Thoughtful Thursday - Poetry Session (03/13/2025)

My Good School · Thoughtful Thursday 12-03-2025

Quick recap

The meeting focused on incorporating poetry and music into upcoming sessions, discussing the benefits of learning poetry, and exploring various poetic forms and devices. Participants shared insights on the symbolism of colors, the importance of nature in poetry, and the connection between poetry and music in different cultures. The session concluded with administrative matters, including certification requirements and plans for publishing poetry on their platforms.

Next steps

• Brinda is to share the poem "Regeneration" by Anne Ramsey with the group for all to read.

• Manisha is to have her daughter Sia share her poem "When the Scythe Descends" for potential publication in the weekly newsletter.

• Teachers to submit poetry for publication on the Happy Teachers Blog.

• Teachers, interns, and fellows to attend 20-25 hours of sessions per year and submit 5 submissions for certification.

• Attendees should sign up at www.gsi.in to receive the weekly Good Schools of India Journal via email.

• Teachers will share content from the sessions with their students for music and art appreciation.

Summary

Upcoming Sessions and Process Improvements

In the meeting, Sandeep, Isha, Nishita, and Brinda discussed the upcoming sessions and improvements to the process. Sandeep mentioned that they plan to incorporate music and poetry in their sessions starting in April, and on Fridays, they will combine reading and art. They also discussed the importance of registration for their sessions to ensure the right people attend. Brinda mentioned having a bad throat and cough but was excited about the upcoming sessions.

Exploring Poetry and Music Connections

In the meeting, Brinda discussed the progression from narratives to ballads and then to odes, a form of poetry often lyrical and set to music. She used the example of "Ode to the Nightingale" and "Ode to Aggression" to illustrate the tribute nature of odes. Brinda also mentioned the possibility of connecting poetry sessions with music sessions, as Jatin would be discussing Western Music. She then read an ode to the color red, explaining the symbolism and meanings associated with the color throughout history.

Exploring the Significance of Red

Brinda discussed the significance of red and its importance in various cultures. She emphasized the simplicity and beauty of the poem, highlighting the rhyme scheme and the poet's ability to convey complex thoughts straightforwardly. Brinda also touched upon the appreciation of poetry, suggesting that readers should focus on the rhythm, sound, and overall appeal rather than individual word meanings. She encouraged the team to share their thoughts and reflections on the discussed topics.

Poetry's Impact on Memory and Imagination

In the meeting, Minakshi and Brinda discussed the importance of learning poetry and its impact on memory and imagination. Brinda highlighted the benefits of learning poetry by heart, especially for Alzheimer's patients, and how it can help retain information. She also introduced the concept of poetic devices, emphasizing imagery in poetry. Nishita shared her experience using these concepts in her class, where students could vividly imagine and create artwork based on the poems. The conversation ended with discussing how to make poetry more engaging for children.

Palash Symbolism and Cherry Blossom Festivals

Sandeep and Brinda discussed the symbolism of the palash, or flame of the forest, and the ode to red or crimson. Brinda shared her experience of seeing many palash trees in bloom on her way to school and how they reminded her of the ode. They also discussed the celebration of cherry blossoms in Japan and wondered why similar festivals are not held for other flowers in India. Minakshi added that nature celebrates all these flowers in different seasons and that they should be celebrated in words as well.

Exploring Spring in Bengali Literature

Sandeep discussed the connection between poetry, music, and the ancient Indian music system, emphasizing the importance of imagination and exploration for teachers. Brinda and Pushpita shared their thoughts on celebrating seasons and flowers in Bengali literature, with Pushpita reading a poem about spring. The group agreed on spring's beauty and evocative nature and the importance of exploring and appreciating its emotions.

Poetry Session and Housekeeping Discussion

The poetry session concludes with Brinda reading an extract from Walt Whitman's preface to "Leaves of Grass." Sandeep discusses housekeeping matters, including hosting future sessions on Soundcloud and focusing Thursday and Friday sessions on teachers, interns, and fellows. He also outlines requirements for certification, involving attendance and submissions. A student named Sia attempts to share her poem but experiences technical difficulties. The group discusses publishing poetry on the Happy Teachers Blog and in their weekly newsletter. The session ends with expressions of gratitude and holiday wishes.

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Love Learning Vs Hate Learning - Khalid Zafar

A student’s bond with their teacher plays a crucial role in shaping their attitude toward learning. When a child feels connected, they approach learning with curiosity and enthusiasm. But when there is a disconnect, learning becomes a burden, and the classroom turns into a place of struggle rather than growth.    

As a teacher, I have witnessed both sides of this spectrum. There are students who eagerly participate, not just because they love the subject, but because they feel seen and valued by their teacher. On the other hand, there are students who withdraw, who struggle not because they lack intelligence, but because they feel unheard, unnoticed, or unmotivated.  

In my early teaching years, I believed that content mastery alone could make me an effective teacher. However, I soon realized that a teacher's ability to build relationships with students is just as important as delivering knowledge. When a student feels emotionally disconnected, their ability to grasp even the simplest concepts diminishes.  

I have seen students who initially showed no interest in learning but transformed once they found a teacher who understood them. A struggling student does not always need extra homework or stricter discipline; sometimes, they simply need someone who listens, encourages, and believes in them. A simple conversation, a word of appreciation, or a small gesture of support can bridge the gap between a student and their learning journey.  

As teachers, we must ensure that our classrooms are places of connection, where students feel safe to ask questions, make mistakes, and grow. The true success of teaching is not just in covering the syllabus but in ensuring that no child feels left behind. When a student connects with their teacher, learning becomes an exciting adventure rather than a chore. And in that connection lies the real magic of education.

Khalid Zafar 

Sunbeam Suncity 

Humility and Appreciation - Aadhya RPKM

Topic- Humility 

Activity- Students were asked to prepare worksheets for any teacher whom he/she has hurt, admitting his /her mistake and apologizing for the same.

Student's response- Students put their feelings in writing and acknowledge their mistakes:

• I'm sorry for _____________________
• In the future I will_________________
• Will you please forgive me? __________________
• Teacher's Response - ____________________________

Teacher's  role:

1. Ask students to accept their faults and express their sincere regrets.

2. Ask students to forgive the apologizer and move on.

3. Teach students to learn from their mistakes.

Impact on students:-

1. It teaches students to put others before themselves and encourages them to be better learners and problem solvers.

2. It helps them to build strong relationships.

3. Facilitate the ability to learn from mistakes.

4. Encourage personal growth.

Teacher's learning:- If we want our children to learn, we must in return enter the classroom as learners.

Topic - Appreciation

Exercise - Ask students to think of something they are grateful for and express their thanks to someone who has made a positive impact on their life and thank you notes for their classmates and teachers.

Student's response-

• Some students were thankful to their friends for adding colour and fun to their lives. Some students were thankful to their teachers who inspired them and added value to their lives.
• Some students were thankful to their parents or family for taking care of them and giving good upbringing.

Teacher's role:- As a teacher, I share stories of my personal life about to whom I am thankful and about positive effects on our behaviour and attitude.

Impact on Students:-

1. Trained their needs to focus on the positive aspects of their life and build a habit of appreciation.

2. Create a powerful and positive effect on them.

Teacher's learning:-

1. A positive attitude creates positivity and changes the environment and life.

Aadhya @RPK Moradabad

Deepa Khanna, Rachna Bisht, Asma, Farida, Sushma, Kulmeet, Krishangi.

Humility and Appreciation - Saumya RPKM

  

Humility:

Humility is freedom from pride or arrogance. It is the quality or state of being humble. Humility makes people better thinkers and learners, it also makes the person's patience level high.

Humility is exhibited by respectful behaviour towards others. A humble person does not think they are superior to others. That’s why we should make our future generation learn humility.  

Activity:  

To develop the quality of humility in students, we conducted an activity called "Humility Scavenger Hunt"- After giving a lecture on humility, the children had a solid understanding of the topic and its importance in life. We encouraged them to look for incidents of humility in action. The humility scavenger hunt included real-life situations at school, in the neighbourhood or at home. We also included books, our children read or television and movies they had watched. We got the opportunity to discuss behaviour and actions, talking about what people or characters did and the outcome of their humble actions. 

A) Initial responses from students:  

Each student has tried his best by taking part in this activity. They have given happy and healthy responses as they shared their life experience of humility and being humble with others. Sharing their experiences and stories they showed satisfaction and happiness too. 

B) Your role/ contribution: 

As educators, we played a key role in this activity, where we tried to develop the power of humility in our future generation. We tried to make sure that the students see themselves and each other as beautiful human beings who welcome each other's opinions, insights and questions. 

C) Impact on students:  

This activity has made them more open to other people's views. In other words, students were feeling happy (safe) to engage in a discussion in which they shared their experiences with others. It helped them to look beyond the praise and attention of others and focus on learning and personal improvement through realistic views of the self and the situation. 

D) Takeaway/Learning for you: 

Humility is a powerful trait that is often overlooked in our fast-paced, success-driven world. As educators we learnt the role of humility in personal growth, the ability to handle failure, and the impact of humility in the workplace, including improved leadership, teamwork and the ability to handle conflict. 

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. 

Saumya @ RPK School Moradabad

Rashmi Wright, Ekta Sharma, Rajni Gupta, Shafali Johri, Asha Singh, Beena Singh, Nidhi Narula

Humility and Appreciation - Welham Boys's School

Humility begins with accepting who we are and what makes us human. As a result, you gain control over your attitude and outlook.

Appreciation is giving something or someone their proper value, and everybody has value.

We practice Humility and Appreciate in our day-to-day lives unknowingly. Consciously, there have been instances where I have tried to incorporate these virtues in the classroom.

One evening, I heard my students crying in the hostel. I was curious to know what had happened that led them to be so upset. So, I asked a few questions and discovered that it was one of the student’s birthdays, and these kids were sent back from the ceremony due to the shortage of cake pieces. So, I decided to discuss it in the classroom the following day. It was essential to address this issue.

As I walked into the class, I wished that student “happy birthday” and asked why I wasn’t invited to the cake-cutting ceremony. That’s when a few other students got up from their seats and said since there was a small cake, even they were uninvited after being invited. As soon as I learned that, I spoke to the birthday boy and explained the importance of a guest and that they should be treated respectfully. 

One should never be uninvited once invited. The student nodded and learnt a new life lesson as he said he felt terrible about doing it. Suddenly, another student got up from his chair, recalling when one of his classmates had given his share of the cake to him when there was a shortage of another piece. I made the whole class stand up and clap for the kid, making a point to appreciate him for the hidden virtue of humility. 

These two incidents strongly impacted the kids and taught them humility and appreciation. This completely changed the perspective of that student whose complaints had no limits. He was one of the naughtiest, most mischievous and troublesome kids. I took away a lesson of never judging a book by its cover. This accurately shows humility, appreciation, and how unnoticeable these virtues are.

- Neelima Parmar, Monika Gupta and Vandana Sahay

Welham Boys’ School

Humility and Appreciation - Ruchi Chaudhary

How many times have you avoided an arrogant person? Whether it be the kid in kindergarten who boasts about his toys, or the coworker that never seems to accept any advice, I’m sure you’ve never been in a rush to collaborate with those solely and blatantly concerned about themselves over others. Naturally, individuals want to collaborate with others who will listen, respect, and value their input. Applying humility to your own life opens up the opportune door of collaboration!  

Activity: 

I ask my students to greet everyone, say ‘Thank you’, and ‘Please’. Similarly, teaching them to apologise and say ‘Sorry’ when their actions hurt another person is essential. Helping them understand how apologising is a form of giving respect. Teaching them to accept a compliment genuinely. If they are appreciated for the smallest of their work, like handwriting, ask them to get the praise with a ‘Thank you’ and say something they like about the other person. 

Lesson on Humility  

Humility cannot be imposed. It is important not to confuse humiliation, bullying and beating down with education in humility. When you put humility in your own life, you immediately set yourself up to inspire others — that’s a special gift. So, it’s time to start practising humility! 

Appreciation  

Students, especially those in high school, face enormous pressure to succeed. Add to that hormonal and physical changes and non-stop digital media streams — students can lose sight of the good things in their lives.   

When was the last time you took a moment to appreciate the students around you, not for what they’ve learned, accomplished or done for you, but just for being in your life?  

In my recent class, 9 B, most of the students are average in their studies, but they all are different in their everyday behaviour. They are well-behaved, disciplined, and always follow the teacher’s direction; after getting appreciation from almost every subject teacher, they are improving their grades too, which happened because of the power of appreciation.  

Ruchi Chaudhary 

Mussoorie Public School  

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

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 - 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

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

Courage and Patience - Nitin Sharma

1. A fearful student:

“Fear is a fundamental human emotion that can help us protect from danger and prepare us to take action. 

Here I would like to share the story of Sujal, who joined the school three years back. He used to sit at the last desk in the class. He was not very comfortable sharing his response with the teachers. After noticing, I met Sujal’s mother in this context a month later. After meeting them, I learned that in his previous school, in his class, 55 students were there, and no personal attention was paid. Sujal used to sit on the last seat and also had a short vision. His math teacher was very harsh and used to run the syllabus fast. Sujal had never matched his speed, so he kept lagging behind. His work remained incomplete, and he even got corporal punishment from the teacher. He kept telling his parents that he would no longer go to school. So, his parents decided to change his school. His mother burst into tears after narrating this incident, and also, the whole scene of corporal punishment was running before my eyes. I promised to help this child the best I could and requested my colleagues support him in overcoming his fear. 

2. An impatient student: 

Patience is not the ability to wait but to keep the right attitude while waiting. In today’s scenario, students quickly lose their patience in the classroom. Here I would like to share the story of one such student Manya of class VII, a very restless and outspoken girl. Her response in the class was good. Manya was in the habit of passing the comments on to others whenever reading was done in the classroom. She used to intervene by saying that she would do the reading alone and not give a chance to other students. Even though she was in the habit of disturbing the teacher in the class by passing small comments like this boy is saying this and that to me. Thus, the whole teaching environment in the class was disturbed by her. Many students in the class had written a letter regarding her behaviour and requested to take action against her. One day I called Manya and gave chances to others. She was responsible for class monitoring and helping the weak students to come ahead. 

How did/will you deal with the student? If it was a real-life situation, were they successfully helping him/her overcome their problem?

Yes, it was a real-life situation in both cases. To help the fearful children, the following steps were taken:

1. All subject teachers were requested to hand holding, that is, to give sufficient time to complete their work. 

2. Buddy was assigned 

3. More exposure was given (involvement in the activities) 

4. Good appreciation was given even for small response 

To help the impatient child:

1. More responsibilities were assigned, such as helping other students. 

2. Some actions of teamwork were assigned. 

Advice:

Courage and patience are very essential values not only in teachers but in our life also. These two values will help us to attain our teaching goals. As we know, patience usually wins in the end. A student needs to be courageous enough, and a teacher must be patient for effective teaching. 

Ms Nitin Sharma 

Kamla Nehru Public School, 

Phagwara 

JOL Cohort 2022