Simplicity and Trust - Welham Boys' School

Simplicity

What is Simplicity: Simplicity is a state of being simple (Uncomplicated or Uncompounded) *. 

How is Simplicity of things Identified: In essence, anything that is plain, natural and easy to understand is simple. Like everything in life, Simplicity is relative and depends on the recipient's views or perceptions of the recipient(s).  

The following six key attributes help in generalising criteria to identify Simplicity in any creation. 

1. Reduction (Should not contain any non-essential clutter) 

2. Organization (Should be very well organized, in appropriate sequence) 

3. Affordances (Should meet expectations of target audience) 

4. Tangibility (Should be useful/helpful) 

5. Intuitiveness (Should be self-explanatory, easy to navigate or understand) 

6. Familiarity (Should be familiar/relatable) 

Why is Simplicity Important: Simplicity focuses on what is essential and eliminates clutter. That gives time and energy back to focus on other vital things in life. In today's world, simple living has become a social responsibility. Less consumption helps eliminate waste, improves the sustainability of our planet and helps divert resources toward those who need them most. 

"Live simply so that others may simply live" - Mahatma Gandhi. 

Why is it challenging to create Simplicity:  

"I did not have time to write a short letter, so I ended up writing a long one ☺" – Mark Twain. 

All natural beings are made simple at the core. Our experiences, perceptions and environmental factors create a clutter of mind that obscures Simplicity.  

Striving for Simplicity is ultimately a matter of focus; focus on what is essential to the subject (a process being established, a topic being taught in the classroom, a product being manufactured, a software program being developed) and clearing clutter.  

Eliminating any type of clutter (Physical or Mental) requires focus and practice. Simplification involves a lot of hard work, patience and thinking. In general, the following steps help in simplifying any problem or situation:

1. Write down the problem in a language that is easy to understand 

2. Break the problem into smaller parts 

3. Engage with experts to understand complexities and eliminate them 

4. Re-Imagine the situation / Rearrange / Reorganize 

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" - Leonardo da Vinci. 

Things I will carry out in a class. 

1. Understand children's definition and perspective of Simplicity 

2. Carry out an exercise to pick a topic (e.g. How a computer works?). 

a. Explain it simplistically. Have children come up with their explanation of the topic 

b. Conduct feedback sessions.

c. Summarize learning from the exercise

Trust

What is Trust: Trust is the willingness of one party (the trustor) to become vulnerable to another party  (the trustee) on the presumption that the trustee will act in ways that benefit the trustor.  

"Trust is the new currency of our interdependent, collaborative world." - Stephen Covey. 

Why do we need Trust: Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships. We have survived and progressed as species because we can trust and reciprocate.  

By nature, every human is born trusting. As we mature, we learn to build and identify trustworthiness through our experiences and instincts.  

In all our relationships, integrity plays an essential part in trust building. Operating with integrity fosters mutual goodwill and support, which leads to an improved sense of spirit, mutual loyalty, cooperativeness, shared responsibility and resilience. All these qualities lead to more mutually satisfying and enduring relationships. 

"Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody's going to know whether you did it or not" – Oprah Winfrey. 

How to build Student-Teacher Trust: Trust and mutual respect are crucial elements in creating a positive classroom environment. Students trusting in the ability and intent of teachers can outperform their ability and progress well in studies and life in general. At the same time, teachers who believe in students' sincerity feel rewarded and are inspired to go out of their way to provide better education. 

Trust is earned by honesty, positive intent, strong competencies, and a track record of results. 

Building trust is a process which requires consistency and practice. Some of the tips to build this mutual trust and  respect are 

1. Honor each other's time, be open in giving / receiving feedback 

2. Engage students at their levels, respect their talents and interests 

3. Always accept student differences, and listen to them actively 

4. Remember to complete your commitments consistently 

"Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear" – Simon Sinek. 

Classroom Trust Building Exercise: 

1. Build class bonding – Talk about each person's family, areas of interest and hopes for the future. 

2. Make a calendar of important dates for class (including students and teachers). Celebrate important milestones/dates. Appreciate each other's company and accomplishments as a group. 

3. Conduct periodic meetings with students to review progress and provide & receive feedback 4. Conduct one or more team-building exercises with the class. **

Vandana Sahay, Monika Gupta & Neelima Parmar 

Welham Boys' School

JOL Cohort 2022

*Simplicity - as defined in Miriam Webster Dictionary
https://simpleacresblog.com/how-to-model-simplicity-for-our-kids/ 

**Classroom Trust building exercises.

Important Gift For Oneself Is Being Honest - Kavitha Devda

Courtesy: beaninspire.com

What do you mean by ‘To be honest to ourselves’?

 Why one should be honest to themselves?

 

Being honest with ourselves is actually a great thing. If we will not be honest to ourselves then how can we expect from others. When we lie to others or if we cheat them then they will not know at that time but we ourselves know the wrong thing done with them. After doing anything wrong if we regret or apologize even then it makes us feel guilty and ashamed. Though we can hide from others but cannot hide anything to ourselves. 

In life, you can cheat others by fooling them but when it comes to cheating yourself, it is quite impossible. You cannot hide anything from yourself, as your inner person will remind you of all your mistakes. We can imbibe many values in us at any age. It is never too late to do anything or anything in life. It is not difficult to say that I am honest or I never lie, but when you try to do that it still makes you feel think. 

“The most important thing is always to be honest with yourself without hesitating about things that matter a lot”

Kavitha Devda 

The Fabindia School 

kda@fabindiaschools.in

Making Mathematics Joyful - Prerna Rathod

I attended CBSE Workshop on 15th July.  The topic was “Joyful Mathematics – Creating a Culture of

Mathematics.” The host center of excellence was Dehradun and the resource person was Mr. Shiv Narayan Hari Sharma.

He started with what was the general thinking of people and students about Mathematics.  It is thought of as a boring and difficult subject. But actually Mathematics is the basic of all subjects.  To make Mathematics interesting and joyful we need to keep the following things in our mind:

1. Connect all topics we teach to our daily lives. 

2. Make our lesson plan keeping in mind the learning outcomes for the students. 

3. Use different types of aids while teaching. 

4. Keep every child in our mind and while teaching keep eye contact with all the students. This will make all students to be attentive in the classroom. 

5. Activity based projects can be given as exercises to make students understand topics. 

6. By making our own tricks to learn formulas. 

Different types of examples were given as how Mathematics is connected to our daily life like in our home we need knowledge of area and volume for decoration,  white washing, making furniture, etc. Measurements and ratios are used while preparing food items. Varieties of geometrical shapes are seen in utensils. In sports, knowledge of probability, data handling, mensuration are required. When we go shopping or do investment then percentage and interest knowledge is required. In today’s world all are using mobile phones where knowledge of numbers is essential. 

Many students have difficulty in learning formulas of Mathematics.  A teacher has to find tricks, which students can remember easily. Like in integers same sign numbers we add and different sign numbers we subtract.  This can be written as S.S.A (same sign add) and D.S.S. (different sign subtract). In this way we can create our own trick to learn formulas. 

If we follow all these things then definitely Mathematics will be joyful for all students.  No one will be afraid of Mathematics. 

Prerna Rathod

The Fabindia School

prd@fabindiaschools.in