Happiness & Tolerance - Rajvinder Kaur

Dealing with an unhappy student in a classroom:

In the early years, children should learn that learning is fun and that mastering academic challenges is thrilling. At this age, they are very open to whatever is going on in the classroom and at school. And, an instructor, who can bring together the twin threads of learning and play, and do it in a happy, loving way, will be very successful. 

I, being a Kindergarten teacher, would like to share my experience of dealing with an unhappy student. 

When the student got admitted to the school, he didn’t want to come. He didn’t feel happy in the school environment as it was a new experience for him. He was so attached to his parents that he used to cry in the morning when his mom came to drop him off at school; even his mom was not willing to leave him. I tried everything possible to engage him but a couple of times the parents took him back with them in the morning.  

Then I counselled his mom that until she would not be ready to leave her child, he would not adapt to the school environment, as he was facing all this for the first time. And, eventually, it worked. She started dropping him at the entrance. Though he was crying and unhappy for a couple of days, when I made him sit in the class with other little companions, he started enjoying himself with his new friends. He loved the dance and physical activity classes. To see him in all smiles was a feeling of great satisfaction for me.

Dealing with an intolerant student in a classroom:

It would be very unfair to categorize a Kindergarten student as an intolerant student. They are in a grooming stage so in my opinion we as educators/mothers should deal with them with all patience, love and care. They come to school leaving their family where they enjoy complete freedom. There might be some children who are highly pampered by their parents, so they may carry the same feeling to school, but we need to make them understand everything in a playful manner. 

We should keep in mind that they are learning everything from the grassroots level. So, to make them understand about certain things is not a difficult task. We just need to incorporate some joyful techniques and these little ones agree to what we want them to learn. 

Advice to educators to inculcate these values in their students-

My advice to the educators is to deal with the students with utmost patience and a positive mindset. Teachers must lend an ear to each and every student because ‘Every student is important’. Listening habits should be promoted and each student should be given a chance to speak. The educators should praise the efforts of a child. This motivates and encourages a child to do his best. 

Rajvinder Kaur 

Kamla Nehru Public School, Phagwara

Unity and Caring - Chandralekha Negi

As kids, we're told to hold a discussion on the topic ‘Unity and Care’. First, they wanted to know why I was discussing these values. After getting a satisfactory answer that it is for their emotional and mental development, they came up with their thoughts and ideas.

Some say Unity gives strength and power, while some emphasise unity comes only when we care for each other. Some discussed  unity in Dorm while some discussed more unity seen in school inter- house matches or inter-school matches. Some agreed that unity leads to caring, while some argued that caring coming before unity. They could relate to the Statue of Unity being put up in Gujarat. For everyone’s awareness, it is the statue of Sardar Vallbhai Patel. The unity of the Nation shown by that man has led to the formation of a large country like India by combining more than five hundred princely states.

As a teacher, I made them understand that caring is one factor that leads us to be together, as we have confidence and faith that during tough times that person or group will be there to lean back upon. If one is unwell, he will be looked after by others. I further explained unity is an essential value towards building a successful institution and eventually a better nation. 

School and family settings have always been perfect for teaching all the important values in a child's life, including peace, love, and care. Unity represents togetherness. Therefore, it is standing together for every thick and thin matter.

Students were attentive and listened carefully to both the values and their relationship with each other. I emphasized that the families to communities and societies are glued by showing empathy, love, kindness, care, etc., towards one another. This enables us to forge bonds and sustain them. Caring starts from a very early age as you care for your pets, younger siblings, plants. It is a lifelong process and rewards in a profound way. Caring for birds and nature has its own impact. I explained the significance of Unity by telling them that staying united is good for our growth and the nation’s development. This is also good for the family in the particular and all-around development of children. When we work together, we are motivated and encouraged to work harder. Also, we push each other to accomplish the goals.

The children were very enthusiastic during the discussion. And they agreed that caring is truly the basis for Unity. Be it caring done in our own houses to caring for the community.

Chandralekha Negi

The Doon Girls' School

Hope and Friendship - Dynamic DGS

Hope is the oxygen of the heart and soul, and thus the essence of life and our entire planet thrives on it, for it's like a prism through which we see a spectrum of optimism. Positive thoughts may be the possibility of a key to a closed-door or another open door! We, as mentors, are a beacon of hope for our students; a hope that keeps us all positive in a confusing world so full of negativity; a hope of getting better at everything each day. Similarly, mentors too hope that all their efforts put into their students will be recognised and appreciated. 

Hope motivates us to persevere and keep moving forward despite the many obstacles we may face during our journey. "Whispering hope, o how welcome thy voice, making my heart in its sorrow rejoice." Where there is hope, there is a beautiful relationship, and that is friendship. The language of friendship is not words but meanings.

Our friends teach us to be patient with each other, try new hobbies, and a friend gives hope when life is low. That is why it's a great fortune to have a good and understanding friend. Friendship gets a whole new meaning in boarding schools, as the bond, we share with our friends is the purest form of friendship, where we learn to share, care and accept each other for who we are. Hope rekindles the flame of bonding through friendship in boarding schools by accepting our friends as family. In life, I was once told that if you make even one true friend, you are a fortunate person. We cannot choose our family, but we can definitely choose our friends. This gives us the hope to feel comfortable, especially in a boarding school, without our family being present.

So hope and friendship go beautifully hand in hand. Fostering hope in our lives is important for our mental and emotional health.

मन मे आशा दृढ़ है कुछ अच्छा होने की ।

पल पल जीवन की कसौटी पर खरा उतरने  की ।

नये सपनों को पंख लगाये,नभ मे उड़ने की।

उम्मीदों  को पूरा कर, सच्चाई से जुड़ने की।

मन मे आशा दृढ़ है कुछ अच्छा होने की।

आशाओं और उम्मीदों से ही बना है सार्थक जीवन।

नई  रोशनी की आभा से पुलकित होता है मन।

क्या है जीवन की सच्चाई, क्यू हर पल एक चुनौती है?

उम्मीदों से ही है खुशियों का मतलब।

जो जीवन का दामन थामे आगे बढ़ती जाती है।

मन मे आशा दृढ़ है कुछ अच्छा होने की।

पल पल जीवन की कसौटी पर खरा उतरने की।।

Dynamic DGS @ The Doon Girls’ School, Dehradun - Reena Gusain , Reah Sikand, Meenakshi Panwar, Shilpika Pandey, Rachna Bhardwaj & Sumali Devgan