portfolio · students learning process. 2006- june 2015 •!sabbatical due to motherhood. academic...
TRANSCRIPT
PORTFOLIO!!!!
!!!
!
I"AM"A"TEACHER" SONIKA"RASTOGI""
Post"Graduate"Diploma"in"Learning"&"Teaching""2015G16"
"
2
!
Table,of,Contents,
Resume"
1.My"Personal"Journey"as"a"learner"
2."My"Education"Philosophy"2(a)."Rational"Autonomy"2(b)."Educational"Philosophies"
3."Me"As"An"Observer"3(a)."Student"Profile"–"A"case"study"3(b)."Student"Culture"3(c)."Classroom"Culture"
4."My"Creative"WriteGUp"
5."Designed"Math"Word"Problems"
6."Right"to"Education"Act"and"its"implementation"
7."Problems"in"Education"in"India"
8."My"First"Steps"As"A"Teacher"8a."Lead"Teaching"Week"Lessons"Plan"G"Expedition"8b."Lead"Teaching"Week"Lessons"Plans"G"Math"
9.""My"Reflections" !!!!!!!
!
3
!
,,
!
SONIKA RASTOGI
Resume !
Career Objective To be a middle school educator in leading experiential School. Summary
•! Six years experience in mentoring, counselling and training . •! Adaptive, Excellent interpersonal skills, Team player, Active learner.
Work Experience 2000-2002, Pentasoft Technologies limited, Faculty
•! Imparted training in languages like JAVA and ORACLE to post graduate students. •! Mentored students to develop projects applying JAVA.
2002-2006, ICFAI University, Career Counsellor •! Mentored 200 + graduate students for different career choices available. •! Student conversion to meet the revenue. •! Recognized as a team player with an ability to coordinate with all departments to enhance
students learning process.
2006- June 2015 •! Sabbatical due to motherhood.
Academic Background
•! June 2015-Till date, I am a Teacher, Pursuing Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching and Learning .
•! 1997-2000, IGNOU, BCA. •! 1996-1999, Meera Bai Polytechnic, 3 years Diploma in Electronics & Communication
Engineering(AICTE).
Contact Details : 98109 62583 / [email protected]
"
4
!!
!
!!!“Education!is!not!the!learning!of!facts,!but!the!training!of!the!mind!to!think”8Albert!Einstein!!I!didn’t!understand!the!meaning!of!this!statement!before!joining!IAAT.!Thanks!to!all!my!education,!I!!always!believed!that!education!is!only!about!learning!!!facts.!!!But!what!is!real!education?!
!Is!teacher!someone!who!just!come!in!the!class!with!a!single!aim!of!completing!the!syllabus!or!Teachers!can!be!the!role!model!for!children,!the!one!who!is!respected!not!for!her!position!but!for!her!attitude.!The!one!who!lives!values!before!asking!her!students!to!live!them.!!!First!a!teacher!needs!to!be!an!awaken!human!being!only!then!she!can!enlighten!lives!of!her!students.!From!the!day!I!have!joined!the!course!till!date!I!have!gone!through!many!sessions!of!very!eminent!faculties!from!the!field!of!education!and!have!read!lot!of!course!content!but!one!thing!that!I!have!understood!from!all!of! them!is!that!being!a!teacher! is!a!responsible!profession! ! and!you!can!make!or!break! lives!of! little!kids.! !Children!are! like! flowers! that!need!proper!nourishment!for!growth!alongside!love!and!care.!!Same!way!our!schools!need!to!be!gardens!where!our! children!will! blossom!under! the!guidance!of! their!mentors.!We!
1.My%Personal%Journey%as%a%learner%
5
should!not! fill!young!minds!with! information!rather!we!should!help! them!to!explore! this!world,!this!world!full!of!wonders.!!!This! course! is! helping! me! becoming! a! self! aware! person,! the! one! who! understands!importance! of! attentiveness,! the! one!who! appreciates! other! and! is! also! a! keen! observer!This!course!is!!designed!in!such!a!way,!it’s!not!like!how!to!teach!but!how!to!live.!!!My! journey! to! this! course! started!with! Junga!Retreat,!wherein!we!went! to! a!place! called!Junga!in!Himachal!Pradesh.!There!i!did! ! !many!activities! ! !be!it!carrying!weight!of!7!kg!to!track!of!13!km!or!sleeping!in!the!jungle!under!the!night!sky.!There!each!day!used!to!bring!a!new! challenge,! which! really! helped! me! in! understanding! importance! of! coming! out! of!comfort!zone!and!taking!that!first!step!towards!any!difficult!task,!however!difficult!it!may!look,!All!those!activities!were!planned!to!remove!that!fear!out!of!us.!As!we!can!learn!best!what!we!experience.!!!As!one!of!our!faculty!had!also!shared!that!good!teacher!has!to!be!first!a!learner.!!Learner!who! always!updated!her! knowledge! and! is! always! ready! to! learn! from! students!and! surroundings! can! become! a! good! teacher.! Teacher,! who! stops! learning,! becomes!stagnant!and!her!growth!as!a!person!stops!there.!!As,john,Dewey,has,said,“Education,is,a,social,process.,Education,is,growth.,Education,is,,not,a,preparation,for,life;,education,is,life,itself.”,!!One!should!never!stop!learning,!creative!workshop!on!writing!made!me!realize!that!there!is!a!writer! in!each!one!of!us!and!no!special!time!will!come!in!future!to!start!writing.!As!a!teacher! also! i! should! always! motivate,! guide! and! appreciate! young! writers.!!! !!Workshop!on!mindfulness!was! the! real! eye!opener,! it!was! so!meaningful! and! so! true! to!make!me!deeply!think!that!amongst!my!busy!schedule!of!multi8tasking,!I!am!getting!in!the!race!of! finishing!my!tasks!without!understandings! importance!of! focus!and!observation.! I!realized! that!we!all!have! lots!of!energy!within!us,!only! requirement! is! to!channelize! it! to!achieve! the! desired! result! .Also! it! helped!me! in! realizing! that! fears! are! shadows! of! our!mind,!if!we!show!courage!it!will!go.!!!!!!During!this!course!in!one!of!the!session!I!experienced!importance!of!conviction!in!whatever!we! say!and! its! impact!on!others! i.e.! ! ! if! I!have! conviction! in!whatever! I! am!saying! if! it! is!coming!straight!from!heart!other!person!would!reciprocate!it!same,!otherwise!if! I!am!not!sure!about!what!I!am!saying!it!will!not!impact!others.!Thus!!as!a!teacher!if!I!would!like!to!make!my!children!aware!about!any!concept!only!if!I!have!conviction!in!my!voice,!if!I!have!passion!and!energy!only!then!,!!that!would!pass!on!to!children!
6
!Looking!at!different!perspectives!about!‘Gandhari!from!Mahabharat!‘!!!in!one!of!the!session!made!me!think!importance!of!looking!different!perspectives!of!life!from!different!angles.!So!as!a!teacher!it!is!very!important!to!be!open!to!all!the!angles,!to!listen!to!children!and!not!to!set! only! one! definition! of! good! or! bad! behavior! in! our! mind.! Teacher’s! role! is! very!important,! it! is! to!shape!young!minds!and!if!we! label!any!child!as!good!or!bad!that!could!have!long!lasting!impact!on!his!personality.!!!!Learning!history!in!form!of!story!was!such!an!amazing!experience!,History!which!I!could!remember!as!a!subject!during!school!days!only!to!memorize!dates!is!so!engrossing!and!so!enriching!I!never!realized.!And!now!I!am!getting!hooked!on!to!it.!!Learning! child! development! is! also! helping!me! becoming! a!more! understanding!mother!who! understands! her! child!well,! is! an! active! listener! and! I! believe! I! have! become!much!more!calm!and!patient!in!my!approach.!!! !Starting!from!the!day!1!of!orientation!when!I!entered!in!this!environment!to!now!it!seems!as!if!one!era!has!been!spent.!This!journey!is!helping!me!in!overcoming!my!fear!and!realizing!the! importance! of! self8confidence! and! courage! .It! is! helping! me! in! realizing! my! true!potential!and!power!of!dreams,!that!one!should!never!stop!dreaming!and!always!strives!to!work! for! them! to!make! them! reality.! ! This! program! is! helping!me! to! reach! new! heights!daily.!When!I!look!back!I!have!come!a!long!way!but!there!is!still!long!way!to!go.!!
7
,
!!!“Education!is!not!the!learning!of!facts,!but!the!training!of!the!mind!to!think”8Albert!Einstein!As!this!quote!from!Albert!Einstein!talks!what!should!be!the!real!education.!Is!it!only!to!fill!young!minds!with!knowledge!or!to!foster!their!curiosity,!as!curiosity!motivates!them!to!ask!questions!and!to!find!their!answers!!!What!should!be!the!role!of!an!educator?!Is!the!educator!one!!!who!gives!students!answers!to!their!entire!question!or!is!an!educator!or!Guru!is!one!who!guides!them,!show!them!right!path!and!also!make!them!responsible!for!their!learning.!!And!what!could!be!the!ideal!environment!for!this!learning?!Would!children!learn!better!in!an!environment!filled!with!competition!and!hatred!or!in!a!nurturing!luminous!environment!of!love!and!care?!!!
!As!per!the!Mother’s!philosophy! ‘The!Education!of!human!being!should!begin!at!birth!and!continue! throughout! his! life.! To! love! to! learn! is! the!most! precious! gift! one! can! give! to! a!child:!to!love!to!learn!always!and!everywhere,!so!that!all!circumstances,!all!happenings!in!life!may!be!constantly!renewed!opportunities!for!learning!more!and!always!more.’!!For! that,! to! attention! and! concentration! should!be! added!observation,! precise! recording!and!faithfulness!of!memory.!One!knows!well!only!what!one!has!understood.!Things!learnt!by!heart,!mechanically!fade!away!little!by!little!and!finally!disappear.!What!is!understood!is!never!forgotten.!!It! is!so! important!to!arouse!healthy!curiosity! in!children,!and!that!I!have!observed!in!my!practice! classes!where! instead!of! starting!directly!with! concept! teacher! first! start!with! a!hook! to!arouse!student’s!curiosity!about! the!concept!and! that!makes! their! learning!more!meaningful!for!them.!If!they!understand!the!concept!that!whatever!I!am!learning,!where!in!my!practical!life!I!can!apply!that.!The!attitude!of!teacher!also!act!as!the!fuel!in!the!growth!of!a!child,!teacher!should!be!the!living!example!of!what!he!asks!the!students!to!become.!And!as! a! teacher! I! should! help! them! developing! their! critical! thinking! by! asking! them!more!probing!questions!which!further!help!them!to!think!deeply!about!the!subject!
2.%My%Education%Philosophy% % %
%
!
8
!Vygotsky! theory! of! learning! stresses! the! importance! of! looking! at! each! child! as! an!individual!who! learns!distinctively,! so! as! a! teacher! I! should!use!differentiated!method!of!learning!in!my!class.!I!have!also!noticed!during!my!practice!classes!that!there!are!students!who! can! express! better! graphically! then!writing! on! paper.! So! depending! on! the! subject,!evaluation!should!be!done!on!number!of!parameters!rather!than!judging!all!the!children!by!same!means.!Also! as! a! teacher! I!would! always! allow! critical! thinking! to! develop! in! children! by! giving!them!age!appropriate!challenges.!If!situations!are!designed!to!have!students!utilize!critical!thinking!skills,!their!thought!processes!are!being!challenged!and!new!knowledge!gained.!Main!aim!of!education!is!to!develop!ability,!attitude!and!knowledge!of!students!and!this!can!be! achieved! by! understanding! that! every! child! has! some! innate! qualities! and! as! human!beings!we!are!born!problem!solvers,!given!a!problem!we!always!start!finding!solutions!to!it.!Education!is!a!tool!to!achieve!this!goal.!The! ideal! role! of! the! teacher! is! that! of! providing! scaffolding! (collaborative! dialogue)! to!assist!students!on!tasks!“During!scaffolding!the!first!step!is!to!build!interest!and!engage!the!children.! Once! they! start! actively! participating,! the! given! task! should! be! simplified! by!breaking!it! into!smaller!subtasks.!During!this!task,!the!teacher!needs!to!keep!the!children!focused,! while! concentrating! on! the! most! important! ideas! of! the! assignment.! Teacher!should! also! model! one! of! the! possible! ways! and! allow! students! to! think! critically! on!solution!from!other!parameters.!As!that!would!help!in!developing!students’!analytical!and!critical!thinking.!During! my! practice! classes! I! have! observed!children! constructing! their! knowledge! while!working!on!one!activity,!where!in!class!teacher!gave! them! some! magnets! and! toy! cars! and!asked! them!to!make! their!own!remote!control!for! cars,! all! students!became!very!enthusiastic!and! eager! to! explore! and! to! design! their!product.! ! I! could! see! that! energy! in! children!while! they!were!discussing! among! themselves!applying! all! their! prior! knowledge,! working!collectively!as!teams!(as!that!was!crew!activity)!and! finally! when! they! were! ready! with! their!self!designed!remote!controlled!car.!They!were!feeling! like! achievers! and! also! teacher! got! the!idea!that!class!has!understood!the!concept!well.!!I! am! sure! this! knowledge!will! stay!with! them!forever,! rather! had! it! been! a! difficult! exam! to!test! their!memory! skills.! Thus! real! learning! is!what! Mother! has! said’! which! stays! with! us! for! life’! and! I! want! to! give! that! learning!atmosphere!to!my!children.!!!I! strongly! believe! that! all! children! are! capable! of! learning,! if! they! have! the! proper!motivation!and!direction!from!their!teachers.!As!a!teacher!I!need!to!be!aware!of!learning,!motivation,!behavior,!and!development!theories!in!order!to!relate!to!my!students!and!also!to! scaffold! them! to! reach! their! highest! potential.! ! Each! student! has! different! learning!pattern!and!as!a!teacher!it’s!my!duty!to!create!an!emotionally,!physically!and!socially!safe!
9
learning! environment.! ! It! is! important! to!me! that!my! students,! as!well! as! their! parents,!other!teachers,!administrators,!and!people!in!the!community,!see!me!as!someone!they!can!approach,!who!will!be!fair!and!nondiscriminatory.!!Classroom!organization!is!also!a!key!concept!to!consider!when!teaching.!If!students!are!in!a!classroom!that!is!unorganized!or!set!up!in!a!way!which!hinders!learning,!it!is!not!a!good!situation!for!anyone.!I!need!to!find!creative,!new!ways!to!have!the!room!set!up!and!to!help!my! students! learn.! I! also! believe! in! teaching! content! that! is! meaningful,! applicable,! and!inviting!to!students.!If!they!do!not!see!the!point!of!the!subject!matter!then!they!will!not!be!interested! in! it.! I! also! believe! that! high! energy! levels! and! a! positive! attitude! from! the!teacher!are!key!elements!to!a!successful!learning!environment.!!From! my! educational! experiences,! I! know! how! valuable! teacher! encouragement! and!motivation!is!for!personal!motivation.!I!intend!to!motivate!students!while!teaching!them!to!be!intrinsically!motivated!through!challenging!yet!supportive!lessons!and!assignments.!As!a!teacher!my!goal!is!to!should!work!on!the!different!faculties!of!children!to!enable!them!become!a! lifelong! learner!with!power!of!observation,! capacity! to! analyze,,! reasoning!and!experimentation.! help! them! reach! the! solution,! not! to! give! them! solution! like! one! of! the!faculty!had!shared!,”!We!human!beings!are!born!problem!Solvers,!give!us!one!and!we!start!finding!the!solutions.”!!Practicing! in! a! class! I! have! learnt! that! teaching! is! not! only! imparting! knowledge! but!teaching! young! minds! is! a! task! that! cannot! be! taken! lightly.! It! is! full! of! challenges,!frustrations,! and! responsibilities.! However,! it! is! a! task! that! is! also! full! of! excitement,!wonder,!and!joy.!
10
!
!One!of!the!most!important!aims!of!education!is!to!enable!and!encourage!children!to!think!independently!and!make!informed!decisions.!The!manner!in!which!autonomy!can!be!supported!in!the!classroom!by!teachers!can!be!categorized!in!three!distinct!ways:!organizational!autonomy,!procedural!autonomy,!and!cognitive!autonomy.!As!resident!teachers!observing!experienced!teachers!in!the!classrooms!and!also!practicing!the!art!of!teaching!ourselves,!we!have!been!able!to!identify!some!steps!that!encourage!independence!of!thought!in!children!under!these!categories.!!!Organizational,Autonomy:!This!kind!of!autonomy!encourages!students!to!take!ownership!of!their!classroom!space.!Some!of!the!ways!in!which!this!can!be!supported!is!outlined!below:!
●! Deciding!on!the!class!behavior!protocols!by!taking!students’!input.!●! Giving!them!opportunities!to!choose!where!they!sit!and!who!they!work!with.!●! Giving!them!a!choice!in!assessment!methods.!●! Take!students’!opinions!in!deciding!the!due!dates!of!assignment!submission!(with!
valid!reasons!of!course!!)!!Procedural,Autonomy:!Procedural!autonomy!supports!students!in!taking!control!of!the!way!they!present!their!learning.!This!can!be!provided!by!giving!the!students!opportunity!to!
●! display!their!work!in!their!individual!manner!●! choose!how!to!demonstrate!what!their!skills!and!knowledge!!●! choose!the!different!kind!of!materials!they!will!use!to!create!their!artefacts!●! choose!what!work!will!be!included!in!their!personal!portfolios!●! express!responses!in!different!forms!e.g.!graphic/diagrammatic!!representation!
apart!from!regular!writing.!!!Cognitive,Autonomy:!We!feel!thatone!of!the!prime!steps!to!support!cognitive!autonomy!!is!to!create!a!safe!space!for!all!children!to!share!their!thoughts!in!the!classroom.!This!means!the!teacher’s!reply!to!inappropriate!or!wrong!responses!is!positive!and!doesn’t!prevent!the!child!from!sharing!thoughts!in!the!future.!Some!questions!in!certain!subjects!can!have!different!answers!based!on!the!perspective!of!the!child.!Accepting!these!answers!as!long!as!they!are!accompanied!by!valid!reasons!and!evidences!without!imposing!the!viewpoint!of!the!teacher!is!the!way!to!encourage!student's!autonomy.!A!teacher!who!promotes!rational!autonomy!in!her!students!
2(a).%Rational%Autonomy%% %"
11
is!aware!of!her!own!opinions,!viewpoints!and!ideas,!but!does!not!promote!it,!whether!they!are!positive!or!negative.!!Students!usually!come!with!prior!experiences!related!to!a!topic!and!have!something!to!share!about!the!topic!being!taught!in!the!classroom.!Giving!them!a!space!to!do!this!and!designing!learning!experiences!where!children!arrive!at!a!concept!and!the!teacher!elicits!responses!about!their!understanding!rather!than!handing!over!the!concept!to!them,!allows!them!to!practice!their!thinking!skills.!The!kind!of!questions!a!teacher!asks!also!matters.!Recall!questions!only!test!memory!of!children,!but!incorporating!some!evaluation!questions!and!asking!children!to!do!reflective!writing!encourages!them!to!think!about!their!own!understanding!of!concepts.!Another!skill!a!teacher!can!focus!on!is!of!drawing!inferences.!Asking!questions!that!allow!children!to!arrive!at!a!conclusion!based!on!the!reasoning!and!evidences!will!enable!them!to!think!carefully.!!!At!any!given!point!of!time!in!a!classroom,!not!all!children!are!at!the!same!level.!To!expect!a!child!to!understand!a!concept!within!a!strict!time!frame!prevents!him/her!from!exploring!the!concept!and!her!understanding.!Understanding!the!importance!of!differentiation!and!practicing!it!in!the!classroom!allows!for!children!of!all!levels!to!make!the!best!use!of!their!time!in!the!classroom!and!construct!their!learning!journeys.!It!might!require!preparing!reading!texts!of!different!levels,!framing!questions!in!different!ways,!different!kinds!of!questions!in!mathematics,!varied!amounts!of!structure!and!support!from!teacher's!side!depending!upon!individual's!requirement.!!!To!conclude,!we!feel!a!learner8centeredness!in!education!is!required!wherein!knowledge!is!constructed!by!the!learner!personally.!Reflective!teaching!practices!will!allow!a!teacher!to!support!his/her!learners!in!their!learning!journeys.!!!Language,&,Literature!!The!language!class!is!the!best!place!to!start!moving!towards!autonomy!in!one’s!teaching!practice.!The!following!measures!would!reflect!rational!autonomy!in!action!in!the!language!classes:!
●! Allowing!students!to!select!what!they!want!to!read!as!a!part!of!reading!programmes.!The!teacher!has!to!ensure!access!to!a!wide!range!of!age8appropriate!books.!
●! While!teaching!literature,!it!is!necessary!for!the!teacher!to!be!aware!that!there!can!be!multiple!interpretations!of!prose!and!poetry.!Choice!of!age!appropriate!literary!texts!that!expose!them!to!different!ideas!may!help!develop!their!thinking.!Allowing!use!of!different!media!for!expression!like!recording!a!video/a!podcast/a!flow!
12
chart/etc.!can!help!building!and!exhibiting!comprehension!instead!of!always!insisting!on!written!form!of!expression.!
●! Exercises!involving!reflective/opinion!writing!will!facilitate!development!of!independent!thinking.!!
●! Allowing!and!encouraging!every!child!to!write!something!personally!meaningful!will!make!them!think!independently!
●! Helping!learners!to!become!aware!of!language!as!a!system,!so!that!they!can!apply!it!to!learn!any!language!while!using!the!same!techniques.!!
●! Until!4th!grade,!they!should!be!provided!with!time!and!space!to!“learn!to!read”!and!thereafter!“read!to!learn”.!
●! Grammar!being!a!set!of!agreed!rules/conventions!of!the!language,!needs!to!be!followed!by!children!when!they!express!their!thoughts,!opinions!or!feelings.!It!can!be!introduced!as!a!tool!which!helps!them!to!convey!their!thoughts!accurately!to!others.!Younger!children!can!be!allowed!to!construct!language!according!to!their!understanding,!and!allowed!to!arrive!at!the!conventions!as!a!result!of!repeated!exposure!instead!of!forceful!compulsion.!Older!children!can!be!taught!grammar!in!context!to!reading!or!writing!assignments!instead!of!standalone!lessons.!!
!Science!!Science!is!an!objective!subject!which!has!a!high!degree!of!certainty!(although!not!absolute!truth).!It!is!a!subject!that!if!taught!loosely!will!allow!misconceptions!to!creep!into!the!minds!of!children.!A!science!teacher!has!the!responsibility!of!not!only!allowing!children!to!construct!concepts,!but!also!to!develop!the!scientific!temper!and!certain!process!skills!(such!as!using!a!bunsen!burner!for!example).!Some!steps!that!can!be!followed!in!the!science!classroom!are!as!follows:!!
●! Conducting!experiments!wherever!the!concepts!allow/!require,!for!ensuring!first!hand!understanding!of!concepts.!!
●! Creating!experiences!that!allow!children!to!arrive!at!the!concepts.!As!Shahji!says8!"Children!need!to!be!taken!through!the!process!of!invention!or!the!discoveries."!Many!iterations!of!experimentation!should!be!allowed!for!children,!if!they!are!not!getting!it!in!the!first!time.!At!the!same!time,!if!children!are!unable!to!arrive!at!the!concept,!then!helping!them!by!either!asking!questions!that!further!provoke!their!thinking!or!giving!them!the!concept.!!!
●! Teachers!however!need!to!be!patient!with!children’s!pace!in!acquiring!the!scientific!skills!and!give!enough!opportunity!to!develop!the!same.!
●! Including!more!application!questions!8!where!the!concepts!are!put!to!use!to!solve!a!problem!8!rather!than!‘define’!questions,!which!would!only!be!a!restatement!of!the!concept.!!
!
13
!Mathematics!!Mathematics!is!a!highly!objective!subject!which!has!been!derived!based!on!certain!axioms.!Symbol!systems!are!arbitrary!and!based!on!conventions.!Following!are!some!of!the!steps!we!think!can!be!taken!in!a!mathematics!class!to!encourage!autonomy:!
●! Some!liberty!can!be!allowed!in!symbol!systems!by!not!insisting!that!a!child!should!write!the!answer!in!Roman!numerals/Indian!numerals.!!
●! In!geometry,!children!can!work!with!concrete!objects!like!straws!and!blocks!to!create!abstract!shapes!like!polyhedrons.!In!the!process,!they!get!to!understand!the!rules!governing!them.!For!example,!they!can!arrive!at!the!fact!that!there!can!be!only!5!types!of!platonic!solids,!and!the!reason!behind!this,!when!they!try!building!these!themselves.!!
●! Taking!children!through!the!process!of!discovery!of!mathematical!concepts!leading!them!to!different!theorems!will!help!them!appreciate!the!theorems!and!apply!them!in!their!real!life.!It!gives!them!the!joy!of!discovery,!and!develops!cognitive!thinking.!
●! Teacher!needs!to!encourage!the!different!strategies!children!come!up!with!during!solving!problems!as!long!as!the!child!is!conscious!of!what!he/she!is!doing!while!arriving!at!a!solution.!
●! While!there!are!definite!right!answers!to!mathematical!problems,!it!is!important!to!keep!the!child!in!mind!while!responding!to!a!wrong!answer.!A!teacher!must!come!from!a!space!of!wanting!to!help!the!child!rather!than!exercising!one’s!authority.!!
!History!!History!is!a!narrative,!based!!on!some!evidences!which!can!be!questioned!and!revised.!The!evidences!can!change!through!time,!depending!on!new!excavations/discovery.!The!interpretation!of!historical!texts!and!architectural!remains!are!also!subject!to!variation.!The!first!step!towards!autonomy!is!to!make!children!aware!of!this!aspect!of!history.!The!objective!of!teaching!history!should!be!to!develop!historical,!geographical,!observational,!and!inferential!skills!in!children!rather!than!feeding!them!facts.!Some!more!steps!are!detailed!below:!
●! Case!studies!can!be!given!to!children!and!they!can!draw!their!own!inferences!to!reconstruct!the!past.!
●! Taking!them!for!field!trips!to!historical!sites!will!also!help!them!draw!their!own!inferences.!!
●! In!higher!classes,!children!can!be!asked!to!choose!topics!and!conduct!case!studies!on!their!own!and!write!an!opinion!piece!based!on!their!study.!
●! Activities!encouraging!children!to!see!the!connect!between!the!past!and!the!present,!can!help!them!see!the!purpose!behind!studying!history.!
14
●! History!provides!scope!for!bringing!in!social!issues/practices!into!discussion.!This!can!help!children!think!critically!about!various!societal!concerns,!and!form!their!own!opinion!rather!than!accept!existing!opinions!blindly.!!
!Arts!!This!is!a!highly!subjective!area!where!restrictions!will!limit!creativity.!
●! Techniques!are!the!rules!which!act!as!a!guiding!tool!for!any!creation,and!should!be!treated!as!only!guidelines.!Children!need!to!be!allowed!to!think!freely!for!expressing!their!creativity.!!
●! When!children!are!reproducing!a!creative!work,!it!is!indeed!subject!to!scrutiny!as!it!would!be!compared!to!the!original.!Hence,!emphasising!more!on!exploring!and!expressing!their!ideas!on!their!own,!rather!than!replicating!masterpieces!will!reflect!rational!autonomy!in!an!arts!class.!!
●! If!learning!from!a!masterpiece!is!a!methodology!being!used!to!teach!art,!children!should!be!allowed!to!at!least!interpret!it!in!their!own!way.!
●! Teacher!should!not!judge!children’s!work!as!right!or!wrong!and!children!should!be!given!authority!to!exhibit!their!creativity.!!
●! Teacher!should!act!as!a!facilitator!to!understand!the!technique!and!helping!children!to!best!use!their!potential!in!the!right!direction!instead!of!defining!the!path!for!them.!
!,,Values!Ethics!and!values!is!a!completely!subjective!area.!As!teachers,!we!need!to!take!into!account!children’s!concerns!and!the!social!norms!that!they!identify!with.!However,!teachers!need!to!be!aware!of!their!ideology!and!be!mindful!of!what!values!they!are!modeling!in!the!class.!Values!should!not!be!taught!as!a!separate!subject,!rather!they!must!be!integrated!in!the!environment!of!the!school!and!classroom,!in!every!interaction!with!the!children.!!Code!of!conduct!in!the!class!should!be!mutually!decided!by!the!children!and!the!teacher!after!due!discussion.!Especially!in!early!years,!children!observe!their!environment!and!construct!their!values.!As!children!grow!they!begin!to!question!and!the!mental!models!they!build!about!themselves!and!the!society,!depends!on!the!responses!they!get!for!their!questions,!be!it!at!home!or!at!school.!By!the!time!they!are!12813!years!of!age,!they!are!ready!to!understand!the!worldly!practices,!able!to!evaluate!a!situation!and!take!a!standpoint!in!an!argument.!We!need!to!encourage!them!to!articulate!their!opinion!and!guide!them!in!providing!supporting!ideas!and!validations!for!whatever!they!claim.!!!
15
During!resolution!of!conflicts,!instead!of!providing!solutions,!teachers!need!to!be!just!a!listener,!take!a!neutral!stand!and!facilitate!a!dialogue!between!affected!parties!leading!them!to!a!decision!based!on!mutual!understanding.!Consequences!of!any!misbehavior!of!a!child!are!not!to!be!decided!by!the!teachers!and!rather!arrived!at!after!discussing!with!that!particular!child.!!!!Bringing!up!social!practices!and!issues!in!class!discussion,!let's!say!grade!9!onwards,!would!help!them!look!at!their!value!systems!in!the!societal!context!as!well,!and!create!socially!sensitive!individuals.!Values!should!not!be!taught!rather!they!need!to!be!developed!by!!making!children!reflect!on!their!!behaviour!and!by!making!them!responsible!towards!their!action.!
16
!
!School!is!a!place!to!prepare!students!for!life.!To!help!them!blossom!in!an!environment!close!to!nature,!full!of!freedom!and!love.!But!what!most!of!the!schools!are!doing!is!to!kill!the!natural!inquisitiveness!of!children!by!binding!them!in!the!rules!and!regulations!as!per!the!set!patterns!of!the!society.!!In!majority!of!the!school’s!students!are!not!allowed!to!think,!to!explore!and!to!question.!Education!there!is!to!teach!student!set!guidelines!designed!by!the!society!and!making!them!conform!to!it.!Students!don’t!get!any!freedom,!their!feelings!and!curiosity!being!suppressed!under!the!expectation!of!marks.!They!are!not!allowed!to!question.!Children!are!not!allowed!to!think!but!what!they!learn!is!to!memorize!given!concepts!without!any!questioning!of!why!and!how.!!Educators!come!only!to!give!lectures!from!the!book!without!any!objective!to!see!uniqueness!of!each!child.!They!only!focus!to!give!best!academic!result!of!their!class.!Students!learn!in!labs!and!classes!away!from!nature!so!it!becomes!difficult!to!correlate!their!learning!with!its!true!meaning.!! !!
2(b).%Educational%Philosophies% % %
17
This!conformity!gives!rise!to!fear!as!our!minds!were!never!allowed!to!think!so!we!started!fearing!of!any!new!idea.!Fear!of!culture,!Fear!of!struggle!and!fear!of!new!experience.!This!fear!kills!in!us!the!spirit!of!adventure!and!we!afraid!to!be!different.!!And!this!fear!brings!in!competition!and!hostility.!There!is!always!race!to!get!marks,!to!earn!degrees!and!to!settle!in!life.!!Competition!comes!because!we!don’t!want!to!think!out!of!the!box,!to!innovate,!we!just!want!a!place!in!the!existing!system!that!gives!rise!to!competition.!As!schools!doesn’t!allow!mind!to!develop!to!become!free!it!always!remains!dependent!on!system.!!Negative!effects!of!these!practices!are!that!even!after!completing!our!formal!education!we!still!remain!uneducated!we!may!get!knowledge!but!with!no!understanding.!And!no!compassion!and!sensitivity.!We!behave!like!robots!preprogrammed!and!that’s!the!end!of!mind!power!which!god!has!given!to!each!and!every!human!being.!!These!practices!can!be!minimized!by:!!Associating!freedom!with!learning,!by!rearing!children!into!happy!human!beings!not!fearful!ones,!by!providing!them!conducive!environment!to!learn!and!explore.!By!not!instilling!fear!in!them!but!by!bringing!out!the!holistic!development!of!a!child.,!!!Right,Kind,of,education,,!Education!is!not!about!what!to!teach,!how!to!teach,!how!to!discipline!children!.Education!is!much!more!than!that.!Education!is!to!teach!to!be!sensitive!i.e.!sensitive!about!ourselves!about!nature!about!others.!It!is!to!teach!how!to!observe,!how!to!think,!to!bring!out!intelligence.!!Intelligence!is!the!state!of!mind!which!is!very!alert,!very!sensitive.!Intelligence!is!capability!to!think!very!clearly!and!objectively.!!if!we!are!not!sensitive!we!cannot!think!clearly!.!Intelligence!implies!that!you!see!the!beauty!of!the!trees,!the!sky,!the!stars,!beauty!of!subtlety.!,Role,of,a,teacher,!Educator!must!be!the!catalyst,!guide!and!the!facilitator!.Educator!should!be!a!learner!and!not!the!one!who!conforms!to!the!set!rules!of!society.!As!an!educator!our!role!is!to!provide!children!an!atmosphere!of!love,!trust!and!respect.!As!an!educator!we!should!understand!and!respect!their!feelings!and!also!never!inculcate!any!sort!of!fear!in!them.!We!should!always!see!uniqueness!of!each!child!and!try!to!help!them!explore!their!beings.!Our!role!is!to!help!developing!empathy!and!sensitivity!in!them!to!make!this!world!a!better!place!to!live.!Educator!should!have!feelings,!understandings!and!connect!with!the!young!minds.!We!should!help!them!to!learn,!to!observe!to!pay!attention!to!their!surroundings,!to!develop!unquenchable!thirst!of!learning!and!bring!out!holistic!development!of!child!which!is!the!development!of!body,!mind!and!soul.!!Thus!role!of!educator!is!of!a!guide,!a!friend!and!a!facilitator!in!the!voyage!of!learning.!!
18
,,,!Observation! is! an! important! part! of! learning! how! to! teach.! While! observing! I! realized!importance! of! patience! in! teachers! and! also! how! a! teacher! can! ingrain! values! to! her!students!which!gives!meaning!and!purpose!to!their!life!and!also!bring!in!an!overall!feeling!of!peace!and!joy.!!My! initial! phase! of! observation! was! to! get! familiar! with! school! culture! and! classroom!culture.!As!I!observed!same!class!over!a!period!of!time!it!helped!me!in!understanding!the!uniqueness!of!every!child,!like!the!child's!temperament,!strengths,!personality,!work!style!
and!preferred!mode!of!expression.!!!It! also!made!me!discern! the! fact! that! teacher! role! is!not!only! to!help! students! learn!and!understand!the!concept!rather!it’s!a!role!filled!with!responsibility!of!shaping!young!minds,!give! right! direction! to! their! thoughts! and! also! to! channelize! their! energy! in! constructive!manner.! I! noticed! how! teacher! probe! students! to! construct! their! knowledge! based! on!background!knowledge!and!how!they!can!gather!student!interest!in!the!topic!by!relating!it!with!the!real!life!situations.!!I! also! observed! how! well! a! teacher! can! gauge! the! mood! of! her! class! and! she! perfectly!balances!when!to!give!break!to!children!and!when!to!stretch!their!boundaries.!Playing!calm!music!for!settling!their!energies!and!pacifying!their!minds!or!to!give!them!free!time!to!play!games!that!too!to!build!their!vocabulary!or!general!knowledge.!!
3.%Me%As%An%Observer% %
19
I!could!see!Teacher’s!!!connect!with!every!child!of!her!class!and!to!be!an!active!listener.!Many!times!teacher!also!has!to!use!humor!in!her!class!in!her!lectures!to!gather!attention!of!children! and! also! when! the! teacher! gives! some! crew! activity! she! made! sure! that! all!members!of!the!group!contribute!towards!the!task.!!!Observing!the!class!gave!me!lot!of!comfort!with!the!class!and!helps!me!connecting!well!with!the!students.!While!Observing!the!facilitator!helped!me!in!leaning!about!teaching!methodologies,!like!how!to!use!voice!modulation!to!generate!curiosity!among!the!children!towards!any!concept.!!!While!observing!class!discussion!and!consolidation!I!realized!its!teacher’s!energy!and!conviction!which!exhibits!real!learning!of!her!student.!How!a!teacher!can!allow!freedom!as!well!direction!to!learning.!I!also!observed!the!way!teacher!asks!questions,!paraphrases,!clarifies,!but!the!answers!come!from!the!students.!This!is!incredibly!powerful!because!we!know!that!the!people!doing!the!talking!are!doing!the!learning.!Teacher!activates!students!learning!by!having!them!voice!their!own!conclusions;!they!begin!to!own!them.!Not!only!does!this!have!a!tremendous!impact!on!how!students!construct!their!own!learning,!but!it!speaks!volumes!about!the!culture!of!the!classroom.!!Observing!children!during!meal!time!and!physical!education!classes!made!me!wonder!about!the!fact!that!many!times!students!who!are!not!vocal!during!the!class!discussion!exhibit!lots!of!energy!and!passion!during!spots.!This!helped!me!in!understanding!children!nature!more!intrinsically.!Observing!one!child!while!working!on!his!profile!also!opened!a!new!window!for!me!to!see!the!behavior!of!a!child!minutely!and!understanding!how!observation!can!really!help!in!understanding!and!connecting!with!the!students.!!
20
!
,,
Name:!!A!Class:! VI!F!Gender:!Male!!!!As!A!has!joined!heritage!in!july!from!a!conventional!school,!I!opted!for!him!as!I!wanted!to!see!his!learning!graph!in!heritage.!!!A!is!very!calm!and!composed!!!when!all!other!students!busy!chatting!and!playing,!I!!always!found!him!sitting!on!his!seat!in!his!deep!thoughts!! .!He!has!beautiful!smile!but!it!does!not!come!very!often.!Doesn’t!talk!much!in!the!class!but!sometimes!plays!pranks!with!his!crew!mates.!Very!attentive!and!alert!child.!A!doesn’t!have!many!friends!and!he!mostly!sits!with!the! same! boy! in! the! class! and! canteen.! He! enjoys! games! and! at! playground! he! always!follows! all! the! rules! and! stays!much! focused.! He! has! a! younger! brother! and! his!mother!helps!him!in!studies.!His!hobbies!are!drawing!and!reading.!!!When!A!shared!he!was!lagging!in!studies!in!his!earlier!school!and!his!homework!used!to!remain!incomplete!made!me!curious!to!know!the!reason!behind!this!transformation.!.In!his!earlier!school!his!schedule!never!allowed!him!to!explore!books!other!than!course!books!for!reading.! They! had! one! course! book! for! reading!which! they! used! to! read! during! reading!times!but!here!there’s!a!great!variety!of!books!available.!His!way!of! learning! is! first!observation! then!understanding! the! concept! and! if!he! is! sure!then!only!he!shares!that!with!the!class.!Why!has!he!shifted!the!school!in!mid8session?!In!his!earlier!school!there!was!too!much!competition!in!class.!And!due!to!which!he!used!to!feel!pressurized!and!his!study!graph!started!declining.!That’s!why!his!parents!changed!his!school!in!mid!session!!!(As!narrated!by!A)!I!have!never!seen!him!fighting!or!shouting! in!class.But!recently! in!class!he! faced!bullying!when!girls!of!his!crew!started!calling!him!dumb!and!starting!making!fun!of!him.!He!even!once!cried!in!the!class!while!sharing!this!with!the!class!teacher.!Class!teacher!views!on!A:!A!is!much!focused!child!and!always!finishes!his!work!on!time.!Sometimes!I!find!that!there!is!something!hidden!in!his!heart!which!doesn’t!allow!him!to!set!free.!Sometimes!even!when!he! knows! the! answer! he! doesn’t! raise! his! hand,! as!may! be! he! fears! that! if! he!would! be!wrong!what!others!would!say!about!him.!Initially!his!class!participation!was!very!less!but!now!it!is!improving.!!A!is!also!very!creative!and!!!very!good!at!calligraphy!and!drawing.!His!homework!is!always!complete.!
!
3(a).%Student%Profile%–%A%case%study% %"
21
,
,,There!are!some!values!and!practices!which!I!noticed!in!students!as!a!part!of!learning.!!
•! For!Morning!prayers!and!silence!time!in!the!morning!as!well!as!during!the!closure!children!sit!silently.!
•! Morning!meetings!are!conducted!to!teach!lots!of!values!to!children!with!the!help!of!games.!For!example!games!like!Chinese!whisper!and!Japanese!whisper!to!make!them!learn!importance!of!listening,!one!game!was!played!wherein!one!child!talked!about!the!event!and!other!child!guessed!the!name!of!personality!in!whose!life!that!had!happened.!Children!came!out!with!lots!of!events!related!to!sports!and!music.!Good!way!to!learn!General!knowledge.!Games!like!JAM!sessions!and!many!others!are!being!played!to!make!learning!a!joyful!experience!for!them.!
•! All!home!works!are!first!self8checked!and!discussed!in!the!class.!While!checking!home!works!students!share!what!they!had!written!with!the!class!and!then!if!needed!teacher!corrects!them.!
•! Students!sit!in!the!crews!with!each!crew!member!sharing!some!responsibility,!this!helps!in!students!helping!each!other!in!learning.!
•! Students!are!made!responsible!for!the!class!by!sharing!responsibilities!to!manage!their!physical!space!with!in!the!class.!Like!there!is!one!resource!manager,!one!distribution!and!collection!in!charge,!one!blackboard!in!charge.!So!each!student!becomes!part!of!the!system!and!they!feel!included!in!the!system.!!
•! During!short!break!and!meal!time!students!are!allowed!to!move!in!the!corridor.!But!there!is!always!one!teacher!on!duty!to!check!them!for!bullying,!and!not!hurting!each!other.!
•! Sometimes!students!fight!with!each!other!verbally!then!teacher!comes!in!and!talk!to!them!one!on!one!basis!to!solve!the!conflict.!
•! All!Sessions!are!made!interactive!for!active!participation!of!all!the!students.!•! Lots!of!reflection!exercises!being!done!by!the!students.!They!have!one!reflection!
journal!wherein!they!write!about!their!strength,!their!weaknesses!and!they!also!reflect!on!their!actions.!
•! Any!new!child!who!joins!the!class!is!welcomed!by!all!the!students.!•! There!are!no!groups!in!the!class!as!students!sit!in!crews!and!also!crew!member!
change!after!every!283!months.!So!each!student!get!to!sit!with!the!other!children!.!•! With!one!activity!students!were!taught!about!the!importance!of!inner!beauty!over!
outside!beauty!and!students!came!out!with!the!opinions!like!“!we!should!not!go!after!brands!and!be!polite!and!caring!towards!everyone”!
3(b).,Student,Culture,
22
•! Lots!of!emphasis!in!the!class!is!being!laid!on!the!learning!targets!so!that!they!would!be!imbibed!into!the!students.!So!learning!targets!become!really!meaningful!for!them.!For!example!children!were!!being!asked!to!keep!a!watch!on!their!actions!for!being!attentive!and!listening!patiently!during!the!entire!day!and!at!the!end!of!the!day!teacher!took!their!feedback!on!their!behavior!during!the!day!.students!were!asked!to!rate!their!behavior!and!they!gave!themselves!points!like!3.5!,3,4!.and!they!themselves!came!with!solution!to!do!better!next!time.So!they!learnt!importance!of!self8realization.!
•! 3!days!in!a!week!are!physical!education!period!which!are!mandatory!for!children!unless!there!is!some!medical!problem.!!
Some,of,the,Conversation,between,teacher,and,students,•! During!one!expedition!class!students!were!asked!what!they!understand!with!mental!
Assumption.!And!they!came!up!with!answers!like:!“I!think!Mental!Assumption!is!something!you!assume!in!your!mind!.We!don’t!know!it’s!true!or!not!but!we!only!assume!that”.!
•! Second!Question!was!“what!is!hierarchy”!Answer!given!!were!“Making!some!one!feel!inferior,!if!I!am!at!high!level!and!Ishaan!is!at!level!lower!to!me!then!Ishaan!is!scared!of!me”!To!this!other!child!said!“Dr.AbdulKalam!was!very!superior!but!he!never!made!us!feel!inferior.”!
So!these!discussions!bring!answers!to!lots!of!questions!and!made!them!learn!difficult!lessons!of!life!which!many!times!even!adults!forget.And!they!learn!it!in!a!true!way!with!their!own!examples!and!peer!learning.!!These!leanings!and!targets!are!in!the!culture!of!the!School.!So!that!Schooling!becomes!much!beyond!than!books!and!curriculum.!It!becomes!learning!for!life,!learning!to!enjoy,!learning!to!appreciate!and!to!help!each!other.!!!!!!!!!
23
,
,,Routines!and!procedures!which!are!in!the!cultural!values!of!school!and!are!followed!in!all!the!classrooms!!
•! Sessions!are!made!interactive!by!arousing!interest!in!the!topic!by!showing!children!video!clips!about!the!topic,!arousing!their!curiosity!and!probing!their!observations!and!questions.!!
•! Morning!time!prayer!and!silence!time!•! After!student!come!back!from!sports!or!during!transition,!teacher!raises!her!
hand!and!and!then!all!students!follow!her.!•! Plays!soft!music!and!one!by!one!students!also!start!settling!down!•! Silence!time!to!bring!back!attention.,
To,walk,down,the,corridors:,•! Students!are!not!allowed!to!wander!around!the!school,!except!during!break!
time!and!lunch!time.!•! Teachers!divide!duty!among!themselves!to!watch!them!during!those!times!to!
keep!a!watch!on!their!behavior.!•! During!class!time!if!any!student!need!to!go!to!medical!or!to!any!other!place!
they!take!corridor!passes!from!teacher!and!then!go!there!and!also!get!a!medical!slip!from!the!medical!and!submit!that!to!their!teachers.!
•! These!rules!are!universal!throughout!the!school.,
Attendance:,
•! Online!submission!by!teacher!•! Display!on!the!classroom!board!•! Later!Teachers!also!submit!it!online!to!the!concerned!dept.!
To,go,to,the,rest,rooms,•! Students!take!permission!from!teacher.!•! Sometimes!during!important!discussions!teacher!also!tell!them!to!wait!for!
some!time.,,
Snack,time,and,meal,time,•! Snack!time:!!!989.15.!•! Sometimes!teachers!check!what!students!carry!for!their!breakfast!and!also!
reinforce!habit!of!healthy!eating.!
3(c).%Classroom%Culture%
24
•! Teachers!do!their!breakfast!in!faculty!rooms.!•! Meal!time!:!from!11.45812.15!•! It’s!mandatory!for!all!students!to!go!to!canteen!and!to!come!back!in!class!not!
before!12.15.!•! Teachers!sit!with!their!respective!classes!for!lunch.!•! Lunch!in!charge!from!the!class!who!monitors!everybody!to!make!sure!all!
children!should!eat!well.!•! During!lunch!time!after!15!minutes!students!are!allowed!to!go!to!play!grounds!
and!resource!room!
New,children,joining,the,class,!First!introduced!to!the!class.!
! Teacher!assigns!buddy!to!assist!them!in!moving!around!in!school.!Parent’s!workshops!are!conducted!for!the!new!parents!to!make!them!accustomed!to!the!schools!education!methodologies.!Class!teacher!also!helps!them!in!getting!settled.!
!Any,student,found,losing,his,focus,and,not,concentrating,in,studies,
•! Teacher!sends!mail!to!their!parents.!•! Meet!parents!after!school!time!•! Try!to!understand!reason!for!that!behavior!of!child!and!also!work!with!
parents!in!sync!to!help!that!child.!
To,avoid,digression,in,the,class,•! During!the!lessons!teacher!often!bring!back!class!if!she!found!it!digressing!
from!the!topic!by!saying!•! “Look!back!at!those!lines”!•! So!allowing!discussion!and!at!the!same!time!holding!it!as!well.!
Culture,Targets,and,Learning,targets,•! Before!starting!any!class,!teachers!always!write!learning!Targets!and!cultural!
targets!on!the!board.!•! Lots!of!debates!are!allowed!in!the!class!to!make!understanding!of!the!targets!
better.!•! All!targets!are!based!on!the!school!principal!values.!
Lesson,Plans,•! Same!lesson!plan!in!all!the!sections.!•! Regular!meeting!with!all!the!subject!teachers!and!program!coordinator!to!
discuss!the!plans.!•! Sharing!of!responsibility!in!designing!of!lesson!plans!•! Lots!of!brainstorming!to!achieve!the!best!way!to!teach!any!topic.,
To,understand,children,during,the,start,of,session.! !•! many!activities!are!done!!to!understand!!about!children!and!their!families!
25
•! Lots!of!time!to!circle!time!and!reflection.!
To,resolve,the,conflict,among,children.,•! Depending!on!the!seriousness!of!issues!teachers!intervene.!•! Students!are!asked!to!do!reflections!on!their!behaviors.!•! Teacher!also!talk!to!them!one!on!one!basis.!
Physical,Space,•! In!classroom!children!sit!in!crews.!•! Crews!are!made!selectively!by!the!class!teacher!keeping!in!account!different!
capabilities!of!children!to!make!peer!learning!more!meaningful.!•! Shared!responsibilities!
between!crew!member!for!group!learning!and!also!at!the!class!level!for!managing!all!the!resources.!
Display,boards,,•! Word!wall!of!new!words!related!to!the!themes,!•! Display!of!ATL!(above!the!line)!and!BTL!(below!the!line)behaviors!which!
are!accepted!in!the!class!are!on!display.!•! Learning!target.!
Assessment,•! Conducted!!!on!regular!basis.!•! After!checking!the!assignments!teacher!discusses!it!in!the!class!to!help!all!
students!realize!their!mistakes!and!the!solutions.,,!
These,are,some,of,the,shared,visions,and,cultures,being,practiced,in,the,class,to,make,learning,more,interactive,and,meaningful.,
26
!
!Nature!has!different!shades!of!beauty!and!lots!of!treasure!hidden!within!it.!!The!moment!I!close!my!eyes!to!think!about!the!most!beautiful!place!on!earth,!it!only!reminds!me!about!my!trip!to!Sonmarg!in!Kashmir.!!!
“Sonmarg!means!Meadow!of!Gold.”!!!As!soon!as!I!reached!there,!I!was!astonished!by!the!exquisiteness!of!that!place.!There!were!tall!chinar!trees!and!lush!green!meadows!surrounded!by!snow!
clad!mountains.!It!looked!as!if!a!mother!has!taken!her!child!in!lap!and!is!protecting!her!from!enormity!of!the!outside!world.!!The!cool!breeze!welcomed!me!!!
!I!just!wanted!to!soak!in!the!calmness!of!that!place.!That!place!looked!very!serene!and!complete!in!itself.!Along!with!my!tourist!guide,!I!went!for!a!ride!in!the!deep!jungle.!It!was!the!path!to!the!heaven.!The!path!itself!was!very!adventurous!amidst!the!jungle.!It!was!a!very!steep!horse!ride.!However,!the!surroundings!were!so!graceful!that!I!simply!forgot!about!the!hardships!of!the!ride.!It!was!a!sunny!morning!with!sun!rays!falling!on!the!mountain!making!snow!glow!like!gold.!The!whole!ambience!was!a!treat!to!any!nature!lover.!!!After!a!ride!of!30!minutes!in!the!jungle,!we!reached!a!place!which!was!jaw8droopingly!spectacular.!Between!the!steep!mountains,!there!were!farms!and!a!river!flowing!through!them.!!The!water!was!freezing!cold.!The!sound!of!water!flowing!though!rocks!was!so!soothing!that!it!blocked!any!other!environmental!noise!and!distractions.!I!wished!I!could!capture!that!beauty!in!my!eyes!so!as!to!enjoy!it!forever.!I!just!sat!near!the!river!to!assimilate!that!beauty!and!strength!of!Mother!Nature.!!!While!coming!back,!I!saw!a!herd!of!sheep!grazing!in!farmlands!and!enjoying!the!taste!of!golden!green!grass.!I!have!been!to!many!hill!stations!but!had!never!experienced!such!tranquility!anywhere!else.!Sonmarg!is!still!untouched!by!the!greed!of!the!human.!I!came!back!with!lots!of!memories!but!deep!down!in!my!heart!there!was!a!question!as!to!why!we!humans!are!destroying!the!gifts!that!nature!has!given!to!us!with!our!insatiable!hunger!for!power!and!money.!
4.%My%Creative%WriteGUp%
27
EQUALIZING,1.!Meeta!is!in!class!4th!and!she!is!fond!of!reading.!She!spends!all!her!pocket!money! for!buying!story!books!every!month!she!gets!Rs100!as!pocket!money.!!On!Diwali,!Meeta’s!grandfather!gave!her!Rs.150!as!a!gift.!She!was!overjoyed!as!she!had!already!saved!Rs.300.She!went!to!the!market!with!her!grandmother!to!buy!a!new!story!book.!!The!price!of!the!book!was!Rs.350.!Her!Grandmother!gave!her!rest!of!the!money.!How!much!money!did!Meeta’s!grandmother!give?!
!,2.!Raju!and!his!cousins!had!been!to!their!grandfather’s!village!for!the!summer!vacation.!It!was!corn!harvest!season!and!they!go!to!the!fields!every!day!with!their!grandfather.!One!day!they!had!an!order!of!500!corns!to!be!delivered!in!the!market!but!they!had!only!234!corns!harvested.!Can!you!tell!how!many!more!corns!have!to!be!harvested!to!fulfill!the!order?!!!
,,3.!Nursery!D!was!playing!a!game!of!tug!of!war!in!their!sports!class.!On!right!side!of!the!rope!there!were!20!children!and!on!the!left!side!of!the!rope!there!were!30!children.!How!many!children!from!left!side!should!be!shifted!to!right!side,!to!make!equal!children!on!both!sides!of!the!rope?!!
! !!,COMPARING, ,
1.! Rohan!and!his!sister!are!planning!to!make!strings!to!!!decorate!their!house!on!Diwali.!When!they!counted!beads!!!!they!found!24!red!beads,!and!60!white!beads!at!home.!They!need!120!beads!in!total!with!both!colors!in!equal!quantity.!Which!color!bead!they!need!to!buy!from!market!and!how!many?!
!
5.%Designed%Math%Word%Problems%
28
!!
2.!!Raju!had!been!to!hills!for!summer!vacation!.His!grandfather!had!a!corn!field!and!they!were!removing!the!kernels!from!the!corn!manually.!One!of!his!friends!visited!him!and!showed!him!the!Corn!Sheller!which!is!a!low!cost!machine!to!speed!up!the!process!of!removing!the!kernels!by!hand.!It!is!capable!of!shelling!20kg!more!in!an!hour!than!by!hand.!If!they!could!shell!33!kg!per!hour,!how!much!would!they!be!shelling!by!hand!in!one!hour?!!
!!3.!Thirty!children!were!coming!in!their!school!bus!to!Heritage!on!Monday!morning.!Suddenly!the!tyre!of!the!bus!got!punctured.!The!driver!called!the!school!for!an!alternate!bus.!The!alternate!bus!could!accommodate!only!23!children!because!of!its!less!seating!capacity.!How!many!children!were!left!for!whom!we!need!another!bus?!!!!!
29
,
,Introduction!!!The!Right!of!Children!to!Free!and!Compulsory!Education!Act!(RTE!Act)!–!law!enacted!in!2009!guarantees!eight!years!of!free!and!compulsory!elementary!education!for!children!between!the!ages!of!6!and!14.!The!Act!mandates!the!government!to!make!necessary!provisions!to!fulfill!the!right!to!education!of!every!child.!!Historical!perspective!!! !Enacted!in!2009,!Right!of!Children!to!Free!and!Compulsory!Education!Act!in!India!represented!the!culmination!of!a!long!journey!that!had!dated!back!to!the!first!suggestion!of!making!education!compulsory!in!1882!by!the!India!Education!Commission.!At!the!time!of!the!formulation!of!the!constitution,!Constituent!Sub8Committee!on!Fundamental!Rights!had!originally!included!the!right!to!primary!education!as!a!fundamental!right.!However!the!Advisory!Committee!rejected!this!and!it!was!placed!in!Part!IV!as!a!directive!principle!of!state!policy.!It!was!only!in!2002,!that!the!86th!amendment!to!the!Constitution!introduced!Article!218A!making!the!right!to!education!a!fundamental!right.!This!was!the!first!time!in!independent!India’s!history!that!a!fundamental!right!had!been!added!to!the!Constitution.!This!required!an!enabling!legislation!to!make!effective!the!right!guaranteed!by!the!Constitution.!The!Right!of!Children!to!Free!and!Compulsory!Education!Act,!2009!was!enforced!in!April!2010.!Over!the!last!five!years,!the!RTE!Act!has!introduced!a!model!set!of!RTE!Rules,!which!have!been!adopted!by!different!state!governments!and!customized!basis!the!requirements!of!the!states.!!!Salient!features!of!the!act:,!!1.!It!is!compulsory!and!free!!It!is!obligatory!for!the!Government!to!provide!free!and!compulsory!elementary!education,!up!to!Class!8th,!to!each!and!every!child!in!India!in!a!neighborhood!school!within!1!km.!and!that!no!child!shall!be!liable!to!pay!any!kind!of!fee!or!charges!or!expenses!which!may!prevent!him!or!her!from!pursuing!and!completing!elementary!education.!The!free!education!includes!the!provision!of!textbooks,!uniforms,!writing!materials,!special!materials!for!children!with!disabilities,!in!order!to!reduce!the!burden!of!school!expenses.!2.!!Minimum!standards!are!set!
6.%Right"to"Education"Act"and"its"implementation%
30
RTE!Act!lays!down!norms!and!standards!relating!to!Pupil8Teacher8Ratios!(number!of!children!per!teacher),!classrooms,!separate!toilets!for!girls!and!boys,!drinking!water!facility,!number!of!school8working!days,!working!hours!of!teachers,!etc.!Each!and!every!elementary!school!(Primary!school!+!Middle!School)!in!India!has!to!comply!with!these!minimum!standard!set!by!the!RTE!Act.!3.!Admission!For!all!
!RTE!Act!mandates!that!an!out!of!school!child!is!admitted!to!an!age!appropriate!class!and!provided!with!special!training!to!enable!the!child!to!come!up!to!age!appropriate!learning!level.!4!Quantity!and!Quality!of!Teachers!!RTE!Act!provides!for!rational!deployment!of!teachers!by!ensuring!that!the!specified!Pupil8Teacher8Ratio!is!maintained!for!each!school!and!there!is!no!urban8rural!imbalance.!The!Act!mandates!appointment!of!appropriately!trained!teachers,!i.e.!teachers!with!the!requisite!entry!and!academic!qualifications.!!5!!No!Discrimination!and!harassment!!RTE!Act!prohibits!physical!punishment!and!mental!harassment;!discrimination!based!on!gender,!caste,!class!and!religion;!screening!procedures!for!admission!of!children;!!private!tuition!by!teachers!and!running!of!schools!without!recognition.!6.!All!Round!Development!!RTE!Act!provides!for!development!of!curriculum,!which!would!ensure!the!all8round!development!of!every!child.!Build!a!child’s!knowledge,!human!potential!and!talent.!!7.!No!Detention!!RTE!Act!mandates!that!no!child!can!be!held!back!or!expelled!from!school!until!Class!8th.!The!Act!has!mandated!the!Continuous!Comprehensive!Evaluation!(CCE)!method!to!ensure!grade!appropriate!learning!outcomes.!,8.!By!The!People!For!the!People!!!School!Management!Committees!(SMCs)!play!a!crucial!role!in!strengthening!participatory!democracy!and!governance!in!elementary!education.!All!schools!covered!under!the!Act!shall!constitute!a!School!Management!Committee!consisting!of!head!teacher,!local!elected!representative,!parents,!community!members,!etc.!The!committees!have!been!empowered!to!monitor!the!functioning!of!schools!and!to!prepare!school!development!plan.!9.Justiciable!!
31
RTE!Act!is!justiciable!and!is!backed!by!a!Grievance!Redressal!(GR)!mechanism!that!gives!opportunity!to!people!to!take!action!against!non!compliance!of!various!provisions!of!the!Act.!,10.!Private!schools!included!RTE!Act!mandates!all!the!private!schools!to!reserve!25!per!cent!of!the!seats!for!children!belonging!to!socially!disadvantaged!and!economically!weaker!sections.!This!provision!of!the!Act!is!aimed!at!furthering!social!inclusion!for!a!better!India.!!Challenges!in!the!implementation!of!this!act:,!1.!!Paucity!of!funds:!One!of!the!major!reasons!behind!this!huge!gap!is!resource!crunch!mainly!because!of!the!poor!financial!allocations!for!education.Even!in!the!recent!Budget!2015816,!the!central!government!has!reduced!the!allocation!by!21%!for!SarvaShikshaAbhiyan!(SSA)!–!main!programme!for!RTE!Act!implementation,!and!30%!for!mid8day!meal!(MDM)!scheme.!In!1966,!the!Kothari!Commission!had!recommended!that!the!India’s!public!spending!on!education!should!be!raised!to!at!least!6%!of!Gross!Domestic!Product!(GDP)!by!1986.The!current!public!spending!on!education!is!less!than!3.5%!of!the!GDP.!
!2.!Infrastructure!Facilities:!Establishment!of!Primary!Schools!within!one!kilometer!and!upper!Primary!Schools!within!three!kilometer!distance.!Well!equipped!classrooms,!library,!laboratory,!play!ground!drinking!water!and!toilet!facilities.!!3.!Well!Trained!Teachers!and!required!teacher!pupil!ratio:!Five!lacs!new!teachers!are!to!be!recruited!and!5!lacs!new!classrooms!are!to!be!constructed!to!meet!the!required!30:!1!pupil!teacher!ratio.!
•! There!are!seven!lacs!teachers!in!the!recognized!13!lacs!primary!schools.!Out!of!these,!three!lacs!teachers!are!either!untrained!or!under8training.!!
•! In!many!states!large!numbers!of!teachers!are!para8teachers!and!many!of!them!are!untrained.!!
•! As!per!a!recent!report!by!NUEPA,!Bihar!tops!amongst!the!states!having!poor!pupil8teacher!ratio!and!Uttar!Pradesh!comes!at!second!place.!!
•! In!about!35!percent!primary!schools!in!Uttar!Pradesh,!pupil!teacher!ratio!is!60:1.!Fifty!one!percent!primary!schools!in!Uttar!Pradesh!are!having!three!or!less!number!of!teachers.!Out!of!these,!38!percent!are!para8teachers.!!
•! In!the!present!circumstances,!to!maintain!pupil8teacher!ratio!as!per!the!Act,!appears!a!distant!dream.!
4.!Quality!of!Education:!Quality!of!education!depends!upon!the!quality!of!teachers.!Teachers’!selection!and!training!procedure!and!their!conditions!of!work!need!a!substantial!improvement.!Teachers’!accountability!to!the!pupils,!their!parents,!community!and!to!their!own!profession!needs!to!be!determined.!!
32
5.!Twenty!Five!Percent!Reservation!of!Seats!in!Private!Schools:!The!reservation!of!EWS!in!private!schools!has!come!up!with!lots!of!opposition!from!private!schools!as!they!felt!that!government!is!interfering!in!their!procedures.!They!also!filed!a!plea!in!the!Supreme!Court!which!was!rejected!later.!But!there!are!still!many!unanswered!questions!because!of!which!this!feature!is!not!getting!implemented!fully.!
•! What!will!be!the!identification,!selection!and!verification!of!economically!weaker!and!disadvantaged!children?!
•! Would!they!be!selected!from!the!neighborhood!or!from!the!entire!village/town/city?!!
•! How!the!whole!process!will!be!monitored!by!the!government?!!
6.!Recruitment!of!Teachers:!To!meet!the!increasing!demand!of!qualified!and!trained!full!time!teachers,!the!teachers!in!required!number!must!be!recruited!at!the!earliest.!Pupil8teacher!ratio!must!be!maintained!as!per!requirement.!As!more!and!more!children!move!into!the!primary!school!age!group,!it!becomes!needful!to!build!more!and!more!schools!and!recruit!more!teachers!for!sustained!improvement!in!the!quality!of!education.!!7.!Awareness:!!Primary!schools!need!to!be!made!aware!of!the!provisions!made!for!25!percent!reservation!of!seats!for!the!economically!and!socially!weaker!and!disadvantaged!children!and!the!role!of!school!managing!committees!in!this!regard.!The!identification,!selection!and!verification!procedure!of!such!children!should!be!well!defined!and!well!informed.!It!should!also!be!notified!that!how!the!whole!process!will!be!monitored.!!8.!Monitoring!and!making!parents!aware!about!the!importance!of!education:!children!from!poor!families!are!often!pulled!out!of!school!by!their!parents,!who!need!them!to!work.!What!is!seems!to!be!the!key!in!ensuring!this!Act!is!successful,!is!to!make!parents,!particularly!in!rural!areas,!aware!of!the!benefits!of!education!and!to!encourage!them!to!send!their!children!to!school.!Like!many!attempted!social!changes!in!India,!this!too!has!to!start!at!the!community!level,!requires!a!widespread!change!of!an!age8old!mindset!and!must!make!people!at!the!helm!of!affairs!accountable.!There!is!a!conflict!between!the!child!labor!law!and!the!Right!to!Education!Act,!although!both!deal!with!related!issues!and!promote!the!overall!development!of!children.!It!is!important!to!bring!them!in!step,!to!avoid!confusion.!To!effectively!implement!the!RTE!Act,!the!Human!Resource!Development!Ministry,!Women!and!Child!Development!Ministry!and!Rural!Development!Ministry!should!work!together.!There!should!be!an!umbrella!body!that!brings!all!these!agencies!together!to!work!towards!a!common!goal!
9.!No!Failure!policy:!Another!rather!glaring!flaw!is!the!“no!failure”!policy!that!the!Act!attempts!to!implement.!What!the!Act!attempts!to!do!is!implement!a!Comprehensive!Curriculum!Evaluation!(CCE),!to!ensure!that!tests!are!not!be!the!singular!measure!of!a!child's!progress!during!an!academic!year.!However,!because!CCE!is!not!understood!properly!by!officials!in!many!schools,!children!are!constantly!passed!to!higher!grade!levels,!regardless!of!whether!or!not!they!are!prepared!for!that!higher!level!of!work.!"Most!schools!use!CCE!as!a!medium!to!excuse!themselves!from!pursuing!rigorous!work!with!their!
33
children.!Most!children!glide!through!the!system!without!achieving!any!significant!learning!outcomes.!According!to!the!Annual!Status!of!Education!Report!(ASER)!on!basic!literacy!and!Maths!levels,!our!children!are!performing!poorly!in!both!private!and!government!schools!
Recommendations/Suggestions!!In!the!light!of!the!challenges!discussed!earlier,!following!are!some!suggestions!which!may!be!helpful!to!meet!the!challenges:!!1.!The!state!governments!are!required!to!show!promptness!for!the!implementation!of!the!RTE!Act.!The!states!who!have!not!yet!released!any!notification!regarding!the!Act!must!do!it!without!any!further!delay.!The!Central!Government!should!impose!a!time!limit!to!release!funds!to!the!states.!If!any!state!government!still!shows!apathy!to!release!notification,!then!no!funds!should!be!released!by!the!Centre!to!that!state!for!the!establishment!of!new!schools.!State!governments!should!show!full!commitment!for!the!implementation!of!the!Act.!!2.!Primary!schools!with!all!minimum!required!infrastructure!facilities!should!be!established!in!the!neglected!areas!on!priority!basis.!Central!government!should!release!budget!of!its!share!to!the!states!at!the!earliest.!Facilities!in!the!existing!government!schools!should!be!expanded.!To!avoid!the!closure!of!unrecognized!private!schools!for!not!fulfilling!the!prescribed!recognition!standards!within!three!years,!these!schools!must!be!helped!to!improve!their!facilities!by!resource!support!and!providing!linkages!with!financial!institutions.!To!meet!budgetary!constraints,!stress!must!be!given!on!cost!effectiveness!and!accountability!at!every!level.!!!3.!!!To!meet!the!increasing!demand!of!qualified!and!trained!full!time!teachers,!the!teachers!in!required!number!must!be!recruited!at!the!earliest!.Pupil8teacher!ratio!must!be!maintained!as!per!requirement.!As!more!and!more!children!move!into!the!primary!school!age!group,!it!becomes!needful!to!build!more!and!more!schools!and!recruit!more!teachers!for!sustained!improvement!in!the!quality!of!education.!!4.!Primary!schools!need!to!be!made!aware!of!the!provisions!made!for!25!percent!reservation!of!seats!for!the!economically!and!socially!weaker!and!disadvantaged!children!and!the!role!of!school!managing!committees!in!this!regard.!The!identification,!selection!and!verification!procedure!of!such!children!should!be!well!defined!and!well!informed.!It!should!also!be!notified!that!how!the!whole!process!will!be!monitored.!!5.!There!is!need!to!streamline!educational!administration.!The!pace!of!implementation!of!the!Act!can!become!faster!if!bottlenecks!in!administration!are!removed.!Altogether,!it!is!essential!to!adopt!an!integrated!approach!and!establish!linkages!between!education!and!other!related!areas!such!as!child!care,!nutrition!and!health.!Each!state!should!formulate!a!'State!Programme!of!Action'!and!each!district!and!school!should!formulate!a!Programme!of!Action!of!its!own!by!taking!into!account!the!State!Programme!of!Action.!
34
!6.!Teachers'!performance!is!the!most!crucial!input!in!the!field!of!education.!Well!qualified!and!highly!motivated!teachers!are!the!key!to!effective!implementation!of!the!curriculum.!They!give!impetus!to!the!teaching8learning!process.!Top!priority,!therefore,!should!be!fixed!for!the!improvement!in!the!quality!and!content!of!teacher!education!programme.!!7:!While!the!Central!and!State!Governments!have!their!full!share!of!responsibilities,!it!is!community!participation!and!involvement!of!NGOs!which!will!make!marked!difference!in!meeting!the!challenge!of!implementing!Right!to!Education!Act.!!8.!To!achieve!the!goals!of!Free!and!Compulsory!Elementary!Education,!it!is!of!upmost!importance!to!develop!curriculum!that!is!responsive!to!changing!needs!and!facilitates!the!incorporation!and!integration!of!new!content!areas!related!to!science,!technology,!population!and!the!environment.!!Conclusion!!India!is!home!to!19%!of!the!world’s!children.!About!one8third!of!its!population!(around!48!crore,!according!to!the!2001!census)!is!below!the!age!of!18,!and!around!74%!of!this!population!lives!in!rural!areas.!The!population!of!people!in!the!age8group!0825!years!is!56!crore,!which!in!turn!is!54%!of!the!country’s!total!population.!Indeed,!India!has!the!world’s!largest!number!of!youngsters!
A!staggering!92%!of!Government!elementary!schools!in!the!country!are!yet!to!fully!comply!with!the!Right!to!Education!Act.!The!result!―!half!of!the!children!in!India!drop8out!before!completing!class!10!and!6!million!children!between!6!and!13!years!are!out!of!school.!!!!!!!!!!In!order!to!meet!the!challenges!and!surmount!the!hurdles!that!stand!in!the!way!of!implementing!Right!to!Education!Act,!it!is!needful!to!concentrate!all!efforts!with!full!dedication!and!commitment.!Not!only!the!central!and!state!governments!but!the!nation!as!a!whole!should!take!responsibility!in!this!regard.!Community!participation!and!support!can!make!marked!difference!in!achieving!this!goal.!
!There!exists!a!need!for!greater!coordination!amongst!different!agencies!and!functionaries!involved!in!this!task.!To!overcome!population!pressures!and!budgetary!constraints,!cost!effectiveness!and!accountability!must!be!ascertained!at!every!level.!Efforts!should!be!focused!on!qualitative!improvement!of!the!whole!programme.!The!plain!reality!of!Indian!education!is!that!even!after!60!years,!there!are!major!problems!in!terms!of!daunting!numbers!of!out8of8school!children,!high!dropout!rates,!poor!infrastructure!facilities,!unmanageable!pupil8teacher!ratios,!high!degree!of!qualitative!differentiation!in!the!education!received!by!various!socio8economic!strata!of!society,!and!above!all,!deplorably!low!learning!outcomes!of!children.!Awareness!of!parents!to!send!their!children!to!nearby!schools!as!presently!!the!act!makes!it!obligatory!upon!government!to!provide!free!elementary!education!to!every!child!—!ensure!compulsory!admission,!availability!of!neighborhood!schools,!eliminate!discrimination,!and!guarantee!quality!education.!Since!the!Directive!Principle!could!not!direct!the!government!sufficiently,!the!Act!makes!it!compulsory!for!the!government!to!act.!No!compulsion!on!parents!to!send!children!to!schools!is!indicated!in!the!Act.!
35
!Is!it!really!scarcity!of!funds!or!no!political!will!to!implement!RTE.?!The!budget!for!implementation!of!the!RTE!Act!throughout!the!country!is!just!half!of!the!amount!spent!on!the!2010!Commonwealth!Games,!so!are!funds!scarcely!the!problem.!Why!is!there!a!resistance!to!complete!implementation!of!the!Act!from!states,!centre!and!civil!society?!!!Passing!a!bill!is!one!easy!thing!to!do.!The!government!must!make!every!effort!to!become!self8sufficient!by!using!the!education!cess!and!other!taxes!to!effectively!implement!the!RTE!Act!and!also!show!willingness!to!do!the!same.!Indeed!after!RTE!many!enrollments!in!schools!have!happened!but!the!quality!we!are!giving!children!in!our!schools!will!not!take!them!to!the!level!which!would!help!them!in!becoming!an!independent!citizen.!
!Sources:,
http://mhrd.gov.in/rte!https://www.oxfamindia.org!http://righttoeducation.in/!
36
!
!
!
%7.%Problems%in%Education%in%India%"
37
!
First!day!when!I!entered!class!it!was!the!mixed!feeling!of!nervousness!and!excitement.!Excited!as!I!would!like!to!understand!classroom!culture!and!student!culture!and!I!was!excited!to!meet!the!class!with!whom!I!would!be!spending!my!whole!year.!But!at!the!same!time!there!was!feeling!of!Nervousness!as!I!was!not!sure!how!well!I’ll!be!able!to!connect!with!the!children.!That’s!how!my!journey!begins.!
!!Initial!few!days!were!observing!the!class,!understanding!school!culture!and!different!teaching!methodologies!in!the!class.!!My!journey!started!with!observation.!Observing!class!gave!me!good!understanding!of!student!behavior.!Initial!384!days!I!only!observed!the!class!which!helped!me!in!making!connect!with!children!and!also!gave!me!an!opportunity!to!see!teaching!methodologies!of!different!subjects.!!!Gradually!I!started!taking!some!responsibilities!in!class!like!conducting!morning!circles,!and!co!teaching!with!my!CT!(collaborative!Teacher).!Each!day!was!a!new!learning!for!me,!be!it!moving!around!in!the!class!or!to!stand!in!positions!so!that!I!can!give!attention!to!entire!class!and!how!to!attend!one!children!doubt!still!holding!the!class!together.!!!Reflecting!and!working!on!feedbacks!really!helped!me!in!understanding!my!fallouts!and!the!ways!to!overcome!them.Then!preparing!lesson!plans!for!my!Lead!Teaching!Week!gave!me!an!opportunity!to!do!research!on!the!content!and!also!to!prepare!lesson!plan!that!would!not!be!didactic!and!give!children!ample!opportunities!to!create!their!knowledge!our!students!to!collect!evidences!and!prepare!their!own!inferences.!!!Initially!it!was!difficult!to!collect!all!data!but!with!the!feedback!and!guidance!from!program!coordinator!it!came!out!really!well!and!was!appreciated!by!all!fellow!teachers.!!Then!started!Lead!teaching!Week,!there!were!butterflies!in!my!stomach!and!I!was!unsure!how!I!would!manage!whole!class!on!my!own!and!somebody!would!be!observing!me!too.!!But!once!I!entered!the!class!I!really!found!it!like!a!normal!day,!may!be!because!of!my!connect!with!children.!Lead!teaching!week!reflection!!helped!me!understanding!different!roles!of!teacher!how!a!teacher!can!treat!each!child!as!an!individual!and!each!child!learning!style!is!different!some!are!good!in!presenting!their!facts!orally!and!some!are!good!at!illustrating.!!As!a!teacher!it’s!my!responsibility!to!make!sure!that!each!student!learns!the!concept!well!and!they!should!also!see!as!a!guide!or!motivator!in!me!who!is!always!accessible!and!who!understand!them.!
8.%My%First%Steps%As%A%Teacher%
38
!
,,
!,,,,,,
Learning!Targets!and!Assessments,Long\term,Target, Supporting,Targets, Assessments,I,can,explain,why,Emperor,Ashoka,has,a,unique,presence,in,the,history,of,India.!,
I,can,critically,examine,Emperor,Ashoka’s,edicts,to,describe,the,sociocultural,and,political,structures,of,his,empire.!Culture,Targets,
•! I!can!stay!focused!on!the!task!at!hand.!•! I!can!respect!my!crew8mate’s!point!of!view!by!
listening!attentively!during!crew!discussions.,•! I!can!read!a!text!to!draw!inferences.,
,
Introduction:!Building!engagement!and!setting!purpose!•! Why!is!this!lesson/sequence!of!lessons!important!and!exciting!work!to!do?!!!•! What!will!cause!students!to!be!curious!and!want!to!learn?!
How!will!you!provide!students!with!a!vision!of!the!long8term!target(s)!in!a!way!that!involves!them?!Instructional!Steps!!
Time!and!Resources!Required!
8a."Lead"Teaching"Week"Lessons"Plan"G"Expedition%"
39
Step,1:Teacher!releases!the!Culture!Targets,•! I!can!stay!focused!on!the!task!at!hand.!•! I!can!respect!my!crew8mate’s!point!of!view!by!listening!attentively!during!crew!
discussions.!•! I!can!read!a!text!to!draw!inferences.!
!Building,Background,Knowledge,Step,2:,Hook,Teacher!projects!the!hook!power!point.!!The!first!slide!has!the!picture!of!Lion!Capital.!Teacher!asks!children!where!they!have!seen!it.!Teacher!can!cite!a!number!of!places!where!they!have!seen!the!lion!capital,! including!the!rupee!note.!Moving!on!to!the!next!slide,!teacher!introduces!the!Sarnath!pillar!in!Varanasi!(picture!included!in!the!slide),!from!which!the!lion!capital!has!been!taken.!Taking!forward!the!discussion,!teacher!asks!“do!you!know!who!built!this!pillar?”!<<,What,is,an,edict?>>,After! taking! in! responses,! teacher! concludes! by! saying! “Today! we! will! learn! more!about!this!person”!
,,,3Minutes,
,,,,,,,,,
5,Minutes,,,,,,
,
!Scaffolding!plans!for!the!body!of!the!instruction!
•! What!sequenced!moves!will!you!and!the!students!make!to!ensure!that!all!students!meet!the!learning!targets?!!
•! How!will!students!know!what!quality!looks!like,!and!how!will!you!support!them!in!producing!quality!work?!!
How!will!students!work/practice!together!during!learning?!
,
40
Step!3!Teacher!distributes!Text!1.!Establishing!the!purpose!for!reading!:!
•! Reading!Target:!I!can!read!the!text!to!know!more!about!Ashoka!and!the!main!events!in!his!life.,
•! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I!can!draw!inferences!about!principles!of!Buddhism.,Step,4:Close,Reading!Follow!the!steps!for!close!reading!that!you!followed!during!the!Readers’!Workshop:!
1.! Circle!the!unfamiliar!words!or!phrases!to!make!meaning!2.! As! you! are! reading! ask! yourself,! “Why! is! a! particular! word! or! sentence!
important!to!notice!or!remember?!!3.! Underline!the!key!words!or!phrases!4.! Underline!what!I!know!
•! ,Step,5,,,Class,Discussion,about,,Buddhist,Principles,, ,Elicit!from!students!what!Buddhist!principles!may!mean.!Buddhism!is!a!religion!based!on!principles!of!peace,!non8violence!and!equality.!We!know!that!!people!had!started!questioning!the!jati!and!Varna!system,!animal!sacrifices!etc.!and!Buddhism!provided!them!an!alternative!religion!as!it!did!not!believe!in!caste!system,!animal!sacrifices!etc.!!Step,6,Class,Discussion,about,Ashoka,as,an,emperor,before,and,after,the,Kalinga,war,What!was!the!event!that!changed!Ashoka!as!a!person?!What!changes!did!it!bring!about!in!him?!Do!you!find!any!difference!between!the!approach!of!Chandragupta!Maurya!and!Ashoka?!!Children!will!fill!graphic!organiser!at!the!end!of!the!discussion.!
!Step,5:,Teacher!releases!Learning!Target!:!I!can!explain!why!Emperor!Ashoka!has!a!unique!presence!in!the!history!of!India.,Think!–!Pair!–!Share!Followed!by!a!class!discussion.!Step,6:!Teacher!asks!“How!did!we!come!to!know!about!Ashoka?”!(Children!may!respond!as!books,!travelogue!etc,!Teacher!asks!what!is!the!evidence!to!corroborate!that!the!details!in!the!texts!are!true?!Show,PPT,where,in,students!first!grapple!with!an!edict!and!Transliteration.!And!!Teacher!asks!!what!are!your!wonder!questions.(consolidation!on!flip!chart)!!Teacher!introduces!edicts!and!speaks!about!Brahmi!script!and!Prakrit!language.!!Teacher!asks!“What!do!you!think!the!edicts!were!used!!for!“EA!:!Spread!his!message!Spread!Buddhism,!spread!awareness!about!his!policies.!Teacher!models!decoding!the!edict.!Teacher!brings!out!the!significance!of!this!edict!(Rock!Edict!13)!where!Ashoka!is!apologizing!for!the!destruction!that!took!place!in!the!Kalinga!war.!This!edict!has!a!
!30,Minutes,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
5,minutes,,,,,,,,
Grapple:,5,minutes,10,mins,
,
41
unique!place!in!history!as!it!is!a!public!apology!by!an!emperor.!!Teacher!asks!“has!any!other!emperor!that!you!know!of!apologized!to!the!citizens!“?!Step,7:!Teacher!releases!Learning!Target:!I!can!critically!examine!Emperor!Ashoka’s!edicts!to!describe!the!sociocultural!and!political!structures!of!his!empire.!
Teacher!gives!5!edicts!(1!to!each!crew)!for!making!meaning!out!of!it.!Students!discuss!in!their!crews!and!then!class!sharing!and!class!consolidation.!Teacher!projects!the!video!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmNU9ijkFcc!Step,8!:!Project!!Map!of!Chandragupta!Maurya’s!empire!and!Ashoka’s!empire!Teacher:!Do!you!think!any!king!before!Ashoka!had!such!a!big!empire?!What!could!
have!been!the!challenges!in!managing!such!a!big!empire?!(EA!:!how!administration!is!organized!over!such!a!big!empire,!different!cultures,!
languages!in!the!different!regions)!Teacher!introduces!the!concept!of!diversity.!
Step,9!Teacher!gives!Second!reading.!Follow!the!steps!for!close!reading!that!you!followed!during!the!Readers’!Workshop:!
•! Circle!the!unfamiliar!words!or!phrases!to!make!meaning!•! As! you! are! reading! ask! yourself,! “Why! is! a! particular! word! or! sentence!
important!to!notice!or!remember?!!•! Underline!the!key!words!or!phrases!•! Underline!what!I!know!
Children!read!and!fill!Graphic!Organiser!for:!What!are!the!sociocultural!and!political!structures!that!existed!in!Ashoka’s!time!that!were!different!from!Chandragupta!Maurya?!Class!Discussion!and!consolidation.!Teacher!gives!this!as!H.W!Would!you!like!to!live!during!Chandragupta!Maurya!or!Ashoka?!Why?!Class,Debate,Was!Ashoka!a!weak!king!because!he!gave!up!fighting?!!Students!will!make!their!own!edicts!for!the!value!that!are!important!to!them!(Circle,time)!
,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,5,min,,
15,min,,
,5,min,,
25,mins,,,,
15min,,
,,,,
Closure!!!8!!!How!will!students!synthesize!their!understanding?!!How!will!we!assess!the!effectiveness!of!the!lesson?!Instructional!Steps! Resources!
Required!•! Check!out!LTs!! !
!!
,,
,,,
42
,,Lesson,plan:,,Math\Algebra,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Grade:,,6,
,Learning,Targets,
•! I,can,generalize,to,make,a,rule,following,a,pattern,using,a,variable,•! I,can,make,an,expression,on,a,given,situation,using,variables,and,numbers.,•! I,can,differentiate,between,an,expression,and,an,equation,•! I,can,arrive,at,a,solution,to,a,given,equation,using,trial,and,error,method,
,!
Culture'Target'I!can!listen!attentively!and!participate!in!the!class!discussion.!
!
Teacher!releases!the!culture!target!to!children.!She!reminds!the!children!to!follow!these!targets.!
!
Pattern''T:!Meeta!and!Anita!are!making!patterns!with!matchsticks.!They!decide!to!make!
Simple!patterns!of!the!letters!of!the!English!alphabet.!Anita!takes!two!
Matchsticks!and!forms!the!letter!T.!Then!Meeta!also!picks!two!sticks,!forms!another!letter!T!and!
puts!it!next!to!the!one!made!by!Anita.!Then!Anita!adds!one!more!T!and!this!goes!on!as!shown….!
Their!friend!Rohan!comes!and!looks!at!the!pattern.!he!asks,!“how!many!matchsticks!will!be!
needed!to!make!7!Ts!?”!
Anita!and!Meeta!go!on!making!patterns….1T,!2!Ts,!3!Ts……till!7Ts.They!put!it!in!the!table!
Teacher!draws!the!table!on!board.!
!
Number!!
Of!Ts!
!
1!
!
2!
!
3!
!
4!
!
5!
!
6!
!
7!
!
….!
Number!of!
matchsticks!
needed!
2! 4! 6! 8! 10! 12! 14! ….!
(n!is!any!number!whose!value!can!be!varied)!
!Rohan!gets!his!answer!from!the!table.!
Meeta!found!that!there!is!a!pattern!here.!Can!we!find!it?!
S:!the!number!of!matchsticks!is!always!twice!the!number!of!Ts.!
8b.%Lead%Teaching%Week%Lessons%Plans%G%Math%
43
T:!Asks!another!question!how!many!matchsticks!would!be!required!to!make!100!Ts!
S:!200!matchsticks.!!
T:!How!did!you!find!it?!
S:By!multiplying!100!by!2.!
T!:So!if!we!have!to!make!n!number!of!Ts!what!will!be!the!required!no!of!matchsticks!
!S:!the!number!of!matchsticks!required!=!2!x!number!of!Ts.!,!so!if!number!of!T=n!
Then!the!number!of!matchsticks!required!for!making!n!Ts!will!be!2xn!=!2n.!(2!x!n!is!the!same!as!
2n).Teacher!emphasizes!that!2!x!n!is!same!as!2n!!
T!asks!so!what!is!5!x!b!!
S:!5b!
T!:!what!is!5!+!b!
S!:!(!expected!reply!5!+b)!^^^if!not!so!then!talk!about!it!using!numbers;!bring!out!that!5!+!b!and!
5b!are!not!same!
T:!Here!the!n!that!we!used!to!denote!the!number!of!Ls!is!called!a!variable.!The!variable!does!not!
have!any!fixed!value^!it!can!take!any!numeric!value.!!
This!branch!of!mathematics!which!uses!variables!for!solving!problems!is!called!algebra.!
Let!us!try!some!other!situations!:!
Pramila!is!5!years!elder!to!her!sister!Pari.!How!old!will!Pramila!be!when!Pari!is!5!
years!old?!
Pari!
!
!
1!
!
2!
!
3!
!
4!
!
….!
Pramila! 6! 7! 8! 9! ….!
!
Can!you!identify!any!pattern!here?!!If!we!write!Pari’s!age!as!x,!what!will!Pramila’s!age!be!?!
Pattern:!Pramila’s!age!is!Pari’s!age!plus!5.!Pramila’s!age!in!terms!of!x:!(x!+!5).!!
With!this!rule,!we!can!find!Pramila’s!age!directly,!without!making!a!table!for!all!the!values.!
Let!us!try!this!in!some!other!situations:!
Questions!on!the!board!(ppt)!
•! If!there!are!20!pencils!in!a!box,!how!will!you!write!the!total!number!of!pencils!in!terms!of!
the!number!of!boxes?!(Use!b!for!the!number!of!boxes.)!Ans!20b!
•! In!our!class!there!are!6!students!in!each!crew.!What!is!the!rule!which!gives!the!total!
number!of!students,!in!terms!of!number!of!crews?!(Use!n!for!the!number!of!rows.)!Ans!5n!
•! Mother!has!made!laddus.!She!gives!some!laddus!to!guests!and!family!members;!still!5!
laddus!remain.!If!the!number!of!laddus!mother!gave!away!is!l,!how!many!laddus!did!she!
make?!Ans(!l!+!5)!
•! Oranges!are!to!be!transferred!from!larger!boxes!into!smaller!boxes.!When!a!large!box!is!
emptied,!the!oranges!from!it!fill!two!smaller!boxes!and!still!10!oranges!remain!outside.!If!
the!number!of!oranges!in!a!small!box!are!taken!to!be!x,!what!is!the!number!of!oranges!in!
the!larger!box?!Ans!(2x!+!10)!
•! Ask!them!to!make!different!situations!on!s!+!6!^^^if!time!is!there!
44
•! Age!–!friend!My!friend!is!3!years!younger!to!his!sister.!What!is!his!age?!
•! Age!–!self!I!am!6!years!elder!to!my!brother,!what!would!be!my!age?!
•! Raju!went!to!market!to!buy!books.!Cost!of!the!science!book!is!20!Rs!more!than!English!
book.!How!much!money!does!Raju!need!to!buy!the!science!book?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
•! !I!spent!some!money!for!buying!ice!cream!and!now!I!am!left!with!Rs!6.!How!much!money!
did!I!have!initially?!
Questions!for!HW:!exercise!11.1!(1,2,4,5,8!)!as!H.W!for!C.W!3,6,7!
Day!2!!
Opening!!^!H.W!discussion!!
•! T:!let’s!do!one!activity!today!of!making!patterns.!
•! !Teacher!gives!each!crew!matchsticks!and!asks!them!to!make!pattern!of!hexagons!
wherein!the!Hexagons!are!not!separate!and!two!neighboring!hexagons!have!a!common!
matchstick.!(!draws!on!black!board!as!well!or!project!)!
•! T:!!!find!no!of!matchsticks!required!to!make!1!Hexagon,!2,!3!.!What!if!we!have!to!find!
matchsticks!for!making!40!Hexagons!!
•! T!–We!can!using!a!table!to!find!pattern!which!will!!help!in!finding!ms!for!40!hex.!
•! Teacher!gives!12!min!to!every!crew!to!reach!the!solution.!
•! 2!min!.!making!of!table!!
•! 2!min!individual!think!time!
•! 8!min!as!crew!to!come!up!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
T:!asks!them!to!share!their!strategies!to!reach!the!solution.!
Solution!:!5n+1,where!n!is!the!no!of!Hexagons!
Lets!see!if!we!can!use!variable!in!other!concepts!
45
One!more!pattern!
Day'3'For!example,!rules!of!Geometry.!
T:!what!is!perimeter!of!a!square!
S:!perimeter!of!a!square!is!the!sum!of!the!length!of!its!sides.!
T:!Let!one!side!be!5!cm,!then!what!is!the!perimeter!
S:5+5+5+5!or!4x5!
T:!if!one!side!is!!l!cm!then!what!would!be!the!perimeter!
S:4xl!
T:!what!would!be!the!perimeter!of!a!rectangle,!where!length=4cm!and!breadth=6cm!
S:!perimeter!of!rectangle!is!sum!of!all!four!sides,!4+4+6+6!
T:!can!we!write!it!as!2x4+2x6!
T:!what!if!length=lcm!and!breadth=bcm!
S:!2l+2b!
S!^!The!length!of!an!edge!of!the!cube!is!given!by!lAns!12l!
!Rules!of!Arithmetic!
i)! Commutative!Property!!!of!Addition!!and!multiplication!
T:!Do!you!recall!what!commutative!property!!of!addition!for!any!two!!numbers!!like!5!&6!
S:!5+6=6+5!
T:!can!we!generalize!it!using!variables!
T:!which!one!of!them!!are!true:!
5x6=6x5!
5^6=6^5!
5/6=6/5!
(Revision!of!Commutative!property)!
:!is!commutative!property!of!addition!and!multiplication!applicable!for!all!whole!numbers.!
T;!can!we!replace!5!and!6!as!variable.!how!will!we!write!the!same!expression!
S:!a+b=b+a!
S!:axb=bxa!
!
Distributivity!of!numbers!
T:!Lets!solve!101x37!
S:37(100+1)=!37x100+37x1=3700+37=3737!
T:!How!will!you!generalize!this!using!variable?!
ax(b+c)=axb+axc!
Notebook!work!–!write!the!commutative!and!distributive!property!using!variables!!
T:Find!the!formula!for!the!total!length!of!the!edges!of!a!cube….can!show!jodo!cube!!
A!cube!is!a!three^dimensional!figure.!It!has!six!faces!and!all!of!them!are!identical!squares.!
(notebook)!
!
•! HW'Exercise'11.1'Q.'11,'Exercise'11.2'Qs'(1,2,4'&'5)'
Closure''What!did!we!learn!today?!
Algebra!is!a!tool!which!helps!us!generalize!rules!and!express!patterns!using!letters.!These!
46
letters!are!called!variables,!as!they!can!take!the!value!of!any!number.!
!
,,,
,,,,!
!
!
47
!
!
,
!!!The"village"expedition"has"made"me"delve"deeper"in"my"thoughts"to"analyze"what"development"is"and"what"does"it"mean"to"different"people"in"different"context."Just"a"few"kilometers"from"high"rise"Gurgaon"are"the"villages."The"villages"where"life"is"still"at"stand"still.After"my"dumduma"visit"for"three"days"and"then"after"meeting"villagers"at"the"mela"organized"in"the"school"my"notion"that"villagers"are"solely"responsible"for"their"dismal"state"of"living"has"been"challenged."In"the"absence"of"Roads,"Public"Transport,"Electricity,"Water,"Schools"and"Colleges"how"can"we"make"them"solely"responsible?"Is"the"job"of"government"is"only"till"policy"making?"Who"will"check"whether"policies"are"reaching"in"right"hands"or"not,"provide"them"with"safe"environment,"ensure"law"and"order?"We"got"political"freedom"68"years"back"but"there’s"still"long"fight"to"achieve"social"freedom."Freedom"from"our"social"stigmas"which"hinders"our"growth",,,,,,,
9.%%My%Reflections%
48
Listen"to"the"sound"of"Rain"It"tells"you"a"story."Story"of"its"journey"From"sea"to"the"sky"And!back!to!the!sea.!This!is!what!learning!is,!Learning!makes!you!light,!As!light!as!you!can!fly!Fly!freely!and!openly!Above!all!desires!and!!Above!all!griefs.!Then!you!pour!your!happiness,!On!everyone!comes!in!your!contact!And!at!last!you!go!back!to!soil,!From!where!you!have!come.!But!the!happiness,!you!spread!Will!stay!there,!stay!always!Till!the!very!end,!Till!the!new!beginning.!!!!!!Today’s!MPL!class!helped!me!to!think!about!my!fear!and!assumptions.!Life!becomes!what!we!want!it!to!be,!everything!is!in!our!brain!and!assumptions!are!my!own!construction,!stories!which!mind!builds!up.!So!why!not!always!see!positive!in!every!happening,!be!it!success!or!failure.!As!every!failure!leads!to!next!success!as!quoted!by!Kalam!‘Each!no!says!Next!opportunity’!!
, ,! ! ! ! ,,,
,!