Humility and Appreciation - Laxmi Kant Bhatt

Children feel encouraged and confident when they are appreciated; in fact, every person feels encouraged when appreciated. To boost their confidence, I decided to perform a task which could contribute to my subject at school. I came up with an idea to make an activity related to maths which could also be fun for the students.

With humility, I walked up to the principal and explained that we should provide a maths challenge every week and divide the students into junior and senior groups. Each group gets one question. The student who comes first with the correct solution will be the winner of the challenge. For appreciation, we will announce the child's name in the assembly, and the child will be rewarded. 

My principal was very supportive of the idea and suggested that you take the winner child out for coffee, and we can call it coffee with the coach. 

Cheered when ma'am accepted my idea, we announced the challenge in the assembly the next day and put the challenge on the notice board. Good response from the children, and we did get winners of the challenge. The winners were taken out for a coffee. The children felt obliged to go out for a coffee. They were full of excitement and felt appreciated for being awarded this way. The other children were encouraged by this and were discussing and excited about the new challenge. They approached me and continuously asked for a new challenge.

I am glad that the children enjoyed my activity. This way, we found a good way to appreciate the children for their excellent work.

Laxmi Kant Bhatt

The Doon Girls' School Dehradun

JOL Cohort 2022

Humility and Appreciation - Nitin Sharma

If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are – Mother Teresa. 

Humility is a virtue; this character strength must be cultivated in school. 

Humility and Appreciation 

"A child's mind is like a soft play, which can be moulded into any desired shape but with the right intention." 

The school is the right place to make it happen. Moral values are the core of our very being which our children should imbibe and should be taught early. Students must be engaged in certain activities that make them learn about values and their importance.

Humility 

"It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels."

Humility is the valid key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge in the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.

Activity

Students were asked to write some positive affirmations based on Humility. They had to write 5 affirmations and read them daily. Besides, students were taught about Humility and humbleness, the importance and then asked to do an act of Humility and then share with everyone the next day about what they did, what they learnt and what they felt. 

Impact 

A very positive impact was seen in the children's behaviour. They were full of high and positive energy to do such acts and to share with everyone. They valued and thanked me when someone did anything for them. They were helpful to one another eagerly. They learnt to be humble and grateful rather not arrogant. 

Appreciation 

"The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness."

Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts. Students should learn to appreciate the efforts someone makes for them and should be genuinely grateful for it. 

Activity 

Students were asked to write appreciation notes for someone whom they really wanted to appreciate for what they do and later give them those notes. Another activity was done wherein the students were asked to appreciate their classmates and later go home and express their appreciation and gratitude for them. 

Impact

All the students participated in the activities with their full zeal and enthusiasm. An increased sense of brotherhood and sisterhood was evident in their learning. All the students made it their primary responsibility to always be humble and truthful, appreciate one another, and be grateful. 

Teacher's Role

The teacher was like a facilitator who guided and motivated all the students to actively come ahead and take part in the activities.

Ms Nitin Sharma

Kamla Nehru Pubilc School, Phagwara

JOL Cohort 2022

Humility and Appreciation - Mridula Ranjit and Roopa Bhattacharya

HUMILITY
The students discuss the value of humility. The students are encouraged to come up with what
their take on humility is....inputs from teacher ranges from thinking not too high of oneself to
thinking highly about others, and having patience in listening to others' viewpoints to show empathy for everyone's view.

Then students are divided into 5 groups of 8 students each. The students first name their group. Then they make a story to bring out 'humility'. They are given a fixed amount of time, after which each group gets to present the story. The teacher ensures that all students participate. She provides each group understanding of the activity. The creativity of children in story weaving was noteworthy. 

One story that came up involved a rich man who was stranded on the street due to a flat tyre. And who helps him but a cobbler. The novelty in stories ensured the engagement of children.

The impact is that children are engaged and actually talk about the subject with feelings and passion. Another observation is that when activity on one value is done, it automatically encompasses many other matters. The satisfaction of a deal being talked about, discussed, narrated and even acted out is a big takeaway for the teacher.

APPRECIATION
The activity starts with the teacher appreciating the class. Then the class discusses the impact of
appreciation and why it is essential to appreciate. The teacher steers the discussion to discuss
points like appreciation brings in happiness, and the quality appreciated is reinforced.

Next, the student's attention is brought to genuine appreciation and honest appreciation. They discuss how dishonest appreciation breaks trust. (we again observe values cannot be compartmentalized). The students are asked to find a word or sentence of appreciation for their partner, preferably starting with the first alphabet of their names. They say the words of appreciation in front of the whole class.

Our primary children usually complain a lot about their classmates. It was observed that after this activity if the students started to complain, the teacher would immediately remind them to first think of what they had said about their partner. This significantly reduced the complaints among the students.

The teacher's takeaway was the increase in happiness in the class.

Mridula Renjit
Roopa Bhattacharyya
Ahlcon Public School 

JOL Cohort 2022

Humility and Appreciation - Jaspreet Kaur

Humility

Humility is the quality of being humble and means putting another person's needs before your own and thinking of others before yourself. It also means not drawing attention to yourself and acknowledging that you are not always right.

Activity

In Grade V 'A', as a Class In charge, I motivated my students to wish Class four employees daily when they come to school. I observed that initially, a few students started wishing them good morning and good afternoon. After One week, I watched that all students had started doing it regularly. Every day, they want to wish the Class four employees, whether he/she is gardeners, gatekeepers or Ayyas. One day one student went to the accounting office for a pain killer. When he came back, I asked him about his health. He said, "I am wonderful, Ma'am, but one Ayya (school maids) was not feeling well, so he brought a pain killer for her at her request". This, for me, was a great observation. I hugged that child and appreciated his action in Infront of the whole Grade V 'A'.

Impact on students

Students learnt humility from one of their friend's actions.

Stay humble and be kind.

Appreciation

I requested the student to appreciate the small actions of parents, garbage collectors, peers and class four employees. I counsel them to thank their parents when they give them food and water or help them with homework. I told them to say thanks when Ayyas cleaned their desks after lunch. It was observed that most of them have done the same. 

Impact on students

Appreciation is a beautiful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.

Jaspreet Kaur 

Kamla Nehru Public School, Phagwara.

JOL Cohort 2022

Humility and Appreciation - Shalini Solanki

In a world of 7.8 billion people, no matter how social we are, the human race is looking for that one thing, a talent, and a purpose, anything which is their own, which gives them meaning and helps them make sense of the world. They want something to be known by and something they are known for. The speciality is what people need to be content and happy for that individual. However, this search for individuality often leads to the path of isolation, arrogance and selfishness. If not taken with humility, this search for personal gain removes the focus from our ultimate purpose of serving others.

Taking it up from the very beginning is essential, especially in schools. Accepting failure and success with humility for themselves and others is the skill required to raise a generation of individuals ready to face the world with courage and kindness. Accepting and giving appreciation with genuineness is directly linked with humility. To explore this connection and to help learners experience this feeling.

Activity:
I created an activity about festivals. While discussing various festivals, we tried to explore the
music, clothes, food and activities related to each festival using audio and visual aids.

Learner’s role:
Learners saw the grandness of the harvest festivals, the magnificence of the national festivals and
the richness of the religious festivals all over India. They identified the beautiful differences and
unexpected similarities between various festivals.

I observed learners expressing themselves as a part of the community while describing their
favourite festivals. They were open, appreciative and eager to know about each other’s
experiences. This led me to extend this feeling of community based on humility and
appreciation into another activity.

We decided to feel the spirit of festivals more closely and have our own class festival. Learners brainstormed and decided they would have a festival to celebrate the beauty of nature.

We dedicated one day to celebrating this class festival. Learners decided what they wanted to do to
celebrate their festival. They also learned subtly and humbly the things they cannot yet do. For
example, suggestions like going on a trip, buying and using plastic decorative items were put down
very gently and humbly by other students based on the understanding of what they are capable of
doing and what is harmful to nature.

On the day of the festival, learners cleaned their classes; they decorated the board and the class
with origami crafts and drawings. I assisted them in making groups and assigning tasks. We started
our day with a choir performance dedicated to nature by all the learners. We went on a nature walk
and enjoyed the beauty around us.

As a part of our festival ritual, we sat together on the grass in a circle; everyone shared one thing
they appreciated about nature. It was beautiful to see everyone enjoying and appreciating the
beauty of nature. We wrote one promise on a slip of paper to save the beauty of nature around us. I
instructed them to write a simple commitment that they could do themselves. Later, we collected all the
slips and distributed them again. This time, everyone had a promise written by someone else. They read
it aloud and agreed to keep it and implement it to the best of their ability.

We ended the day by having a community feast. Everyone was asked to bring some healthy snacks.
In the class, we enjoyed the food together with light music while sharing our experience of
celebrating our own festival. I was so happy to see the ownership reflected by the students for this
activity. They were concerned about the cleanliness and implementation of all the activities 
they decided to include in their festival.

My role: Facilitator

Impact on students:
The spirit of humility and appreciation was not just observed in the experience but was also seen
growing by the end of it. Recognition of self concerning the community and appreciation of
different viewpoints was evident throughout the day.

Shalini Solanki
Gyanshree School, Noida
JOL Cohort 2022

विनम्रता और उत्साहवर्धन - ज्योति तडियाल

विनम्रता या विनय, उत्साहवर्धन या उत्साहित करना।

इन शब्दों का अर्थ हम सब जानते हैं, परंतु विद्यार्थियों के बीच इन्हें क्रियात्मक रूप में प्रस्तुत करना एक अलग ही अनुभव दे गया।

मैंने अपनी कक्षा में इन बातों का अभ्यास कार्य कराया कि एक सप्ताह तक विद्यार्थी विनम्रता का व्यवहार करें तथा एक दूसरे का उत्साहवर्धन करेंगे। जिसका प्रारंभ मैंने स्वयं से करने का निश्चय किया। कक्षा में अनेक पल ऐसे आते हैं जब स्वयं पर नियंत्रण कठिन हो जाता है, इस बात को विद्यार्थियों के मध्य साझा किया गया। अंततोगत्वा प्रयास सफल रहा। साथ साथ सभी का उत्साहवर्धन भी किया गया।

हमारे शब्द विद्यार्थियों से बड़े से बड़ा कार्य भी करा लेते हैं। उसी उत्साहवर्धन का परिणाम रहा कि कक्षा के प्रत्येक छात्र के आत्मविश्वास में वृद्धि हुई। बातों का प्रभाव कितना चमत्कारी होता है यह महाभारत के प्रसंग द्वारा बताया गया।

महाभारत के युद्ध के  समय कौरवों ने चालाकी से नकुल सहदेव के मामा शल्य को अपने साथ मिला लिया। इस बात का पता जब युधिष्ठिर को चला तो उन्होंने शल्य से कहा कि युद्ध के समय आप कर्ण को हतोत्साहित करें। संसार में उस समय केवल दो ही कुशल सारथी थे एक श्री कृष्ण और दूसरे महाराज शल्य। अर्जुन कर्ण युद्ध के समय शल्य कर्ण के सारथी बने और उन्होंने कर्ण को हतोत्साहित कर उसका मनोबल क्षीण किया।

इन दोनों ही अभ्यास कार्यों का विद्यार्थियों पर व्यापक प्रभाव पड़ा। उन्होंने विनम्रता और शब्दों के प्रभाव को समझा। जिससे कक्षा का वातावरण सकारात्मक हुआ। 

विद्यार्थी जान पाए कि

बोली एक अमोल है, जो कोई बोले जानि।

हिया तराज़ू तोलिक तब मुख बाहर आणि।   (रहीमदास) ज्योति तडियाल दून गर्ल्स स्कूल जे ओ एल कोहोर्ट 2022

Humility And Appreciation - Preeti Mahajan

Humility is the quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance.

ACTIVITY CONDUCTED

Children were encouraged to exhibit Humility in their classroom and on school premises. They were asked to clean their classroom desks themselves if they had not been cleaned. They were told to allow their juniors to drink water first at the water tap instead of bullying them. School buses also allow juniors to board the bus before them. Children also went to the class 4 employees of the school, wished them and asked about their well-being.

INITIAL RESPONSE

Children were apprehensive about these humble acts saying these acts will not be of any use to them. Others will take them for granted.

YOUR ROLE / CONTRIBUTION

Children were motivated and encouraged to practice these acts of Humility. They were counselled not to be highheaded, not be selfish, and not lose this core value.

IMPACT ON STUDENTS

Humble acts always have a pleasing impact on the doers. Children also enjoyed being humble to others. A feeling of satisfaction/joy overpowered them.

TAKEAWAYS

Be humble, and spread the joy.

APPRECIATION

Appreciation means acknowledging a person's talent, ability, or effort. It also refers to saying thank you or showing gratitude for some positive deed done by another person.

ACTIVITY CONDUCTED

Children were told to observe his / her classmates for one week, and based on their observation, they had to make a beautiful card for their classmate appreciating one or the other quality or traits.

They were also asked to appreciate their parents, teachers, grandparents, and the helpers around them for the unconditional help they are giving.

INITIAL RESPONSE

Children were apprehensive about these humble acts saying these acts will not be of any use to them. Others will take them for granted.

YOUR ROLE / CONTRIBUTION

Children were motivated and encouraged to practice these acts of appreciation. They were counselled not to be high-headed, not to be selfish, and not to lose this essential core value.

IMPACT ON STUDENTS

Appreciating others always have a good impact. Children also enjoyed being appreciative of others. A feeling of satisfaction/joy overpowered them.

TAKEAWAYS

Learn to appreciate the good things around you to receive appreciation for yourself. Practice humility and appreciation for making the world a better place.

Preeti Mahajan
Ahlcon Public School
Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Humility and Appreciation - Maithreyi Venkataraman and Sukhpreet Kaur

"The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness." Dalai Lama

A humble person will undoubtedly be a person who will appreciate. To appreciate someone, one must look beyond oneself and recognise the other's effort and actions. One's level of appreciation indeed can vary by the quality of the job, but it should not qualify as the criteria for appreciation. 

Example. : With great excitement, a child who has attempted to draw scenery approaches his teacher and exhibits his work. That teacher must begin her feedback with a positive appreciation of the child's effort and then state how the child can improve the outcome.

Activity:  

The students planned and organised a class party for Teacher's Day. The party was a great hit, and the students' teamwork, hard work, and planning days were evident. As their grade mentor, I was overwhelmed with pride. The after-effect of the celebrations was not just loads of happy memories but also a dirty classroom. 

The children were now given this as an activity to clean up their classroom. They all participated without any apprehensions. I observed that they did have a few concerns, which they overcame with appreciation and motivation.

They enjoyed seeing a neat classroom after their effort. Now, this activity also made them realise the hard work put in by the cleaning staff, and they voluntarily went to thank the cleaning staff for keeping their classrooms always clean; they also apologised to them for increasing their work, dropping paper bits and promised to observe their part in keeping their classroom clean.

So, here are a few reasons why we should reward or appreciate students for their efforts. 

Sense of accomplishment - A sense of relief that the assigned task was completed and their hard work didn't go in vain gets inbuilt in the students. And with this thought, the mindset brings better, and they also receive what we all constantly seek: acceptance!

Overwhelming respect - Rewarded students get genuine appreciation and respect for just doing their best. 

Self-confidence - Rewarding someone for their work directly increases their level of self-confidence. 

Inclination towards learning - Success, when appreciated, turns into motivation, which brings zeal and enthusiasm to learn new things because how much you know and work determines how far you will go. 

Our learning: As grown-ups and mentors, we should trust more and criticise less. Students will always be more responsive when they are allowed to shoulder responsibilities.

-- Maithreyi Venkataraman and Sukhpreet Kaur, Gyanshree School

Responsibility and Cooperation - Maithreyi Venkataraman

Responsibility & Cooperation

Responsibility is a term we often hear in different phases of our lives, and it can be fulfilled in a limitless number of ways. This is one such value that every human is born with; it’s the cultivation and realization dependent on the environment in which one is nurtured. 

Let’s now take a moment to understand the easiest way to explain the term – ‘Responsible’ – it is the act of being brave enough to accept the consequences of one’s act .

Responsibility in other words is a position / duty given to a person to fulfill. Every person has varied responsibilities at the same time .Eg: A student holds the responsibility of representing his /her school, his/her family, his/her class and, more specifically, their section. At times, a child gets anxious on hearing this word out of fear. 

As they grow older, the responsibility of a person goes through a transitory phase. It is very important that a person be exposed to shouldering responsibilities at an early age. It develops a sense of confidence in a student and teaches them ways to accept and handle their success and failures in a very effective way.

Teamwork activities always encourage one to hone their skills to work in a cooperative manner. A simple activity that I held in my class was – rearranging the furniture of the classroom – I gave a task to the students of my class to rearrange the tables and chairs in a U shape pattern, but without speaking a word, I was amazed seeing the way they understood each other just by their gestures and cooperated with one another to complete the act successfully. I feel this was achieved as I did not appoint any leader to any group, but told the students that each of them is responsible for their own individual actions and for their actions as a whole. 

Ms. Maithreyi Venkataraman

Gyanshree School

Humility and Appreciation - Rishona Chopra

Do you wish to rise?

Begin by descending.

Do you plan a tower that will pierce the clouds?

Lay first the foundation of humility.

Humility is that rare value that we hardly find in people today. Simple gestures like holding the door for someone else or picking up someone else's belongings show humility. It demonstrates that you do not consider these actions small or petty. Humility is not thinking less about yourself. Instead, it is about thinking of yourself as less. We don't have to stop thinking about ourselves, but we must stop thinking of ourselves as more significant than all because we are equal in many terms. We should treat others the way we wish to be treated. I believe in life, we all need to be humble, and it is the only way to peace, happiness, and success because humility is, after all, the mother of all virtues and beings. It is the supreme power. Humility is essential in the classroom; it teaches us to be able and kind to all around us, our peers and teachers.

And the same time, Appreciation is also a vital quality. Appreciating the little efforts done by our peers and students is essential. We each have something special about us, and instead of thinking just about ourselves, we should take the time to appreciate others. Who understands that better than our teachers? Teachers take particular time enjoying, helping, and thinking about their students. And I am sure we all can appreciate our teachers for the time they took to think about us. #Happy Teachers

Rishona Chopra Grade VI, Gyanshree School Intern at the My Good School National Office

Courage and Patience - Guneet Kaur

Courage means facing one's fears. It is essential in all spheres of life and leads to a change in oneself, making one stronger. Sometimes one has to get out of one's comfort zone and adjust to a new environment. This, too, is courage. Being honest and believing in one's honesty is also courageous.

Teachers are like mirrors for their students. The students tend to imbibe whatever a teacher speaks through his or her words or actions. Not pretending and being oneself is also courage. A teacher must teach students to accept and be proud of themselves regardless of their weaknesses. They should be cherished for who they are and given the space where they can be more aware of themselves. In no situation should they be afraid or ashamed of accepting the truth about themselves or sharing it with others. Seeking help and shunning one's ego is also courage.  

As teachers, we must ensure that the children feel safe with us. They should be able to have faith in us. Simultaneously, they should learn to believe in themselves. A child asking his or her doubt in class, saying, "I didn't understand", in front of the other classmates, is courage.

Teachers need to be there for the students, make them feel safe and teach them to solve their problems themselves. This way, they will be prepared to bravely face life's challenges. However, if the learners make mistakes in solving their issues, their teachers shouldn't punish them. Instead, as adults, they should stand with them and show them the right path.

Courage also reflects in sharing one's experiences with colleagues or children of how one dealt with a situation. This can also help in inspiring them and getting over their fears. Being silently supportive of our co-workers is also courageous.

Patience is being tolerant and calm in handling situations. It means not getting anxious or annoyed too quickly. It does require a lot of courage to be patient. Not complaining, having a positive attitude, and giving time and space to others all come in the arena of patience.

Patience teaches us to have faith and hope that things will get better. Working with patience leads to growth. On the other hand, losing patience can ruin the task at hand. Most of us end up giving up our patience because of the pressure from society, peers, friends or family. However, if we have the courage and the belief in ourselves, we will not lose our cool, take a stand for ourselves and help to bring about a change.

Inaction should not be misunderstood for patience. Moving towards our goal with perseverance and a peaceful mind, accepting failures as stepping stones to success, and having the will to start all over again with the belief that the result will be favourable is patience.    

The farmer protest in our country is the world's most non-violent and peaceful fight for human rights. The farmers had immense patience and courage that helped them to withstand all sorts of physical, emotional and mental atrocities. They did not get frustrated and were convinced that their voices would be heard one day. 

We often lose our patience when we think we are better than others or deserve much more than others. This attitude leads only to exasperation. Whenever this happens, we should take a step back and introspect. High expectations from ourselves or from others can make us impatient. However, patience helps to increase our power of endurance, persistence and better decision making.   

As teachers, we need to be role models of being patient with our students. Being a good and silent listener and helping the children cope with their worries and hassles will help them become more accepting, contented and forbearing. They will learn to shift their focus from a problem to possible solutions without complaining. This will also teach them to be emphatic.  

Guneet Kaur

Mussoorie Public School

Mussoorie 

Happy Teachers Day - What Makes Teachers Great?

Teachers Travel With You All Your Life

Play the podcast

Anvesha Rana from Gyanshree School reads the chapter Teachers Travel With You All Your Life.

Learning is a lifelong process; we must have the best teacher accompany us on life's journey. We may grow up and follow a 'guru' or a mentor; whoever we follow, the teacher's leadership is supreme; the teacher travels with us for life. The empathy and care our teachers bestow on us are etched in our memory for life. You will always carry your teacher in you no matter where you go. The empathy and care our teachers bestow on us will be etched in our memory for life. You will always carry your teacher with you no matter where you go.

What Makes Teachers Great?

Some characteristics can predict whether a teacher will be great even before entering the classroom. Studies show the teacher is one of the most crucial factors in your child's school success. A poor teacher can set your child back forever; a great teacher inspires them forever.

Read more on the post by Sandeep Dutt on Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teachers-travel-you-all-your-life-sandeep-dutt-1d/

My Good School - Where Passion Meets Education

A BOOK FOR ANYONE AND EVERYONE ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLING.

This book is for parents to select the school for their child, as the choice can have a lifelong impact on the growth and personality of the child.

A guide for you to look beyond that high-rise building and those perfectly manicured lawns—to go deeper in your search for your good school. It will encourage you to observe, question, evaluate, and choose a school that will truly prepare your child for a life beyond the campus, beyond theory, and beyond algebra.

This book will help educators, school administrators, and management build and rebuild such institutions and change the future of learning.

Enriched with the knowledge, experience and, most importantly, the wisdom of The Doon School alumnus and school improvement coach Sandeep Dutt, this book will encourage conversations around our education system and help shape the future of education in the world.

Listen to this heartwarming episode, and recollect your days with your favourite teacher!

Find out how you can join us for the book reading sessions:

www.GoodSchools.in

Rupa Publications India Pvt is the book's publisher, and the copyright rests with Sandeep Dutt.

You can order an author-signed copy of the book from www.englishbookdepot.com.

Responsibility and Cooperation - Welham Boys School

 Cooperation

Definition

The verb cooperate is originally from the combination of The Latin prefix co-, meaning "together," and operari, meaning "to work." The term "co-op" is a shortening of cooperative and is used when people work together (or cooperate) to run a preschool, health food store, etc. It develops the quality of Teamwork. To rely upon others for the completion of the Task. It builds team spirit. Creates bonhomie.

Cooperation is the spirit that makes people or organisations work together to achieve the same result or a common goal. The goal can be economic, social, cultural, personal, financial, or general good to Society or humankind. The list is exhaustive. Cooperation brings diverse people of different talents and facets to reach a common target through team building, consensus decision making, shared Responsibility and collaborative work. 

Responsibility is an essential factor or ingredient for cooperation. Without individual Responsibility, cooperation cannot be achieved.

Types: Cooperation can be Voluntary, Unintentional, or as part of duty/commitment like Official work. It can also be coerced. Reasons and situations define the nature of cooperation.

Advantages: It reduces unproductive competition. Enhances knowledge sharing, Fosters good communication, and Makes achievement of common goals feasible and achievable. Build trust and team spirit.

MANY A LITTLE MAKES A MICKLE. OR ONE FLOWER DOES NOT MAKE A GARDEN.

Disadvantage: Individual sometimes lacks motivation. Subdues individual brilliance. Poor management can impact results. Internal conflict is a serious impediment.

AND sometimes what can be achieved by sheer individual talent cannot be achieved by making many cooperate together.

Responsibility

Definition – The state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management. Or simply put, it is an obligation or duty.

For us, it's to Respond Sensibly.
Be yourself, but always your better self.
Quality of being dependable.

It can also have negative connotations. Like being liable, culpable, etc. What is the difference between Accountability & Responsibility?

Although both terms are often used as synonyms, several characteristics separate them. Responsibility refers to the obligation to perform or comply with the rule; Accountability implies answerability for the outcome of the Task performed. In Corporate World, mostly Responsibility ends/merges with Accountability. However, we feel Responsibility is more internal … self in nature. Accountability is more external … for someone else to scrutinise.

Activity - Give the above explanation and ask students to share examples from their experiences.

Importance - Accepting Responsibility is crucial for success because it helps you work/learn through your strength, weakness and mistakes. It builds strength of character as a person becomes better at admitting they are not perfect.

A safe environment that supports Responsibility is positive and fulfilling. By accepting Responsibility, we become more action-oriented and gain confidence. The responsibilities we accept in our lives contribute to the type of person we become.

Types - Responsibility can be broadly divided into self and Society. The division can be classified further into several subcategories, like individual Responsibility, parental Responsibility, Social Cooperate Responsibility, Environmental Responsibility etc.

Responsibility isn't just doing chores; it's following through with one's commitments, answering for their own actions, being reliable and trustworthy, using good judgment, taking care of their affairs and not procrastinating.

HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON            , 

(AND FEEL GREAT!)

• When you agree to do something, do it. If you let people down, they'll stop believing you. When you follow through on your commitments, people take you seriously.
• Answer for your own actions. Don't make excuses or blame others for what you do. When you take Responsibility for your actions, you say, "I am the one who's in charge of my life."
• Take care of your own matters. Don't rely on adults to remind you when you're supposed to be somewhere or what you're supposed to bring. You take Responsibility.
• Be trustworthy. If somebody trusts you to borrow or take care of something, take care of it. If somebody tells you something in confidence, keep it to yourself. People need to know they can count on you.
• Always use your head. Think things through and use good judgment. When you use your head, you make better choices. That shows your parents they can trust you.
• Don't put things off. When you have a job to do, do it. Doing things on time helps you take control of your life and shows you can manage your own affairs.

Neelima Parmar, Vandana Sahay & Monika Gupta
Welham Boys' School
Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022