSIVE
TEACHER.
Deeply impressed by the magazine, I have decided
to subscribe it.
I want to know that what is the procedure for
sending articles written by me, and what will be the
theme (s) for the coming issues.
Awaiting your reply.
Pardeep Wadhwa
37 Worksheet
Class IX: Biology
Diversity in Living Organisms
Why do We Fall Ill?
Natural Resources
Improvement in Food Resources
44 Development
Blend of Study and Sports
46 Examination
Smart Tips for Students to Excel in Exams
47 Value Education
Value Based Education
50 Value Education
Value Education in Shaping the Mind
50 Contest
'Best Annual Day Display'
53 Health
Tobacco Consumption and
Coronary Artery Disease
54 Teaching
Know Your SWOT
56
56 Events
India's First Annual Experiential
Education Conclave
58 Student's Voice
Students + Dying = Studying
58 From the Publisher's Desk...
Promoting Healthy Reading Habits...
60 Book Review
62 Principal Q&A
Vijay Laxmi Singh
INTED2015
(9 th International Technology, Education and
Development Conference)
March 2-4, 2015, Madrid, Spain
inted2015.org
IICE2015
(The IAFOR International Conference on Education)
March 8-10, 2015, Dubai, UAE
iice.iafor.org
GSE 2015
(3 rd global summit of education)
March 9-10, 2015, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
worldconferences.net/gse2015
10 th Global Conference: Creative Engagements:
Thinking With Children
March 22-24, 2015, Lisbon, Portugal
www.inter-disciplinary.net
ICLT 2015
(International Conference on Learning and
Teaching)
March 25-26, 2015, Singapore
www.iclt.org
Learning Solutions Conference
and Expo 2015
March 25-27, 2015 Orlando, Florida, USA
www.bit.ly
Annual International Conference
on Education - 2015
April 9-10, 2015, Beijing, China
www.educationconference.co
ICMELT
(International Conference on Multilingual
Education,Learning and Teaching)
April 10-11, 2015, Hatyai, Thailand
www.icmelt2015.weebly.com
ICELEET 2015
(3 rd International Conference on E-Learning and
E-Educational Technology)
April12-13, 2015, Bern, Switzerland
www.iceleet.com
GlobELT 2015
(An International Conference on Teaching
and Learning English as an Additional Language)
April 16-19, 2015, Antalya, Turkey
www.globeltconference.com
International Conference for Academic
Disciplines
April 19-23, 2015, Vienna, Austria
www.internationaljournal.org/vienna.html
The Progressive Teacher Conclave
April 25, 2015, FICCI Auditorium, New Delhi
www.progressiveteacher.in
3 rd Annual The Digital Education Show
June 15-16, 2015, Kualalumpur, Malaysia
www.terrapinn.com
MATLAB EXPO 2015
April 23, 2015, Bengaluru, India
April 28, 2015, Pune, India
www.matlabexpo.com/in
eLearning Africa 2015
(10 th International Conference on ICT for
Development, Education and Training)
May 20-22, 2015 , Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
www.elearning-africa.com
India Learning
July 15-16, 2015, BIEC, Bengaluru, India
www.edtechreview.in
Children and Childhoods Conference 2015
July 14-15, 2015, Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom
www.ucs.ac.uk
Early Childhood Care & Education International
Rendezvous 2015
August4-6, 2015, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www.ecceir.britenvision.com
WORLD DIDAC India
September 09-11, 2015, BIEC, Benguluru, India
www.worlddidacindia.com

EXAMINATION
Utilizing
The Exam
Preparation
Time Well!
–Priyanka Ohri
When there is examination, there
is stress. Managing stress in
examination hall is one thing; but if
a student is able to manage the preparation
time well, obviously taking the examination
becomes easier. As this issue of Progressive
Teacher comes out, date sheets for main
examinations of CBSE have been announced.
So, this time at hand must be used judiciously.
Teachers can share the points mentioned
below with their students in the run-up to the
examinations.
Having gone through the board examinations
myself, there were times of utter panic and
as well as helplessness. At one moment I
felt the syllabus was finished and at another
I discovered to my dismay, I had missed
some of the most important questions. With
experience, examinations can also be fun,
provided the management is meticulous.
• Digital detox: Before embarking on
any journey, make sure to clean your
environment of any digital equipment like
televisions, tablets, mobiles, etc. These are
a huge distraction. If complete detox is
not possible, then limit your exposure in
the preparation time and until the exams
are over. You could add in your time table
the television and internet, so that you do
not cheat yourself of the precious time in
preparation.
• Make a time table: A school has a time
table to be followed, so that every subject
can be accommodated into a given day.
Precisely, this principle also comes into
play while studying on your own. As
exams approach, all the subjects need to
be studied regularly to see any sort of
improvement. And, a time table should be
followed every day with commitment.
• Write and learn: Not everything in detail
must be written, but important facts,
dates and points can definitely be written
down for the last minute revision. It is not
possible to go through the entire book in
one day before the examination.
• Mark important portions: Again, pay
attention to the important things and
mark these with the guidance of your
teacher. This will come in handy at the
last moment.
• Frame questions: In the classroom, your
teacher always gives you question banks
or practice questions. However, you should
also make an effort to frame questions
from within the chapter and reframe the
questions you already have. Devote half
an hour every day to this. You will notice a
marked improvement in your capability to
understand tricky questions.
• Structure answers for questions: Once
you have the question banks and you are
framing the questions, write in points the
structure of the answers for the questions.
For example, introduction (In points what
will come in introduction), feature of
evergreen forests (In points and briefly the
features) and conclusion, etc.
• Make separate notebooks for all
the subjects: Using one notebook for
all will give you convenience. However,
using different notebooks will mean less
confusion when the syllabus for all the
subjects is over.
• Rest: Taking proper in-between breaks
is equally important. For example, a
five minute break after every one hour
or a ten minute break after every one
hour is appropriate, depending on your
concentration and focussing abilities. Some
students can sit for a longer time at a
stretch and some cannot, so it is important
to schedule short or long breaks. This
should be done in consultation with your
teachers/parents, as they will be able to
give you accurate feedback in this regard,
since they know you well. Further, it is also
important to give rest to your body and
mind, so take a good night’s sleep.
• Revision: Timely and regular revision is
equally important. If you devote three
hours to history every day, make sure to
devote half an hour out of these three
hours to revision. Before proceeding to the
next topic, previously studied things could
be revised.
• Progress checker: You have been
studying and revising, but checking
Priyanka Ohri
says, 'Having finished
my schooling from
Auckland House
School, Shimla, I
pursued my Masters in
Mass Communication
and Journalism. At
present, I am teaching
Mass Media Studies in
St. Thomas' School, Shimla. Teaching as
a profession was discovered accidentally,
but it is my second love after writing. There
are two lessons that teaching has given
me for a lifetime. First, to do what I love
until I become perfect and second, you
never know what you are capable of.'
your progress will give you much more
confidence. Here, the questions which you
had been framing every day will be helpful.
In addition to some of the above mentioned
points one should not forget to take care of
one’s health, as this also facilitates or deters
the progress of the learning process.
• Play time: One should devote at least
half an hour to a favourite sport every
day. It will keep you fresh and at the same
time physically and mentally active. Time
devoted can obviously be decreased when
examinations are nearer. No physical
activity can make one a dull person, which
is a disadvantage when one talks about
studying and solving problems.
• Make healthy eating choices. Limit the
intake of greasy foods, as these are known
to make a person lazy and sleepy.
• Manage anxiety/tension/stress: Close
your eyes and draw out all the noise in the
mind. Spend five minutes with yourself
every day. Meditate or write down clearly
as to what you want to achieve in the
preparation time and as well as from these
exams. Set goals and at the end of the day,
assess these goals.
Hopefully these tips will be helpful in
achieving goals set for life ahead.
All the Best!
6 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 7

assessment
A
few years ago at a Sahodaya
Conference in Hyderabad, the keynote
speaker Prof. Krishna Kumar’s opening
remark was ‘we are a nation obsessed with
failing students’. I could not help but agree
with him. I can now safely add that we are
also obsessed with only testing and don’t care
if no learning takes place.
It is really ironic that parents and students,
who trust a school’s judgement of assessing
students till class IX, suddenly mistrust the
school intentions for assessment in class X.
Before the introduction of 10+2 pattern of
school education, we wrote one exam at the
end of class XI and were tested on a three
year syllabus! The move to test only one year
syllabus at class 10 level was also welcomed
and now continuous and comprehensive
evaluation is not good because students are
not being made to memorize large chunks.
Hence, they find XI and XII difficult.
In every training session that I conduct,
my favourite question to teachers and
principals is about their views on continuous
assessment. Almost all of them complain that
things have been made very easy for students.
When asked to elaborate, I am told that as
content is less they are not serious about
studying!! All my life as a student and later
as an educator for 40 years, I was never told
that we should make assessment difficult for
students or test students on large portions
of content. To the contrary we were told that
one should test what the children know and
not what they don’t know.
It’s interesting no one talks of learning.
The students cram before the examination
and after the exam they cannot recall a
questions which involve thinking skills. There
was a time when teachers believed thinking
skills cannot be taught.
The whole child is our focus and learning and
academic achievement form a significant part
of the development of a loving,compassionate,
healthy, and thoughtful world citizen.
Throughout the school life of a child, the
ability to communicate, understand, apply
knowledge to novel situations, and to solve
problems should be taught and not simply
work for a result which we can boast about.
We believe that all the individuals have
the capacity to improve and learn. All
people develop at different pace and have
expertise in a wide range of subject areas
with unique learning styles. We should focus
of examinations should judge the future
of children. It is the rigorous approach to
learning which ensures that we view children
and learning as works in progress rather than
‘snapshots’ of a singular endeavour, the
Board Examination!
With the introduction of a board exam in
class X, the pressure on the student was put
from both the school and the home front to
only focus on academic achievement. A class
nine student is a 13/14 year old adolescent
and has a number of growing up issues
and physical changes to deal with, which
are suppressed and the focus is only on an
EXAMINATION. There is no time to focus
on self, hone a talent, discover interests, learn
an art, practice a sport. The only aspect
Neera Chopra is an Academic
Analyst with 38 years experience in all
phases of the school life cycle, including
planning, design, development and
project management. She has been the
principal of different schools in Delhi and
Kolkata.
SCHOOL BASED
ASSESSMENT
–Neera Chopra
thing! Under the garb of syllabus, we teach
every page of a textbook that is prescribed
whereas in B.Ed as trainee teachers we are
taught that the book is only a teaching tool/
aid. Since most teachers do not even know
what Bloom’s Taxonomy is, how they will set
our professional attention on each student
and challenge her/him to achieve her/his
maximum potential.
All children develop at their own pace - a
pace we accelerate for all students when they
are ready. We don’t believe single sittings
of school life that matters to adults is the
examination result - whether the child is
capable of getting it or not.
With an in house school exam and the
current continuous comprehensive evaluation
programme in place the child is able to
blossom to her full potential. A report card
which focuses on values, life skills, performing
arts, attitudes, makes the child focus on all
these with support from the parents. Today,
we all lament about erosion of values. It may
have its roots in the last three decades of
rigorous examination system - ever since the
board exam was introduced in class ten in
place of a school based assessment!
Memorising is not learning; the biggest flaw
in our education system is perhaps that it
incentivizes memorizing above originality. Our
education system is still a colonial education
system geared towards generating babus and
pen-pushers under the newly acquired garb of
modernity. We may have the highest number
of engineering graduates in the world, but
that certainly has not translated into much
technological innovation here. Rather, we are
busy running call centres for the rest of the
8 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

world – that is where our engineering
skills end.
The goal of our new education system
should be to create entrepreneurs, innovators,
artists, scientists, thinkers and writers who can
establish the foundation of knowledge based
economy rather than the low-quality service
provider nation that we are turning into.
Rote learning still plagues our system;
students study only to score marks in exams,
and sometimes to crack exams like IIT
JEE, AIIMS or CAT. The colonial masters
introduced education systems in India to
create clerks and civil servants,
and we have not deviated much from
that pattern till today.
If things have changed a little bit
somewhere, elsewhere things have sunk
into further inertia, corruption and lack
of ambition. Students now routinely score
90% marks so that even students with
90+ percentages find it difficult to get into
colleges of their choice; but we do more
of the same old stuff. Even Rabindranath
Tagore wrote lengthy articles about how
the Indian education system needs to
change. It is strange that from the colonial
times, few things have changed.
Every change of a system in the country
always attracts severe criticism. Education,
especially, has been the target of many
allegations from students, parents
and teachers. Students think they are
overburdened, teachers think they are
not paid enough and parents want their
children to get 99.99 percentages. Where
does the buck stop? Yes, in recent times
some steps have been taken. We do know
that many IB schools across India are
trying to bring in interactive education and
we laud that immensely, but we don’t want
a change in our system and the system of
rote learning continues in a majority of
Indian schools. Owing to the fixed style
of question papers that have been doing
the rounds in board exams from time
immemorial, rote learning has continued.
Is it justified that a student is evaluated
only on the basis of his/her performance
for the duration of three hours of the
exam? If the axis of grading and marking is
shifted to classroom participation, project
work, communication, leadership skills and
extracurricular performance, only then will
a genuine student shine.
Meet the author
Teaching and authorship go side by side for Dr Pradeep Jain, who
currently teaches Hindi at Modern School (Barakhamba Road) in New
Delhi and has so far written more than 80 academic and reference books
for schools and higher studies. The Progressive Teacher meets this
teacher-author and browses through his books among which Utkarsh
series from Madhubun Educational Books deserves special mention.
A teacher’s journey
into authorship
Every author has a story behind the
writing a particular book. When
asked about his story on influences or
inspirations that inspired him to become an
author, Dr Pradeep says he once discovered
a certain void in the Hindi curriculum
while taking classes and he subsequently
planned to write a good textbook to fill the
gap. ‘I have come across a number of good
school textbooks over the last 20 years of
my teaching career. However, I found an
ingredient missing in most of them - this
ingredient we have finally discovered in
Utkarsh,’ he mentions.
Dr Pradeep has co-authored the Utkarsh
series with Virendra Jain and Raima Gupta.
The first edition of the series was launched
in the year 2012, followed by the revised
and widely acclaimed edition in the very next
year. ‘We have designed the Utkarsh series
for Nursery to Class 8 to methodically help
young minds to get on progressive learning as
well as various aspects of gaining knowledge
about life, career and many others. In
addition, this series is also a guide to help
teachers improve their teaching skills or
methodology,’ asserts Dr Pradeep.
Writing an academic book, according to
Dr Pradeep, is quite different from writing
fiction. ‘It involves diverse challenges while
developing the content, language, graphics
and other related elements suitable for young
minds of different grades or classes,’ he
explains. ‘There are broadly seven skills—
Speaking, Listening, Writing, Reading,
Searching, Thinking and Presenting - which
we introduce step by step for lower to higher
classes in the Utkarsh series. A right mix of
verbal and writing skills is essential for young
children, whereas searching, thinking and
presentation are for older children in higher
classes.’
Utkarsh series is a comprehensive
compilation of chapters on all possible
subjects/topics,
selected from different
geographies across the
length and breadth of the
country. ‘Topics we cover
in the series include
almost everything under
the sun compiled from Manipur to Gujarat,
Kashmir to Kerala with the idea of bringing
knowledge and national integration together to
the school curriculum,’ remarks Dr Pradeep. Be
it literature, politics, theatre, film, music, travel,
career...Utkarsh covers all the fields of study in
a meticulous manner.
Regarding the CCE pattern, Dr Pradeep sees
both negative and positive sides of this system.
‘It (CCE) nourishes children’s creativity
positively and identifies the difficulties they face
at regular intervals throughout
the year or
academic
session. It really
makes learning
easy for children,
but the tradition
or habit of reading
for students is
totally missing in the
system.’ According to
him, the CCE system
is 75:25 as far as positive and negative aspects
are concerned’.
Other than the Utkarsh series, some of the
popular Hindi and Sanskrit books to the credit
of Dr Pradeep include Bhartiya Sanskriti, The
History of Sanskrit, The History of Indian
Philosophy, Indian Culture, which are widely
recommended reference books at college and
university levels. For those youngsters looking
forward to becoming authors in future, Dr
Pradeep has a message – ‘Authors are not made
in creative writing in schools. Keep reading, gain
knowledge, then your inner self will finally urge
you to write - of course, a book!’
Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 9

parenting
Many parents look forward to the great day when their
first born will start school. It is true that school will bring a
change in your life, as well as that of your child’s. Some of
the thoughts that enter your mind may perhaps be memories
of your own school days.
First Day Blues:
You Can Help
Your Child Cope
–Dr Shayama Chona
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 underprivileged);
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
You can prepare your child as well
as possible for school, but do not
expect to foresee everything. No two
children, even from the same family, react
in the same way. This is part of his or her
unique personality. One child may hang onto
the mother and desperately want her to stay.
While another may gaily wave her good–bye
and wonder why she is still hanging
around in the playing field or peeping
into the class room!
It is not a bad idea to become familiar with
the school of your child, before she actually
steps into it, or becomes its integral part
for the next fourteen years. Your child will
certainly feel happier to have had some prior
experience of the layout of the school, a
general feel of the environment, the slides and
the swings. Therefore, do not miss out on the
opportunity to familiarise your child with his
or her future school.
This place should not have any mystery for
her. Tell her about some interesting things
that have happened at the school, or tales
you may have heard from the neighbours.
She may also be familiar with some children
already studying in the same school, who
could further make her feel comfortable. The
expectations, the delights and the concerns
of your child, are real and genuine. It is a
good idea to talk to your child about what
school will probably be like, and give her the
opportunity to ask you about the matters
that may be worrying her. Of course, she may
not have any worries at all. She may be just
excited and happy.
Training your child in self-help skills such
as buttoning up, wearing socks, tying shoe
laces, using the toilet, etc. will really make
her confident and independent in school. She
will be the darling of the teacher. Nothing
like self-reliance. And finally, do remember, to
quote a famous Chinese saying:
‘The journey of a thousand miles begins with
a single step… the first step in school!’
10 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 11

examination
CONQUERING EXAM
DAY JITTERS
–John Victor
You have worked hard so
far for the ultimate and
now it’s time to perform
for your dreams to come true.
Remember exams are not the
be all and end all! There is a
bigger picture of life, so let’s
focus on that. This time you
can make sure that uninvited
guests, like stress and anxiety,
stay away as you study for your
exams. Feeling prepared and in
control is the best gift you can
give yourself as you get ready
to write your finals. While some
stress is a normal response
to an anticipated event, like
exam writing, when that stress
gets out of control it can be
debilitating and can make test
preparation a very difficult
task. So take a moment,
connect with yourself, and make
a plan to manage your stress
so that it doesn’t show up when
you need it the least. Here are
some guidelines you may want
to include in your plan.
Avoid bad things. Give coffee
and other stimulants a miss
the night before the exam or
on the day of the exam. Avoid
anxious or talkative students.
Avoid other people or things
that may disturb your selfconfidence,
focus and level
of relaxation. Definitely avoid
arriving late.
On Exam Day
• Have a good breakfast – as
you need fuel to concentrate!
Your brain requires adequate
glucose to remember and
execute in the exam. (Never
ever skip your meals).
• Make sure you know where the
exam is being held and what
time it starts. Give yourself
plenty of time to reach there.
• Take all the equipment you
need for each exam, including
extra pens and pencils. Also
take a bottle of water, a snack
and tissues.
• Go to the toilet beforehand!
• Avoid people who are
stressing out, find a quiet
corner and read over your
notes.
• If you feel really anxious,
breathe slowly and deeply while
waiting for the exam to start.
Pace Yourself
• Read the instructions before
starting the exam.
• Ask the teacher or exam
supervisor if anything is
unclear.
• Read through all the questions
before starting writing, and
make sure you are clear
how many questions you are
required to answer. Read front
and back of the exam sheet.
• If there is a choice, start by
answering the question you feel
you can answer best.
• If you are stuck on a question,
go on to the next. You can
always come back to it later.
If you are really stuck, try
to have an intelligent guess
anyway. Never leave a blank
page if at all possible.
• Leave time to read through
and check your answers before
the exam finishes.
After The Exam
• The day before the exam,
you might want to decide
what you are going to do
immediately after the exam
ends. Standing around and
joining in with others’ delight
or dismay is almost always
discouraging. If you have
something already planned
you can simply leave others
to do the post-mortem, while
you go and do something
more enjoyable. Whatever
you do, don’t spend endless
time criticising yourself for
where you think you went
wrong. Often our own selfassessment
is far too harsh.
Congratulate yourself for the
things you did right, learn
from the bits where you know
you could have done better,
and then move on to the
next exam.
• Plan to
reward
yourself for
your hard
work. After
the exam, do
something
you enjoy
that makes
you feel
special: take a
relaxing walk,
have coffee
with a friend,
exercise,
have a good
dinner, take
a luxurious
bath, soft
12 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

promotional feature
John Victor is a Senior Clinical
Psychologist, formerly with VIMHANS
as Faculty & Consultant. Trained all the
counsellors of MSF India, CANSUPPORT
and SPARSH in association with MSD
(Merck Pharmaceuticals) in Basic
Counselling Skills. Conducted workshops
on Fear and Love for Maths, Living with
Teachers Stress, Dealing with Anger and
Aggression in Children, etc. Worked with all the staff of
MSF Kashmir (Médecins Sans Frontières) in dealing with
their professional burnout at the time of severe conflict
in 2011, (Kashmir) Conducted series of public awareness
programmes at IHC on topics like 'Violence & Aggression
in Children' and 'Personality Re-Engineering'. Currently
associated with SANOFI in conducting Conscious
Parenting Workshops all over India.
music and a good book (not
a textbook). If you are going
to meet up with someone,
you could agree with them
that you will only talk about
the exam for five minutes
- or even not at all. It’s
important that you let the
stress of the exam go if you
have more exams to sit over
the next few days or weeks.
Some Anxiety Reduction
Techniques
• Take a deep breath.
• Hold it for three seconds.
• Exhale audibly all at once
and let your head, jaw and
shoulders drop.
• Breathe easy ‘into’ your neck,
jaw and shoulders and breathe
again into the relaxed state.
• Repeat cycle once or twice.
If you try this in an exam,
you will likely want to exhale
more quietly so that you don’t
disturb the other students
Total Tension Release
(can be done lying down
or sitting):
• Tense your whole body one
part at a time.
• Lift your toes and tense both
calves.
• Tense your thighs and buttocks.
• Tighten your abdomen.
• Tense your chest and back.
• Tighten your arms and clench
your fists.
• Tense your neck and clench
your jaw.
• Tightly close your eyes.
• Take a deep breath and hold it
for five seconds.
• Let your breath and the tension
in your body go all at once.
• Feel the tension leave your
body.
For Anxious Parents
The best way to support your
child during the stress of
revision and exams is to make
home life as calm and pleasant
Mar/Apr 2015
as possible. Don’t let your
stress become their stress. It
helps if other members of the
household are aware that your
child may be under pressure
and that allowances should be
made for this.
If your child is given study
leave in the run-up to exams,
try to be at home as much as
possible so that you can share a
break and a chat together.
Make sure there are plenty of
healthy snacks in the fridge and
try to provide good, nutritious
food at regular intervals.
Encourage your child to join
family meals, even if it’s a busy
revision day - it’s important
to have a change of scene and
get away from the books and
computer for a while. Also
encourage your child to take
regular exercise. A brisk walk
around the block can help
clear the mind before the next
revision session.
Try not to make too many
demands on your child during
exam time. Arguments are
counter-productive and will only
add unnecessary stress and
distract from revision.
It’s important to get a good
night’s sleep before an exam,
so discourage your child from
staying up late to cram. And
make sure he or she eats a
good breakfast on the morning
of the exam.
Throughout the run up to
the exams and after, it is
important to reassure your
children that no matter what
results they receive, that
there are other options. It
may not be their first option
but there are other ways to
get the same qualification
so be aware of the options
should they not get their first
choice. Give them as much
encouragement and support
during these times.
Save paper
and also create
personalised document
for each student
Advent of ultra-modern
digital printing machines
has finally brought in
a new paradigm in document
printing. Schools can now opt
for these perfectly engineered
machines for the production of
a gamut of documents in-house,
without running to any third
party printing press, to save
time and production cost. In the
vanguard of such technological
revolution sweeping across
the document printing market
is Canon—one of the leading
manufacturers of a versatile
range of digital printing
machines of multifunction
features and devices
designed to meet the
needs of customers,
which largely
consist of
schools.
Schools
choosing
Canon digital
printing
machines can
get a fresh
advantage
in document
printing against
those using
traditional
offset technology.
Digital machines
are ideal when it
comes to printing on
demand (printing as
per requirement). In
schools, these machines
can create personalised
document for each student
easily and fast, be it printing
ID card, report card, individual
portfolio or others. Turnaround
time of digital machines are
very short as printing that may
consume 3-4 days in offset
technology printers may finish
in a matter of two hours. Even
teachers submitting print orders
for their class materials in the
morning can get them all at the
end of school day or in a matter
of few minutes.
For teachers and administrative
staff of a school, it must be
quite time consuming task to
print a single original copy on
a laser printer and rush down
the corridors to make multiple
copies on photocopiers. In this
respect, digital printers with
multifunction devices (MFDs)
help teachers copy, scan and fax
through simple commands from
a centrally operated print facility.
A series of multifunction devices
can be installed in different
departments or buildings of the
school via a fiber-optic network
to share any document from a
centralised system to all others.
Now, time and budget are
two big concerns to be kept in
mind when we go for digital
machines. For instance, every
single design project in a
school is different from one
student to the other and digital
printers can customise each
of them at individual level in
accordance to the use of text,
images and colours during the
print process. Most of all, this
technological advancement of
digital machines eventually saves
paper, which is indeed a wise
move towards cost-saving as
well as environmental front. In
addition to cost-effectiveness,
fast turnaround times of digital
printing machines in production
of short-run documents in
schools meet the deadlines under
any given circumstance.
For more details on these
solutions for school contact
Canon on mobile no
+91 9811772945,
E-mail puneet.kool@canon.co.in.
www.progressiveteacher.in 13

examination
Language happens to a child naturally. A child starts
scribbling on paper the moment fine muscles strengthen.
This scribble might be irrelevant for adults but the child,
makes a lot of sense out of it. The child can actually read it;
perhaps this meaning might differ every time the child tries to
read the scribbling. This marks the initiation of child’s
interest in meaningful writing.
–Tanvi Parval
From a very early age children
recognise that print is also a form of
language and it is equally important.
They realise that written language can be
self-explanatory. A print rich environment
plays a very important role in helping
the child figure out the importance of
written form of language. Newspapers,
magazines, sign boards, blackboards, books,
instructions in games, cards, numbers on
remote control, names of channels, shops,
brands, etc. are a few examples of print
that is available in the child’s surroundings
easily. These environmental prints are not
just a combination of a few letters or words
but they fabricate the meaning and context
of the surrounding for the child. Children
increase their repertoire about their
environment and the world through these
signs and written language.
Even before a child enters school, s/he can
identify symbols of the alphabet, numbers
and can also read some words from their
favourite story books or rhymes. The
paramount point to remember is that the
child is not a blank slate; many schemas
(mental images that help to interpret
information) are already in place which can
be developed completely for holistic learning.
It is erroneous to believe that the child is
totally oblivious of the written language.
Besides, the child knows the directionality in
scanning print from left to right and top to
bottom. Also, the child is aware that what is
spoken can be projected through written form
as well.
All this happens organically. The child
naturally expands this conception. This is
what is termed as ‘forming own knowledge’
in constructivist terminology. While a child
learns on its own
without the learning
being transferred
through rote, the
meaning enriches.
Hence, in this natural process of conceiving
the course of writing and its importance,
the child’s exploration defines the status of
context and connotation in written language.
‘Context’ basically means that it should
be socially, emotionally and intellectually
relatable. ‘Connotation’ means that the
written language should make sense in
specific and at large.
Meaningless writing is trash. It makes sense
to no-one. Anything that is written has
a context and meaning. Children discern
through various ways that any print form
conveys something. Therefore, even when
a child learns to write s/he is absolutely
convinced that it needs to be contextual
and meaningful.
A good written piece which is both contextual
and meaningful can be produced after
a long process of learning how to write.
Commencement of writing the alphabet and
knowing the forms is the first step of this
process. This is followed by joining two letters
to form meaningful words and these words
Tanvi Parval is
a developmentalist by
education, a linguist
by profession, an
educationist by passion
and a feminist by choice.
She says, ‘I believe
language cannot be
taught but it can only be developed
because it is not a subject but a skill to
be achieved.’ Currently she is working
as an Assistant Manager in Educational
Innovations where she looks after the
curriculum of languages, both English and
Hindi and educates teachers in bettering
language teaching in the classroom. She
has also worked as a special Educator
and Teacher Educator earlier. She
holds a post-graduate degree in Human
Development and Childhood Studies.
are then joined structurally (this is when the
rules of grammar come into picture) to form
worthwhile sentences. These sentences can
either stand alone or can be used to form
a paragraph. The syntax and pragmatics of
such paragraphs depends on the
child’s knowledge of articulating
the thoughts. This lays a broad
picture of how children learn
to write. There are several small sub steps
which differ from child to child and her/his
surroundings. Learning to write is a nonlinear
process.
Reading forms the basis of good writing as
good reading inspires good writing. A child
should be able to express what s/he reads.
Since children are highly imaginative and
creative thus they love to play with words
to create a novel piece and to express their
opinion. Writing is a complicated process that
involves multiple levels of cognitive skills but
for a child with appropriate inputs it becomes
a part of her/his life.
For a teacher, inclusion of a good print
rich environment, bringing the child’s
immediate surroundings to the classroom,
adopting correct measures to rectify errors,
motivating students to write beginning with
just letting them write and gradually moving
to use of correct language to express their
ideas, etc. becomes inevitable. With apt input
learning to write can get internalized and
writing can become fun.
14 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

ASSESSMENT
E-LEARNING TESTING TOOLS –
PASS OR FAIL?
We often speak of digitalising
classrooms, but the truth is that
completely digital classrooms
may not be realised on a large scale for a
very long time. As of today, teachers are an
indispensable part of the classroom. This is
because children have different requirements
depending on where they live, their family
background, etc. A teacher computer may not
be able to deliver the content in a way that’s
customised to the students’ requirements.
On the other hand, teachers usually come
from backgrounds similar to that of the
students. They are able to identify with their
problems and are attuned to communicating
with the children in the best possible manner
to yield results. However, there are many
– Sangita Sawhney
digital aids available for teachers enhance
their teaching. These aids include the
generation of tests and examinations.
E-learning modules which are to be used in
the classroom – and even those which are
not – usually come with sets of questions for
the learner. The questions range from simple
multiple choice questions to fun games which
test the students while they have fun. Such
learning tools are useful for teachers for
interactive classroom quizzes and to increase
class participation and interest. However,
when it comes to formal testing, they often
fall short.
Online applications and resources also include
ready-made worksheets with lots of different
kinds of questions pertaining to certain
topics. These are easy to use
and require minimal effort on
the part of the teacher – they
simply have to print them and
hand them out to the students.
However, online worksheets
fall short in the customisation
aspect. Teachers cannot exclude
questions that the students
have not yet learnt. On the
other hand, they cannot include
some questions which might be
lacking in the tests.
A solution to both these
problems comes in the form
of a new kind of e-learning
tool called the test generator.
This product contains banks
of thousands of questions
relating to all the different
topics in a particular syllabus.
Teachers can choose the type of
questions, number of questions,
the number of marks each
question should carry and all
the possible permutations and
combinations of the same. All
this input is recorded using a
user-friendly interface. Once
they have entered the required input, a
question paper is generated.
But it does not end here. If the teacher
reads the question paper and realises
that a question does not match his or her
requirements, he or she can replace that
individual question alone, keeping the rest of
the paper untouched.
Test generators also have ideal answers to all
the questions, which the teachers can access
with a simple click of a button. This gives
the teacher all the tools she needs to set the
paper and correct it with minimal effort.
The potential of test generators is very
vast. If the students perform the tests
digitally, the generators can also be
equipped to correct those papers by
checking them against the ideal answers.
Of course, when it comes to long answers
and subjective answers, it is difficult to
digitalise the correction. However, in due
time, algorithms to identify the gist of the
student’s answer will be created and put
in place. With all this technology at their
fingertips, teachers will have no excuse to
dislike paper correction any longer.
16 The Progressive Teacher March/April 2015

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 postgraduate
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: I attended a workshop where it was
mentioned that formative assessment
should be frequent, informal and effective.
Though I asked the resource person
conducting the training on how this is
possible I did not get a satisfactory reply.
Can you help?
Ans: It is a misconception that Formative
Assessment (FA) has to be always preannounced.
FA can take place in the
classroom at any time announced or
unannounced.
To understand how this works one must
view FA as a two-pronged tool. One prong
relates to assessing progress in student
learning, e.g. a language teacher may want
to gather information on progress in student
hand-writing after having spent a week on
say, perfecting spacing between letters and
words . This information can be collected
informally, unannounced and perhaps over
two or three different observations. The
idea behind gathering this information is to
record progress in development of a skill, a
skill that is not fully ‘formed’ as of yet but
will progressively get better (in most cases)
with time. A road map may be made for this
wherein the teacher decides to assess once
again, next term how this formative skill is
developing. The second prong of FA is the
one that provides feedback to the teacher
on the effectiveness of his/her teaching,
e.g. a Math teacher may ask students to
illustrate through drawing, the multiplication
table of 2, up to say 5 times 2. By looking
at the drawings, the teacher can make
an assessment of whether the concept of
multiplication has been understood correctly
by the children. If it is observed that the
ability to perform this task is largely below
par, the teacher then takes this as feedback
to him/herself to re-teach or tweak the
teaching by using another method, or using
another strategy. Here the idea is to obtain
information on effectiveness of teaching.
The tasks given in both these can be small
five to ten minutes ones. These are not
tests, they are not even assessments, these
are opportunities given to the teacher and
student alike to get better and better. If
carefully planned and thought out they can be
conducted frequently, informally and are most
effective in reaching the desired learning
outcome.
Q: How important is it for a student to
write steps in solving ‘word problems’
in maths.
Ans: Solving word problems should be
central to Mathematics. All processes and
procedures and abstract symbols should
emanate from the word problem. What
this means is that the number fact 2 plus 2
equals 4 comes later only after the concrete
experience of seeing two bananas in one
plate and two in the other takes place. Once
the child has been through the concrete(C)
experience, pictorial (P) representations
make sense. Lastly comes the abstract(A),
yes that’s right 2+2 is abstract! The CPA
approach as it is called, is widely used in
schools of top performing nations as research
based on TIMMS and PISA findings reveals.
Students brought up on the CPA approach
to problem solving are supported with other
techniques such as bar-modelling. These
students are adept at visualising problems
and solving them in their head or making
simple diagrams. (This does not happen
automatically but is a skill that has to be
taught). As a result they are better poised to
solve not only direct but also two or three
step word problems.
As long as a student can describe on paper
the thought process through diagrams,
illustrations or graphic representation and
place the numbers correctly in the diagrams,
we as teachers should be pleased. This is the
toughest step in solving a word problem for
the child. This then should be followed by the
correct ‘answer’ which is the easier part. This
is the point where we should be elated.
On being queried they should be able to
articulate their thinking. This is what the
NCF means when it talks of mathematisation
of the child’s thinking.
One has seen countless cases of Math
teachers forcing their students to write
‘statements’ in Maths. Students are forced
to structure their statements with words
pre-provided by the teacher namely, cost of,
amount of, and number of. This forecloses
any attempt the child may want to make
at cracking the problem on his/her own.
The result is that students struggle with the
English of the problem and sadly are not
allowed to ‘do the Math’.
To answer your question then in short:
Statements in perfect English are not
essential but some steps that reveal clearly
the process of thinking are good to go. And
of course the correct answer, the one that
answers the question asked.
Q: What is the ideal length of
a class period - 30 minutes, 35 minutes,
40 minutes or more?
Ans: Tough one! I invite readers to respond
to this. Do write in with your views giving
reasons to support the view.
Email your queries at:
asksarita@progressiveteacher.in
Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 17

examination
It’s another new year.
As the chill of the
winter fades and
the warmth of summer
arrives, students gear
up for the final term
of school. The final
term brings along
with it excitement and
nervousness – there
is excitement about
completing a milestone
and moving on to
the next, and there is
nervousness of appearing
for the final term
examinations.
Examinations help us
assess performance –
of students as well as
teachers.
If a class performs well in
a subject, it would mean
that the students have a
good understanding of
the subject. This, in turn,
would mean that the
teacher did a good job
teaching the subject
in class.
So, it is in the interest of
teachers to ensure that they not
only teach the subject well, but
also assist and support students
as they prepare for their exams.
Typically, exam preparation
means revision of concepts and
solving model papers. But, that’s
not all. Teachers can use many
other strategies to help and
support students. Let’s take a
look at some strategies.
Learn From Mistakes: The
CCE format allows teachers to
continuously evaluate students
throughout the year. Teachers
can review past assessments and
identify the common mistakes
that students usually make. Then,
they can plan a class period,
where these common mistakes
are highlighted and discussed,
with the objective of explaining
and rationalising why it
is a mistake.
Think Aloud: Each of us
approaches a problem differently;
and with practice and experience,
we devise shorter or rather
smarter ways to solve problems.
Teachers can model problemsolving
methods in class.
Modeling would mean speaking
your thoughts aloud as you
read the question and arrive
at the answer – by speaking
your thoughts aloud, you are
demonstrating your thinking
pattern and your approach to
finding the answer.
Understand the Question:
Empower students with
strategies that can help them
understand questions. Many
times students make a mistake
because they fail to understand
the question. Teach strategies
to help them understand the
question or problem; you could
ask them to look for key words
or phrases in the question. You
could also ask them to articulate
the question in their own words
– that way you can verify if their
understanding is correct or not.
Identify Pain Points: While
students understand most of
the concepts in a subject, there
will be some pain points that
each student may have. Ask
students to make a list of their
pain points. Compile the list
of these points; you may find
a commonality amongst all.
Then, dedicate a class period
to explaining/discussing the
concepts.
Apply What You Know:
‘I hear and I forget. I see
and I remember. I do and I
understand’. The best learning
happens when we apply what
we know. Organise activities
that allow students to apply
concepts they have learnt.
When students apply their
learning, the abstract concepts
become concrete, and they
have a better chance of
retaining the concepts.
Tutor Your Partner: The best
way to assess whether or not
you really understand a concept
is by trying to teach it to
someone else. Pair students and
have each person pick a random
topic name from a pile of cards.
Each person must prepare on
the topic he/she picked, and
tutor his/her partner on it.
Use Technology: If and where
possible, introduce technology in
class. Today, there are umpteen
video resources that bring to life
many abstract concepts.
18 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Kanchan
Shine
has over
10 years of
experience
in the
education
domain.
Her firm
creates training content
for schools, ranging from
curriculum design, teacher
lesson plans and activity
guides. Her team has also
written content for Value
Education textbooks, designed
Educational Apps for children
and created a curriculum for
an NGO, to teach English to
street children.
Kanchan also conducts
teacher-training workshops
and provides consultancy for
curriculum development and
implementing experiential
learning in classrooms.
Kanchan is passionate about
teaching and believes that
children learn best through
hands-on-activities and play.
A documentary video describing
the battle of Panipat or a video
demonstrating how architects
apply principles of geometry can
make concepts interesting as
well as establish relevance and
application.
quiz. Divide students into teams
and play games or quizzes. Team
games are less intimidating than
individual tests or quiz. Moreover,
when one person in a team gives
the correct answer, the other
members automatically learn the
correct answer.
Flip the Classroom: Flip the
class – have students read
through content before coming
to class. Use the class time
to discuss their thoughts on
the content; allow students to
articulate their understanding
and allow them to clarify doubts
that their peers may have.
Facilitate the class discussion,
instead of teaching – by
doing this, you will encourage
collaborative learning and
establish a strong teacherstudent
bond.
Create Visual Guides: Create
teams of students and allocate
a topic to each team. Have the
team brainstorm and create a
visual to represent the concepts
taught in the topic. The visual
could be a Mind Map, a
flowchart or an info-graphic.
Display the visual charts
in class – they can serve as
a ready reckoners for students.
Talk, Relax & Unwind: Finally,
have students share their feelings
about appearing for exams.
Share your own experiences and
fears you had when you were
a student, and what you did to
overcome them. Talking about
Play Games: Content can be
categorised as fact, concept,
process, procedure and principle.
Organise quizzes for each content
category. Let students know in
advance the objective for each
the stress of exams will help
relieve stress. Plan a surprise
class period for students to just
unwind, maybe do some yoga
exercises, let them read a book,
draw or just do nothing!
Mar/Apr 2015 www.progressiveteacher.in 19

parenting
T w
E
N E S
ogether
e can
emerge as
motionally
nourished
superkids
For parents to handle teenagers is a
hair raising and exasperating task!
Your most ill behaved children must
understand that you are the one in control
and you must calmly yet consistently make
them realize that you will not tolerate nasty
behaviour. Here are some tried and tested tips
for you to respond to your defiant teenagers
OUR TWEENS
– Aditi Sharma
and yet maintain a peaceful atmosphere
at home. I hope they are useful to you.
Happy reading!
Never assume the reason behind a
teen’s bad behaviour
Your child’s defiant behaviour may actually
be some real life problem he/she is facing in
school or at play. Don’t ever guess or assume
that your child is acting out based on what
you see. If your child is belligerent towards
you when he/she returns from school, it might
not always be that he/she is facing a problem
in understanding Science or Algebra. It might
just be that he/she is unable to make friends
and so feels like an outcast. But that cannot
be used as an excuse for bad behaviour. When
he/she is in the comfort of his/her own home
it is then that he/she can let his/her guard
down and target a sibling or his/her parents.
Try tracking the behaviour of your child for a
short period of time. If you notice a pattern
that he is unloading his anger everyday when
he /she comes home from school , once he/
she calms down try to speak to him/her with
words such as, ‘Hey, I have recently noticed
you are coming back from school, obviously
upset at something and then venting your
20 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 21

Aditi Sharma, a
trained teacher and
a Post-Graduate in
Computer Applications
and Educational
Administration with a
Certificate in Guidance
and Counseling joined
the City Montessori School Lucknow, as
a Kindergarten Teacher in 1991. After
occupying a series of administrative
positions in the City Montessori Schools
chain, she was elevated to the post of
Principal in the Asharfabad Campus in
September, 2014. She has had vast
exposure to international teaching
practices as she has led a number of
school delegations to Hong Kong, North
Korea, Indonesia, etc.
anger on Dad and me. That’s not fair! Can we
help in some way? What’s up?’ He/she may
completely ignore you but the message is
sent out that you care about him/her and
want to help.
Connect with your teen as often as
possible during a regular day
This tip may sound very clichéd - children
want to know how/where do they rate in our
busy lives. We all get so busy in our working
life, house work, trying to juggle multiple
tasks at one go, etc that when it comes to
family time with our children, we tend to
neglect it. This leads to a sigh or raised
eyebrow or even a scorn whenever we try to
engage them in a conversation. Many a time
children misbehave just to get attention when
they feel that they are being ignored. But it is
important to keep trying so that they feel that
you are making a heartfelt effort. By doing
so you are sending out the important message
– you are important to me!
Involve your kids
in problem solving
My son had been going through a difficult
phase in his Grade XII. He was becoming
negative about almost everything that
involved his studies. He was losing interest
and using all sorts of excuses not to show
any interest in his studies. His grades were
slowly sliding down. Not only was he gloomy
and felt hopeless he had developed a quick
temper and nearly everything we asked him
would result in a verbal attack from him.
We tried to analyse his problems and engage
him in household activities. Although this
helped to a certain extent, there was no
definite improvement in his behaviour. It was
then that we decided not to try to find out his
problems instead try to find some solutions to
the negative attitude that he had developed.
We asked him how he could better control
his behaviour and develop a positive outlook
towards his studies because his behaviour
was not only draining us but him as well.
He thought over it for a few days and came
up with a solution that he would work with
a tutor twice a week but we should stop
micromanaging his school work for him.
He did not do miraculously well, but after
we backed off and gave him his breathing
space he managed to considerably improve
his performance which improved his
attitude towards many other things and
he seemed genuinely happier with life
as a whole. He is in college now and
studying electronic music production and
doing great!
Be compassionate, not forceful
No one likes to be told what to do and yet
research will show that all that a parent
does the whole day is give orders and that
too in a negative tone. Be compassionate,
not forceful!
Some ways in which you can confront bad
behaviour with compassion rather than
force are-
• Stop, drop (everything else) and take a
deep breath.
• Reinforce your expectations of
expected standard of respect in the
family.
• Give your child time to correct
him/herself before you reopen
communication.
• Stay compassionate - Say something
like, ‘Oh! That was really rude. I never
speak to you in that tone dear’. And see
the magic! Consistently repeat such words
to your wonderful teenager.
• Listen to your child patiently - remain
calm and listen. You need to give your
teenager the chance to speak out all those
pent up feelings that have caused him/
her discomfort and has thus become the
reason for his/her anger.
Reinforce compliant behaviour
One of the things which has always worked
is ‘build on the positive’ - and do so as
frequently as deserved. The more positive
attention a teenager gets the less negative
attention he/she will ask for by being rude
or defiant. Be positive and encourage good
behaviour by always highlighting positive
actions and not negative ones. So in other
words, get into the habit of consistently
catching your child doing something good!
Every effort made by your teen to be good
to a sibling or the elderly at home should
be appreciated with ‘Hey, I saw how you
helped Grandma this morning. You were so
compassionate towards her’, or ‘I appreciate
the way you took your younger sister to the
movies with you. She’s lucky to have you as
her brother’.
Lastly, showing unconditional love whenever
your child has done something wrong heals
his /her feelings and enhances his/her
self-esteem! Loving attention, warmth and
care are critical for your teen’s development
and self-esteem. No parent can provide
this every minute of every day, but over
time you can build a strong and positive
relationship.
Happy TWEEN Parenting!
22 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Pullout PLANNER
Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 23

24 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

classroom display pullout
Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 25 41

Pullout PLANNER
42 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 43

DEVELOPMENT
BLEND OF
STUDY AND
SPORTS
– Dr Hemantkumar S Pandya
It’s an irrefutable fact that study and
sports are just like two sides of a coin.
It is necessary to lift up the awareness
of health along with the intellectual level of
consciousness. Study alone is not enough to
boost the personality of a person. Needless
to say, those who yearn to have a charismatic
persona and strive hard to scale the heights
success should maintain uniformly the
physical and intellectual equilibrium. Some
students inflate their portfolios by bunch
of certificates but they are rejected during
campus interview because of their imperfect
health. The formalities of conducting exam
and declaring result are the part of school
curriculum but physical education blended
with extra-curricular activities plays a vital
role for the overall development of students.
There is an old axiom ‘All work and no play
make Jack a dull boy’. Therefore, sport
and its related activities are as essential as
knowledge for an overall development of
a true knowledge-seeker. It’s easy to cram
the topic in a parrot fashion but hard to
understand it. Similarly, just knowledge of
sports cannot serve the purpose unless you
practice it in the daily schedule of your life.
In this computer age students prefer to play
games either on mobile phone or laptop. In
this way they try to get recreation but such
amusement may change their mood but not
provide them physical strength and vitality.
It goes without saying: parents are equally
responsible to inculcate in the minds of their
wards the love of games, whether outdoor or
indoor. Cricket, football, hockey, volleyball,
Dr Hemantkumar
Sharadchandra
Pandya is not only
a qualified teacher
and an educational
administrator but
also a painter and
photographer of
repute. He has
received several
awards as Best Teacher and Best Principal.
He has published seven books and several
newspapers and magazines have carried
his articles, paintings and photographs.
Presently he is the Principal-cum-Director
of Rameshwar Shikshan Sankul and
Galaxy Global School, Ahmedabad. He
has also won many accolades in painting,
photography, etc.
tennis, badminton, etc. are popular outdoor
games and table-tennis, billiard, carom, chess,
etc. are games usually played inside the room.
It is advisable to come out from the shell and
flex your muscles to have a strong, sturdy
body. Your physical health reveals that you
are a man of steel nerves and muscular body.
Various competitions are held in our country
at state and national levels. The competition
of Olympic Games of summer and winter
games are conducted every four years and
more than two hundred nations take part in
the mega events of Olympic Games. Those,
who are physically fit for the games and
also in top form of their sports skills, may
participate in these events and also glorify
the name of the country. Such competitions
conducted on a global level also maintain
amity in the world. These contests of various
sports and games bridge the gap between
nations and enhance friendship. So, there are
many reasons to develop a passion for games
and sports.
In present times human beings have widened
their horizons and understand the importance
of good health. In all academic institutions it
is now mandatory to introduce games. With
no gender discrimination now a plethora of
sports, games and activities are inducted in
educational institutions. Boys and girls, who
add feathers in the cap of their institutions by
playing games, are getting rewards. They do
not rest on their laurels but move ahead to
heights of fame and success.
44 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 45

examination
With the Examination fever spreading
its stress amongst all students,
how to get good grades in Exams
is indeed a very challenging task. Exams are
just around the corner. By this time of the
year, you must have geared up to face the
exams. Your preparations for your exams
must have started since the beginning of the
academic year itself. Now is the time, when
a little extra hard work and effort can make
you pass your exams with flying colours.
Remember, that there are no short cuts to
hard work but to get the best result of your
efforts, you just need to strike the right chord
at this stage. All you are required to do is to
prepare and maintain the same tempo over
a period of several weeks prior to the final
examination.
Here are some tips that will help you get the
best out of your Exam Preparation.
• Do a personal time survey: Have a clear
idea of how to use your time wisely. Do
a Personal Time Survey to estimate how
much time you currently spend in typical
activities like playing, eating, etc. and how
much time you should dedicate to your
studies. It will also help you to identify
your priorities and eliminate distractions.
• Prioritize your assignments: Find
out what are your weak areas and the
subjects that make you feel pressurized.
Develop the habit of beginning with the
most difficult subject as you will be fresh
and have more energy to take them on
when you are at your best.
• Use colour codes & code words: Use
colouring pens, highlighters, stick on
notes etc. to mark the important points,
terms, phrases, formulae, etc. Also, use
acronyms to help you remember main
points e.g. if you want to remember the
states where jute is grown, remember
Meenal Arora is the
Executive Director of
Shemrock Preschools
& the Founder Director
of Shemford Futuristic
Schools, which is the
K-12 School Chain
of Shemrock. Mrs.
Meenal Arora is a
thoroughbred education
researcher and a
committed educational
professional, who works
with a passion for quality & innovation. Under her
dynamic leadership, the Group has established
375+ Shemrock Preschools & Shemford Senior
School branches located in India and Nepal. Mrs.
Meenal Arora is also a well-known author who has
co-authored several preschool books, papers and
articles.
the code word BOAT and picture a boat
loaded with jute bags because jute is
grown in B – Bengal, O – Odisha,
A – Assam and T – Tamil Nadu.
• Solve sample test papers: Instead of
reading and learning the same topics
again and again, practice some sample
test papers, test series, previous year
question papers and question banks. These
sample papers will highlight the areas
of your weakness and also increase your
speed to complete the exam paper in time.
SMART TIPS
FOR STUDENTS
TO EXCEL IN EXAMS
– Meenal Arora
Remember, that there are no short cuts to
hard work but to get the best result of your efforts, you just
need to strike the right chord at this stage. All you are required
to do is to prepare and maintain the same tempo over a period
of several weeks prior to the final examination.
Also, read the examination instructions
thoroughly and become familiar with
the test format, rules etc. and practice
accordingly.
• Start a study group: A study group can
help you do better in tests as you can
accomplish more by sharing the skills
and resources. Therefore, start a study
group with your friend who stays alert in
the class, takes notes, asks questions and
responds to the teacher’s questions.
• Take frequent breaks from study: Take
repeated breaks from studying after fixed
intervals of time as it makes learning
pleasant, refreshes your mind and helps
you concentrate better. So include time for
rest, relaxation, sleep, eating, exercise and
socializing in your schedule. Plan for some
free time with your friends and family to
eliminate boredom from your life and to
maintain your interest in studies.
One day before the exam
• Do not study new topic: A day before
the exam, try not to start with a new topic
because it will become very difficult for
you to learn and understand
a new concept in such a short span
of time.
• Revise thoroughly: A day before the
exam, keep aside enough time to revise
so that you do not get into a situation of
last minute cramming. This approach will
boost your confidence and reduce any
pre-exam stress.
• Be ready with exam essentials: Be
prepared with the correct stationery like
pencil box, clip board, identity card, admit
card etc. so that you do not have to look
for these things the next morning.
• Get a sound sleep: Get enough sleep the
night before the exam. Lack of sound sleep
will hamper your performance. So, make
sure that you sleep a few extra hours
instead of studying a few extra hours.
So, follow these tips and remember that
the secret formula for being a good and
successful student is ‘studying smart’, with
the right mindset, constant self-motivation
and skillful time management.
All the best!
46 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

value education
EDUCATION is a systematic
and a planned process of the
development of the potential of
a being to its maximum, by
the harmonious growth of
the physical, mental, social,
emotional and spiritual
qualities inherent in him,
thereby transforming him
from being self centered
and egoistic person into
an integrated personality
and a responsible global
citizen.
– R K Sharma
COMMITTED TO ETHICS AND
EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION
As students today are lacking a
humanitarian approach hence value
based education is the need of the
hour. It is a teaching framework in which
values are taught both explicitly in the
classroom and implicitly by example. The
framework consists of teaching tools and
techniques. It involves the development of
the school environment that expresses and
practices positive universal values. Children
witness and engage with those values to guide
and inform their behaviour. Value Based
Education provides a successful environment
for teaching and learning of the full range of
academic, social and interpersonal skills.
Value Based Education approach offers a
new way of thinking about education and
how children can be supported to develop to
become successful and happy members of the
global society. It encourages reflective and
inspirational attributes and attitudes. They
can be nurtured to help people, discover the
very best of themselves which enables them
to be good global citizens and prepare them
for their working life.
Mar/Apr 2015
In value based schools, students develop
a secure sense of ‘SELF’. They become
more empowered to take responsibility of
their own learning. They develop academic
diligence when they are involved with a
value based school. They develop rational
trust. They become articulate and able to
talk freely and well through silence and
quietude in a value based framework.
Students can understand much more deeply
their work and their lives. Value based
Education also promotes effective learning
and underpins continuous improvement of
the personal, social, moral and economic
well being. It is an investment in individual
capability and self-responsibility
and its product.
IMPACT OF VALUE BASED
EDUCATION ON SCHOOLS
Values-based schools emphasise value
education in their curriculum and teaching.
As a consequence, students become
academically more diligent, the school
acquire a more peaceful ambience, better
student-teacher relationships are forged,
student and teacher wellbeing improves and
parents are more engaged with the school.
R K Sharma, an
academician, started
his journey in education
in 1990 as a lecturer
in a degree college
and spent twelve years
in one of the best
residential schools
of India (Birla Public School, Pilani,
Rajasthan) as HOD, Senior House-Master,
Registrar-Examinations and Academic
Co-ordinator. Since 2008, R K Sharma is
working as a Principal. In November 2012,
he took over charge of the Satyug Darshan
Vidyalaya (residential cum day boarding
school) under the aegis of Satyug Darshan
Trust. Satyug Darshan Vidyalaya works
for the betterment of children. R K Sharma
believes that Value based education is the
need of the hour because the world needs
good human beings with skills which is
possible only by inculcating SANSKAR
(Values) in the children.
Explicit teaching of values provides a
common ethical language for talking about
interpersonal behaviour. It also provides
a mechanism for self-regulated behaviour.
An important outcome is a more settled
school which enhances quality teaching
and enables teachers to raise the bar for
student performance.
Academic Diligence
Students show an increased attentiveness
in class and a greater capacity to work
www.progressiveteacher.in 47

independently, assume
more responsibility
for their own learning
ask questions and
work together more
cooperatively, take
greater care, put
more effort in their
schoolwork and take
more pride in their
efforts.
School Ambience
The school ambience
witnesses a decrease
in the conflict among
students. There is
a demonstration of
greater empathy,
honesty and integrity.
Students become
more tolerant and
cooperative in
their interactions.
Classrooms and
playgrounds become
safer and more
harmonious. Greater
kindness and tolerance among students is
seen. Students take greater responsibility
with school equipment and routine tasks.
Students treat the school buildings and
grounds ‘WITH RESPECT’.
Student-teacher Relationships
Student-teacher relationships become more
trusting. More democratic classrooms are
established. Teachers give students more
power by allowing them choices in learning
activities. Teachers become more conscious
of scaffolding students to manage their own
behaviour or resolve conflict with others.
Teachers seek opportunities to acknowledge
and reinforce appropriate behaviour. They
listen to students and respond to their
concerns and opinions. Students perceive
that teachers treat them fairly and thus
behave more respectfully, politely and
courteously towards the teachers.
Student-teacher Wellbeing
Students feel a greater sense of
connectivity and belongingness. They
gain a greater capacity for self-reflection
and self-appraisal. They develop a
greater capacity for regulating their
own and their peers’ behaviour. Teachers
receive collegial support, strong
leadership, confidence and knowledge
through opportunities for professional
development and through staff
collaboration. They re-examine their
practices and role. The relationship and
trust among staff and between teachers
and families get fostered.
Thus, in a nut shell, when Values
Education is explicit, a common
language is established among students,
staff and families. This not only leads to
greater understanding of the targeted
values but also provides a positive focus
for redirecting children’s inappropriate
behaviour. Teachers perceive that explicitly
teaching values and developing empathy in
students results in more responsible, focused
and cooperative classrooms and equipped
students striving for better learning and
social outcomes. When values are explicitly
endorsed, acknowledged and valued within
a school culture, it becomes incumbent
on schools to ensure that staff, as well as
students are both benefactors and recipients
in respectful and caring interactions. The
common focus draws teachers together to
create a collaborative and cohesive school
community which supports teachers to do
their job more effectively. This has important
ramifications for students’ academic progress
and wellbeing.
FORM IV (RULE 8)
Statement about ownership and other particulars
about magazine entitled “The Progressive Teacher.”
1) Place of Publication : New Delhi
2) Periodicity of publication : Bi-monthly
3) Printer’s Name : Sonal Khurana
Whether citizen of India : Yes
4) Publisher’s Name : Sonal Khurana
Whether citizen of India : Yes
Address : 406, Sant Nagar, East of Kailash, New Delhi
5) Editor’s Name : Rita Wilson
Whether citizen of India : Yes
If foreigner, state the country of origin : Does not apply
Address : Flat # 2-A, 5, Under Hill Lane,
Civil Lines, Delhi-110054
I, Sonal Khurana, hereby declare that the particulars
given above are true to the best of my knowledge and
belief.
Dated:
Sd/-
1st March, 2015 Sonal Khurana, Publisher
48 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 49

Value Education
Value education is not a recent concept. Most of the
educational systems include value education as an
important part of their curriculum. They include a)
Living Values b) Human Values c) Family Values.
Countries like Australia, Japan, Singapore, Sweden,
Thailand and United Kingdom have made Value
Education a part of their Educational Programmes.
But how far it is practiced is the question.
–KP Jills
In the contemporary world,
we suffer from information
explosion and are consumed
by the influence of technology
where the rational mind takes
over the emotional mind. So
value based education system
has taken a backseat and a
result oriented system has
taken the driver’s seat. Thus,
our preoccupation with the
techno-world has made us
almost mechanical beings.
The overwhelming fast pace
of life has taken a toll on our
mental peace. The demands that
complex modern life imposes
on us cause great fear in people
from all walks of life. This sense
of fear and stress is felt by the
student community too, creating
emotional imbalance especially
among college students.
Destructive elements have made
inroads into modern lifestyles
where incidents of crime, greed
and lust degrade the concept
of truth, honesty, sincerity and
ethics that we hold as valuable.
The question is how to mould
the young minds, resurrect a
mindset which will help rebuild
their value system in the right
direction.
Our educational institutions
today are built on confusion and
chaos. Different educational
institutions have different value
based frameworks. There is no
common consensus with regard
to value based education across
the country. Including spiritual
dimensions in the curriculum
should help the mind building
process of the youth of the
present generation. Today,
curriculum is cross-disciplinary
extending from psychology and
sociology to neuroscience and
biology. So we have to re-think
and see them from a multidisciplinary
perspective. In this
backdrop comes the importance
of minding the affairs of the
learners when they are young.
The young are the pillars of our
generation. A country is not built
by bricks but by minds. In order
to help our youth protect their
own rights and responsibilities,
and defend themselves against
exploitation of any sort, mass
education and inculcation of
values are compulsory factors.
Our education should not only
help us earn our bread and
butter but should be one that
makes our life. So it is our duty
to choose the one which will
lead to wholesome development.
Students should be trained to
keep the goodness and finesse of
traditional values and not to be
consumed by modern lifestyles.
Developing Positive
Values at home:
Charity begins at home. Most of
the values we learn are developed
in our formative stage which
begins at home. So it is the duty
of parents to make the child a
valuable asset of the society.
Parents are the first role models
for the children. They should
teach their children distinction
between right and wrong, sense
of patience, tolerance and
integrity of mind. Parents should
feed the minds of the children
with positive thoughts as they
grow and become adults.
Creating Positive Values
in the Educational
Institutions:
1. Just as parents play a major
role at home, teachers and the
environment in the educational
institutions play a big role
in helping students inculcate
a positive mindset. Teachers
are role models in schools and
colleges and so the learners look
up to them for many things.
2. Shiv Khera, a great motivator,
mentions that the character
building process should remain
the prime purpose of education
which helps the students imbibe
a sense of self-awareness which
will lead to self development.
This could lead to societal
development which is a
collective development in the
process.
3. Sense of fairness and justice
should be incorporated in
the rules and regulations of
educational institutions.
50 The Progressive Teacher
Mar/Apr 2015

K P Jills, he is an experienced, enthusiastic
and focused teacher and an administrator who
is committed to safeguarding and promoting
the education and well-being of children and
young people at all times. A passionate teacher
for the last 23 years in the Northeastern part of
India and in TamilNadu, he is presently serving
as Principal of Krishnaswamy Vidyanikethan,
a CBSE school and a branch of Krishnaswamy
group of Institutions at Cuddalore. He is an expert in training
the teachers on Life Skills and Continuous and Comprehensive
Evaluation, adhering to the norms and reforms of CBSE.
4. Counselling of students should
be a part of the curriculum.
5. Team work and sharing attitude
should also be made a practice.
6. Concepts of balanced
interconnectedness
and respect should be
incorporated in schools and
colleges where values like
self respect, self acceptance,
self knowledge and self
development can be taught.
7. Value based syllabus should
be the part of the education
system at all levels.
Inculcating Positive
Values in the Learners:
1. We live in a world of multifaith
society (Wright, 2000).
Learners should be made
aware of values that different
cultures and traditions follow.
2. Alongwith cognitive
rationalities like logic,
analysis and linearity,
emphasis should be laid
on subjective subjects like
emotions, intuition and
relationships. Intuition leads
to creativity in the mind.
3. Help them face and rise up
to the realities of real life
situations.
4. Help them fight loneliness,
rejection, defeat and failure.
5. Encourage them to practice
small acts of courage in the
process of learning which
can be speaking up for truth
when required in the school
environment.
6. Sense of wisdom or
application of knowledge
should be taught.
7. Help them value good
principles of life and develop
a sense of loyalty, integrity
and trustworthiness.
Expressions and
Exercises
that help build a
Positive mindset
Neuroscience has revealed that
emotion is intimately linked to
cognition and is responsible for
the maintenance of brain cells
including our body’s immune
system.
1. Some amount of self illusion
creates positive impact on
Mar/Apr 2015
imaginative minds. Illusion
increases performance.
2. Laughter, humour and jokes
also have a beneficial effect
on the immune system.
It is believed that polite
social laughter produces
psychological benefits.
3. Positive body language
should be taught. Exposure
to various languages and
cultures also helps.
4. Physical exercise helps the
brain grow more effective
cells. A positive attitude
should be taught. This can be
reinforced by the power of faith
as mentioned by Norman Peale
from where one derives energy.
5. Yoga and meditation can also
be a part of body and mind
building process. Our religion
plays an important role in
influencing activity in the mind.
6. Above all these is the use of the
Power of Prayer. Parents and
teachers should use prayer
therapy which can create
positive energy to produce
positive results. It can change
our life and teach us to think
creatively because prayer
sharpens our mind.
Inculcating positive values would
help re-build and retrieve our
traditional values of life in the
midst of crisis where our sense of
morality is endangered from all
directions as we are all sucked
into the tech-drunk world.
Works cited:
1. David Gamon and Allen D
Bragdon. Building Mental
Muscles. New Delhi: Viva
Publishers.(2003)
2. Shiv Khera. Living with Honour.
Delhi: Macmillan Publishers
India Ltd. (2003).
3. Norman Vincent Peale. The
Power of Positive Thinking.
London: Vermillion.(2004).
4. A Pushparajan ed. Value
Crisis on the Way Out. Indian
society of Gandhian Studies.
Madurai:(2002)
5. H Mackay. Knowing Right
from Wrong: How to Decide
For yourself. Australia:
Hodder Headline. (2004).
6. J Miller. Education And Soul.
Albany, NY: New York Press.
(2000).
www.progressiveteacher.in 51

52 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Health
In the last article we discussed about
hypertension as a risk factor for heart
disease. Let’s see how smoking and
tobacco consumption is another important
risk factor for coronary artery disease.
India is the 2nd largest country in the world
in terms of consumption of tobacco after
China. Longitudinal studies have shown
that smoking is an important risk factor in
the development of heart disease.
– Dr Narottam Bhardwaj
TOBACCO CONSUMPTION AND
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE
In 2000, there were an estimated 4.8
million premature deaths in the world
attributable to smoking - 2.4 million
in developing countries and 2 million in
industrialised countries. More than three
quarter (3.8 million) of these deaths were
in men. The leading causes of death from
smoking were cardiovascular (1.7 million
deaths)
Smokers die 5 to 8 years earlier than non
smokers. They have twice the risk of fatal
heart disease. It is highly addictive, raises
brain level of dopamine and produces
withdrawal symptoms on discontinuation
suddenly.
The mechanism by which tobacco
consumption causes heart disease has been
the subject of intense investigations. Nicotine
is the major constituent of tobacco and has
effect on lipids and sympathetic nervous
system. Coronary blood flow may decrease
after smoking, an effect possibly related
to nicotine mediated increases in coronary
vascular resistance. Circulating free fatty
acids, glycerol and lactate concentration
increases after smoking. Nicotine increases
circulating level of vasopressin, growth
hormone, cortisol, ACTH and endorphins.
Smokers have increased bad cholesterol
(LDL) and reduced good cholesterol (HDL).
These deranged fats lead to heart disease. It
should be remembered that nicotine is only
one of some 4,000 constituents that have
been described in cigarette smoke.
The gaseous phase contains among others
carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen
dioxide and ammonia. These particles have
active teratogenic and mutagenic constituents
such as nicotine, phenol, phytosteroids
and naphthalene.
Cigarette smoking is the most important
risk factor for coronary artery spasm and
vasospastic angina. The sympathomimetic
action of nicotine together with its inability
to produce prostacyclin suggests that
nicotine causes the risk. Sudden cardiac
death in smokers might result from ischemia
Mar/Apr 2015
combined with arrthymia affect of increasing
circulating catecholamines.
Smoking cessation reduces the risk of death
and myocardial infarction in people with
heart disease. On average, women smokers
who quitted smoking by age 35 add about
three years to their life expectancy and
men add more than two years. Factors
associated with successful cessation
include having a rule against smoking in
the home, being older and having greater
education. Several effective interventions
are available to promote smoking cessation
including, counselling, pharmacotherapy and
combination of the two.
The cardiovascular benefits of stopping
smoking have been well documented and
are listed below.
BENEFITS STATISTICS
• Within 1 to 2 years after quitting the
risk of MI (myocardial infarction) falls
by 30 percent in men and 40 percent in
women.
• The risk of MI in former smokers
approaches that of never smokers within
2 to 4 years after cessation.
• Quitting after a MI adds 1.7 years of life
compared to persons who continue to
smoke.
• 35 years old men and women who quit
add 2.3 and 2.8 years of life respectively
to their life expectancy.
• Five years mortality in smokers is double
that of those who quit.
• Risk of stroke is reduced within 2 years
after cessation and diminishes to that of
never smokers after 5 years.
• The risk of dying from lung cancer
decreases by 40 percent in 6 to 10 years
but, even after 15 years the risk is still 10
to 20 percent higher than never smokers.
• While the overall mortality rate declines
rapidly in former smokers, it never
returns to the baseline of never smokers.
• Other benefits: Reduction of symptoms
from peripheral vascular disease,
Dr Narottam
Bhardwaj completed
MBBS in 1973 and MD
in Medicine in 1978 from
Maulana Azad Medical
College, University of
Delhi. He worked for
three years in LNJP and
GB Pant Hospitals, New
Delhi from 1982. He has
been in private practice
as a consultant physician to various hospitals
like Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, etc. At present
he is senior consultant- Internal Medicine at
Max Hospital, Saket, Sukhda Hospital, New
Delhi. He is also Medical Advisor to Power Grid
Corporation, Power Finance Corporation and
SIEMENS. He has published several papers on
diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. He has
special interest in diabetes. He is a member of
Delhi Medical Association and American Diabetic
Association.
reduction in aortic aneurysm mortality,
reduced peptic ulcer disease, improved
blood pressure control, improved lipid
profile and better pregnancy outcomes.
• There is on an average of 6.4 lb weight
gain following smoking cessation
but the health risks of this weight
gain are negligible compared to the
benefits of cessation.
www.progressiveteacher.in 53

Teaching
Our school on all working days ends with a short evening prayer
by teachers and students together. As an observer teacher,
I always inspire teachers and students to turn their attention
to the events of the day as recapitulation of what meaningful
tasks they did as a self evaluation drill. This routine practice,
as I have experienced, gives teachers and learners the
opportunity to analyse themselves independently and prepare
for better responsibility for the next day.
For the overall study of a teacher’s
career skills as well as holistic
progression of learners, SWOT analysis
tool can come handy to analyse ourselves
more structurally if planned, prepared and
practiced well by pedagogically strong and
skilled professionals, analysts and teachers
and even learners.
SWOT analysis is an alternative, termed
as SWOT matrix, that can be carried on in
an organisation, place, person, project, or
plan. As an individual learner, a group or
an organisation, we face many hardships in
achieving competency while reaching our
goals and so often we have to give up our
plans on the way and our career growth goes
down the scale of our expectations. Therefore,
or group can sit together and identify the
areas of major weaknesses of language
learners. Similar efforts can be initiated in
other subjects as well.
To carry out SWOT analysis, start by drawing
a large square on a white board, chart or
paper. Divide the square into quadrants.
Label the upper left quadrant ‘Strengths’,
the lower left ‘Weaknesses’, the upper right
‘Opportunities’ and the lower right ‘Threats’.
Just let the group undergoing SWOT analysis
learn that strengths and weaknesses are
internal and opportunities and threats are
external factors.
Strengths
Strength in one’s life has many
interpretations. All of us are born with unique
be helpful in identifying internal as well as
external strengths of individuals, children or
teachers through giving and taking feedback,
preparing specific questionnaires, maintaining
anecdotal records, conducting group
activities on inter and intra level.
In fact, CBSE or ICSE and state board
run schools have started implementation
of students’ core strength measuring
under CCE plan. For teachers, CTET is
another proficiency and skill measuring
test. But still there is need for developing
more comprehensive tools for routine skill
evaluation to benefit the larger teaching and
learning fraternity.
A methodical study of the individual’s
external and inborn strengths and abilities
may make him/her go from strength to
strength. Knowing where one comes in strong
and where one needs assistance can help
him/her to stabilise personal life and foster
proficiency. By SWOT analysis we can easily
carry out a survey of a person’s growth in all
relevant spheres. Just look at these questions.
• Which of your achievements
you are proud of this year?
• What subjects or topics
were you good at?
Know
we remain stunted
and below par with our counterparts and
those to whom we are accountable. Thus, this
analysis can be extremely beneficial not only
for teachers but also for students as SWOT
offers helpful baseline information for a
group of people/learners or organisation that
want a vision for their future or analyse a
problem.
The term SWOT used in ellipsis stands for
our ‘Strengths’, ‘Weaknesses’, ‘Opportunities’
and ‘Threats’.
For instance, the English language
teachers’ team in your school might do a
SWOT analysis to look for ways to grow
and become more competent in English
language skills. At the same time the team
capabilities and skills, and the way to
build one’s strength is to focus on these
specific skills and grow with them. Some
people run fast, others are flexible, some
can lift significant weight. When it comes to
mental muscles, there has been significant
research work done in the past decade on
identifying natural strengths.
SWOT as a strength measuring tool can
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
• What worked for
you in your approach to
learning?
• What are you proud of achieving?
• What new skills did you develop?
• What personal resources can you access?
• What values do you excel in that others
fail to exhibit?
Weaknesses:
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, a French bishop,
theologian and well-known orator once said,
‘The greatest weakness of all is the great
fear of appearing weak.’ So often many
issues concerned with individual growth in
career hold us back and we are not able
to overcome them. For example, in school
a teacher may suffer individually from
low self esteem and the same weakness
54 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015
Threats

may pass on to his pupils and vice versa.
The first and foremost concern here is to
analyse weaknesses by choosing a set of
evaluation tools by self or others objectively
or subjectively formulated by test battery
questionnaire. For example:
• What were your greatest challenges in
achieving your personal goals at school?
• What did you find difficult this year in your
vocation/ academics?
• Are you fully confident in your educational
skill training and learning level?
• What are your negative work traits and
habits?
• What skills do you feel needed more work?
• What areas of your approach did you
struggle with?
• When did you not feel confident about your
ability to succeed?
One must consider personal internal or
external perceptions in a very truthful and
realistic way. Always admit that weaknesses
occur, be specific about them, seek guidance
from others, assess yourself regularly, forget
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.
on a given topic’, ‘Present a Radio Show’ in
the morning assembly session, ‘Share your
Success story’, ‘Interview of a teacher or the
Principal by Learners’, etc. Even the slow
learners or low achievers must be an essential
part of new learning opportunities of their
level and interest.
Threats:
Our assessment system despite several new
and novel tools of evaluation still suffers from
a multitude of defects. It instills in us the
fear of failure. In education, SWOT analysis
your
- Ashok Singh Guleria
the past and do your best for the next time. I
remember an old Chinese proverb - ‘A journey
of a thousand miles starts with a single step’.
Opportunities:
Opportunities knock at everybody’s door but
all can’t dare to get up to open the door and
hug them whole heartedly. Throughout my
teaching career, I have never let a chance or
opportunity turn back from my door. I recall
my school principal who would often put me
in hard challenges of doing
difficult but novel tasks in the beginning of
my school teaching career. As a learning
teacher I never declined to face challenges.
This helped me to embark upon a successful
teaching career.
In SWOT analysis a teacher or student can
be best judged by self or others by giving or
taking feedback on the following or likewise
set of questions individually or in a group
prepared for self judgment vis-a-vis team or
group evaluation.
• What could you do to build your strengths
and deal with your weaknesses?
• Who did you encounter this year that
might be able to help you on this journey?
Mar/Apr 2015
• What will be different about
next year that will create
opportunities to change?
• What could you personally do differently in
your approach to school next year?
• What one thing could you change that
would make the biggest difference to you
in being a more effective teacher/ learner?
As teachers we too must learn to embrace
new opportunities and should take them
to pupils. Children at school must be given
new challenging opportunities like prepare
a ‘School News Bulletin’, ‘Design a collage
at the grass root level may help to redress
these fears. Threats are challenges that will
surely come but no challenge must overpower
or overtake us in our drive to success.
Under SWOT analysis as a teacher we must
learn to chalk out the real threats when
we try to accomplish something. Let us ask
ourselves these questions and find out the
causes of our shortcomings.
• What are the biggest obstacles before
you in making changes in your career/
learning?
• Are there other individuals you work with
who make your work difficult?
• What stops you from achieving what you
are capable of?
• What challenges do you face in staying
motivated to do your school work?
• What challenges do you face in managing
distractions and procrastination?
Make it certain that threats are external
trespasses that may attempt to stall your
passage to new learning. Alexander Graham
Bell, inventor of the telephone, and teacher
of the deaf got many accolades as a child.
His later life was full of threats and failures.
But his SWOT intelligence was strong and
he learnt much from his early failures. He
himself made this famous announcement
‘When one door closes another door opens,
but we often look so long and so regretfully
upon the closed door, that we do not see the
one which has opened for us.’
www.progressiveteacher.in 55

Events
INDIA’S FIRST ANNUAL EXPERIENTIAL
EDUCATION CONCLAVE
Explorers Outdoor Ed held India’s first
Annual Experiential Educators Conclave
in Bangalore from 12 to 14 December,
2014. This was India’s first-ever international
conclave dedicated to experiential education.
Eminent Indian and American practitioners,
researchers and progressive thinkers from
the field of experiential education spoke
at the Conclave. These included Dr Simon
Priest, Dr Michael Gass, Laurie Frank, Liz
Tuohy, Vishwas Parchure, Tarun Chandna,
Shantanu Pandit, members /trainers from the
international organisation, Play for Peace.
Over 1600 people across India and the world
took part in the Conclave-these included EE
experts, educators, teachers, students, people
interested in EE – wanting to know and learn
more about it.
Experiential Education (EE), an emerging
field in India, is based on the philosophy
of encouraging students to learn through
experience as against pure instruction.
Students are more actively involved in
the learning process as compared to
the traditional, didactic education and
are found to learn better. The Conclave
discussed different facets of EE across
three areas: education, adventure and
corporate, over thirty-three sessions with
thirty-three speakers.
In their key note address, Dr Simon Priest
and Dr Michael Gass, used their collective
experiences of over 60 years in EE to discuss
the widely accepted definitions of experiential
terms, best practices in facilitation and
in programme diagnosis, design, delivery,
outdoor leadership and an investigation into
where India sits with respect to dozens of
other nations on ten indicators from the
EE growth curve.
In her key note address So Why Do We
Do It, Laurie Frank discussed the personal,
philosophical, ethical, and professional reasons
for utilising adventure and experiential
methodologies. In subsequent sessions, Laurie
talked about ‘Building a Sense of Community’
(the critical need to connect with others in
a community) and Invitational Education to
support student learning. She explained that
‘Education is fundamentally an imaginative act
of hope’ and builds on the notion that a person’s
behaviour is a reflection of his beliefs. It is,
therefore, important for educators to take an
intentionally inviting stance when supporting
student success.
Dr Simon Priest in The Educational Staircase
examined four styles of pedagogy and what is
necessary to create talent in learners. The four
styles are Presenter, Facilitator, Conductor and
Mentor with the respective taglines of sage on
the stage, guide on the side, catalyst in the mist,
and friend at the bend. The styles transition
from low to high experientialism and
learner maturity.
In Visual Thinking for Educators, Ashley Vinil
spoke about the art of visual thinking which
dips into whole-brain learning, bringing back
the hidden trait in every child, the desire to
doodle and learn by conversational inquiry.
He demonstrated how if teachers explain
everything in a visual-verbal way, using visual
language, then student interest levels peak
and teaching itself becomes fun.
Vinay Sirsi talked how storytelling is
effective because it engages learners, helps
them retain their learning, and helps educators
organize content more efficiently. Nandini Sood
in Transforming Education not by chance but
by design pointed out how too much of our
education today is about being the smartest and
strongest; where success is measured by marks
and how as a result children are graduating
with content and no character, with a job but
with no passion or compassion.
She explained how At Design For Change
focuses on empowering children to Empathise,
to Think and to Do.
There were several representatives from the
global organisation, ‘Play for Peace’, who
across sessions, did different activities to
demonstrate the ways of connecting with
people, creating joy and togetherness and
the tremendous impact of these on children.
In his address, Looking in Reaching Out,
Agyatmitra raised several questions - Why
experiential education? What makes it stand
apart from conventional education? Is it
an aid or an alternative? Is it relevant? He
said the answers to these questions depend
on whether one wanted to be part of a
civilised world or a world where liberty is a
fundamental value. He shared his experiences
in the field and explained how in the last
fifteen years organisations working with
ST/SC and minorities have found Play for
Peace a valuable experience and how a child
labelled as ‘pagal’, ‘mentally challenged’
breaks into an action song through the
Play for Peace activities.
Vishwas Parchure, a practitioner in the field of
experiential and outdoor education, even before
the country was aware that such a vocation
existed, focused on leadership and team
development, school leadership and experiential
approaches in education, and peace building in
communities.
Ruchira Das, a qualified Chartered Accountant,
who has homeschooled her two daughters,
stressed the importance of integrating art in
education, creating imaginative experiences for
children using performing arts. She explained
how through Elements, an installation for
children, she aims to invite children to a tactile
world and take them on a journey through
strong aesthetic impulses.
Nannette Bertschy and Melanie
Kellsr presented ways to frame
Guided Enquiry in classrooms
through activities.
There was an exciting session
by Sanjeev Pednekar who
shared how he was a misfit in
the education system and learnt
everything he knows outside of
school and is a true product of
his experiences. Sanjeev talked
of his journey for wildlife rescue,
rehabilitation and conservation
and his experiences in rescue of
wild animals as rare as leopards,
monitor lizards, pangolin, a
variety of birds and snakes and
the need to ‘re-wild’ our cities as
we reconnect with the natural
world.
Nish and Aditya, two young
EE educators, shared their heart
warming experience of teaching
in a school using EE ways,
working within traditional school
framework to help students think
for themselves, problem solve
and take charge of their
learning and life.
In the same vein, Lakshmi Singh
and Prerna Mannan talked how
EE has helped their students
make a difference in the community and their
ways of thinking
and learning.
One striking and unique feature of the Conclave
was student participation and presentation.
Students from three schools from different
parts of the country, made presentations on
EE as effected in their respective schools.
Bonny and Visvesha from the Riverside School,
Ahmedabad; Srinidhi from Mahindra United
World College, Pune; Ayush Mehra,
Dhriti Seth and Aryaman Dutta Chobey from
Heritage School, Gurgaon in separate sessions
won the hearts of the participants when they
talked about their school learning experiences
through EE. Their sessions, more than any other,
perhaps showed how school education can be
changed through EE.
The Conclave was the brain child of
Madhusudan, ‘Maddy’, from Explorers Outdoor
Ed, who has been in the field of EE for several
years, having fallen in love with nature since
his entry into the Boys’ Scout in class V. His
annual trips to his village in Magdi, Karnataka,
strengthened this and made him choose the
outdoors and education through it as his
profession and vocation. He aims to have the
Conclave on a bigger scale next year, bringing
together more speakers and participants.
56 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 57

student’s voice
Death by the pressures
of education isn’t an
avoidable situation in
the lives of many adolescents
today. And you can’t deny it,
can you? ‘Students dying’ is a
fairly common pun created for
the term ‘studying’ on social
media today. With cut-offs for
college admissions soaring
higher than the Empire State
Building, are today’s youth
engrossing themselves in the
world of books because of
their individual interests or
have they lost their way in an
unfathomable sea of AIEEE
and CLAT?
Picture this: every morning you
wake up at dawn, only to slog
hours through the day trying
to fathom and mug up the
contents from your prescribed
text books; but what is the point
of rote-learning when you can
Students + Dying = Studying?
–Swasti Acharya, XI-Humanities,
Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar
barely apply it when needed? This is probably
why students will ‘die’ due to studying, if not
physically at least with respect to knowledge
attained. The main reason as to why such
learning and mugging up kills our youth is
because of the stress that builds up, which in
turn burns any enthusiasm the teenager had
in the first place.
We all wish to do things we are interested
in and that make us happy. The same can be
applied to what we study. Exams are around
the corner, and along with them, the scent of
the same pressure of being better than the
best is in the air. Instead, what if we did not
allow ourselves to be engulfed by the smoke
of stress? That’s probably when we would
truly excel, irrespective of getting 100 or
86. Most of us want to do well and we would
want to put in our best effort. If allowed to
pursue something of our choice that we enjoy,
without the duress of a life-threatening ’test’,
no doubt a number of us would come out
with flying colours!
With exam season in full-swing and life
without your text books quite impossible,
I thought I’d share a few practices that will
hopefully add to your benefit.
The academic year is almost over and you
probably never got the chance to ask the
questions you wanted to ask your teacher;
clarify and ask now during your revision classes.
Language structures can be a little difficult
to understand, so try and read passages as
many times as you can to understand them
thoroughly. Then, try and explain them to
someone else in your own words. Once you
feel you have clearly understood a concept
or a topic, it is important to further quiz
yourself on it because it tells you how much
you know, how much you need to work upon,
and where you stand overall.
Not all of us have a photographic memory,
nor can we read and learn at one go.
Therefore, always try to use your strengths to
their maximum potential. If you learn quickly
through visuals, prepare flashcards. Written
information may have little meaning for you
if you learn better through audio. So pay
attention during lectures and resource further
on your topic. When you’re not studying in
situ, prepare Post-It notes with formulae and
keywords and put them on walls/above your
study area, which will help you recall at a
mere glance. All in all, if you’re even slightly
bit better today than you were yesterday, you
have crossed a major hurdle!
Finally, when we are studying a particular
topic, we must not perceive it as studying
for the sake of it. What counts is that we are
acquiring new information. The majority of
us won’t be using Pythagoras’ a 2 +b 2 =c 2 to
solve numericals 10 years from now, but the
real test will be whether we are able to draw
parallels successfully later in life!
So, you’re simply not studying for an
assignment, but you’re really learning
new ways to deal with life!
From the publisher’s desk...
Promoting healthy reading habits…
The recently concluded New Delhi World Book Fair 2015 at New
Delhi attracted over 10 lakh visitors at the show and according
to the statistics available, the number of students and youth
visitors has increased considerably. This is a good sign and shows that
reading is not declining, even though digital invasion has changed
many of our habits.
Publishers have come up with innovative subjects, books and products
to catch the attention of younger generation. I chanced upon a few
educational puzzles, which all come bundled with a book, offering
information on the pictures seen in the puzzles. Also, topics such
as gender equality, cleanliness, gender sensitization, etc have been
effectively explained in children books. These subjects were earlier
a taboo for children books but since children are exposed to various
situations, it is very important to make them understand how to react
in a particular situation and be safe at all
times. Parents are equally concerned about such
subjects and find it easier to explain to their
children through books.
The quality parameters of children’s books are
a notch above the earlier standards. Use of
print enhancement features has added charm to
the printed version. They are a big attraction for
readers of all age groups.
Pleasure reading is important to widen the
thought process of a child and teachers must
encourage it. There are so many books to be read. Let the children
pick up what they wish to read. Ask them to share their thoughts on
what they read. Most of the schools provide newspapers to students,
which is a good move. But, how many children actually read it?
Ask the children to read the newspaper and ask simple questions.
Gradually, they will develop the habit of reading and will understand
that reading is the best pastime.
Happy reading!
58 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 59

Book Review
The essence of knowing a
language lies not just in being
able to speak or write but the
most important aspect is to be able
to use it correctly. To ensure this, one
has to have a thorough understanding
about the ‘grammar’ of the language.
Me ‘n’ Mine English
Grammar (Class 1 to
5) is a step towards
making the children
learn grammar in
an interactive and
effective manner.
This series enables
the English teachers
to make the
students understand
the nuances of grammar
in a style which generates
interest and is participative in nature.
This series brings illustration based
teaching techniques with simple
definitions and directions. The
endeavour here is to make the children
learn grammar in a simple manner
which matches the cognitive level of
the learners.
Me ‘n’ Mine
English Grammar
(Classes 1 to 5)
Author : Ambika Roshan
Publisher : New Saraswati House (India) Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
This series of five books has been
designed, keeping in mind the gradual
and graded approach to understanding
grammar and use of proper language.
Care has been taken to include topics
or references which the children
can relate to from their immediate
environment. Thus, the book maintains
the interest level of the children and
ensures that it does not become
boring or monotonous at any point.
This series reflects the belief that it is
essential to acquaint the children with
the fundamental rules of grammar.
Therefore, extensive exercises
have been incorporated in every
topic which give enough practice to
children, making them confident to
tread the path of language slowly but
steadily.
ljLorh laLd`r O;kdj.k (d{kk 6 ls 8)
J`a[kyk ekè;fed d{kk ds fy,
fyf[kr ^laLd`r O;kdj.k* O;kdj.k
izLrqr
dh izFke lhkrs
gq, O;kogkfjd
mnkgj.kksa dks Hkh
n'kkZ;k x;k gSA
Nk=kksa ds Lrj
dks è;ku esa j[krs
gq, fuca/ksa dh
Hkk"kk ljy gS rFkk
mudk dysoj y?kq
gSA izR;sd fucU/ esa
10 ls 15 rd ljy
okD; fn, x, gSaA
bu iqLrdksa dh lcls cM+h fo'ks"krk ;g gS
fd lHkh mnkgj.kksa ,oa vuqokn Hkkx esa lHkh
ys[kd% jktiky flag HknkSfj;k
izdk'kd% U;w ljLorh gkml (bafM;k) izk - fy -
okD;ksa dk laLd`r :i ds lkFk&lkFk vaxzsth
:i (English Version) Hkh fn[kk;k x;k gSA
60 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015

Mar/Apr 2015
www.progressiveteacher.in 61

Principal Q&A
Principal
Birthday:
01 September
Hometown
Shimla
Vijay Laxmi Singh
G.D. Salwan Public Shcool, Rajendra Nagar, New Delhi
Sun sign:
Virgo
Place of birth:
Shimla
The Best Thing about being a Teacher :
I believe teaching is a chance to touch
someone’s life in a positive way. It’s a journey
of growth - as students grow, we grow, and
the class as a whole grows. I challenge my
students with high expectations and help them
meet those expectations while enabling them
to learn on their own in the future.
How did you feel on the first day
being a School Principal/Leader?
The first day of school was wonderful. The
mammoth responsibility that I was to shoulder
was challenging. But I made sure that my
decisions have a positive impact on my staff
and students.
The Best Thing about being a
Teacher-Leader:
Being a teacher-leader, I ensure improvement
of student learning, promoting and supporting
teacher leadership. Teachers need opportunities
to break out of their isolation and have a
vision of education excellence. By helping good
teachers become great leaders, we plant seeds
that will enhance our profession and provide
high-quality education.
What are the traits of an effective
Principal?
Being an effective principal is a balance
between being rewarding and being
challenging. It is a demanding profession.
• Quality leadership, with a collective vision
for school improvement and initiating
change to spur innovation, ensure student
learning, and increase achievement, is the
most important trait of a school leader.
• Great principals see solutions; they do
not just focus on problems. They establish
accountability measures to hold teachers
and students accountable for learning.
They try to find a common ground and
earn their trust.
• To establish a positive school culture by
treating people the way they would like to
be treated. They should be flexible, futuristic
and realistic, and motivate change.
• They should be good communicators,
who listen, empathize, and connect with
students, teachers, parents and the society.
• Any effective principal is a character
builder, with values such as trustworthiness,
respect, and integrity.
• A principal must be organized and
prepared. Each day presents a unique set
of challenges and these traits are essential
to meeting those challenges.
Please describe the role you feel
parents should play in the operation
of the school:
The role of the stakeholders is very important
for the overall development of the children. The
active role of parents in their child’s learning
provides a platform to work in coordination
with the school for the best possible education
and welfare of the children.
When you visit a classroom, what are
the first things you look for as signs
that the classroom is an effective
learning place?
When the learners are engaged in meaningful
communication, it leads to positive
reinforcement in the classroom. If there is
an atmosphere of trust and respect, we can
say the learning is in process. The teacher is
a facilitator leading students to achieve their
goals for life. Teacher’s passion for teaching
and for her subject is an important sign that
makes the classroom an effective learning
place. As teachers our task is to create the
best conditions for learning. It takes a lot of
hard work to create a safe, fun, and interesting
classroom. A class will have all three, if the
teacher has planned it well.
What is your vision of Special
Education?
Special education should be dealt with
great sensitivity. With the help of trained
staff and special educators, students with
identified disabilities should be encouraged
to participate in extra-curricular activities.
PEC cards are very helpful in better retention
of concepts. Remedial classroom support is
helpful in monitoring of their grades and also
their behaviour.
What is your view on Q C T?
Quality Circle Time (QCT) provides
opportunities for children to take turns in
speaking and listening, share ideas in a group
activity, observing, thinking, concentrating. The
children need to be taught values of teamspirit,
leadership, problem-solving by involving
them in the process of learning by doing, which
helps to promote understanding.
What’s your view on CCE?
Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation
focuses on continuity in evaluation along
with behavioural outcomes. It has a positive
impact on the personality of a child. Teachers
can employ suitable remedial measures for
enhancing the students’ learning. Our school
has effective CCE system and a variety of
assessment techniques are being used by the
teachers to assess the progress of every child.
What’s your view on e-learning
platform?
E-learning is a great resource and a tool that
also serves as an extension of text books. It
enhances classroom teaching by providing
the audio and the visual aspect. This helps
students to learn best by seeing rather than
only learning or reading about it. Teachers can
use video clips related to the lessons available
on the internet and websites like YouTube to
enhance learning. Flipped classrooms, video
conferences are used by our teachers to allow
students to interact with subject experts and
their peer group through Tony Blair’s Face
to Faith Foundation. Students write their
experiences and share learning on blogs.
Visuals always help in increased retention of
the subject matter. Computers, tablets, iPads
and smart boards create interactive classroom
teaching that support e-learning.
How can you make
inclusion a reality?
Inclusive education is an initiative to reach
out to all learners. Creating a positive
atmosphere and sensitizing other students
towards students with disabilities in the school
can make inclusion a reality. Bringing such
children into the mainstream classroom allows
them to move forward confidently in society,
regardless of their ability level. Teachers need
to be trained to handle such a sensitive issue.
We believe in our school founder Sh. Girdhari
Lal Salwan’s vision of ‘Education for all’ and
to realize his dream our staff takes inclusive
education seriously and treats it as inevitable.
The most touching things that
school children have done for you:
I remember several occasions when my school
children have done their best to come up to my
expectations or rather I would say the school’s
expectations. We had adopted an abandoned
monument ‘Bhuli Bhatiyari Ka Mahal’. We
had taken up cleanliness and plantation drive
to revive the monument’s glory. The students
worked passionately to save the national
heritage. They went out of their way and
involved their parents and even worked on
weekends in this noble venture. We were able
to restore the greenery of the monument and
organised a mela which had an overwhelming
response from the visitors.
Best conference/seminar that you
have attended on education:
Attended 9th World Convention of the
International Confederation of Principals from
6th July 2009 to 10th July 2009 organized
by ICP in collaboration with the Singapore
Government.
What are the major qualities you seek
in a new teacher?
Passion to learn, unlearn and relearn, love
children. The teacher should be able to excite
the learners about learning through active
involvement.
Your favourite Book :
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey – An insightful book, a
textbook-guide to effective living.
62 The Progressive Teacher Mar/Apr 2015