REFLECTIONS

New skills for the current generation?

2008-09-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

This discussion started by "drona" in educatorslog.in seems a very important issue, for teachers in India. You will view my comments as varni, which you can read. I am providing the link here and expect lots of comments from teachers around..
http://educatorslogin.com/new_skills_for_the_current_generation

Its all about Creativity and Innovativeness, Dear Teachers !!

2008-09-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

I chanced upon this video, and was taken to the content matter, which talked about how much of change we as teachers can bring in the lives of children by being creative in our teaching practices, as well as encouraging it among the younger generation. Teachers need to think how much of creativity we are nourishing among children.It directly relates to the atmosphere in school. Most schools in India lack a plan whereby teachers could incorporate their own personal teaching ways. But the attitude and style can be our own, I guess, and educators can within the restricted atmosphere of the school try and make those forty minutes as creative as they can. Easier said than done, I know. But if managed, we also know the difference that we can make.
For children to be able to feel free to express his/her thoughts, feelings and ideas, they first need to have that confidence in the teacher. Too much regulation and testing curtails creativity in anyone, be it students or teachers. If a teacher is throughly bored with the monotony and needs a change , she might just hit upon ideas skirting the mundane-ness of it all, in other words grey cells may be stimulated to change her/his style and make things interesting for children. It just might make the child happy enough to want to come to school.
A teacher needs to: a) Impart Knowledge; b) build in confidence among children; c) build up personality d) help children lead productive lives and over all equip them well to face the world confidently. For many schools it is an either/or situation.
If children are happy, the home is happy, in turn the society and the world will be happy, so says Dave Eggers in this video. And don't we all agree?
Watch this very inspiring video, and see what a lot of difference a teacher can make. Its title is "ONCE UPON A SCHOOL". Learning in informal groups and an unstructured atmosphere, we do notice that it happens faster and more beautifully..
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html
Encouraging technology in classrooms, allowing children to accumalate information and present ideas on their own, and through so many more different ways other than the 'Talk and Chalk" method could we allow our children to grow.

A Wonderful Video!!

2008-09-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Now we all wonder what our children think of us. Those eccentricities, those spurts and bursts of anger, excitement, fun and all. Life is a stage isn't it? We all play a part..
This video "You'll miss me", is so interesting..All those wonderful lively MA'S out there- Love You All.
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/carmen_agra_deedy_spins_stories.html

Just for a laugh

2008-07-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

With the world becoming a smaller place to live in, literally with no boundaries, the need for one language which is functional all over and everywhere is becoming more and more urgent. Also because of the revolution in the world of online communication makes the need to socialize in one language more compelling. The attempts of us humans all over the world to learn English is truly commendable. People are acquiring a general ability to bridge those gaps between each other. In today’s world being non-communicative does not help. But once in a way, some errors and slip-ups happen, especially in those countries, where English is not a commonly used language.

I present here some such material, again which I got as a mail, which I would like to share. It is amusing:-

Some funny English sign boards :-

Some Non-English speaking countries sometimes go out of their way to communicate with their English-speaking tourists:
Cocktail lounge, Norway:
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Doctor's office in Rome:
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

In an information booklet, on how to use a hotel air conditioner. Japan:
COOLS AND HEATES: IF YOU WANTCONDITION OF WARM AIR IN YOUR ROOM PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF.

In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the grounds of a Nairobi private school:
NO TRESPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION.

In a Mumbai restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,AND WEEKENDS TOO.

Hotel, Japan:
YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY.

Advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:
TEETH EXTRACTED BY THE LATEST METHODISTS.
A laundry in Rome:
LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME.

Tourist agency, Czechoslovakia:
TAKE ONE OF OUR HORSE-DRIVEN CITY TOURS. WE GUARANTEE NO MISCARRIAGES.

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?

The box of a clockwork toy maiden Hong Kong :
GUARANTEED TO WORK THROUGHOUT ITS USEFUL LIFE.

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen:
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

In a Japanese cemetery:

PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES

PARENTS AS TEACHERS

2008-07-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

Unlike the confused parents of today, my parents and probably their peers, during their years of parenting, have been quite bold, relaxed, and confident. Or so it seems to me. Parenting did not seem as challenging as it is now. This is not in any way undermining parenting ways of any generation. It is only in a way, putting a pointer on the slight change that is noticeable at the present time. Child rearing has become more complicated over a period of time. Along with the whole gamut of stresses that parents need to cope with, tackling children takes a back seat. Stress related with work, social and family responsibilities, allow little time to parents to enjoy parenthood. Distractions offered to both children and adults are too many, to add to it all.

SO, when we hear the old saying that parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers, where does it leave us? With less time on hand, parents’ talk of quality time, to give to their children as there is no other way. Several times they turn a blind eye, and let their children grow whichever way they are.

Now this is not a rampant problem, but it is there. There isn’t a manual for child-rearing; it is specific to each household. But some general rules do apply. Those parents well conversant with them know that it prepares their child for the years ahead. Educating children about simple ethics, help in developing a sound personality. Teaching the child basics of school curriculum also helps them to cope better at school, strengthening their foundation. In fact once the child gets enrolled in a school, the parents can proactively get involved. Schools can have programs on parenting practices. They may need to know about the developmental stages of children, the vulnerable periods of their lives; maybe delays in growth also need to be told to parents. Talks on health issues could enlighten parents. Schools should these days, take special note of stressing on internet safety, for children, encouraging parents to keep a closer look on what their children are up to.

Having said all this I would like to write about my parents, who have been very involved parents, trying their best to do the right things. My mother, a Bachelor of Arts, and very well conversant with three languages, English, Hindi and Punjabi, taught us at home all what was needed. She took special lessons in Math to teach us when she realized that the stuff being taught to us was different from what she had done. This taught us to be resourceful and diligent. She is an excellent seamstress, result being that we were dressed in the best of clothes, totally uncommon, something that was not available off the shelf in any of the shops. To give her ideas, she subscribed to the Women’s Weekly magazine. So whether it was summer or winter clothes, ours were different, and fashionable. She experimented with our hairstyles, on a regular basis and came to a conclusion whose she could style, and whose hair needed to be left as it is. This taught us the art of good presentation, of working upon looking good, and presentable. My mother always helped her husband in his work. She is a regular at his office, and the first half of the day she has for years now been given to the family business, started by my father. The result being that they never could take many holidays, and have found pleasure in their work. This taught us to put duty and work before pleasure.

Just another note about my mother, a busy lady that she is, you will always find the house well done up. The flower decorations. worth seeing, always in place. The home that she has nurtured is still the coziest place to be in. So lots to learn, for the very busy moms out there. Besides you will till date never find her deter from entertaining people. It seems an effortless job for her. She is so happy to have people over...Father is a strong support, always involved with all thats happening in the home front.

Both parents have been very helpful to people around them. My father has at some point of time or the other funded many a child’s education, or helped people monetarily. My father, a contented, happy man, never gave in to any negative feelings that may have at any point of time troubled him. He in a way is a very POSITIVE person. He sees something good in all that has been bestowed upon him by the almighty, whether good or not very good. This taught us never to be spiteful, be happy at all times, or rather, know that times that we encounter maybe good or bad, but see good in everything. Fear only God, and take each day as it comes.

By Gods grace they have done very well for themselves, and through their hard work have managed to take their work to great heights. It may not always have been a smooth ride for them in their initial years, and they must have had to struggle, but we as children were never given to feel deprived. This taught us to be happy with whatever we have.

They maintained a group of friends, who we meet till today, whereby our social scene was complete, with lots of picnics and parties. They were like-minded, and the stress of trying to be one up was not there, so it was a relaxed and fun time we children and the adults had, whenever we got together. This taught us the value of making good friends. On a daily basis, life was fun, and I can confidently say that it still continues to be fun. I have consciously or unconsciously emulated all of these values and more. Parenting for me is not so much of a worry. Though times have changed, and the dynamics are a little different. So what? With the strong foundation we are based on, I am sure children of our house will do well.

This personal experience was the best way to tell that being good role models for our children helps.

In how many ways can we thank our parents? Do we? Many people do, in their own ways. We as parents tread with unsure steps, not knowing whether what we do, and the hows of it all..are right or wrong. As long as we as parents keep trying, its well worth it. A link to a song by Bono ..

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cf0I5c1gmO4

Our Trip to Tokyo- Vineet gets "BEST MASTER OF THE YEAR" Award

2008-07-16T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,
This was a rare and a proud moment for me, to witness Vineet getting the award by NYK, the company he works for as Master at sea. We were put up at the Marunochi Hotel, which is in the heart of Tokyo, close to the Imperial Palace. The NYK building was close by. On the first evening we had dinner on a cruise liner owned by NYK, called Lady Crystal. It was great meeting people working for NYK, from all over the world collect together for the Global NYK Week at Tokyo.
The next day was the award ceremony, where Vineet and the other awardees were handed the momemto by the President of the company, the very respected Mr. K. Miyahara. Mr. Miyahara, enlightened all by speaking about the history of The NYK Group. After receiving the award Vineet thanked NYK for this felicitation, on behalf of all those who were the recipients of the award. There was a photo session, as you can see from the video, and post lunch, we went out sight seeing. We went to the Tokyo Tower, and The Asakusa Temple, which is a Buddhist and a Shinto Temple.
The day ended with a formal dinner. A special note here, of praise for the convener of this whole program, Capt. Tanaka, an amazing person with a precision to details, a stickler for time, and a perfect example of the Japanese that I have known, conforming to the "firm but Kind" attitude.
In all, a perfectly enjoyable and enlightening experience for me.
The song that I have added along with the video is 'Feels Like Fire' by Carlos Santana.

Our trip from Allahabad to Lucknow

2008-06-18T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ambiguity in the English Language

2008-06-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

I keep getting these mails. I felt this could be shared for a laugh, and sure there is information too. Maybe it is often repeated, and many must have read them. Whatever, I put it up for those who have not had the chance to read about the English language as being a funny language too.
English language!

If you ever feel stupid, then just read on. If you've learned to speak
fluent English, you must be a genius! This little treatise on the
lovely language we share is only for the brave. Peruse at your
leisure, English lovers.

Reasons why the English language is so hard to learn:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to
present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.

19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor
pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or
French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads,
which aren't sweet, are meat.

Quicksand works slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is
neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write,
but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?

If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? If you have a bunch of odds
and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? Is
it an odd, or an end?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats
vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? In what language do people
recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo
by ship?

Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man
and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your
house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by
filling
it out, and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the
creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all.
That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the
lights are out, they are invisible.

There is more that I would like to add. This is also a mail that I had received. I find it so funny that I needed to keep it for a laugh, for me and you:-

An Ode to a Spell Checker
Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques for my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
As swoon as a mist ache is maid

It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it

I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

The Rig Veda In Hindi

2008-06-11T00:28:00.000-07:00

This is the first volume of the four part RIG VEDA in Hindi.
This covers the third fourth and fifth mandalas of the sacred text and is generally dedicated to Agni - the sacred fire.
It is for the first time that this great text has been published (by Lokbharti Booksellers and distributors, Allahabad) in modern Hindi poetry with explanations on literal and spiritual levels.
The translation and explanations have been written by Professor Govind Chandra Pandey, a renowned scholar in multiple disciplines. Prof G C Pandey has been the Vice Chancellor of Jaipur and Allahabad Universities, he was the Chairman of Indian Institute of Advance Studies, Simla, the Chairman of Allahabad museum Society and the Chairman of Central Tibetan Society, Sarnath Varanasi.
A book of this caliber comes along perhaps once in a lifetime.
It gives deep insight into the foundations of Indian culture.
A must read.
Published by: Lokbharti Book Sellers and distributors
15-A M.G.Marg Allahabad - 211001
Tel: 91-532-3295870/ 2427210

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE- My Perspective

2008-06-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

I read this book recently and being a teacher understood that the number of roles a teacher could take in the life of an individual is many. The book, written by Mitch Albom, is a true story of a relationship between a teacher and a student, which goes far beyond the four walls of the classroom and spans several years. In fact it still lives through the book Mitch has written. Any one could take on the role of a teacher consciously or unconsciously for any person at any point of time in life. It was many years after school that Mitch came back to Morrie upon hearing that his mentor was dying of a terminal illness called ALS.ALS-Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a disease of the neurological system. The patient loses control over muscles. For Morrie it was a slow and painful walk to death. For Mitch it was remorseful to watch him this way. On the many Tuesdays that Mitch meets with Morrie, he decides the meetings to be pleasant talks between them. Life is complicated, but for Mitch, on talking with Morrie, it gets so much more simplified. Morrie talks on a wide range of topics like fear, family, society, forgiveness, death, ageing, money, greed, detachment and lots more. Who could get a teacher like this? So he is a teacher right till the end of his days, telling the world about life from the eyes of a dying man. To convert each painful moment into a happy one, to be content in whatever situation one has been thrown into by fate, is what I felt needs to be learnt from this book besides others.

In his acknowledgments Mitch after thanking all, says, “Mostly my thanks to Morrie for wanting to do this last thesis together. Have you ever had a teacher like this?”

So it made me wonder, I guess it would make all thinking people reflect about whether they ever had a teacher like this.

In India, to have a teacher like this is not a rarity. We have had a strong guru- shishya/ student tradition in place. They would learn values of life, discipline, feeling of service towards the teacher, undue respect to the spoken word of the teacher, skills based on talent; all this was ingrained right from a very young age. Children would leave the comfort of their homes to live with their Guru, thus learning lessons of life. The child would go back home whenever the guru felt it was time. There are so many similarities between perceptions of Morrie in his last days, and a Guru in India. (India of the olden days). The Guru here is like a Zen master; a person who removes darkness of ignorance, and shows light. The Guru is discerned as a person sitting on the throne of power of knowledge, with a garland of the ultimate reality adorned on his neck. The guru is a person who lets the student know himself, and encourages self knowledge. The guru in his own charming ways sows the seed of knowledge and compassion which is the base for all rightful acts. For the student, the guru’s feet are revered as the ultimate.

I was thus attracted to the content and style of this book. There are a lot of portions that I need to keep in my memory, so I am going to jot them down here for myself and for whoever else reads it.

About Morrie, a little bit. Being a Russian American Morrie was an astute, disciplined person, with a gentle attitude about him, as understood from the writings of the author. Not that life had treated him kindly in his childhood days. Money was always a problem, memories of his own mother who died when he was just eight years of age, haunted him throughout his life, there were n special attachments with his father, and he had responsibilities of his younger brother who was affected by polio. Life was tough, but a teacher for Morrie. Having gone through it all early in life, Morrie could easily sail through the latter better part of his life as a professor of Social Studies. Morrie takes his lessons freely from Buddhism, writers, thinkers, and others, Mahatma Gandhi too. He was very passionate about dance, something to me that personifies total freedom, the expression is simply soul stirring.

Now to quote from the book portions that I have specifically found worth keeping are as follows. They are taken directly from the book.

When Morie got to know about his illness: and On Death

=“Do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left?

He would not wither. He would not be ashamed of dying…Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me learn with me...”

= He was intent on proving that the word “dying” was not synonymous with useless… He chose a date for a “living funeral”. On a cold Sunday afternoon, he was joined in his home by a small group of friends and family. Each of them spoke and paid tribute to my old professor. Some cried, some laughed. One woman read a poem…..Morrie cried and laughed with them. His living funeral was a rousing success.

=”There are some mornings when I cry and cry and mourn for myself. Some mornings, I’m so angry and bitter. But it doesn’t last too long. Then I get up and say, “I want to live...”

=”Dying is the only one thing to sad over. Living unhappily is something else. So many of the people who come to visit me are unhappy.”

“Because the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We’re teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it. Create your own. Most people can’t do it. They’re unhappy than me-even in my current condition.”

= Death is a great equalizer, the one big thing that can finally make strangers shed a tear for one another.

=”Everyone knows they’re going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently.”

=”To know you’re going to die, and to be prepared for it any time, that’s better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you’re living.”

=”Do what the Buddhists do. Every day have a little bird on your shoulder that asks,’ Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person I want to be?”

Morrie borrowed freely from all religions… He was a religious mutt, which made him even more open to the students he taught over the years, and the things he was saying in his final months on earth seemed to transcend all religious differences. Death has a way of doing that. The truth is once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”

Morrie created a cocoon of human activities-conversation, interaction, affection, -and it filled his life like an overflowing soup bowl.

Morrie told Mitch: “So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning to life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to the community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”

On caring for people

“The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in.”

We think we don’t deserve love, we think if we let it in we’ll become soft. But a wise man Levine said it right. He said, ‘Love is the only rational act.’”

On feeling sorry for himself

“I don’t allow myself any more self- pity than a few tears each morning.”

“It’s horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it’s also wonderful because all of the time I get to say goodbye.”

What if today’s my last day on earth?

“The culture doesn’t encourage you to think about such things until you’re about to die. We’re so wrapped up with egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks-we’re involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going. So we don’t get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?” “You need someone to probe you into that direction. It won’t happen just automatically.”

We all need teachers in our lives.

“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Henry Adams

On Family

“The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn’t the family….Love is so supremely important. As our great poet Auden said, ‘Love each other or perish.’”

Even as he was dying, he showed respect for his children’s worlds. Little wonder that when they sat with him, there was a waterfall of affection, lots of kisses and jokes and crouching by the side of the bed, holding hands.

On Emotions

Learn to detach. “You know what the Buddhists say? Don’t cling to things, because every thing is impermanent…Detachment does not mean you don’t let experience penetrate you. On the contrary, you let it penetrate you fully. That’s how you are able to leave it.”

“Take any emotion-love for a woman, or grief for a loved one, or what I’m going through, fear, pain from a deadly illness. If you hold back emotions-if you don’t allow yourself to go all the way through them – you can never get to being detached, you’re too busy being afraid. You’re afraid of the pain, you’re afraid of the grief, you’re afraid of the vulnerability that love entails. But by throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience them fully and completely. You know what pain is. You know what love is. You know what grief is. And only you can say, ‘All right I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. Now I need to detach from that emotion for a moment.”

On Ageing

Morrie had ageing in better perspective.

“All this emphasis on youth-I don’t buy it. Listen, I know the misery being young can be, so don’t tell me it’s so great. All these kids who came to me with their struggles, their strife, their feelings of inadequacy, their sense that life was miserable, so bad they wanted to kill themselves…And in addition to all the misery the young are not wise. They have very little understanding about life. Who wants to live everyday when you don’t know what’s going on?... I embrace aging.”

“You have to find what’s good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive, And, age is not a competitive issue.”

On Money

“Wherever I went in life, I met people wanting to gobble up something new. Gobble up a new car, a new piece of property, a latest toy. And then they wanted to tell you about it,’ Guess what I got? “

“You know how I always interpreted that? These were people so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back. But it never works. You can’t substitute material things for love or for the gentleness or for tenderness or for a sense of comradeship. Money is not a substitute for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness… When you’re dying, when you most need it, neither money nor power will give you the feeling you’re looking for, no matter how much of them you have.”

On love and marriage

“There are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage. If you don’t respect the other person, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don’t know how to compromise, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can’t talk openly about what’s going on between you two, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don’t have a common set of values in life, you’re gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike. And the biggest one of those values is Love.”

Well I have tried to put forth what I liked from the book. In fact there is lots more, but more of that later……

School /Teacher-Parent Relationship

2008-05-29T05:48:00.000-07:00

For a child, home is the first school. The home and most importantly the parents are vital in the development and growth of each child. Teaching is best done by parents. They can provide that strength and confidence to their children. So it would be great if both institutions, school and home work in unison for the betterment of children.

Schools must learn to tap resources right next to them. Talking about a good relationship between parents of children studying and their schools/teachers, it is worth noting that most schools in India, work quite hard to keep them away. They take it as an interference in their working style. Schools might need to take a re-look at this issue. Attending/conducting parent teacher meetings which most of the times leaves parents dissatisfied due to less time alloted to each, is not enough. Parents of today are interested and would like to involve themselves more if given an opportunity. It is seen that those parents who take extra time out for their children and their studies, are rewarded with better results. Parents who help their ward in doing home work, in getting them involved in extra curricular activities, sports etc see a good development in the child. It is the duty if a parent to introduce their child to the teacher in the beginning of the academic year, and keep a regular check on the performance of the child.

Schools may do well to tap the talents of parents. Many parents/ mothers who are not working in offices and have the time to spare, can get involved into helping out with some or the other happenings of the school. Some may actually start to enjoy it. Schools should try and explore such talented parents. Parents could volunteer to help.

The environment of the school should be friendly for the family, it could help in better cooperation of parents. Both sides need to be respected. Schools could devote more time to parents, and parents must not feel that once the child gets admission in the school, they are done with their responsibility, it rests solely with the school. A mutual understanding, a good rapport between the two enhances a sense of community and commitment.

Needless to say that maximum communication from school to home is in the early childhood period. It starts to get a little less as the child is in the middle school. A healthy school-parent relationship goes a long way in a positive development of the child.

Shock Treatment !!

2008-05-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Parenting is tough. This I discussed in my previous post. Children find their own means of treating their parents well. They also, most of the times do not exactly want to create that so called gap. They want peace and would much like a happy atmosphere in the home. Now we can all read a great deal on parenting, understand our children, be wise, go to parenting.com and what not. But nobody can explain why we flew into that rage and sulked when our children manage to get bad results in their exams. I got this mail in the morning and found it funny and also thought provoking. Read it and see what thoughts cross your mind other than having a good laugh. See how sometimes children have to try and treat their parents psychologically:

A father, passing by his son's bedroom, was astonished to see the bed was nicely made, and everything was picked up from the floor.

Then, he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the pillow. 'Dear, Dad," the letter said. "It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing to you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend, because I wanted to avoid a scene. I've been finding real passion with Stacy, and she is so nice, but I knew you would not approve of her, because of all her piercings, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes, and because she is so much older than I am. But it's not only the passion, Dad. She's pregnant. Stacy says that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods, and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people in the commune for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS, so Stacy can get better.

Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of myself. Someday, I'm sure we'll be back to visit, so you can get to know your many grandchildren.

Love, your son,

Joshua

P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Jason's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the school report that's on the kitchen table.

I would like to add another video of a mobile phone, which is also based on the shock treatment that children can give to parents, to get what they want. Normal ways don't work with many...

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=-PCuJzED3is

To Parents with love...

2008-05-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

It is dreadful when we hear of children choosing to take their own lives. This is about suicides committed by young children, usually in their teens. How would you as a parent feel when you read about such an act been committed? Does it not conjure up images of the goings on in that family? Most of the times it is human interactions that are in question. The first reaction is shock, followed by sympathy. Then we rationalize, wondering about the hows and whys. It is devastating for parents to lose a child. A lack or a wrong style of communication, excessive expectations, isolation, peer pressure, being unable to cope with study related stress, or stress related issues at home, being bullied at home or school... what could be the reason? The reasons for teen suicides could be many.

Each person is a unique individual, and craves to be understood and recognized accordingly. Society needs to respect that feeling. So which are the adolescent years? The years between 11 and 18 are considered as the teenage/adolescent years. It is the pre-adulthood period in a persons life. Adulthood as such differs from country to country. Every society has their own voting age, or the age when the child can get a driving license, while some countries have even other ways to identify the individual stepping into an adult group. The time when a child is entering into his/her teens is considered as a tumultuous span of a few years. It is synonymous with "difficult", "rebellious", "rude", and "OH-SO-CRAZY". But the child does not have any control over the hormonal changes that are taking place in the body, which could be a a reason for erratic behavior. The onset of puberty brings in various internal and external changes in the body. The child is emerging as a unique individual. We need to understand that and cherish as well as appreciate it.

Now how do we handle this so called troubled times that a child is going through, and in turn changing the scenario of the homes they inhabit? To bring the child to the path of righteousness rather than being success oriented is the point in case. For a child to commit suicide there has to be a background.

Societies are changing worldwide, and there is a divide among parents and children. Many a times the young , sensitive mind, unable to communicate his/her thoughts, rushes to take this extreme step. It is so unfortunate, especially for their near and dear ones, who are left feeling terrible, lamenting the rest of their lives, wondering that maybe if they had a better mode of communication, maybe if they had not nagged their child, maybe if they had tried to recognize the signs that led to this, maybe then they would still have the joy of seeing their child growing up in front of their eyes.

It is so important to talk with children these days, be more friends rather than tight lipped autocratic parents. To be flexible, to understand the needs that a child may have, and yet is unable to convey. Sometimes these problems take a serious turn, and sometimes they tide over. When a child is suffering from failure in school, he suffers from low self esteem and loses all motivation to do anything seriously, with the end result being poor relations with the family and school/society. Adolescence is a very challenging time for the youth. Millions of families are struggling with their troubled teens. In all of this, the pressure falls on the teenager. They are the ones coping hard, while we wrongly imagine that it is us. It is an oft heard topic of conversation among parents of the young uns (or shall we call it a volley of complaints?). The common factors here vary from their youngsters choice of friends, the amount of time that is spent on the phone/internet, issues of being no help at home, besides it being so sad for a parent who feels that "oh, now my child, who used to hang on every word I said is now thinking and arguing with me as if I know nothing". I say, enjoy this period of your child's growing up years. Parents have to make their child feel wanted, to encourage and be very liberal with praise. The child needs it from the people he loves most.

It all has to do with the correct style of parenting. They must be made to understand that it is their right to get clothing, food, education, safety and oodles of love and affection. But it is their privilege when they get designer clothes, telephones of their own, money to spend on the things they like, etc. SO should they feel obliged for the privileges that they get? Not grateful maybe, but certainly thankful. Maybe many of you feel that they must earn these, like the good points and bad points that they get in school. Well I differ in my opinion here. Reward and punishment has been often touted as a successful parenting style. It has but short term effects. The side effects are not very neat. It is conditional parenting. Will a child not start to expect gifts for every job well done? When does he learn that there is something called duty? When is that sense of duty inculcated within the child's mind?

We must encourage children to have friends, with whom they can talk on their own level. Besides, parents themselves should invest in a meaningful relationship with their child. It is essential for the child to know and be confident of the fact that there is a place to always return to, even if he has messed up in life. Whether the situation that the child has got himself into is reversible or not, the young mind must know he has a home where he is wanted. Maybe there will be a reprimand, but love and help too. So here the important quality is a forgiving nature. Do not create impenetrable walls for the child at home.

Many times teens are unable to enter a preferred institute for further studies. It builds tension in the child's mind. Be understanding. In todays world opportunities are numerous, and of many a variety. Children should be made to understand that. It is never the end of the road. Out of shame, the child might begin to isolate him/herself. Immediately embark upon your duty as an adult to make the child feel good, get him/her to make friends and to meet people, and also to be involved in group activities.

Several times it is the parents who are culprits when they psyche the child to be the best. The parent does not realize that he/she is isolating the child. Problems start when the parent wants to make the child special. Let them lead normal lives. If the child has to, he will excel. Let them seek the path of being an independent social being. Let them learn to appreciate people with all their differences, be it the cobbler, the carpenter or even the old man who lives across the street. Let them learn to relate to all kinds of human beings, and empathize with each one of them. Teach them to excel in whatever they do. Here, there is a difference in being competitive and excelling in whatever one does. John D. Rockefeller, a wealthy American businessman and a philanthropist, said, "Competition is a sin". Every child is different. Let them have ambition, but then being over ambitious is also a recipe for disaster. It can so easily breed jealousies, too much cut throat competition, and create so many negative vibes around. The child has to learn to take every thing in his stride, and to reduce self projection at all times.

There are times when the family cannot take success and failure normally. There is too much rejoicing on successes and too much remorse during failures. To be able to take it normally without these bursts of emotions, is what we have to teach the children. To quote Bill Gates, "Success is a lousy teacher; it reduces smart people into thinking they can't lose."

Above all parents need to be supple like the bamboo shoots that grow, accommodating everything, and bend with the times. Do not be like a banyan tree under which nothing grows, but which grows huge and wide on its own. Nobody said parenting was easy, it is a process of learning to take joy in even the toughest of situations.

Teen suicides in India are on the rise. I have attempted to point out a few causes, and some solutions. We, as a society must be supportive of our new generation and make the most of their abundant energy, their spirit of adventure.These can constructively be put to good use. They need all the guidance, and understanding from us.

I would really appreciate some feedback in the form of a discussion or comments..

From my side I put forth this song which does say a lot on parenting, and how we find ourselves and our practices as the best...don't miss it please see the video.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jfJSgMiLcPw

Empowering Children-Where to Draw the Line?

2008-05-09T04:45:00.000-07:00

Tina's son, now eleven and a half years old, has reached the seventh grade. She is proud of her son, he is doing well in school, and has enough on hand the whole day, pursuing his hobbies. And all is going fine, she thanks God for this.. But a thought seems to be nagging her of late, She feels her son does not look as mature as his classmates, he seems to be blissfully unaware of this, and she notices that other parents who have same-age sons hand over much more responsibility to them. She on her part cannot make herself allow him to travel around in the city on his own,make him run errands for her. Children apparently love to perform small odd tasks for their parents, it makes them feel responsible. She is contemplating allowing her child to get more independent than he is now

Parents and teachers need to respect and recognize each child's abilities. They all mature at different stages. But at some point we have to allow them to make their own decisions. It does give them that feeling of accomplishment. It also allows the child's self esteem to grow. Besides we several times snub the child when he/she is giving his/her point of view, or taking part in a discussion, in a way curtailing the child's sense of confidence in himself. Whatever their opinion, we can at least make them feel that their ideas matter. In a sense children must be able to speak freely, without fear of repercussions.

Now, it is a fact that parents instinctively want to protect their children. So those who are "brave" enough to send their children to school on their own, for example, are looked upon as extra 'Daring". The other not-so-brave parents feel that times are bad, it was different during the years when they were growing up. Abductions, rape, road accidents and such, are on the increase, so why take the chance. Let the child grow up and he will learn all , in good time. Does this behavior hamper growth in children? Is it a fact that daring attitude in children, helps their horizons to widen? Is Tina's anxiety justified? Is it going to make her child feel like a lesser mortal among his very-independent peers? Is she exercising bad-parenting?

Maybe taking the middle path is the answer, maybe you could have your own view-point.. If you do, do put it forth..

Watch the video provided in the link and see if it changes your stand..Read the comments too, its got me thinking..

Related link : http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/202

Laughter the Best Medicine?

2008-03-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Exams have just got over for most of the children around the country. And what a load off their shoulders!! What serious faces! And on the last day of the exam? PHEW! IT'S OVER!! I wonder how many teachers noticed that.

It made me wonder at the enormous stress our children carry on their shoulders. How much they are subjected to varies from one school to the other, and also from one child's ability to take stress to the other, but we as teachers could consider the possibilities of making our classrooms considerably stress free. Seeing sunny , cheerful faces is a pleasure. Here we can say that, we cannot ignore encouraging sobriety, reserve, and somberness among children. How much of humor is to be brought in and when, is for the teacher to decide. The teacher must consider making the classroom moderately stress free. Some heavy subjects/lessons can be made interesting/palatable by adding a dash of humor. We all know that laughter, humor reduces tension, and a tension free mind is more receptive to learning, therefore it does make sense to incorporate humor in the classroom.

Educationists, psychologists, and experts have given this area a thought, and feel that a laugh or two in the class does have its place in the classroom. I read somewhere that humor in the classroom:

a) increases learning speed

b) facilitates retention of novel information

c) improves problem solving

d) relieves stress

e) reduces test anxiety

f) increases perceptions of teacher credibility.

Therefore developing a healthy sense of humor goes a long way as we can see. It can as a side effect facilitate better adjustments of the child at home and in school among peers. So heres to some lightheartedness in our classrooms...

Don't miss reading the first paragraph given in the book that I have put up in the link. You'll see how societies in the world take laughter so seriously :):)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0897898923/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Troubled Teens-Violence in Schools

2008-03-01T08:30:00.000-08:00

Recently in a school in Delhi, a young boy was killed by another, and although the reason(s) have not been stated clearly, family enmity was speculated. Whatever the reason, the very fact that youth today feel free to take the law in their hands, and actually show an incompetence in being able to handle anger, shows the rot in our education and value systems. Now this brings in a growing fear among parents at large, in a new area in their lives, and yet another one in parenting, to deal with. It has happened in one school, it could happen in another. It's a very disturbing trend.Teachers and parents must take this seriously, must start worrying about ways of curbing this, and preventing other such incidents from happening again.

Using lethal weapons, going to such an irreparable extreme, could the child even explain such an action? Could he pinpoint to what led to this, on introspection? Should we put the blame on the child entirely? He must be serving time at some juvenile jail, but WHO IS TO BLAME? Too many factors have led to this, I suppose , and it is time we discussed them all, without taking it lying down. It shall remain an on going discussion, no doubt, but that we have come to this is cause enough to lament.

A few sites can be visited to see the reasons, cures etc. Don't stop at that, don't forget it, act on it whether you are a parent or a teacher, help make this world a more peaceful place to live in. For however many years we come to this world, lets not spend that time in getting angry, lets spread love instead.

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friends......

http://712educators.about.com/od/schoolviolence/School_Violence.htm

Technology in education-How far are we?

2008-01-12T23:20:00.000-08:00

Its a tech world now. We are all trapped in this heavily wired world (now getting wireless). At homes, at workplaces, be it anywhere, its technology all the way. In education, its essentially the computer when we talk of technology in education. Information is just a click away, so why not make the most of it? In the classrooms, instruction for all subjects integrating the computer still needs to be put together by the teacher, as just having the gadget around for comfort, and allowing the children to use it for reference, as the teachers most often do, would not make much sense. So what else would be its use? This is what exactly needs to be formulated I think. Besides a whole new set of economics have to be worked out by school authorities, as right from the furniture, to creating an ambience, for wired classrooms needs to be looked into.

Teaching, after all does go on in classrooms in India, without computers, in a majority of schools. And pretty well when it comes to dissemination of information. Our children from good schools, make it to the international arena of education, earning good names for themselves.

So then why this urgent need for for computers in classrooms? It simply clears doubts, informs a little more, and makes the child a little more confident of what he/she has just learned in class.

There is need for a proper curriculum underlining the use of computers, and how it needs to be integrated with specific references to the instructions given, has to be looked into. Shuchi, has in her recent articles in this forum, told us about blogging, wikis, podcasting, which are such useful tools, especially for teachers. I suddenly feel the need to start learning and bring this knowledge to use.

It seems like a vast confusing puzzle, as of now, maybe to most teachers, but it is apparent that we are not very far from using technology in education, in more and more schools in our country.

I came across this article, in the Hindu about the new technology tools that allow anyone "to become an author, a creator, or a researcher" and wondered at the timing of Shuchi's posts. Seems coincidental, but maybe its time...

Related link : http://www.hindu.com/quest/200801/stories/2008011150160100.htm

Teachers!! Enjoy!

2007-07-20T12:43:00.000-07:00

Whenever I come across good material for teachers, I get a strong urge to share it. All those passionate about teaching will truly enjoy this poem by Taylor Mali. He is a "former teacher turned slam poet, who for over 15 years has been reciting impassioned poems about teaching and everything that goes along with the job." A little about Mali, written by Stacey Hollenbeck in Teacher Magazine:

The former president of Poetry Slam Incorporated, Mali has been featured on HBO’s “Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry” series and even created and starred in a one-man show called “Teacher! Teacher!,” which was named best solo performance at the 2001 U. S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Inspiring Teachers

Mali says his poetry about teaching has received a dramatic and rewarding response.

“I started to get people e-mailing me or telling me that they had decided to become a teacher partly because of the passion with which I spoke about the profession,” he said.

Mali began keeping track of the effect he was having on others. In 2000, he established a goal of inspiring 1,000 people to become teachers by 2006.

“I thought by the time 2006 comes, I will certainly have either reached this goal or totally forgotten that I ever had it. When 2006 came, and I didn’t have my 1,000 teachers yet, but I was just hovering around 100, I thought, ‘Scrap the deadline; I’m going to just keep doing it. And if it takes me until I’m 75, so be it.’”

Mali now has nearly 170 new and aspiring teachers, whom he calls his latest heroes, listed on his Web site. Many, like Barajas (number 169), never considered teaching before hearing Mali’s poetry."

The poem he wrote, which became very famous:

What Teachers Make

Printable Version

What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school

By Taylor Mali
www.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.

I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.

Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"

And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.

I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.

I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.

You want to know what I make?

I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).

Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?

This is a TED video for teachers to view:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

Gandhigiri or Gandhiism as a Way of Life for Teachers

2007-06-21T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ever since the release of the movie “Lage Raho Munnabhai”, the term ‘Gandhigiri’ has come to be used frequently. Mahatma Gandhi-known as the Father of The Nation was the key motivator in bringing freedom to our country. He was also a well read person, being an ace lawyer by profession. He also held with him a set of values, most of which he strived to practice in his life. He could be looked upon as a person who was extremely confident. And because of this inherent quality, he managed to be a leader, at one time literally leading the whole country.

Now as teachers we need to emulate most of those qualities. Ethics and morality could be clearly related to Gandhi and his ways. The teacher must strive to be the following:

Self- confident: to be able to market qualities of self righteousness, astuteness, humility and be a compassionate, as well as an approachable being.
A Problem Solver: that is what Gandhi was. The quiet strength and resilience that he portrayed in his ways is an example for all. “He saw a situation and dreamt up a novel method to address it that got good results” Gandhi tried to solve problems by trying not to hurt either side.
An Effective Communicator: A man of words, Gandhi could be interesting, assertive, and could prevail upon others, often through moral force.
Patience: Gandhi proved it that anything could be achieved by patience. Especially with those who harm you, to exercise patience is a quality that may eventually correct the problem at hand. In today’s world intolerance is becoming a way of life, which leads to violence. Gandhi pro-actively preached Ahimsa or Non-violence. Gandhi said “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will make the whole world blind and toothless”. The trick is in being ‘persuasively patient’. The path of patience is difficult but pays in the end.
Be Truthful: In the words of Gandhi “My uniform experience has convinced me that there is no other God than truth” This is an essential quality for a teacher. Truth always triumphs (satyamev Jayate) is what Gandhi always preached, a path that ultimately leads to peace. The Story of My Experiments with Truth, which is an autobiography of M.K.Gandhi is a must read.
A Preacher of Ahimsa: Gandhi said:” Identification with everything that lives is impossible without self purification; without self purification the observance of the law of Ahimsa must remain an empty dream…”

“So long as a man does not of his own free will put himself last among his fellow creatures, there is no salvation for him. Ahimsa is the farthest limit of humility.”

Gandhigiri or Gandhiism re-gained momentum recently and for the good. I discussed this in detail with my students, and thanked our good fortune that such a movie had been released. Teachers can take this opportunity to discuss moral and ethical issues with children, with relation to Gandhiism. It is a way of life, and we as teachers could in all sincerity make it ours.

PART-II

Everybody loves Kung-Fu fighting?? Where is our Saint of Sabarmati?

In this age of terror and fear where violence seems to be making a stronghold in urban and rural societies, where are the ideologies of Gandhi?? So has Gandhi failed to keep his ideals alive? Is Gandhigiri/Gandhiism just a fashionable word? What do you have to say?

I am of the view that Gandhi’s values still live on and is more alive today than any other age. It is on the firm base of love that the world moves on. More and more people believe in non-violence. We want peace in our lives, minds and hearts and all around us. There always will be extremists,, there always have been in every age, but ultimately the only solution to all the strife has been peace. As long as there is constant questioning and debating on this issue, I am sure we will come to the right conclusions, for our own sake.

Gandhi’s empathetic, non-violent attitude, his dramatic responses like Satyagraha which embodied humility, love, and non-violence; all this seems more relevant today.

Gandhi lives on, our champion of non-violence still lives on…

Now I enjoy the rhythm of this song, lets not love to fight, but this is about Kung-fu fighting, which is an art form.. so listen on and enjoy:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVl8UOhtKZc&feature=related

Relevance of Kabir Today

2007-05-26T11:29:00.000-07:00

Kabir is one of India’s ‘Priceless Gems’ - who is called a saint because of his writings - full of wisdom, and teachings for the masses. I feel they cannot be ignored in today’s world. In fact, in schools when we teach ethics and values to children we could make it easier by quoting Kabir often. It is a part of the rich heritage of India which we cannot afford to lose. Did he play a decisive role in shaping India’s culture? I do not know, maybe students of History will be able to answer it better. But we do know that Kabir worked hard to make people think differently, especially when it came to breaking walls of strict religious beliefs, and superstitions. He has highlighted simple virtues like honesty, love, truth, faith in oneself, encouraging introspection, and more. He has explained it beautifully with similes, linked with observations of day to day life which people can understand.

Kabir is a highly quoted poet, who, despite having criticized every sect, has people from various religious backgrounds accepting him and regarding him as a wise person with saintly leanings. His ideas are in the form of simple poems - mostly couplets, and are popularly sung in rural India. In fact I was inspired to write about it as I was listening to one such popular music cassette in a car and felt that I must talk about Kabir with my children, while making them listen. It also brought back memories of my father, who would sing these sonnets and couplets, as a part of his daily chores at home, and would often end up explaining them to us. Kabir's poems essentially teach humility, religious tolerance and that faith leads us to be humble. In a world torn apart by religious strife today, Kabir's writings take on even more relevance.

To take a peek into what the couplets are like, and if they could be incorporated into our curriculum, click on the related link.

Related link : http://www.boloji.com/kabir/dohas/index.htm

A HEALTHY BODY =A HEALTHY MIND

2007-05-21T07:49:00.000-07:00

WHAT A CHILD DOESN’T RECEIVE HE CAN SELDOM LATER GIVE. P.D.James

With problems like obesity, diabetes, and other chronic ailments affecting children, it is high time we started giving diet, and eating habits that extra attention. Even in schools a proper effort should be made to drive children into knowing more about health foods, and a diet which is nutritionally complete. Gone are the days when ma’s and grandma’s added that extra sugar, into the child’s daily ‘dose’ of milk, or gave salt to have with fruits etc., to make it tastier or edible to the child. These are habit forming and they stay on life long, creating problems later on in life. In fact one does not have to wait to get to their thirties or forties to experience severe ill health. It starts much early on in life nowadays and that is the reason why we must stress on diet foods for children also. Tubby girls and boys with paunches is a common sight. Why? Are they lacking in enough exercise or is it that they are not aware of the right kinds of foods. There are too many temptations in the market too to blame young children. The media is a powerful tool in today’s world and affects choices. What with cokes, chips, sweets of all varieties, junk food, and foods with preservatives hitting the market stands making it difficult for the child to resist. Very often disruptive behaviors of children are linked to poor food habits. Therefore the quality of foods that we provide to our children is important. It is essential to know what sort of a diet is normal. Our own attitudes and behaviors around eating and our body appearances can serve as a model for children. Our children are our future, it is our duty to nurture them and work hard in helping them form good habits.

As a teacher I take any given opportunity to speak on this issue with the children. Many bring money to schools to eat the savories (read junk food) from the canteen. Mothers also take their mornings easy as all they have to do is give the child money for the lunch break, rather than cooking some nutritious mid-day snack, which is wholesome as well as healthy. Canteens cater to the children’s tastes and sell what sells. Isn’t it high time that we incorporate talks on good diets and the ill-effects of a bad one? Actually maintaining a follow up? If from an early age children are conscious about health foods, the right habits shall be formed, which we realize are so important at a later stage when metabolism is slower and whatever we eat takes double the time to digest.

Doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, health freaks all are doing their bit to impart knowledge to the masses about avoiding junk food. Inculcating a taste for a healthy diet should start when small; it goes a long way in shaping healthful attitudes. Schools should participate in health programs, Canteens should do away with fatty foods, soft drinks, chips, and too much fried foods.

It could be taught how fats can block arteries, in the science class, in the Math class, one could teach children to count the calories of the foods they eat and determine how much they need to cut down or add. Outdoor activities should be packed with a lot of physical activity. Stress on exercise should be given. After all a healthy body houses a healthy mind. Schools and society at large benefit from happy healthy children. It would do well to enforce the “FAT TAX” as they call it, in other countries, and mean to keep the country on their toes literally. Overweight people after all do leave more carbon footprints on mother earth.

Some one sent me this article which is good information, especially mothers of young chidren. It featured in The Economist Magazine,

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Jul 17th 2008

Eat your way to a better brain

CHILDREN have a lot to contend with these days, not least a tendency
for their pushy parents to force-feed them omega-3 oils at every
opportunity. These are supposed to make children brainier, so they are
being added to everything from bread, milk and pasta to baby formula
and vitamin tablets. But omega-3 is just the tip of the nutritional
iceberg; many nutrients have proven cognitive effects, and do so
throughout a person's life, not merely when he is a child.

Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a fish-loving professor of neurosurgery and
physiological science at the University of California, Los Angeles,
believes that appropriate changes to a person's diet can enhance his
cognitive abilities, protect his brain from damage and counteract the
effects of ageing. Dr Gomez-Pinilla has been studying the effects of
food on the brain for years, and has now completed a review, just
published in NATURE REVIEWS NEUROSCIENCE, that has analysed more than
160 studies of food's effect on the brain. Some foods, he concludes,
are like pharmaceutical compounds; their effects are so profound that
the mental health of entire countries may be linked to them.

Last year, for example, the LANCET published research showing that
folic-acid supplements--sometimes taken by pregnant women--can help
those between 50 and 70 years old ward off the cognitive decline that
accompanies ageing. In a study lasting three years, Jane Durga, of
Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and her colleagues found that
people taking such supplements did better on measures of memory,
information-processing speed and verbal fluency. That, plus evidence
that folate deficiency is associated with clinical depression, suggests
eating spinach, orange juice and Marmite, which are all rich in folic
acid.

Another suggestion from Dr Gomez-Pinilla's review is that people should
eat more antioxidants. That idea is not new. Antioxidants are reckoned
by many to protect against the general effects of ageing. Vitamin E,
for example, which is found in vegetable oils, nuts and green leafy
vegetables, has been linked (in mice) with the retention of memory into
old age, and also with longer life.

Dr Gomez-Pinilla, however, gives the antioxidant story a particular
twist. The brain, he observes, is peculiarly susceptible to oxidative
damage. It consumes a lot of energy, and the reactions that release
this energy also generate oxidising chemicals. Moreover, brain tissue
contains a great deal of oxidisable material, particularly in the fatty
membranes surrounding nerve cells.

That suggests, among other things, the value of a diet rich in berries.
These have been shown to have strong antioxidant effects, though only a
small number of their constituents have been evaluated in detail. One
group that has been evaluated, the polyphenols, has been shown in
rodents to reduce oxidative damage and to boost the ability to learn
and retain memories. In particular, these chemicals affect changes in
response to different types of stimulation in the hippocampus (a part
of the brain that is crucial to the formation of long-term memories,
and which is the region most affected by Alzheimer's disease). Another
polyphenol, curcumin, has also been shown to have protective effects.
It reduces memory deficits in animals with brain damage. It may be no
coincidence that in India, where a lot of curcumin is consumed (it is
the substance that makes turmeric yellow), Alzheimer's disease is rarer
than elsewhere.

PEAS OF MIND
Though the way antioxidants work in the brain is not well known, Dr
Gomez-Pinilla says it is likely they protect the synaptic membranes.
Synapses are the junctions between nerve cells, and their action is
central to learning and memory. But they are also, he says, the most
fragile parts of the brain. And many of the nutrients associated with
brain function are known to affect transmission at the synapses.

An omega-3 fatty acid called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), for example,
provides membranes at synaptic regions with "fluidity"--the capacity to
transport signals. It also provides "plasticity"--a synapse's capacity
to change. Such changes are the basis of memory. Since 30% of the fatty
constituents of nerve-cell membranes are DHA molecules, keeping your
DHA levels topped up is part of having a healthy brain. Indeed,
according to the studies reviewed by Dr Gomez-Pinilla, the benefits of
omega-3s include improved learning and memory, and resistance to
depression and bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia,
attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia.

Omega-3s are found in oily fish such as salmon, as well as in walnuts
and kiwi fruit, and there is a strong negative correlation between the
extent to which a country consumes fish and its levels of clinical
depression. On the Japanese island of Okinawa, for example, people have
a strikingly low rate of mental disorder--and Okinawans are notable
fish eaters, even by the standards of a piscivorous country like Japan.
In contrast, many studies suggest that diets which are rich in trans-
and saturated fatty acids, such as those containing a lot of deep-fried
foods and butter, have bad effects on cognition. Rodents put on such
diets show declines in cognitive performance within weeks.

In the past few years, several studies have looked at the effect of
adding omega-3s to people's diets--particularly those of children. One
such, carried out in the British city of Durham, was controversial in
that it was funded by a maker of children's omega-3 supplements and did
not include a control group being given a placebo. Despite the
publicity this study has received, Ben Goldacre, author of a book
called "Bad Science" that includes an investigation of it, says the
results will not be released.

Work by other researchers, however, has suggested such supplements do
improve the performance and behaviour of school-age children with
specific diagnoses such as dyslexia, attention-deficit disorder and
developmental co-ordination disorder. Moreover, although more work is
needed to elucidate the effects of omega-3s on healthy school-age
children, Dr Gomez-Pinilla says that younger children whose mothers
took fish-oil supplements (which contain omega-3s) when they were
pregnant and while they were breast-feeding do show better cognitive
performance than their unsupplemented contemporaries.

Eating well, then, is one key to a healthy brain. But a word of
warning--do not overeat. This puts oxidative stress on the brain and
risks undoing all the good work those antioxidants have been up to. For
those who would like a little practical guidance, THE ECONOMIST has
some suggestions for dinner (see menu). So why not put the Nintendo
brain trainer away tonight, and eat your way to intelligence instead?

See this article with graphics and related items at http://www.economist.com/email/confirm.cfm

Poetry & Elocution

2007-05-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

Writing good poetry is an art.But over the years only some have been appreciated and understood.Here is a list of some poems that I have tried in my four year old teaching career. Our school holds an elocution competition every year. The categories are Group Elocution (where the whole class recites a poem), and individual, where there are three children from each class. Usually in the individual category there are nine contestants, the prize is given to the first two. For the group, only one section from each class is the winner.

I have always strived to get unusual poems. It results in an extensive search at times (I quite like the whole process). I have got them all from books, people, and internet. Ultimately it is the student who has to be trained, it is a challenge at times, as we try to bring in newer students each time, and of course the credit goes to the child who has put forth the piece in an acceptable manner. I am proud to say that several of my students get prizes, but even those who don't, are happy to have been given a chance to participate and represent the class.

Here is the list. (For some poems I could not find the name of the writer.):

1.The Porcupine- Roald Dahl

2.The Three Little Pigs- Roald Dahl

3.Granny's tree Climbing- Ruskin Bond

4. Never Trouble Trouble- Fanny Windsor

5. The Congo- Vachel Lindsay

6. Song of the Sea- Barry Cornwall

7. Cloony the Clown- Shel Silverstein

8. The Louse and the Mosquito- Vikram Seth

9. Somebody's Mother- Unknown

10. The Mystic Weaver- Unknown

11. Carry On!- Robert Service

12. My Kingdom- Louisa May Alcott

13. Mothers of Men- Joaquin Miller

14. It Makes One Think- G.B.Shaw

15. The Law of the Jungle- Rudyard Kipling

16. Hymn Before Action- Rudyard Kipling

17 The boy who did not pass- unknown

18 The silent and the Dark- Meher Dhondy

19. The Cataract of Lodore- By Robert Southey

20. The Schoolboy- by William Blake

21. I Must go down to the sea- by John Masefield

22. The Builders- By Henry W. Longfellow

23. When papa was a boy- By E.A. Brininstool

24. Television- By Roald Dahl

I would really appreciate other choices for poems for elocution, if possible.

The Road Ahead

2007-04-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

I want to live/ I want to grow/ I want to see/ I want to know/ I want to share what I can give/ I want to be/ I want to live.....There are children raised in sorrow/ On a scorched and barren plain/ There are children raised beneath a golden sun/ Children of the water...There are children of the sand/ And they cry out through the universe/ Their voices raised as one...” -John Denver

Whenever we talk of education, e-learning, technology in education etc., there somewhere in my mind I wonder at the dualism of it all. Schools suddenly start looking unreal. Where can we move ahead if majority of the children are hardly educated? With all that talk of globalization, think of those villages where people still struggle for two square meals a day. Forget worrying about things like education. This disparity is heartbreaking. People talk of sharing knowledge. Also of creating such an educational atmosphere where teachers of ‘good schools’, should as part of their job go and teach/ take lectures in the ‘not so good schools’. It reminds me of some such decision of the government , which requires young medical pass-outs to go and practice in the villages, in the first few years. How much of that is fulfilled is debatable. So I think it could be voluntary.

Coming to statistics, I read somewhere, 35% of our people lack basic literacy, about 53% of our children drop out of school at the elementary level. And just a third of high-school students graduate. Sounds dismal. The drop out rate should be telling us something. Schools should not become a social problem. Now this kind of neglect on the part of the government is deplorable. There is a lot on paper to show-off, how much is implemented is the question.

Also it brings to mind that vocational training should be given more emphasis. There should be more skill centers, as one of the main objectives of educating society is employment. A new market for skill-learning needs to be opened up. The people enrolling for these centers should not have those demonic entrance exams. A certain kind of liberation is required from being enslaved to schooling and certificates attached. Industries/ offices/ business houses could open these skill-centers.

In the words of Professor Amartya Sen,”When people are illiterate, their ability to understand and invoke their legal rights can be very limited and educational neglect can also lead to other kinds of deprivation…..If we continue to leave vast sections of the people of the world outside the orbit of education, we make the world not only less just, but also less secure,”

With such a good picture of the Indian economy at present, do spare a chunk for education, and implement it at a war footing. Don’t lose sight of the desirable end result, and that is employment.

To end with John Denver’s song :

“We are standing all together/Face to face and arm in arm/We are standing on the threshold of a dream/No more hunger no more killing/No more wasting life away/ It is simply an idea/And I know the time has come........”

Hey, Teachers!! Leave Us Kids Alone!!

2007-03-28T15:07:00.000-07:00

In all the din being created about children, their education, and the control we think we have on their lives, how many of us take time out to actually LISTEN to them? What do they want? What kind of a school would they like to be in?

Of course with all the researches in psychology and Child Development which is getting more and more advanced, the education policies are focusing on the child, making the curriculum more child-centered. A general direction is being given and framed along which the policy makers would like to see future Indian schools to move on. A lot is being said about bookish learning which they say has to be substituted with a kind of learning which is applicable in every day life, and connects children with home and society. Having said that, I do not for a moment doubt that implementation of these newer standards are not being complied with by all schools across the board. We know the constraints both economical and 'related with the will to change', along with the wide Diaspora of cultural backgrounds our country is dealing with. Nevertheless we as teachers/educators should, I think, at least ask children their view point as to what kind of school they would want to be in. A school which has ‘no boundaries’, and a place where children are excited to be present everyday. Excitement is what children look for in their lives, it is an important ingredient in facilitating quicker learning. Our schools cater to anything but this emotion.

The teacher in a school-the vital link between children and society needs to play a very subtle role. The image of an ‘authoritarian’ instructor who expects ‘to tell’ children things is something of the past now. Children tire of being ‘told’ what to do, soon and school hours are full of such instructions. Children need to share a laugh with the teacher rather than at him/her. I for one advocate a lot of independence among children as in making them speak out as much as they want, don’t worry about the controlling bit, that comes slowly, they learn to understand their limits. I read a book recently called ‘The School that I’d Like’, edited by Edward Blishen. It is an ‘old-time’ book, published by Penguin Education in 1969. I shall post a few comments of children, for you to understand their view point and also decide whether the situation has changed, if so, how much. What could be the reasons if nothing much has been able to change up till now?

Comment By A 17 Year Old: “give me the school where discipline, regimentation and good manners are not everything. We would rather have a school where we can talk on equal terms with our teachers on sex, morals, ethics, royalty, religion etc. We want a school where teaching will be equated with a perpetual quest for truth, beauty, and integrity. A school where personality and brain-building come first and diplomas or certificates last. After all , a diploma or a degree is not a perfect vaccine against stupidity.”

By a 16 yr. old :” Our school is like a machine- churn, churn, churn- comes out a genius, a stuffed puppet, reeling off facts and dates and predigested ideas at the pull of a string, wondering if it was really worth it and if it is really intelligence.Boredom, so many pairs of vacant eyes regarding with a hollow stare the woman at the front of the room who does the churning. Minds too apathetic to think, bodies too lethargic to do anything but sprawl over desks and carve names, with infinite care, on the lids…..”

By an 18 yr. old : Above all, education should be exciting. No educated person can claim boredom amidst so much knowledge. School life should be crammed with interest-the buildings too. Yet nothing is more depressing than the average buff-colored classroom!! Revolution must break out, they must be invaded by novel color schemes and different architectural styles, taken over by paintings and sculptures. No two should look alike. The pupils should have more freedom in the planning and execution of form, room decoration and gardening. Excitement should be injected into school, so that one is completely surrounded by it.”

By a 15 yr old: “The fault with a lot of schools today is that teachers are not prepared to listen. There is a teacher at our school who is very keen on discussions until somebody makes a point which she is unable to explain, and she gets angry and tells us to sit down. I think that’s the attitude of most teachers today. They don’t mind discussing various topics as long as it ends up with them being able to prove a point to you and not the other way.”

By a 15 yr old: “Respect for the pupil is just as important as respect for the teacher, because after a young person’s opinion has been disregarded three or four times the child may never express an opinion again.”

By a 15 yr. old: “I see no point in separating the sexes- after all, they have to know the horrid truth about each other one day, so why not at secondary level? Anyway one-sex schools seem to be against the laws of nature.”

By a 16 yr. old: “What a bore school is, the same as it has been for hundreds of years. What we get is the same old thing – teacher, outdated books, and a class fed up to the teeth with the teacher and the school. What we need is one vast change in the education system of this country. Children do not want to be taught at, but to find out things for themselves. If a child is interested in the way a dogfish’s heart works, let him go and find out , by cutting one up.”

By a 13 yr. old; “If children are to be taught solely by stereotyped machines, are we not in grave danger of producing mechanical, stereotyped children? The place of the human, individual teacher must always remain secure to provide a contrast to machine teaching.”

By a 14 yr old: “I would use computers in my ideal school as I feel that this would cancel out any teachers errors and this would mean that no child’s education would be impeded by a teacher who is slow or not experienced.”

By a 17 yr. old: “ Modern equipment? To me. it’s sheer poppycock. We want intelligent teachers and not machines. It is the poor doctor who hides behind a whole gamut of patent drugs.”

By a 15 yr. old: “The first step must surely be to raise teachers’ salaries by at least fifty percent to recruit top class personnel to the profession. And the only means of doing this is by offering salaries commensurate with their responsibility in shaping the hopes of tomorrow and competitive with those offered by industry. Furthermore it is imperative that teaching staff be relieved of extra duties.”

Well, I leave you to ponder and mull over this. I am aware many issues several schools are considering. But that is for you to decide and see around you…HOW MANY?