Nature and Nurture - a harmony of both

बच्चों का विकास घर ओर बाहर दोनों वातावरण से प्रभावित होता है।घर का वातावरण उन्हें सुरक्षा, प्यार संस्कार और आत्मविश्वास देता है,वही बाहर का वातावरण उन्हें नई बातें सीखने, मित्र बनाने और समाज को समझने का अवसर देता है। यदि घर का माहौल सकारात्मक होगा तो बच्चा बाहर के चुनौतियों का भी साहस और समझदारी से सामना करेगा। दोनों वातावरण का संपूर्ण बच्चों के संपूर्ण व्यक्तित्व निर्माण के लिए आवश्यक। - रीना देवी, Principal, AFA

हम जो भी बनते हैं, वह सिर्फ हमारे जन्म से मिले गुणों (Nature) पर ही निर्भर करता है, बल्कि वह हमारे पालन- पोषण और हमारे आसपास के माहौल (Nurture) पर भी निर्भर करता है l प्रकृति हमें गुण देती हैं l परंतु पालन पोषण हमें सही दिशा दिखाता है l अगर हमें अच्छे संस्कार और माहौल मिले तो हर व्यक्ति अपनी प्रतिभा को और भी बेहतर बना सकता है l इसलिए हर व्यक्ति की पहचान उसके जन्म से मिले गुणों ओर माहौल से मिले गुणों दोनों से होतीं है- Swati, teacher, AFA

Personality is like a recipe. Nature gives you the raw ingredients — maybe you're born with extra sugar (kindness) or a bit too much spice (temper). But nurture is the chef, deciding whether you end up as a sweet cupcake, a spicy curry, or a burnt toast. And honestly, our personalities keep changing, because life keeps throwing in random ingredients we never asked for — like stress, heartbreak, or that one embarrassing childhood memory that pops up at 3 a.m. In the end, we're all just weirdly flavoured dishes, thanks to the mix of nature and nurture!- Manisha Khanna

Both nature and nurture play vital roles in our development. The divide between the two is hardly visible. And then the environment adds to these to shape our personality. Today, I am a very different person from what I was twenty years ago.- Minakshi Prasad, Director, AFA

The perspective that the book offers on calling the growing period 'sensitive' instead of 'critical' can shift the weight we place on time, and instead of a more conscious effort that can be applied to every phase/period. Kamala Mukunda was inviting us teachers/parents/educators to be mindful of our actions, rather than giving ourselves clean chits, claiming we had no role to play in a child's life because the 'critical' period was not within our control. Her examples draw us right into the discussion, creating space for reflection. When I ask myself this question as a teacher, it looks very similar to what I would have asked of myself: am I a person made of many atoms of past, present and future that includes my parents and all the other people I have met, things I have read, imagined, watched, etc.? If I extend the same empathy to the child in front of me, that they are a culmination of so much, I can make sense in my moments of difficulty. This might help extend my understanding instead of falling back on a concrete consequences approach. 

Like always, the book is a constant source of learning and reflection. Our group makes it even more helpful since all of us are teaching and engaging in real time. 

Neelashi Mangal
Training and Development Lead
Learning Forward India Foundation

The Eklavyas of AFA- Minakshi Prasad

People learn best when their interest is piqued.

In this tiny little village called Bandarjoor, where I now reside, I experience many quaint incidents that touch me deeply. Arthur Foot Academy is surrounded by small houses with large families. Most of the children here either attend government schools or do not attend school at all. Yet, their eyes are full of curiosity.

These children keep peeping into the school with wonder. To them, the school is both a mystery and a magical place — a dreamland. Some of them got their first taste of AFA during the Summer Camp in June. Since then, these starry-eyed children stand near the gates and walls, eager to catch any crumbs of fun and knowledge they can.

Recently, they learnt an English song, almost to perfection, while playing a game. Their enthusiasm and joy know no bounds when they are invited inside the school after regular hours. Tell them a story, and their eyes sparkle with delight. Teach them a song, and you will hear their gleeful voices echoing far and wide — "a hundred mile, a hundred mile."

Minakshi Prasad

Director 

Arthur Foot Academy

उत्पादक विफलता का तीन-स्तरीय ढांचा - रवि प्रकाश

 उत्पादक विफलता के लिए तीन-स्तरीय ढांचा (कार्य, भागीदारी, सामाजिक परिवेश)

स्तर 1

• सीखने वालों को विफलता के लिए तैयार करना: छात्रों को जोखिम लेने और विफलताओं को सीखने के अवसर के रूप में देखने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करना।

• विकासशील मानसिकता का निर्माण: ऐसी मानसिकता को बढ़ावा देना जो मानती है कि क्षमताएँ प्रयास और सीखने के माध्यम से विकसित की जा सकती हैं।

स्तर 2

• प्रक्रिया पर ध्यान केंद्रित करना: सीखने वालों को केवल परिणाम पर नहीं, बल्कि समस्या-समाधान की प्रक्रिया पर ध्यान केंद्रित करने के लिए प्रेरित करना।

• प्रयोग और अन्वेषण: सीखने वालों को विभिन्न समाधानों का प्रयोग और अन्वेषण करने के अवसर प्रदान करना।

स्तर 3

• सीखने को संकलित करना: सीखने वालों को अपने अनुभवों पर चिंतन करने और प्रमुख निष्कर्षों की पहचान करने में मदद करना।

• ज्ञान का पुनर्निर्माण: सीखने वालों को अपने अनुभवों के आधार पर अपने ज्ञान और समझ का पुनर्निर्माण करने के लिए प्रोत्साहित करना।

इस ढाँचे का उद्देश्य छात्रों के भीतर सहयोग की भावना विकसित करना, विभिन्न परिस्थितियों में सोचने की क्षमता बढ़ाना और समस्या-समाधान कौशल को सशक्त बनाना है।

सनबीम ग्रामीण स्कूल
रवि प्रकाश

Learning Forward Saturday

To discuss teaching strategies and classroom management techniques for early childhood education.

Key Takeaways

  - Drawing is a valuable learning activity for children, not just art

  - Fine motor skills development is crucial and can be encouraged through various activities

  - Creating a print-rich environment enhances learning and engagement

  - Innovative attendance methods can make routine tasks more engaging for students

Topics:

Drawing as a Learning Tool

  - Teachers initially thought that children who draw aren't learning, but this view was challenged

  - Detailed drawings by children often include various elements (e.g., dog, house, family members)

  - Drawing activities can be used to teach complex concepts (e.g., human anatomy)

Fine Motor Skills Development

  - Importance of proper pencil grip discussed

  - Cylinder shape of baby bottles designed for easy gripping

  - Activities suggested:

      - Using clay or playdough to improve grip strength

      - Employing tweezers for picking up small objects

      - Creating a chart with 100 pockets for number placement exercises

Print-Rich Environment

  - Emphasised creating visually stimulating classroom spaces

  - Ideas shared:

      - Large alphabet charts with associated images

      - Weekly rotation of featured letters (A-E, then F-J, etc.)

      - Punctuation and capitalisation rules displayed on walls

Innovative Attendance Methods

  - Goal: Make attendance-taking more engaging and educational

  - Suggestions included:

      - Using plant or nature themes

      - Incorporating math concepts

      - Integrating language learning (e.g., food names, ABC's)

Addressing Distracted Students

  - Discussed strategies to keep students focused during lessons

  - Emphasised calling students by name to maintain attention

  - Suggested using interactive elements to keep students engaged

Next Steps

  - Teachers to implement 2-3 new strategies in their classrooms over the next week

  - Create better learning environments based on the discussed ideas

  - Minakshi to focus on improving students' writing skills, including the correct use of capital/lowercase letters and phonetics

  - Plan to order or create a counting game for use across different age groups

  - Develop charts for English grammar rules to be displayed in classrooms

Host: Neelashi Mangal, supported by Minakshi Prasad
Learning Forward Sessions are curated with a focus on helping teachers focus on ECCE.

Three-Layer Framework for Productive Failure - Swati Tripathi

Three-Layer Framework for Productive Failure

(Task – Participation – Social Surroundings)

This framework is a practical guide to designing “useful struggle” so that students build deep understanding.

Layer 1 – Design the Task

Purpose: Create challenges that students may fail at first, but in ways that spark productive thinking.

What makes a good task?

• Open-ended: more than one possible way forward, no easy formula.

• Connected to key ideas: pushes students to wrestle with the target concepts.

• Fail-able but learnable: allows partial attempts that reveal student thinking.

• Simple wording: keep instructions clear so the struggle is about the concept, not the language.

• Encourages representations: diagrams, graphs, equations, or explanations.

• Transferable: can be linked to other contexts later.

What you can adjust (levers):

• Complexity/novelty: how new or tricky the problem is.

• Ambiguity: how many unknowns or open choices.

• Constraints: add limits that block shortcuts.

• Scaffolds/hints: how much support to give.

• Output required: not just an answer, but also reasoning/explanation.

When to tweak the task:

• Too easy → increase challenge or reduce hints.

• Too hard/random guesses → reduce novelty or provide a scaffold.

• Misunderstood wording → simplify or show an example.

Layer 2 – Design Participation

Purpose: Ensure students interact in ways that surface thinking, share responsibility, and build understanding together.

Key elements:

• Group mix: diverse groups for peer learning; similar groups for focused practice.

• Roles: explainer, recorder, sceptic, presenter — plus individual accountability (e.g., reflection).

• Talk norms: ask “why?” not “is this right?” Encourage clarifications and respectful challenges.

• Time structure: allow individual struggle first, then compare solutions.

• Task distribution: same task for all (for comparison) or different tasks (to surface variety).

Layer 3 – Design the Social Surroundings

Purpose: Shape classroom culture so failure feels useful, not discouraging.

Key elements:

• Teacher stance: facilitator, not answer-giver. Ask questions and value partial ideas.

• Norms: normalise mistakes, revision, and peer learning.

• Feedback: during struggle, give only gentle hints; after struggle, provide structured teaching.

• Whole-class wrap-up: compare solutions and connect them to formal knowledge.

• Assessment style: low-stakes, formative checks — not high-pressure grading.

Teacher moves:

• If students hide mistakes → discuss openly why mistakes help.

• If students use irrelevant strategies → pre-teach one tool or reduce complexity.

• If everyone finishes too easily → increase novelty or demand justification.

Swati Tripathi
Sunbeam Gramin School

Thinking of all the teachers - personal and professional

Brewing Knowledge Friday
This week, I am thinking of all the teachers who show up every Friday evening to read together. We were just a handful this week. Some of them joined us from a small village near Dehradun, and some from Delhi. Kamala Mukunda's book opens up a whole array of concepts, challenges your notions and draws you in. When some of these teachers ask and question, I like to think they care, not just about the child but themselves. Questioning is active thinking in comparison to going with the habitual form of thinking. 

Lunch outing!
At my lunch with Sandeep Sir this week, I felt inspired after our conversation about teacher agency and teacher identity. I was thinking of how this space of more teachers can be a space for all of us to find refuge in each other. In sharing our questions, we are committing the act of vulnerability in small form. It will take some time for the collegiality to build here, but the effort has started in that direction. Kamala Mukunda's book is a small gift to the community of teachers, offering a deeper understanding of the body and mind in human life. We can be informed in our pedagogies and reenact the curriculum, knowing how the child learns, instead of succumbing to old practices. 

We ended the reading session with some reflection writing and drawing. The above picture, hand-drawn by Reena (Principal at Arthur Foot Academy), captures her happiness around her students, seeing them smile and learning alongside them. Manisha, the teacher, wrote, "The smiles and nods of my students give me confidence while teaching. Their positive response motivates me to share knowledge with greater enthusiasm and dedication." 

Minakshi Prasad sent this-

All of them are people who have homes, personal lives, fears, joy, desires, dreams, and they choose to teach. Teaching involves presenting the whole person in front of a classroom, who is constantly watched, imitated, and looked up to. More support is needed for the teaching community, and they must find their own voice because it matters. This community of readers and teachers is just a small way of showing our acknowledgment.

Nilashi Mangal
The Teachers Academy
Learning Forward India Foundation

Designing the Social Surround: Creating Safe Spaces for Productive Failure

The Masterclass conducted on 20th September continued our journey through Productive Failure, with a focus on Chapter 7: Designing for Others. Having explored tasks and participation in earlier sessions, this time we shifted our attention to the outermost layer: the Social Surround.

The Social Surround is not just about the physical classroom—it’s about the emotional and psychological culture that allows learners to thrive. It determines whether students feel safe to speak up, share half-formed ideas, or take risks without fear of being judged.

What We Explored

We began by revisiting the three interconnected layers of Productive Failure:

• Task – What learners are asked to do.

• Participation – How learners engage with the task.

• Social Surround – The cultural environment that makes exploration possible.

Participants reflected on their own classrooms, noting how fear of being wrong often silences students. This simple but powerful observation led us to ask: How can we create environments where mistakes are not punished but celebrated as part of learning?

Psychological Safety in Learning

We discussed psychological safety, a concept first introduced by Carl Rogers and later popularised by Amy Edmondson in organizational learning.

In classrooms, psychological safety means learners feel included, valued, and unafraid to take risks. When this culture is present, even “imperfect” ideas can spark rich discussion—showing that learning often begins at the edge of mistakes.

Two Strategies for Designing the Social Surround

1. Re-norming
Reset classroom expectations so that effort, diverse ideas, and reasoning are valued—not just quick, correct answers. For instance, in a science class, instead of praising only the group that got the “right” result, we can also highlight those who tried bold approaches, asked deeper questions, or learned from experiments that “failed.”

2. Mind-setting
Help learners develop a growth mindset. Encourage them to see intelligence as something that grows with effort and mistakes as natural stepping stones to mastery.

Closing Reflections

The session ended with a challenge for educators:

Reset one classroom norm. 

• Change how you respond to a wrong answer.

• Set expectations for group work differently.

• Celebrate effort and exploration, not just outcomes.

Even small shifts in norms can begin to transform the classroom culture.

What’s Next

We will continue our journey with Productive Failure on 27th September, moving into the next chapter: Designing for Self.

Until then—keep growing, keep learning, and as always—stay happy and blessed.

Gurdeep Kaur

Session Host and The Teachers Academy faculty member

Building Confidence in Speaking - Shalu Sharma

Building Confidence in Speaking - posted by by Manisha Khanna

Children learn best when they are given the freedom to choose and express themselves. It was observed that during the activity, participation was very high. The children enjoyed receiving stars and tokens, which motivated them to share their answers eagerly. They spoke more, tried using different words, and seemed happier and more confident

Shalu Sharma 

Sunbeam School Bhagwanpur

Do learners work alone or together in small groups? - Swati Tripathi

Learners can benefit from both individual and group work, depending on the learning goals and objectives.

a) Individual Work:

- Promotes deep, focused processing and metacognition

- Builds automaticity and fluency for basic skills

- Facilitates reliable assessment of individual learners

b) Group Work:

- Produces elaboration and multiple perspectives

- Enables distributed cognition and complex problem-solving

- Develops communication, collaboration, and social problem-solving skills

When to Use Each:

- Individual work for:

    - Remembering and understanding basic concepts

    - Building foundational skills

    - Assessing individual knowledge

- Group work for:

    - Applying, analysing, synthesising, and evaluating complex information

    - Developing teamwork, leadership, and communication skills

    - Encouraging creativity and social learning

Designing Effective Tasks:

- Consider complexity, positive interdependence, and accountability

- Use scaffolds like worked examples, sentence starters, and graphic organisers

- Assign roles and rotate them regularly

Assessment Approaches:

- Formative: exit slips, quizzes, and teacher observation

- Summative: group artefacts and individual tests/portfolios

- Use rubrics to assess content understanding and collaboration skills

By intentionally combining individual and group work, teachers can leverage the strengths of both approaches to support learner growth and development.

How do we facilitate their problem-solving process 

We facilitate problem-solving by structuring the process, modelling strategies, scaffolding with prompts, encouraging collaboration, and guiding reflection.

Without removing the productive struggle that fosters growth in learners.

Swati Tripathi 

Sunbeam Gramin School

Using Productive Failure for Team Collaboration in School Events: Experiences from Sunbeam English Bhagwanpur - Aysha Bhoomi

Using Productive Failure for Team Collaboration in School Events: Experiences from Sunbeam English Bhagwanpur

By Aysha Bhoomi 

Abstract

This research explores the application of Manu Kapur’s Productive Failure (PF) model to enhance teamwork and problem-solving in school event management at Sunbeam English Bhagwanpur. Drawing from my direct involvement in planning events such as the Annual Cultural Fest and Inter-House Debate Competition, I observed how allowing student teams to face initial challenges without immediate teacher intervention strengthened collaboration, creativity, and resilience. The paper highlights real-life examples of PF in action during event preparation, proposes a framework for integrating PF into extracurricular activities, and discusses the balance between structure and freedom for student-led teams.

1. Introduction

School events are often seen as opportunities to showcase talent, but behind the scenes, they also serve as fertile ground for building teamwork skills. Traditionally, teachers and event coordinators closely supervise each detail, ensuring that students avoid mistakes. After reading Manu Kapur’s Productive Failure: The Hidden Role of Failure in Learning and Innovation, I decided to experiment with giving students more responsibility — and more room to make mistakes — during event preparation. The aim was to see whether PF could not only boost problem-solving abilities but also deepen students’ understanding of teamwork.

2. Literature Review

Kapur (2008) defines PF as a learning design where initial unsuccessful attempts, when framed in a supportive context, lead to better understanding and performance. In teamwork contexts, PF can:

• Encourage Creative Problem-Solving: Teams generate multiple approaches before settling on the most effective one.

• Enhance Communication Skills: Members must explain and defend their ideas, even failed ones.

• Foster Resilience: Learning to recover from mistakes builds confidence and adaptability.

Research in corporate team projects shows similar patterns: teams allowed to “fail safely” in early phases produce more innovative and sustainable solutions.

3. Methodology

The PF approach was integrated into two school events:

1. Annual Cultural Fest (Senior Wing) – Student teams managed stage design, scheduling, and coordination with performers.

2. Inter-House Debate Competition (Middle School) – Teams selected topics, prepared arguments, and coordinated logistics.

For both events, I limited my role in the early stages to observation, only stepping in after initial plans were presented.

4. Findings and Discussion

4.1 The Exploration Phase

In the Cultural Fest planning, one team proposed placing decorative lights directly above the stage backdrop. A trial run revealed that the lights created shadows that made the performers’ faces less visible. Instead of immediately fixing the problem, I asked them to brainstorm solutions. In the Debate Competition, a team prepared speeches without considering time limits. During rehearsals, they exceeded their allotted time, forcing them to reorganise content under pressure.

4.2 The Consolidation Phase

After the initial setbacks, I facilitated reflection sessions: For the Cultural Fest, the team repositioned lights and added side spotlights, improving visibility. For the Debate Competition, students learned to prioritise arguments and use cue cards to stay within time.

4.3 Impact on Teamwork

In both cases, the teams reported increased trust in one another’s problem-solving abilities. Members learned to divide responsibilities more strategically and became more open to peer feedback.

5. Framework for Applying PF in School Events

Exploration — Let teams create full event plans without interference | Example: Debate team drafting speeches without time constraint reminders

Reflection — Discuss consequences of early errors | Example: Analysing why stage lights created unwanted shadows

Consolidation — Provide targeted guidance | Example: Suggest better lighting angles or time management strategies

Reinforcement — Apply improvements to the actual event | Example: Using fixed lighting during final performance

6. Challenges and Limitations

The biggest challenge was resisting the urge to correct mistakes instantly — especially when event deadlines were close. Some students initially feared criticism from peers for failed attempts, highlighting the need for a supportive culture where mistakes are seen as learning opportunities.

7. Conclusion

Applying PF to teamwork in school events at Sunbeam English Bhagwanpur fostered collaboration, creativity, and adaptability. While PF in academic lessons focuses on cognitive gains, PF in extracurricular activities adds the dimension of interpersonal skill development. With careful facilitation, this approach can transform school events into powerful learning experiences.

References

Kapur, M. (2008). Productive Failure. Cognition and Instruction, 26(3), 379–424.

Kapur, M. (2023). Productive Failure: The Hidden Role of Failure in Learning and Innovation.

Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behaviour in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.

Learning Forward Saturday

AI-generated image for representation purposes only.

Quick recap of the introductory session for Early Years and early teachers.

The session began with technical discussions about audio and video connectivity issues, followed by introductions of teachers from Vimukti Girls School and Arthur Foot Academy who shared their experiences and professional backgrounds. The group then focused on storytelling techniques for teaching young children, with participants collaborating on creating engaging stories and discussing the importance of understanding rather than writing for children. The conversation ended with discussions about creating nature tables in classrooms and exploring methods for teaching language to young children, with teachers sharing their challenges and ideas for improvement.

Next steps

• All teachers: Keep cameras on during sessions
• All teachers: Participate actively in discussions by unmuting and sharing their thoughts
• All teachers: Prepare to discuss how children in their specific age groups learn
• All teachers: Prepare short stories incorporating the current season and small animals/creatures for their kindergarten/nursery classes
• All teachers: Implement storytelling techniques in their teaching approach
• All teachers: Bring a notebook and a pen for future sessions
• Shahana: Follow up with Kanika and teachers from the satellite branch in Malvia Nagar regarding their participation
• Kanika: Ensure proper audio setup for better communication in future meetings

Summary

Teacher Introductions and School Roles

The meeting focused on introducing teachers from Vimukti Girls School and Arthur Foot Academy. Shahana, the coordinator for Vimukti Girls School, introduced several pre-primary and primary teachers, including Mamta Sharma, Priyanka, and Ekta Rawat. The teachers shared their experiences and reasons for choosing teaching as a profession. Neelashi emphasised the importance of comfort and preparation for the teachers during the meeting. The meeting also highlighted the school's role in providing education and vocational training to students from slum areas in Jaipur.

Teaching Experiences and Multi-Level Learning

The meeting focused on introducing participants and discussing their experiences working with various age groups, particularly in educational settings. Neelashi led the discussion, encouraging participants to share their experiences and introduce themselves, with several teachers, including Mamta, Rahima, and Lalitha, contributing their insights. The group discussed the importance of understanding and catering to the needs of multi-level learners in India, emphasising the use of games, repetition, and storytelling in educational settings. They also addressed technical issues related to audio and introduced additional teachers who were present but had not yet spoken.

Engaging Storytelling for Kids

Neelashi discussed storytelling techniques for teaching young children, focusing on creating engaging stories that don't require extensive preparation. She shared a story about a family of elephants, including a young elephant named Emily, who gets lost in the jungle. Through a series of events, Emily learns to navigate the jungle and eventually becomes the jungle's queen. Neelashi emphasised the importance of using simple language and incorporating interactive elements, such as songs and movements, to make the story engaging for children.

Children's Story: Elephant in the Jungle

The group discussed creating a story for children, focusing on a small animal or creature in a fictional environment. Neelashi suggested using a story about an elephant and its role in the jungle, while Priyanka and Mamta shared their ideas. The participants agreed to switch off their cameras and collaborate on developing the story, with Neelashi emphasising the importance of engaging children with the narrative.

Storytelling for Children's Understanding

Neelashi led a storytelling session with teachers, emphasising the importance of understanding rather than writing stories for children. Kanika and Manisha shared stories about children interacting with nature, teaching lessons about respecting plants and animals. Neelashi encouraged the teachers to trust children's intelligence, allowing them to understand stories without explicit explanations.

Nature Tables and Language Teaching

The group discussed creating nature tables in classrooms to help children learn through seasonal and natural elements. Neelashi assigned teachers to prepare nature tables using items such as stones, leaves, and sticks, which the children would maintain daily. Nisha raised a question about teaching grammar to young children, and Neelashi suggested exploring methods that don't rely on formal grammar rules. The teachers were asked to share their challenges and ideas for improving language teaching, with a plan to compile their thoughts and send a photo of the list to Neelashi via WhatsApp.

AI can make mistakes—review for accuracy.

Learning about cognition can help me know the child better

Proceeding with Kamala Mukunda's book had me think a lot about these concepts like 'working memory' and 'recognition memory.' As a teacher, it is fascinating that the brain develops with age and seeks new kind of stimuli, builds new information with it and processes it at a different speed with age. 

Like always, some questions haunt me- How do I make lesson plans for my students with this background knowledge now? Do I base my decisions on theoretical understanding or completely on what I see in front of me?  If I know this theory now, can I have a shortcut? Can ChatGPT make my lesson plans based on inclusivity and brain development? When teachers sit together with tea, the presence of our teacher identity, our vocation, students, their wellbeing and our wellbeing is always entering the conversation. It branches out to different things. This is what happened this week at Brewing Knowledge with our wonderful group of teachers. We read about Child Development and some teacher raised a question to the group- Where are we going wrong as teachers? In this era, we are doing this and that, having activities and what not, why is it that children are still learning less? Why are they not able to retain? Why is the memory span so low? We had a long exchange where we recognised our limitations as teachers and that we are living in times where so-called knowledge is readily available at the tip of our fingers and information is now tailored in seconds by AI, can we then still resort to the same methods of teaching like before? 

When I mull over the ideas about Child Development, I am also asking myself- Are the assessments/examinations aligned with this idea? Kamala Mukunda's book looks at you in the face with compassion because she addresses you while challenging you to a better version of yourself in the classroom. 

Brewing Knowledge can make you question how can reading online be relevant for teachers but one has to be there to know. The session does not offer a real cup of coffee but a real version of some reflection that would have gone along with it and I often come out of the session with more questions that in my head than when I entered the session. 

How important is it to know about brain development and scientific theory as a teacher?

As I sit back and enjoy my morning cup of coffee, I realise there is always so much more to know. As a teacher, do I ever know enough? Well, this Friday was one such reading session at Brewing Knowledge. The topic we read from Ms. Kamala Mukunda's book 'What Did You Ask at School Today?' was Child Development. 

I have experience in Kindergarten, primary grades, middle school, and a bit of high school. To hear the words 'brain plasticity' is one thing, but how does that inform my classroom practice and my attitude towards learning in children? I felt the most important line from that chapter we read so far was- "But information does not consist of all connections being made—it is the selectivity of connections that codes meaningful information." This line stayed with me, and I was thinking of how necessary experience can be for a child growing up. The brain is making connections, pruning, shedding and reworking these synapses. New synapses are formed based on the experiences. The classroom can be such a fertile ground for both the teacher and this child in front. This is a fertile ground, since these synapses may have implications for very young children. 

We read many theorists, such as Jean Piaget, Rousseau, and Freud, and asked ourselves, whose theory seems closer to our own assumptions about children and learning? 

This kind of reading instils a more profound sense of responsibility in us as teachers. Almost all the visible and invisible factors are most likely contributing to the brain development in the child, both at school and at home. From our small group reading circle, Shalu, our contributor teacher, posted this post-reading session- 

A child's response is influenced not only by his abilities but also by how the teacher frames the question or task.

I mean....

* The way a teacher presents a question or activity matters as much as the child's actual ability.

* If the teacher adds an energiser (like a fun activity, quick game, or surprising element), it sparks curiosity.

* That curiosity makes students wonder "What's coming next?"

* As a result, they become more active and engaged, because the task feels enjoyable and motivating.

We all would agree with her. It reminds us that nurturing reading, reflection, and relationships in the classroom, as embodied in the motto at Learning Forward India, is achievable if we are all determined. 

- Neelashi Mangal
Brewing Knowledge Friday Host

Brain Development in Children - Brewing Knowledge Friday

September 05, 2025  

ACTION ITEMS ✨

Write a weekly blog column on Brewing Knowledge, incorporating teachers' reflections from the WhatsApp chat.

Neelashi

MEETING SUMMARY ✨

To continue the "Brewing Knowledge Fridays" book discussion series, we will focus on Chapter 4 of Kamala Mukunda's book on child development.

Key Takeaways

The brain undergoes significant growth and development from birth through adolescence, with synaptic connections forming and pruning based on experiences.

Child development occurs through a combination of stage-like qualitative changes and continuous quantitative improvements in cognitive ability.

Children are not "blank slates" at birth, but come with some innate capabilities that interact with environmental experiences.

Engaging students through active listening and allowing them to share their thoughts is crucial for addressing attention-seeking behaviours.

Highlights

Brain Development in Children.

• Brain weight increases rapidly in the first year from 400g to 850g, reaching 1450g by adulthood.
• The cerebral cortex is less mature at birth, with frontal/prefrontal cortices maturing in late adolescence.
• Brain plasticity involves the formation of synaptic connections and the myelination of neurons.
• Experience-expectant plasticity: overproduction and pruning of synapses based on experiences
• Experience-dependent plasticity: formation of new synapses in response to specific experiences

Theories of Cognitive Development

• Piaget described distinct developmental stages with qualitative differences in reasoning abilities.
• Alternative view: continuous quantitative changes in processing speed, knowledge, and strategies
• Debate on whether development occurs in discrete stages or as gradual, incremental improvements
• Educational implications around concept teachability, learning readiness, and environmental stimulation

Nature vs. Nurture in Child Development

• Children are not "blank slates" - born with some innate neural circuits and abilities.s
• Significant interaction between genetics and environment from birth
• Analogy of a child's brain having an innate "operating system" to which programs are added
• Mythological tales and research support the idea of some inherited knowledge/tendency

Addressing Attention-Seeking Behaviours

• Give students opportunities to be heard and express themselves
• Allocate time to listen to students' thoughts and observations
• Use creative activities like drawing to channel students' need for attention
• Recognise potential lack of attention at home, driving classroom behaviours

The Lamps That Never Burn Out 🍵

Teachers are like candles—burning themselves so others can have light.

They guide, scold, inspire, and yes—nag a little too (all in the same period!).

And today, on Teacher’s Day, we celebrate that spirit—with flowers, speeches, and the occasional mysterious box of chocolates no one is quite sure about.

Some teachers truly shine. Their classes feel alive, their words echo for years, and their presence leaves footprints on our hearts, not just chalk dust on the board.

They are the ones who turn history into a story, maths into magic, and science into wonder. The ones who remind us that learning is not just about marks—but about curiosity, courage, and character.

It only takes one such teacher to change the course of a life.

We all remember “that one teacher” who believed in us before we believed in ourselves.

So today, when we say “Happy Teacher’s Day,” let’s mean it for all those who still dare to inspire, despite the system, the syllabus, and the stress.

Because education doesn’t thrive on numbers or ranks—it thrives on the spark of a few shining lamps who refuse to let their light go out.

To them, the true teachers, we owe more than words.

They don’t just teach lessons—they remind us how powerful one bright flame can be in a room full of shadows.

Happy Teacher’s Day. 🌟

With gratitude for the genuine lamps of learning,
— Manisha Khanna ✨

Arthur Foot Academy - A matter of sunshine on a rainy day

In the midst of heavy rains in Uttarakhand, a courageous person who drove from Dehradun to Arthur Foot Academy came along. As you enter the roads leading to the school, you're surrounded by tall trees, low trees, and other vegetation. I was happily welcomed by Ms. Minakshi Prasad and Reena, the Principal at Arthur Foot Academy. They both took me around the school to meet all the young teachers, some of whom have been with them for many years and some who have recently joined. 

Meeting all these teachers reminded me that there is a lot of joy and hope when some people choose to teach and are concerned about a child's learning. Ms. Minakshi, Ms. Reena, and I believe that all the teachers at the Academy are eager to learn and improve. They were sharing their classroom challenges with a lot of openness. Math teacher Mr. Sushil was discussing the benefits of learning by playing, and if there is even one person in the school who believes there is a way to learn like that, half our work is done. 

We discussed how, in the coming weeks, we can come together on Zoom to read and uplift ourselves as teachers, bringing the same joy to our classrooms for children. Interestingly, children with even a few chairs in a school were so hungry for learning. They had some beautiful posters up on the wall. 

Arthur Foot Academy has a significant opportunity ahead, and the time is ripe to empower teachers through collaborative learning, reading, discussion, reflection, and sharing. There is so much power in a classroom, between the space of a student and a teacher, for both. 

- Neelashi Mangal, Program and Training Lead with the Learning Forward India Foundation, you may email her at NM@LearningForward.org.in

A Home Away From Home

My stay at Fig Tree Cottage was nothing less than being at home with copious amounts of hospitality. The staff here made the stay beautiful, comfortable and inviting. Every morning, Mithlesh ji arrived with a fresh cup of coffee. These big windows offer a lush green and a small pond with lotuses about to bloom. Just a few steps away from the pond are Guava-laden trees. 

This is a privilege one receives when at Fig Tree Cottage - hospitality. The staff works harmoniously. Each morning, they prepared a homely and healthy breakfast, which is something one rarely finds when away from home. 

There are small details to the Cottage that are not to be missed - copper bottles and glasses, cleanliness in every corner, a beautiful bookshelf, and greenery in the space. It didn't feel like a work trip at all; more like a holiday with some work thrown in, all made easy by the presence of these people who ensured your stay was smooth and full of warmth. 

The staff meet you every morning with a smile! The Cottage is surrounded by some sweet little cafes, where one can always get more coffee for a change. 

Enjoy your stay at the Fig Tree Cottage in Dehradun; they are only on Instagram: www.instagram.com/fig.tree_cottage

Wamly,

Neelashi Mangal
Guest at the Fig Tree Cottage
September 2025