Right vs Wrong, how do we handle teenage challenges - Part 1

Learning Forward Saturday

To read and discuss a chapter from “Wanted Back-bencher, Last-ranker Teacher,” chapter 6, Right vs Wrong.

Key Takeaways

• Proactive Intervention: Roma’s calm, immediate rescue of four intoxicated students from a dangerous club prevented harm, demonstrating decisive teacher responsibility.

• Empathetic Guidance: Roma guided the students’ safe exit with clear, empowering instructions (“Hold your head high”) rather than scolding, building trust and respect.

• Collaborative Resolution: The school’s mature response—a private meeting with only Roma and the counsellor—protected the students from intimidation and focused on support.

• AI for Professional Growth: Sandeep introduced an AI assistant to generate summaries and allow teachers to ask questions about their own contributions, promoting self-reflection.

Topics

Teacher Reflections & Context

• The session began with a reflection from Sunita Tripathi on the “Like vs. Unlike” chapter.

• Sunita’s Experience:

  • Problem: Peer pressure led to mocking, causing emotional distress among students.

  • Solution: Sunita used calm dialogue to explain the difference between joking and insulting. A class discussion and group activity on positive words transformed the atmosphere.

  • Lesson: Patience and positive guidance are crucial for helping adolescents learn from mistakes.

• Related Book Session: Sandeep promoted the Thursday 5:30 PM session for “Every Last Girl” by Safina Husain, which covers the “Educate Girls” initiative.

Chapter 6: Right vs. Wrong

• The Incident:

  • Roma received a panicked call from student Rupa.

  • Four girls (Rupa, Simmi, Supriya, Patricia) were at “Club Paradise.”

  • Simmi was heavily intoxicated (“tipsy”) from beer and a neat vodka shot.

• Roma’s Response:

  • Roma immediately drove to the club with her father, Sunil.

  • She entered the smoky, crowded club alone to find the girls.

  • She gave clear, empowering instructions for their exit: “Keep your back straight... Hold your head high.”

  • When a man grabbed Simmi, Roma, a black belt, punched him to create an escape route.

• Aftermath & Resolution:

  • The girls were driven home; Simmi stayed at Roma’s house.

  • Simmi’s home situation (separated parents, caregiver only) was revealed as a potential factor.

  • Roma informed the girls that their parents would be contacted, framing it as support rather than punishment.

  • School’s Mature Handling: The principal arranged a private meeting with only Roma and the counsellor (Uttera) to avoid intimidating the parents.

AI Assistant for Professional Development

• Sandeep introduced an AI assistant to enhance learning and professional growth.

• Functionality:

  • Provides session summaries, key takeaways, and screenshots.

  • Allows teachers to ask questions about their own contributions, promoting self-reflection.

• Purpose: To use AI for genuine learning and skill development, not for academic shortcuts.

Next Steps

• All Participants: Write a reflection on Chapter 6, focusing on how the story influenced your thinking and how you might apply its lessons in your classroom.

• All Participants: Send reflections to Manisha.

• All Participants: Join the Thursday 5:30 PM session for “Every Last Girl” if interested.

• All Participants: Use the AI assistant link (in Zoom chat) for summaries and self-reflection.

• All Participants: Join the “Saturday 3 PM” WhatsApp group via the link in the Zoom chat.

• All Participants: Attend next week’s session to continue reading Chapter 6.

FATHOM AI-generated notes.

Freedom & Peace - Penta BHIS

                                                   

             FREEDOM                         &                                  PEACE

                                               
“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.” -----Malcolm X

In a class of 25, the teacher looks at each students’ skills - reading, writing and listening, emotional and academic abilities. She then puts her energies to nurture and nourish them. Some students in the class are good at academics and some are strong emotionally. In a peaceful classroom, every student has the freedom to express himself/herself without being judged. Everyone enjoys the freedom of expression, but not the freedom to hurt or ridicule. Freedom entails responsibility – this is exemplified by the teacher.

A young class is always energetic and raring to go. However, Saanvi is quiet in her ways, never

giving in to be a part of her playful and noisy peers. Saanvi never shows agitation or adds to any chaos that claims the class during breaks or P.E. classes. She is always poised and composed. The teacher watches out for her personality traits. Is Saanvi shy? An introvert? Incapable of holding her own in an argument? Does she have difficulty in expressing herself? Thankfully, the answers are in the negative. In today’s World of widespread commotion and one-upmanship, Saanvi does not want to steal anyone’s thunder. She awaits her turn, quietly helps others and does not crave for acknowledgement. If appreciated, she looks contented, and chirps a polite ‘Thank you, Miss.’
No teacher can find anything to complain about a child who is so composed and considerate to others. On the PTM day, the teacher wants to find out more about Saanvi. Is she so troubled that she has nothing to say?

During the PTM, the lobby and the class are crowded with parents. Every parent, while awaiting their turn, is talking. Soon the conversation of adults assumes a rising crescendo. Most parents do not take the trouble of keeping their phones on the silent mode. Adding to the cacophony, are the numerous ringtones as are the loud instructions to domestic help or the formal talk given to a colleague at the other end. Of course, no teacher has the wherewithal to step into this space to rein in the disturbance. In spite of their surroundings, a couple continues to wait patiently. Their phones do not ring for anyone to hear, they do not complain about a fellow parent breaking the queue or compare children’s performances loudly. When it is their turn to meet the teacher, they begin with a smile and a compliment to her.

During the conversation, they smile at each other and the teacher a lot, appreciate the work of the teachers and discuss areas of improvement to make their child a better human being. Needless to say, the teacher recognizes them as Saanvi’s parents. The apple has not fallen far from the tree. Often parents forget that their children carry their implicit attributes to the outside world.



The teacher could see that PEACE was a state of mind, irrespective of one’s surroundings.
In a classroom where a teacher teaches and students learn, there are some days when students teach, and the teachers learn.

Every year when students get promoted to a higher class, there is a state of anxiety in the students and parents with regard to the new teacher and how he/she will be. But as the school reopens and days pass by, the teacher begins to know the class well. It is when the student has the freedom to express and knows that he/she would be heard and cared for in any situation, does the classroom acquire a sense of contentment, even peace.

Saanvi taught her teacher “Do not let the behaviour of others destroy your inner peace.” (The Dalai Lama)
Without this peace, a sense of freedom is not possible.

Penta @ Billabong International High School, Thane

- Jeeji Sanjeev, Sanika Joshi, Arpita M.G., Muskaan Menda, Radhika Anand, Supriya Naravankar & Bhavani Swamy.