Freedom and Peace: Arya RPKM

FREEDOM

Q. When you were a student, what were the 3 most critical instances where you felt that more freedom at your disposal would have allowed you to realize your goals /potential in a better way? Do you think any of those circumstances exist even today?

A. 3 instances where I felt that more freedom would have allowed me to achieve my goals in a better way are mentioned below- 

INSTANCE 1 

A few years back when I was in college studying Fashion Designing, I was given an assignment. The assignment was to prepare a range of garments inspired by Jaipur’s heritage. But just cause I couldn’t join my friends on the Jaipur trip as I had to manage secondary data. While others researched everything by visiting the places and meeting the people, I just searched everything on Google and did my assignment. Since I couldn’t go to Jaipur due to some family reasons, my assignment was affected and so were my marks. 

INSTANCE 2 

After completing my post-graduation, I got a job offer from a well-known fashion brand. The only problem was that they wanted me to shift to Mumbai. But I didn’t have the freedom to shift to Mumbai because that was the year 2021 i.e.; my parents didn't allow me due to increasing Covid 11 virus cases. I lost a great job opportunity which could have been my career’s turning point. 

INSTANCE 3 

It was the 2015-16 academic year of my school, I was in class 12th. I was in my school basketball team. There was a state-level tournament in Delhi. Because my preboards were coming next month, my teacher suggested I stay back and work on my academic results rather than attending the tournament. There I had to choose between the two most important one-time opportunities of my life. I still wish I had the freedom to grasp both of them.

Talking about the present, no such instances occur now. Even if in future any such circumstances happen, I am sure to handle the situation more wisely so that I won’t have any regrets later.

PEACE

Q. What is it about human behaviour, according to you, that causes people to give up peace and adopt violence?

Human behaviour leading to the adoption of violence is often influenced by various factors, including socio-economic conditions, cultural norms, and personal experiences. Individuals may resort to violence as a means of expressing frustration, asserting power, or dealing with perceived threats.

In classrooms, fostering a peaceful environment involves addressing multiple dimensions. Firstly, educators can incorporate conflict resolution and emotional intelligence training into the curriculum. This equips students with skills to manage conflicts peacefully and empathize with others. 

Moreover, promoting open dialogue and understanding diverse perspectives can reduce misunderstandings that may escalate into violence. Creating a safe space where students feel heard and respected contributes to a positive classroom culture.

Additionally, teaching subjects that emphasize critical thinking and ethical decision-making can empower students to make choices that contribute to a peaceful society. Encouraging collaboration over competition and instilling values of tolerance and empathy can further shape individuals prioritising peace over violence.

In essence, a comprehensive approach within classrooms that combines education on conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and ethical decision-making can play a crucial role in shaping peace-loving individuals.

From 

Arya @ RPK School Moradabad

Dhiraj Gupta, Naina Soni, Rekha Kapoor, Suman Singh, Sandeep Negi, Naushaba Sami and Isha Sharma.

Appreciation and Humility- Prakriti RPKM

Image by pikisuperstar on Freepik

Appreciation: How did we conduct the activity? 

An activity was conducted in the class on appreciation. The names of all the students were written on small slips of paper and kept in a bowl. Students were called individually and asked to pick one slip from the bowl. The students had to speak a few lines of appreciation or a few lines about some good qualities for the student whose name slip they had picked. Each student had to speak at least 4-5 lines for each student. 

Initial responses from students:- 

The students initially took time to understand the activity and were given time to prepare themselves. Students very thoughtfully recalled their behaviour with them, other classmates and with the teachers. 

After one or two students had spoken, the rest of the students gained confidence and developed an interest in the activity. Students shared their views freely which led to enthusiasm and excitement among students to hear about them because, in today’s world, everybody likes to be appreciated and praised. 

Our role in the activity:- 

• We as mentors encouraged the students to participate in the activity. 
• We helped the students with vocabulary where they were stuck and found it difficult to express themselves. 
• Some students in the class are shy and have a fear of speaking in public so they need extra counselling and motivation. 
• During the activities, it is essential to maintain decorum and discipline in the class in order to carry out the activity effectively.

Impact on Children:- 

In these times it is very easy to criticise and find mistakes in others, when it comes to praising and appreciating others then it seems to be the most difficult task. Students struggled initially but by the end of the activity they enjoyed and seemed to be quite confident about their performances. 

Students got to know each other even better and appreciated each other which created an atmosphere of positivity and unity among the class. Students got to experience how it feels when we appreciate others, they experienced the feeling of happiness and contentment after conducting the activity. 

What did we learn as teachers? 

We as teachers learned that we should emphasise the positive attributes of life rather than discussing the negative ones only. We should encourage students to focus on the positive and lighter side of life. 

Humility  

Humility is the state of being " Humble ". It is a moral value that highlights the feeling of not being superior to other human beings and treating others with sensitivity.  

A humble person is patient enough to listen to others' thoughts and consider their opinions as well. Humility is the essence of peace and harmony as it allows us to lead a happy life free from the shackles of negativity and chaotic minds. 

How we conducted the Activity:-  

We have conducted a role-play activity in such a way so that students can understand the difference between the character of a proud and a humble person. We divided the students into groups of four students and gave each of them a role to play. 

Few students were given roles that lacked humility such as a Cruel master, Proud king, stubborn princess, overconfident and proud hare etc. and few students were given the roles of humble people such as Wise farmer, kind prince, humble tortoise etc.  

Initial Responses from students:-  

Based on the knowledge we shared with our students, they started giving examples of the acts of humility that they experience in their daily lives and prepared dialogues for the role-play activity. 

Teacher's role and contribution:-  

 We educated our students on the topic of Humility through story-telling and helped them understand the behaviour of the roles given to them. 

Impact on students:-  

Students understood the topic and enjoyed the activity. They not only understood the importance of Humility but also the importance of teamwork.  

Takeaways for the Teachers:-  

The zeal and enthusiasm of the children to learn and practice the moral values in their lives was mesmerizing. We learned that one should always stay humble enough to learn new things in life. 

Prakriti @RPK Moradabad, India

Dhiraj Gupta, Naina Soni, Rekha Kapoor, Suman Singh, Naushaba Sami, Isha Sharma

Outdoor Learning: Remastered

“The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky” - Margaret McMillan 

I didn’t grow up in a house with much “screen time”.  My sister and I were encouraged to be outdoors as much as possible, and we never had a video gaming system. We didn’t mind. We enjoyed being outside. At the time, I never considered the things I learned while playing in the woods or backyard. I was too busy building forts, collecting leaves, and making mud and stick “soup” for my parents. In retrospect, however, I can see that there was a lot of education happening in my backyard.  Beyond the health benefits of daily exercise, we were learning valuable skills for life.

Children today spend on average 8-10 hours per day on electronic media screens. They are fixed to these screens and then lose out on the benefits of the library all around us. The library that this open World provides us with. Many researchers have claimed that hearing about things in a specific classroom environment is not as memorable as experiences something in its natural environment. Outdoor education contributes immensely to personal growth and social awareness which is the basic aim of successful schooling. It also develops skills for the actual life outside the walls of classroom. Along with that, there is a great deal of enjoyment, fun and amazement in the participation in outdoor activities. A glance at the autobiography of Helen Keller provides us with ample evidence of this. A deaf and blind child was educated with great success when her teacher Sullivan decided to take recourse to the great trove of educational treasure that we consider the outdoors to be. 

Anyone who has seen the impact that learning and playing outdoors has on children, knows how powerful such experiences can be. Play is essential for children’s healthy development, which means it’s an essential part of every day. Learning outdoors, or ‘learning by doing’ creates lasting memories, helps build a greater awareness of the environment, provides more opportunities to think independently, and gets children feeling challenged and excited by learning. Children are more active when they play outdoors; it is essential for their healthy development and enjoyment of childhood.

Some Benefits of Outdoor School are:

• Better grades: students' cognitive abilities are better developed outside the classroom than in
• Better health: as young people spend less of their lives in natural surroundings, their senses narrow and we deny them access to a fundamental part of their humanity
• Decreased stress levels
• Increased motivation
• Better attitude towards environment
• Increased team work
• Enhance communication skills
• Community improvement
• Education is most effective when paired with experience
• Knowledge ought to be used to benefit others.
• Positive feelings and memories around school and the outdoors

It can be safely summarised that a holistic approach to education can never be considered to be complete until and unless we include the great library that exists outside our window. The rote learning that has come to mean schooling and thus education itself, won’t be enough to create the building blocks for the future society. What Mark Twain has aptly stated can be considered as a testimony to the same - "Never let your schooling stand in the way of your education."

~ Ms. Rajeshree Shihag is the Principal of The Fabindia School. Her email address is principal@fabindiaschools.in