learnings

Today while interacting with my Grade 6 students some facts came to light. I just happened to mention whatsapp!! A barrage of complaints from my little ones: 'my dad is always on whatsapp' , my mother sits up late at night (and shows action of texting) My mom even if she is tired has to whatsapp and if i want to talk she gets irritated.' My father tells me to talk later' Hey parents are we even aware of this? Talking to our children in real time, Playing with them during real time, engaging in activities in real time- is far more relaxing than spending on virtual time. The forwards, jokes on whatsapp will keep coming but real time lost is lost! Today your child has grown a day. In the last 14 hours so much would have happened. Is it not more important than what is happening around the world somewhere,in someone else's life? Please do not lose more days.

Often I come across teachers telling me,'I told the student so many times...' We forget that in a day we may teach for 5 or 6 periods out of 8 but students sit through all of the 8. we royally walk in and out of classes, expecting the young minds to shift focus asap from Eng to Lang to Sci to Math to Art to Hist to Geog to ...phew so many classes, so many topics, so many different adults!!! And we think school is fun!! Each time we walk in we expect the students to switch to our subjects in robot like efficiency. And we expect them to pay full attention - for the Full 40-45 min. Is this humanly possible? Yet we go on and on in the same format. Have we forgotten our childhood? To top it all we say something or discipline them twice or thrice and we think that is enough. Dear teachers we need to keep reinforcing. Don't we need reminders? They are children. They are not machines. We may have to tell again and again and again. They may not follow or obey us then, but lat

It is age of teamwork. There are many corporate offices who are blurring the lines between different levels of positions held. They ( the newer ones and startups)are encouraging open and barrier-less seating.  It is the age where even the governments are realizing that they cannot go alone- they need to involve the citizens. So it is in the educational sector. A school cannot function without a Head, teachers, students and all the non teaching staff.  A team is invigorated by its leader. A leader who is balanced empathetic non judgmental learner able to know the strengths and weaknesses of team members. not a fault finder When we have such an environment we will be happy. Happiness at a workplace leads to fulfillment and productivity. In an educational sector this happiness and positivity would be transferred to the young minds. What an effect it would have on the future of the institution and the society!

A beautiful story based on a Malayalam proverb: Once when a ripe leaf was falling off the tree, the young leaf laughed. The old one said,'Your turn will also come' Laugh for a reason. Laugh with a friend. Laugh not AT anybody.

I was watching a Malayalam film called James and Alice. One particular dialogue stays with me, Life does not give a second chance. Death gives.' I pondered on this. It is true that death of near and dear ones teaches a lesson so strong that it grounds you literally to reality. It is true that near death experiences has changed the survivor's life totally. Why wait for such experiences? A little bit of reflection, a little bit of awareness , lots of openness to learning, pinch of mindset can season life. Live life. It happens just once .

It is trying time for teachers, especially history teachers. Whenever I teach lessons on the great Indian unity, great Indian sharing and caring ( our pledge) why do I feel hypocritical? The present generation questions. They have news at their fingertips. In school we have students giving us weekly news round up.. Cauvery issue, Dalit issue, cow vigilantism, gender inequality issue, honour killing issue... And my voice drones on ...The Preamble of the Constitution says....