GSA Learning Forward Retreat for Teachers

Good evening, Team!

This is my very first - and more to come - Retreat that has taken me back to my childhood, when I missed the opportunity to explore reading and to create a global persona and identity in me, as my parents only focused on me following the curriculum books, and reading books outside the syllabus was considered neglecting our studies by both parents and school (schools giving just one session in a week which hardly create an environment to read or develop curosity).

In my adult life, many times the thought came to me that now is the time to go back to the books and start nurturing my inner self, who wants to gather knowledge about everything, but again, the responsibility and nature of neglect that we developed as adults made me distance myself from reading books, and that incompleteness in me still follows.

New Perspective

Today, after attending the Retreat, I found a reason to be encouraged and to encourage my students to read at my school.

Keys to unlock yourself so you can become a better facilitator (Teacher). As written on the board at the Learning Forward Foundation office, “You are the one who can fill the world with Sunshine.” 

I want to become a better version of myself as a facilitator who works on 4S: Service and Skill. Sports & Study. Where every school, staff, and student is engaged in the above activities so we can provide equality and passion to the work that we can do as a good school with these elements.

Promoting the Culture of My Good School

A good school brings a platform for students to enter into an ecosystem where students focus on personal and social growth, and we, the school, the teacher, and the community, should provide a pathway for them to achieve it. 

The education system needs to offer students an environment to explore beyond the classroom; no student should be left behind, so we need to create alternative assessment and marking schemes.

Lead to Read

To be an exceptional educator, we have to make sure that our students and we think and process brainstorming in ways that lead to developing understanding and to creating their own versions of thoughts, ideas, and concepts. In the era of AI we are in today, we are all relying on AI to do our intellectual work, and we are all losing originality.

We need to read to better understand complex concepts and strengthen our knowledge. Hence, we perform effectively and become better listeners, providers, and empathetic humans who can accept change and diversity of opinion, and develop an understanding that every child is different. We do not need to try to fit them into a frame of the syllabus or curriculum, so we can create individuals who are better citizens holds their own perception of an identity with spiritual awakening, decision making, which leads them into good health, divers Intelect with reasons, amazing communicator who build solid relations empower others, take care of mother nature and give back to the society in terms of their services.  

My deepest regards and warm thanks to Sandeep Sir, Kunal, and the entire GSA for providing me with an opportunity to unwind, reflect on education, and release my strength as an educator and explore how I can create new, better, and visionary possibilities for myself, the school, and students. 

Thanks

Ritika Chauhan

PYDS Learning Academy