Shifting from Competition to Cooperation

Masterclass with Sandeep Dutt

Reading The Courage To Be Happy by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

To explore the book’s core argument: shifting from competition to cooperation.

Key Takeaways

• Praise is manipulation, not support. It creates a vertical, dictatorial relationship where the praiser judges the praised, fostering competition for approval.

• Competition is a “disease” that makes others enemies. It corrupts goals, leading to unfair tactics and a focus on defeating rivals instead of achieving personal bests.

• The solution is cooperation, built on “community feeling.” This inherent human need for connection stems from our physical weakness, which forces us to cooperate to survive.

• Problem behaviour is a symptom of a sick system, not a bad individual. The focus must shift from treating the individual to fixing the competitive environment.

Topics

The Problem: Praise & Competition

• The book argues against praise as a manipulative tool that creates a vertical, dictatorial relationship.

  • Example: A teacher’s praise (“It’s changed my opinion of you”) was a judgment from above that belittled the student’s full potential.

• This praise-based system fosters competition for the leader’s favour, turning peers into enemies.

  • Analogy: A marathon where the goal shifts from finishing to defeating rivals, leading to “gamesmanship” and unfair conduct.

The Solution: Cooperation & Community Feeling

• The alternative is a democratic classroom built on cooperation and “horizontal relationships.”

  • Horizontal relationships: All people are equal, regardless of ability or achievement.

  • Goal: See others as comrades, not rivals.

• This model treats problem behaviour as a symptom of a sick environment, not a bad individual.

  • Analogy: A classroom with “pneumonia” (competition) needs a systemic cure, not just individual treatment.

• The foundation for this cooperation is “community feeling”—an inherent human need for connection.

  • This need stems from our physical weakness, which forces us to cooperate to survive.

  • Conclusion: Our civilisation and power are direct results of our weakness, making cooperation a fundamental principle of life.

Next Steps

• Sandeep Dutt: Continue reading the book on April 11 at the My Good School Retreat in Jaipur.

• Manisha Khanna & Jugjiv Sir: Lead Sunday School on April 5 at 10:30 AM, reading “The Whistling School Boy” (Ruskin Bond) and “What You Are Looking For Is In The Library.”

• Shalini: Read the “Youth” part in the next session on April 11.

 FATHOM AI-generated summary, read with care.

War to Peace: Transforming Classroom Conflicts into Learning Opportunities - Sunbeam School Ballia

The topic “War and Peace in the Classroom” helped me understand that small conflicts and disagreements in the classroom are normal and can become good learning opportunities. As teachers, we should handle such situations with patience, calmness, and understanding. Instead of getting angry, we should guide students to talk politely and solve their problems in a peaceful way.

A friendly and respectful classroom environment makes students feel safe, happy, and ready to learn. Encouraging peace, cooperation, and self-control in the classroom is very important for effective learning and for building strong relationships among students.
Neha Pandey

The session on “War and Peace in the Classroom” was very meaningful and thought-provoking. It made me realise that disagreements and conflicts among students are a natural part of the classroom environment. As a teacher, it is important to deal with such situations with patience, understanding, and a calm attitude. Rather than reacting with anger, we should encourage students to talk to each other and resolve their issues in a peaceful way.

The session also emphasised the value of empathy and mutual respect in maintaining harmony in the classroom. When the classroom atmosphere is peaceful and supportive, students feel secure, valued, and more willing to participate in learning. This positive environment also promotes better cooperation among students. Overall, the session inspired me to work towards building a more caring, respectful, and positive classroom culture.
Ritu Rai

Classroom clashes are normal, and that's okay! The topic taught me to turn these moments into opportunities for children to learn. As teachers, we should stay patient, calm, and understanding. Instead of losing our cool, we should guide students to talk nicely and sort things out peacefully. When the classroom environment is friendly and respectful, children feel safe and happy, and that is when effective learning happens. Peace, teamwork, and self-control are the key elements.

We just need to handle them with care, patience, and a calm attitude.
Ekata Singh

The session on “War and Peace in the Classroom” was a real game-changer for me. It made me realize that conflicts are a natural part of the learning process, and it is how we handle them that matters. Instead of just scolding or ignoring, we should teach children how to communicate effectively and find peaceful resolutions. Emotional intelligence, cooperation, and empathy are just as crucial as academics. This approach has inspired me to create a more supportive and inclusive classroom environment where students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings. I am excited to implement these strategies and see the positive impact they bring.
Jyoti Mishra

The topic “War and Peace in the Classroom” was very insightful. It helped me understand that conflicts among students are natural in a classroom. As teachers, we should handle such situations with patience and calmness. Instead of scolding, we should guide students to communicate and solve problems peacefully. The session highlighted the importance of empathy and understanding. A peaceful classroom environment helps students feel safe and respected. It also improves learning and cooperation among students. This session motivated me to create a more positive and supportive classroom.
Jyoti Pandey

The session on “War and Peace in the Classroom” was very insightful. The session also highlighted the importance of empathy and mutual respect in maintaining harmony in the classroom. When the classroom atmosphere is peaceful and supportive, students feel safe, valued, and more willing to participate in learning. Such a positive environment also encourages cooperation and understanding among students. Overall, the session inspired me to work towards building a more caring, respectful, and positive classroom culture where every child feels heard and supported.
Sunita Gupta

The session on “War and Peace in the Classroom” was very meaningful for me, through which I learned how to handle children with love. We cannot pacify children by scaring them. A child learns more from love than from fear.
I believe that if children are making noise in the classroom and are unable to control themselves, I use a signal that I introduced to them from the beginning (the Silence sign). The children become quiet as soon as they see the Silence sign. Secondly, I tell them a story related to them, which they listen to very attentively.

Children make noise only when they are not engaged or not enjoying the work they are doing. I do not believe that a class should ever be taught in a boring manner. We should always keep children engaged.
Adya Anpurna

Unity and Caring - Welham Boys' School

Unity and Caring amongst students are essential for creating a positive learning environment. When

students feel connected and have a sense of belonging, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their studies. It also promotes empathy and compassion, which can help reduce bullying and other negative behaviours. Encouraging students to work together and support one another can foster a spirit of cooperation and teamwork. This can be achieved through peer mentoring, group projects, and community service. By prioritizing unity and caring, students can develop strong relationships with their peers, feel valued and supported, and ultimately thrive academically.

Exercise: Human Knot

Ask students to stand in a circle and hold hands with two people not standing next to them. Instruct the students to move around and untangle the knot without letting go of each other's hands. Encourage them to communicate with each other, work together, and be patient until the knot is

untangled.

Observations:

a) Initial Responses: At the start of the exercise, some students may feel hesitant or unsure about holding hands with people they don't know well. They may also need help approaching the problem of untangling the knot.

b) Contribution: As the teacher or facilitator, you can provide guidance and encouragement throughout the exercise. You can remind the students to communicate effectively, work together, and stay patient. You can also offer suggestions and help to keep the movement moving along.

c) Impact on Students: The Human Knot exercise can positively impact students in several ways. Firstly, it promotes teamwork and collaboration, as students need to work together to solve problems. It also encourages communication and trust-building, as students must rely on each other to untangle the knot. Finally, the exercise can help to build a sense of unity and caring as students come together to achieve a common goal.

d)Takeaways: Some possible takeaways from the Human Knot exercise include:

The importance of communication and teamwork in achieving a goal.
The value of patience and perseverance in difficult situations.
The benefits of building trust and working together towards a common purpose.
The idea is that unity and caring can be fostered through shared experiences and challenges.

Incident: An incident took place amongst the students that can be seen as a learning or takeaway

from this exercise.

While playing soccer, one kid (let's call him kid 1) kicked the ball a little too hard, and another kid (let's call him kid 2) ended up hurting his arm. Kid 1 took Kid 2 to the hospital, and the arm was fractured. Kid 2's grandparents had come to take him for medical leave, and kid 1, along with some other friends, helped him pack, change and carry all his stuff for him. The grandparents were overwhelmed to see his peers' caring, united and helpful nature.

- Neelima Parmar, Monika Gupta and Vandana Sahay

Welham Boys’ School

Responsibility and Cooperation - Sukhpreet Kaur

Responsibility and Cooperation are two sides of a coin in cooperative learning. The art of responsibility and cooperation is an ongoing journey for children, all the way into adulthood. Learning to cooperate with respect is an important skill to master, helping children develop good relationships at home and school. Successful collaboration requires students to be respectful, caring, honest, thoughtful, reflective and open-minded. 

Cooperation isn't limited to work, rather it has its roots in every action of a person. Coming together and following a common goal needs cooperation and so cooperation is one of the human resources a man has.

Schools play an important role in teaching children responsibility. By instilling a sense of order and encouraging students to be accountable for their actions, schools help children understand the importance of taking responsibility for their own lives. Through classroom rules and expectations, as well as extracurricular activities and school-wide programs, children learn how to manage their time, set goals, and follow through on commitments. As they progress through their education, children who learn responsibility in school are more likely to become responsible adults.

Responsibility is a key character trait that we focus on every year. How do we teach responsibility? Here are several key ways to focus on student responsibility. There are a ton of little things in my classroom that need to be done on a daily basis.  I give students the responsibility of some of these small tasks, like filing papers, sharpening pencils, and straightening up our library. Spread table mats for each other before lunch break. Peer learning groups-help in sharing the responsibility. 

As Benjamin Franklin once said:

“Tell me and I forget.

Teach me and I remember.

Involve me and I learn”

Learning through cooperation is an instructional method in which students work in small groups to accomplish a common learning goal under the guidance of the teacher. Teacher or facilitator will set a goal and make groups. Students can discuss a question or topic, and then share with the whole class. Teachers often refer to this strategy as “think-pair-share”. Teachers who plan cooperative lessons often make groups of 4 . Students are assigned roles within the group so that they can divide and conquer the learning task at hand. For example, the reporter is responsible for sharing out the new learnings of the task. Often groups are divided into mixed skill groups. This can help students who struggle to have higher-level students mixed with lower-level students so that peer learning and coaching is incorporated. All of the mentioned techniques require planning and coordination on the part of the teacher.

As an enthusiastic teacher, all I wish my students 

• work together for a common goal

• learn to trust others through successful teamwork and collaboration

• increase their social development and interactions

• communicate their needs and listen to the needs of others

• think about the perspectives of others and show empathy

• Work through conflict with others to achieve a successful resolution

Teamwork activities always encourage one to hone their skills to work in a cooperative manner with respect.

Sukhpreet Kaur
Gyanshree School

Responsibility and Cooperation - Ruchi Chaudhary

Responsibility is essential because it can help build bonds with teachers and classmates and shows leadership that you are a valuable student. 

Teachers value children who exhibit responsibility because they know they can trust you to complete tasks on time and submit high-calibre work. Responsible Teachers and students usually establish schedules and set priorities to ensure they can discover the best ways to multi-task day after day.

I always encourage my students by saying that focus on becoming more responsible, so they can experience unparalleled growth. It Is often said that your thoughts become your actions. But without taking responsibility for your life, those thoughts often just stay on that mental stage and aren't translated into action.

Use simple words to explain responsibility - for example, you can tell your students that a duty they are expected to do on their own without being told is a responsibility, like completing everyday tasks or keeping their belongings in order. Also, teach them that responsibility and consequences go hand in hand. For example, let's assume it is the responsibility of a child to Maintain discipline in class. If he/she maintains it regularly, they learn a great virtue of life. 

Learning Cooperation is necessary for a child's social and emotional development. Being able to work together with others to reach a goal or overcome a challenge will set a child up for future success.

As an Activity In-Charge, I planned such activities where students complete their tasks by cooperating with each other. Recently we had many Interhouse activities like board decoration, Quizzes, skits, Sports activities etc. Through those activities, children learn how to cooperate and understand its value.

Through Cooperation, members of the group are not only rewarded based on the success of the entire group but are also individually accountable for their own work. The task or activity is structured in a way that requires the input and participation of every group member. As a result, all of the group members learn from each other.

Ruchi Chaudhary 

Mussoorie Public School Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Responsibilty and Cooperation - Shalini Solanki

Responsibility is an essential value as it makes us more focused, goal-oriented, confident and accountable. One cannot succeed without having this quality. It makes a person sorted, away from chaos. Even in challenging situations, a responsible person knows how to stay calm and deal with them. They invest more time in finding solutions and fixing mistakes instead of blaming the time, situation and others. Responsible people motivate not only themselves but also everyone around them.

Making students responsible in school:

Students learn values not by reading, listening or talking about them but by experiencing an environment where they get to live them. Teachers are critical in every student’s life; their teachers are always right and know everything. 

I remember an instance in my class from this session. Children used to keep their other subject books/ notebooks every morning on my table in a very casual manner that would scatter the entire table (I sometimes had to remind them to keep the books on my table). I would then bifurcate them according to different subjects and keep them in the designated cupboards. My students observed for a few days and got an idea of being responsible for their own things. They gradually started keeping the books, not on my table but in the cupboard in the most organised manner without reminding them. Now, they clean their own table before each period or go out of the class for any activity. They saw, they learned.

Cooperation Culture:

Shalini Solanki

Gyanshree School
Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Responsibility and Cooperation - Preeti Mahajan

Responsibility

Taking responsibility is a commitment to your own life, self-leadership, growth and freedom.

Being responsible is an indispensable trait. Each step we take towards being responsible helps to raise our self-esteem and relationships with everyone around us. Being responsible pays enormous dividends. Responsibility is an ethical concept that refers to every individual's obligations and duties to society. As educators, we are responsible for instilling this virtue in our children.

Responsibility at school

 • Completion of class work and homework

 • time management

 • participation in learning activities.

 • attending classes and the school regularly

 • preparation for the exam.

Responsibility at home

 • Helping parents with household chores.

 • making their beds. 

 • making their small meals. 

 • laying the table.

 • cleaning the room or house.

 • saving money.

 • save water /electricity.

Being an awakened citizen, one must have a responsibility toward society also.

 • Saving natural resources

save electricity, fuel, water 

 • extending help to the poor and needy

 • protection of women, education of children

 • Helping elders and senior citizens.

Cooperation

Cooperation is always more potent than the competition. Great discoveries and improvements involve the cooperation of many minds. Cooperation is the ability to work effectively and respectfully with diverse people or teams and value the opinions and contributions of every individual.

Cooperation makes a group, organisation or country attain their goals in a better way.

The following activities can be done in the classes to instil the virtue of cooperation among the children.

 • Jig saw puzzles 

 • class board decoration

 • weaving a story 

 • role play

Ms Preeti Mahajan
Ahlcon Public School
Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Responsibility and Cooperation - Nitin Sharma

"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." ― George Bernard Shaw. 

Responsibility is accepting that you are the cause and the solution to the matter. Responsibility is one of our character traits, which means that a person can respond to his action, take on some duties, and face the inevitable consequences of an activity that may occur. Responsibility is something every person should cultivate in himself. It should become a part of our personality. When you are responsible, it is easier to gain the respect of your people, and you get a decent place in our society.

Responsibility is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings. Our children will not become responsible unless they have a responsibility, like everything else that starts at home. The foremost goal of teaching is to make them successful adults who contribute to society. Try to indulge your children in everything you do. Make them feel that their opinion is valued. When your children do something, praise their efforts. It will motivate them to do better.

How can you teach your students to be responsible in school, at home and outside? Give at least two examples in each case.

Children learn what they see, so be extra careful of your actions in front of them. Responsible teachers raise responsible citizens. By teaching your students to be responsible in the classrooms, you are also teaching them to be responsible at home and in their communities. In the class, discuss the various duties to be performed by the students at school. Each student can be assigned a job: note down the names of the uniform defaulters or turn off the lights and fans when everyone leaves the classroom.

At home, I'm responsible for packing my school bag, putting the books and notebooks according to the timetable and for the lunch box. Teach him that while coming back from school, you have to keep your shoes in the proper place and ensure that homework has been done sincerely.

We can guide to fulfilling the social responsibilities as a student like:

Keep the surroundings clean, and put the litter and put it in the bin. To keep a check on reducing energy and water consumption. Whenever they attend any function, such as a wedding, not to waste food and only take the desired amount.

How strong is the culture of cooperation in your classroom?

As a coordinator of class IX and X after Covid, it is noticed that students need to be more cooperative in their classrooms as for a long time they were alone at their home and some values of being cooperative in the class they have forgotten. Whenever a new student is there in the class, there is one buddy for that student for a week or more than that who takes care of that new student and guides him regarding the rules and regulations of the school. In the class, during lunch break, students share their food items. 

Many events and school functions allow students to collaborate and coordinate, through which students imbibe the very spirit of teamwork. Ms Nitin Sharma Kamla Nehru Public School, Phagwara JOL Cohort 2022

Responsibility and Cooperation - Arav Agarwal

Lesson - Responsibility and Cooperation on 13.08.2022

Responsibility

Responsibility is response + ability, which means our ability to respond in any situation. When we make children or adults aware of the responsibility, our ability to respond becomes empowering as it gives us choice and freedom to respond with love, patience and kindness. Just understanding the simple meaning of responsibility will help to take self-ownership.

Activities to carry out in the classroom

ü  Telling students to write and reflect on their achievements, mistakes and failures. I think this will help the students to know themselves better, and also, they will see that they have a choice to act more responsibly. Also, giving appreciation stars or remarks on the classroom appreciation board to students who take self-ownership and do their work responsibly will motivate them.

“Every privilege comes with a responsibility. If you don’t take the responsibility, you will lose the privilege.” - Sadguru.

Cooperation

Cooperation is working together to achieve a common goal or result. Cooperation brings harmony, understanding and team spirit. I think cooperation makes work more accessible and better as everyone works together using their strengths and skills to achieve the best results for the team.

Activities to carry out in the classroom

 ü  Classroom is the best place to teach cooperation. Giving students group projects and team quizzes for assessment and playing sports teaches the value of cooperation as the team members who cooperate most succeed.

“Cooperation is the thorough conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there.” – Virginia Burden.

The connection between Responsibility and Cooperation - Responsibility and cooperation go hand in hand. Cooperation becomes easy if we know we can respond to any situation or activity and not react.

Cricket or any team sport is where we can see how responsibility and cooperation together can make the players win. Cricket requires players to play responsibly and cooperate with team members to win the match.

When we responsibly cooperate, we create harmony and balance in society.

Name: Arav Agarwal
Grade: 6A
Billabong High International School, Thane

Responsibility and Cooperation - Anvesha Rana

Responsibility and Cooperation go hand in hand and are the two fundamental pillars of any classroom. A classroom always bursting with creativity, energy, and innovativeness is an uncontrollable power in need of the right master, a teacher. A class is a team; after all, it is a group of young learners who connect with each other to create something new and then critically analyze what could be done better; they take responsibility for their actions in case something is done wrong and then empathize with others to only cooperate more.  

Responsibility is accountability for owning up to your things and words, whether they were correct or incorrect. We are held responsible for others and for ourselves. Responsibility is the ability to respond and not react; it is to calmly anchor the ship without blaming others and by simply sharing the credit. Trust is perhaps the most crucial aspect of being responsible. Unless and until you are not accountable, you will never be trustworthy. 

We can teach students responsibility by assigning group tasks where each child needs to contribute. In my class, we often need to do group presentations on different topics, so we split the subtopics among ourselves. This way, all the bases are covered, and we can go in-depth about each subtopic; plus, all the members in the group are equally working. So, responsibility can be ignited in a team set up by simply doing what you are supposed to do. 

When someone is not responsible, rather than punishing them, we should make them realize and reflect upon the consequences of their actions so that they can empathize with others and never repeat the same mistake. If they were in a team and didn't prepare their part, the entire team would suffer because the team trusted them enough to hand over a task, but they broke the group's trust by not doing what was supposed to be done. How will he feel if that group member is asked to imagine himself in a similar situation where he is ready with his part, but a fellow team member has not prepared anything? 

When many young learners brainstorm upon a topic, it yields better results than when they work alone; this is Cooperation. It teaches us to trust, friendship and responsibility. When we cooperate with someone, we will only build trust, and once we build trust, we will be friends who will be trustworthy enough to be responsible. 

Our strength lies in our unity, and unity lies in our diversity. Imagine if we were all the same. How monotonous it would be, but our differences are what bring us closer. Close enough to respect others, learn from others and cooperate with others to achieve a common goal. 

Responsibility and Cooperation both arise from love and passion. If we love our education and are passionate about our profession, then only passion will meet education. Our Responsibility and Cooperation lie in loving what we do. 

Anvesha Rana, 

Grade 10-B, 

Gyanshree School. 

Responsibility and Cooperation - Rishona Chopra

Responsibility is vital in a classroom, not only for students but for teachers too. Responsibility is taking ownership of one's actions. It is to accept your mistake and to help around and work hard. Responsibility is accepting that you are the cause and the solution to the problem. When we take up a responsibility, we should take it with total commitment and honesty. We shouldn't have a responsibility to others but to ourselves too.

At my earlier school, we did an activity, in fact, not an activity but a daily exercise. Every day, after lunch, we had to clean the class. We got duties of dusting, sweeping and mopping. Whoever finished their duty would get to play outside. This taught us responsibility; my favourite task was to mop the floor. If you try it once, you'll realize it's fun to mop the floor, unlike sweeping. Even cleaning the bathroom is a cool duty, well, only if it's a small one!

Cooperation is also an essential aspect of classroom work. Cooperation is the heart of teamwork. As Bob Proctor said, "Cooperation is always more powerful than the competition". Cooperation is working happily in a team and adjusting with others. It is when you help someone not caring about yourself and putting their needs before yours. For example, if you have a friend who needs immediate help and you have to go to a party, you could adjust and go to the party a little late and help your friend instead.

Giving a teamwork duty is perhaps the best way to practice Cooperation in the classroom. In any activity, thoughts often don't match and break into fights and complaints, but with a bit of Cooperation, the work can be done beautifully. A teacher must display an example of responsibility and Cooperation, and students slowly learn.

Responsibility and Cooperation are deeply connected. These are the core values that one needs to work in a team. There is no cooperation if there is no responsibility.

Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Simplicity and Trust - Jaspreet Kaur

                                            Simplicity and Trust

Simplicity is living a life that is less hectic and shallow. When you understand Simplicity, you begin to have an appreciation for things you may not have noticed in the past. The little things in life become significant because they create some of the biggest joys.

By living a simple life and focusing on the things that matter, you're almost guaranteed to be happier. Without the distractions, noise, and stress brought upon us by cluttered surroundings, too much technology, processed foods, and endless noise, it's easier to feel happy.

Exercise on Simplicity – 

I showed the students a picture of a garden and asked them to write a short paragraph with five senses on it.

Impact on students- 

Students imagine themselves in a garden. They also showed their creativity by making drawings along with the paragraph.

Teacher's Role- Facilitator

Trust: - assured reliance on the character

"To trust means to rely on another person because you feel safe with them and have confidence that they will not hurt or violate you". 

Exercise on Trust – 

In the English period, I taught Commands with blindfolds. One of the students came in front of the class to give commands to the blindfolded students to reach the Library from Grade IV. Although the Library was not so far, the students had trust in each other, so they got to the destination only because of trust in their classmates.

Teacher's Role-   facilitator and guide.

Impact- Each student learnt Team spirit, unity, communication skills and cooperation.

Jaspreet Kaur

Kamla Nehru Public School

Thoughtfulness and understanding - Ambika Gurung

Thoughtfulness

Essence Of Thoughtfulness

It is certainly true that an ideal classroom can only be created by a thoughtful teacher. Therefore thoughtfulness is one of the values that help us think about others feelings and let us put them before ourselves. Students are the major part of a classroom, and we teachers can inspire them to participate and learn things with their interests.

More importantly, if we want to inculcate thoughtfulness in the classroom, it can be shown via looking out for activities that encourage tools like compassion, kindness, loyalty, patience, generosity, selflessness, cooperation, discipline among the students.

As said in my class, I would like to implement these 3 tools, .i.e.

Cooperation, Selflessness and Discipline

Class cleanliness can be done, which will generate a model of cooperation. When students work together for a given task, it makes them understand the true meaning of cooperation, and this can also be done by helping out each other in their studies. They'll know about cooperation and teamwork and how to be selfless and help others without any expectation.

Creating situations for students by sharing stationary or food whenever possible, talking politely and letting others share their views first. Give them hints to act with selflessness on their own, as they follow the best from their teachers, we have to make sure they feel happy in their actions.

Giving students the responsibility of small jobs in the class like putting things in order, sharpening pencils, filling their worksheets; helps them to work systematically. Teachers should praise them for being responsible, which will motivate them to have a sense of discipline.

We can always start from a smaller perspective for all the above-mentioned tools. Practising these exercises in a school inspires students to do better with an essence of thoughtfulness in life.

Understanding

Empathy Empowers Understanding

Understanding is a core value that develops an individual's personality. Understanding gives us the power to sense different ideas, and it is built by empathy. Students need empathy to develop understanding towards the world around them, which can be inculcated through these activities:

1. An art activity on emotions after watching a video clip on stray dogs. Which will help the students to know how the dogs are surviving without any shelter. After the video, they'll draw a feeling of emotions to express themselves for those small creatures. Students may also feed at least one meal to a stray dog around their residence with the help of any of their elder family members. Later on, they'll discuss in the classroom how they felt about it.

2. Storytelling is the most interesting way to demonstrate any of the topics in a class. So, a story to the students is the best way of expressing and inbuilt empathy.

A story of homelessness and briefing about the children who are living in orphanages.

We could also visit any of the nearby orphanages for interaction and ask our students to donate their favourite toys.

3. A roleplay activity after taking them for a tour to NIEPVD will sensitize them towards differently-abled at the same time they'll be grateful for the things they have.

Students will walk 20 steps by closing their eyes and understand the difficulty of visually challenged people. And then, they can do a roleplay, where the students will show empathy and compassion for the visually challenged people.

To promote empathy in students, we can use the above activities. They'll develop a sense of better understanding others feelings by relating them with them and acting with a good heart.

Hence it's believed that students will not always do as we say, but they will always do as we do.

As teachers, we should always hear out their doubts and support them. The feeling of empathy empowers understanding among us.

- Ambica Gurung@JMMS, John Martyn Memorial School, Salangaon, Dehradun

Responsibility and Cooperation - R P Devgan

India's Test Match Series win against the Australians in Australia is one of the finest examples of Team spirit. After a debacle and humiliation in the first Test Match, the Indian players rose like the Phoenix and were applauded the world over for their grit, determination and team work. The players rose from the ashes and combined perfectly to take on their individual responsibilities and carve out an almost impossible win against all odds.This just goes to prove what responsibility and collaboration can achieve.

I have often advocated the importance of team games and group activities in schools.These  teach students to be responsible and how to learn to collaborate.

It also helps in being compassionate and considerate. It encourages trust and belief in each other. In case of defeat it gives people the strength to get  together and overcome their weaknesses.

Unfortunately today most people go for personal glory that individual Sports like Athletics,Tennis and  Shooting bring. There is nothing wrong with pursuing these sports, but only after you have participated in Team Sports while in school. Bjorn Borg in his autobiography writes that in schools students must take part in all sports.

To finally succeed in life it is important to be considerate and care for others. Selfishness and one-upmanship only leads to conflicts and ill-will. Whether it is a family, an organisation or a group of people like Educators; all need to be responsible and collaborate to live in harmony.

Educators must lead by example and inculcate the values of Responsibility and Collaboration in their wards.

Mr R P Devgan is the Chairman of Learning Forward India.

Email rpdevgan@gmail.com

www.SchoolEducation.com

Responsibility commands Cooperation- Medley DGS

“Be Responsible” is something we all have been hearing since childhood. It is one of the first few expectations laid upon us from our parents. "at-least take responsibility of your stuff" “be responsible, you are not a kid anymore” and so on, yet it takes ages to understand the simple meaning of this word. 

This year, on Teacher’s day Facebook was full of lovely messages filled with gratitude from students all across the globe for their teacher’s right from primary school to college. One of the messages was, “What I am today is because of my teacher.” It filled me with awe and respect for my profession even more. Then, suddenly a thought struck me and scared me to the core. What about the ones who are in jails, criminals who never got caught, the rapists and murderers, the corrupt bribe takers? Did none of them go to the school and if the answer is NO. Is it not true for them “What I am today is because of my teacher”? 

When I asked this to myself, I understood the meaning of responsibility. To be responsible, means to take responsibility of your words, actions, behavior, thoughts and their consequences. That means, my responsibility is not limited to my work, but its result and how this result is impacting other lives. In this sense a teacher’s actual performance will be reflected not with the success of her students but with the development of the society as a whole. But what can I do all alone? This thought put me into a pause. Which got cleared when Sugandha shared her experience, that how one child of her class influenced others.

After hearing her I remembered the famous quote of Mahatma Gandhi “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. And now I know that I just need to take the responsibility and will eventually get cooperation from others as Responsibility commands Cooperation. 

Anubhuti has beautifully captured this video which speaks for itself.

We all have our own stories of this understanding and insight, Kirti had her realization during lockdown when she thought, “it’s a matter of one or two months and after that everything will be okay then I'll be back to the school and will resume the teaching the way I was doing it before.” But when the situation became grave then she took the responsibility of teaching her students through online classes. Which initially was very difficult for her but slowly and gradually with the cooperation from everyone she handled the situation, even the kids became her support system as they too cooperated and enjoyed this new system of learning, now it's been a year that she is able to take the classes efficiently and effectively.

Rudrani realized her full potential when she took the responsibility of looking after foreign delegates during her university seminar. Overcoming her nervousness and under confidence, she not only fulfilled her responsibilities but also enjoyed doing that, and she got support and appreciation from everyone.  

Chandralekha in one of her science class divided the class into four groups and asked each group to prepare a quiz for the other three groups. This exercise became such fun among kids; they not only referred their books but also searched the internet to be creative and innovative with their questions. All the group members cooperated and came up with amazing questions. What a beautiful depiction of responsibility and cooperation shown by young children.

In Mamta’s words:-

जब व्यक्ति किसी कार्य की जिम्मेदारी ले लेता है,

तो वह अपनी उन्नति का मार्ग प्रशस्त कर लेता है।

...किंतु जब हम उत्तरदायित्व लेने में आनाकानी करते हैं,

 तो हम बस दोषारोपण तक ही सीमित रह जाते हैं ।

 

सहयोग व उत्तरदायित्व हाथ में हाथ डाले चलती है ,

इन दोनों से ही समाज को प्रगति मिलती है।

यदि हम, अध्यापक निष्क्रिय होकर बैठ जाएंगे!

तो आने वाली पीढ़ी को कैसे सद्मार्ग  पर ला पाएंगे!!

Proud to be Educators From Medley DGS at The Doon Girls' School - Anubhuti Sharma, Chandralekha Negi, Kirti Bisht, Mamta Kandpal, Neelam Waldia, Rudrani Ray and Sugandha Ahluwalia.