learnings

As a teacher and Counsellor I have had many students come up to me to share their feelings and thoughts. As parents the only thing we can and should offer is a safe home- emotionally safe ( I am not getting into personal/physical safety). A home where children feel emotionally secure, a home where they WANT to go back to....This is the simplest but most difficult to accomplish. Are we being 'open' to our children? Are we ready to 'accept' them as separate entities? Are we giving them love with 'no strings attached'? Are we just 'listening' to them? Are we even 'seeing' them? Are we 'caring' ? Children don't need your gifts. They need You. In several instance when homes aren't such safe havens, the next place is the school. Are schools i.e teachers equipped to bring about an atmosphere of happiness, caring, acceptance and love? Can we make our schools at least  a safe haven? 

After a long hiatus I return. I had vowed to myself that I would merely gloss over the newspaper to avoid the anger and depression that well in me on reading in detail! Yet I couldn't help reading 2 articles relating to the CALLOUSNESS of the teachers concerned. Article 1: In Srinagar a young boy of 17/18  years committed suicide. Reason? he had failed in his favourite subject. On revaluation it was found that he had actually topped the class. Yes the boy should not have taken this path. He should have /could have... But then is it also not the responsibility of the evaluator? Should not the evaluating teacher be concerned and cautious of the papers he or she is evaluating. If we know someone is failing can we not take a few moments to cross check if we have missed out/ evaluated properly/ check if we can give some grace marks??? Cannot we teachers be more humane while correcting papers/tests? If the student has not attempted answers or has done it very badly then it is underst...

I lost 2 family members I went thro' hell I emerged anew Smiling and well dressed But hey don't brush me off   I am highly myopic I have a permanent allergy I still smile and dress well But hey don't brush me off   I do face life's tensions and stress I am like a see saw between people sometimes I still smile and dress well But hey don't brush me off   I deal with mistrust and suspicion Jealousy and bipolar thoughts I still smile and dress well But hey don't brush me off   I am victim of groping and abuse Verbal and emotional I still smile and dress well But hey don't brush me off     This poem is written for all anonymous women who face challenges yet rise and shine. They are brushed off by society very callously. They face remarks like, 'What for you..'   'If you are suffering'  'would you even..'  lucky  you have faced only this... now you are lucky.... such a blessed life. ...

I cam across this article on how to avoid being a   Helicopter Teacher . I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have heard of helicopter parenting so this was novel and exciting. From my 25 years of experience I endorse the stand completely. Initially I used to take pride in offering solutions to students when they sought clarifications. I had all answers to their queries and even went a step further to hand hold in every project. Till I realised ( during my Teaching Excellence Achievement Program to Nebraska, USA ). I witnessed teachers asking, 'What do you think?' leaving open ended questions to the students. It was marvellous to see the outcome. A simple but powerful question leaving the power of thinking/ problem solving/ decision making to the students. Guidance is necessary but not to the extent of pouring our thoughts and perspective onto the students'! The International Baccalaureate curriculum is a great one as it enables students to be research minded, open min...

When I was a school going child I remember the days preceding my birthday. My father would ensure that he took me shopping to buy me footwear. I revelled in buying them. He would hold my hand firmly and walk briskly from shop to shop. In between he would treat us to steaming coffee and dosas. Today my father is 80 years old. He walks slowly and hesitantly. He now has the habit of washing his feet every time an advertisement comes on the TV. I would reprimand him but gave up. He likes doing it. He has walked several miles and on his visit to several countries he has shopped around  to get me the right footwear. Today he walks to and fro to wash his wrinkled feet. Those wrinkles have seen so much. They have carried him to the burial ground to light up the pyre of his son and son in law. Today my prayer is let him wash his feet umpteen times and for many years to come. I will lend my shoulder, my hand and my smiles. I love you dad.

A lovely day it has been. The bliss after days of hard work. The rest after days of standing and running around. I made some hot dosas and a good cuppa tea- the Indian way with milk but no sugar. I poured it from the pot into the cup. Something was missing. Ah yes! I began the typical Indian style of pouring the pot to cup and cup to pot in an elaborate manner till the tea started frothing and was brimming. A lovely aroma and a finer taste. The tea had transformed. It is the same with life. As we go through life, when we add zing to it, we run from work to home and fro; if we allow the bubbles of laughter to seep through; if we add fitness and bounce to our step, if .... So many ifs... But do the ifs and voila we will have the cup of life brimming

Public Speaking means speaking in front of an audience- formal or informal.  And PS looms large like an asura! However competent a teacher or a manager is in front of his/her team, if you ask the person to do a presentation or speak in front of an audience, fear cramps most. Well no one is to be blamed. When man evolved his brain did too. But the new brain- the prefrontal cortex merely grew upon the older one, the reptilian brain. In the olden days wild animals caused the classic fight or flight syndrome. Today the wild animal is replaced by the audience. Yet PS is a skill that can be acquired. To acquire any skill one needs practice. I tell my students that they ought to rehearse for at least 27 times in different parts of their house, in front of different members at home, even in front of pets. Why 27? Actually there is no reason, it is just to get their attention and curiosity. It is a number that is incomplete and evokes the reaction - why 27, why not 20 or 30.. Well odd ...