Like vs Unlike - Ayushi Chowdhry

Today, I want to talk about something that's really important to me, and I think to all of us: the power of "like" and "unlike". As students, we're constantly being asked to compare and contrast, to identify similarities and differences. But, have you ever stopped to think about what it means to "like" or "unlike" something?

When we say we "like" something, it's usually because it's familiar, comfortable, and easy to understand. We like things that make us feel good, that fit into our existing worldview. But, when we "unlike" something, it's often because it's unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or challenging. We unlike things that make us feel uncomfortable, that force us to question our assumptions.

As students, we're often encouraged to "like" things that are easy, straightforward, and unchallenging. We're rewarded for getting good grades, for following the rules, and for conforming to expectations. But, what about when we encounter things that are difficult, complex, and challenging? What about when we're forced to confront our own biases, prejudices, and assumptions?

That's when the power of "unlike" comes in. When we "unlike" something, it doesn't mean we reject it outright. It means we're willing to engage with it, to challenge our own assumptions, and to learn from it. It means we're willing to take risks, to step outside our comfort zones, and to explore new ideas and perspectives.

As students, we need to learn to "unlike" things, to question our assumptions, and to challenge our own biases. We need to learn to engage with difficult ideas, to confront our own discomfort, and to learn from our mistakes. Because, when we do, we open ourselves up to new possibilities, new perspectives, and new learning.

So, let's not be afraid to "unlike" things. Let's not be afraid to challenge our assumptions, to question our biases, and to engage with difficult ideas. Because, when we do, we'll discover that the power of "unlike" is not about rejecting something, but about embracing the unknown, and learning from it.

Ayushi Chowdhry

Sunbeam Bhagwanpur

Affection vs. Rejection - Ranjana Singh

It's a memory I carry vividly in my heart—a tale of contrasts that shaped who I am today. I was once a cheerful, carefree girl, full of life and dreams. But life has a way of testing us, and circumstances often mold our personalities in unexpected ways. At home, I constantly found myself being compared to my elder sister. My parents, in their quest for perfection, often criticized me, measuring me against her achievements. They scolded me for not being as good as her, and I felt invisible, yearning for their approval. 

In my desperate attempts to gain their attention, I did everything I thought might please them, but nothing seemed to work. Amidst this rejection, schools became my sanctuary. My teacher, Ms. Poonam, saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. She encouraged me, celebrated my small victories, and believed in me when I felt most unworthy. Her affection became my anchor, her words a balm to my wounded spirit. I found myself more at peace in school than at home, and her love and encouragement gave me the strength to keep moving forward. 

 With time, her unwavering support began to reflect in my actions. Slowly but surely, I improved in my studies and grew more confident. My parents, noticing the change, began to acknowledge my efforts and love me for who I was. The acceptance I had longed for finally came, but the scars of childhood rejection remained. Even today, the pain of those early experiences lingers, a bittersweet reminder of how deeply rejection can wound a child’s heart. Yet, it is Ms. Poonam’s affection that I remember most vividly—the affection that empowered me to overcome my sadness and embrace my potential. As a teacher now, I strive to emulate her in every way. 

I know there are children out there who, like me, feel the sting of rejection in their lives. I strongly believe that affection can surpass rejection and that a kind word or a gentle hand can transform lives. I make it my mission to offer the same love and encouragement to my students that Ms. Poonam gave me. Through my journey, I’ve learned that affection is the antidote to rejection, a powerful force that can heal even the deepest wounds. We all have the power to offer this gift to others, and in doing so, we create a world where everyone feels seen, valued, and loved. 

 

Ranjana Singh 

Sunbeam School Varuna

Fear Vs Courage - Sunbeam School Indiranagar

It was time for the prayer meeting. Riya, Kushagra and Samarth were all going to speak on their topics. Kushagra and Riya were very excited about their topic but Samarth was a little scared and worried. He would read his topic again and again and then start getting a little nervous. Everyone spoke about their topics one by one and now it was Samarth's turn. As soon as he held the mike, he became completely blank as if he did not know what to say. Seeing this, his class teacher came close to him and explained to him that son, you start your topic with a greeting, you can do it and I am with you, an effort is necessary to learn dear, no one is perfect in one go. But for perfection one has to start and try again and again, so you take a deep breath and speak about your topics. Samarth gathered some courage and started speaking. 

Whenever he forgot, his class teacher tried to remind him. In this way Samarth completed his topic. After the prayer meeting, his class teacher asked Samarth in the class how he was feeling now. Samarth smiled and said, thank you! Ma’am, for helping me. Some children's skills emerge with basic knowledge but some children who are introverts have to make a little effort to display their skills. For this, teachers and parents should keep encouraging the children without getting disappointed. Some children take time to display their skills and when they start performing, they do amazing because gradually their confidence starts to strengthen. Therefore, instead of giving negative feedback to the children, they should be encouraged to do better by telling them 'what good they did'.

Shalini Tiwari
Chandrani Singh
Shilpi Chakraborty
Vijeta Wilson
Sunbeam School Indiranagar Varanasi

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

Here's How Can We Teach Kids Compassion - Pinkee Chouhan

We all want our children to be kind and have compassion in their minds.  But the biggest question here is how to teach compassion, kindness to the child.  Children develop different levels of empathy at different ages.  Compassion and kindness require the development of heart for human behaviour.  We should keep talking to the children on this subject continuously. 

The thing about children is that if they see kindness and compassion in our behaviour, they will behave the same way.  We will have to make many efforts for the development of sympathy.  Take the help of children to take care of any sick animal or bird.  Teach them to show empathy.  Encourage children to help someone in need.  Explain to the child why we should be sympathetic towards others.  If any classmate of the child is sick or injured, some person is poor or needy, some person is old or disabled, some animal is ill or hungry, then encourage the child to help, which will develop empathy and compassion.  And feelings of kindness will be infused in him.

The best way for kids to learn compassion is through watching models of this behaviour. Their teachers, parents, and other adults need to behave this way for children to see it as valuable and find approval in copying it. Finding compassion in moments of adversity is a skill that all adults should be working on mastering. The future generation depends on it.

Pinkee Chauhan

The FabIndia School

pco@fabindiaschools.in

Thoughtfulness and understanding - Neelam Bhardwaj

Thoughtfulness

Thoughtfulness is acting with thought and good sense. An important component of thoughtfulness is showing concern.

The 3 tools that can be used in the classroom to inculcate thoughtfulness about the right things among the students.

1. Be a helping hand

Being helpful means doing all it takes to care for others, be it your family, friends or community. It is a gesture of showing concern out of kindness. There are many ways children can be taught to be helpful. Children repeat words and actions they admire hence the best way to teach students to be helpful is by example. Children want to be involved. The teacher should start encouraging them to find ways to help others. Get along with the students and ask them to help in rearranging the tables and chairs, put up the charts in the classroom, emptying the dustbins, and put them in proper places. Do some activities in the classroom to stimulate creativity and get everyone involved in active ways. The children learn and begin to help others.

2. Celebration of togetherness

We live in a country with diversity. Students come from different religious backgrounds and cultures. Every culture and religion has its own faiths and beliefs, and the children should be taught to respect every religion. The best way to learn about other cultures is by celebrating the festivals together. Celebrating or talking about other religions allows the students to appreciate and respect others' faith. It is the best way to make them understand the fact that all religions spread peace and respect. Students come together to celebrate the festivals in the school. In this way, they become thoughtful and kind towards everyone without any kind of discrimination.

3. Get to know each other

Every student is different. Still, they all are equal in the eyes of a teacher. Children come from different backgrounds. To understand the students better, a teacher needs to spend individual time and communicate with the students. It helps to develop an awareness of students' challenges and needs. In this way, a teacher can help the students. When the teacher and the students have a better understanding, they build trust. Every individual feels genuinely valued for who they are and what they contribute as a unique individual.

Understanding

Understanding is the agreement of opinions or feelings. It's the adjustment of differences. To be understanding towards the world around you, you need to develop empathy.

Here is one of the many classroom activities that can be performed to encourage empathy among the students.

Circle Time

Kindness is a natural human response that doesn't need much encouragement. However, it is something that should be practised regularly. Kindness and empathy can be taught in the classroom.

Circle time is one of the activities that can be conducted in the classroom to encourage understanding of the world to the children.

This activity can be performed in the classroom or outside on the ground. Ask the students to sit in a circle. Every child should have a paper and pen where they have to write.

Someone you helped on  that day

Somebody helped you on that day.

It can be any big or small act of help. After writing, they all will share about it in the circle one by one. Other students must listen quietly. As everyone shares their incidents, they can relate them to one another and experience different emotions. They understand what it feels like to help someone and how it feels when someone helps you in need.  In the end, the children will come to the centre one by one and speak out about anyone emotion they felt or understood during the session and all those who felt the same emotion will raise their hands. 

This activity is a good way to encourage understanding and kindness among the students. Sharing nice and positive things with others makes them feel heard and affirmed by others.

- Neelam Bhardwaj @JMMS, John Martyn Memorial School, Salangaon, Dehradun

Thoughtfulness - Rahul Thakur

Thoughtfulness is thinking before we act an action. Thoughtfulness is a way to encourage love and appreciation for others. It is thinking to change the world for the better. A way to show thoughtfulness is to help someone; it helps us feel better. By thoughtfulness, you can neutralise them negatively. When someone doesn’t act with respect or kindness, that time how you react.                                                 

Anger is an emotion that can cause so much damage and hurt at school that you want to handle it. You think about people other than yourself. This is thoughtfulness.

Sometimes we act before we think. This can hurt other people, so think and then react. We always need someone who thinks that people who think a favour of others always benefit and are loved by everyone.

Rahul Thakur

The Fabindia School

rtr@fabindiaschools.in

Failure is a Stepping Stone to Success - Bharti Rao

Courtesy: forbes.com

“Never let Success get to your head; never let failure get to your heart- Anonymous”

To put in simpler words, failure is inevitable. Therefore one should not get disheartened if we fail. We should not be downtrodden with failure instead we should stand up and keep going. If we get success we should not build an inflated ego because if we face any failure in future it will become harder for us to cope with it. 

We should always keep in mind that success & failure go hand in hand. If we don’t fail, we will never be aware of our shortcomings. If we see failure is really a stepping stone to success. Mostly all of us always have a negative aspect of failure. We should change our way of thinking towards failure and with a positive outlook, we should learn by failures. We should consider failure as success and take it is an opportunity.

We should always keep faith in ourselves take failures & setbacks as a normal part of life. Failures always help us to improve & encourage us to work harder to achieve success. If we are wise we should always take advantage of failures.

Bharti Rao. The Fabindia School, Email bro@fabindiaschools.in 

QUALITY - Rahul Kr. Thakur

Quality is a thing of excellence of something as compared or measured against other similar things and may be understood differently by different people. Quality determines how much and how well children learn and the extent to which their education translates. 

Every educator wants that their students have high standard and quality work. They always try to plan good lessons so their students can always do their best. 

Achieving quality can make yourself and others feel happy and good inside. We can also work together to get quality work and quality to care for the world. There should be always positive things in our words and thoughts need to be of high quality, there is no place for negative words. Its means not giving up of yourself, you need to believe that they can do it and educators must tell this to their students. 

And also in our circumstances, we need a friend who will stand by you when all will against. To get excellent in work we need a better quality of everything and for that, we practice and also educator can encourage their students for better quality work and students will give their best.

Rahul Kr. Thakur

The Fabindia School

rtr@fabindiaschools.in

Sadbhavna Diwas - Kavitha Devda

Sadbhavna Diwas is celebrated on 20th August to remember the birth anniversary of former Prime

Minister Rajiv Gandhi and to encourage national integration, love and peace among Indians of all religions. 'Sadbhavna' in the English language means goodwill and bonafide.

Sadbhavana  Diwas is celebrated on Rajiv Gandhi's birthday because he contributed significantly to the country's development and announced a number of policies that aim in the welfare of the citizens of our country. 

Importance of Sadbhavana Diwas

It is observed every year on 20th August. The only mission of the Rajiv Gandhi government was to have a good feeling for others. Contributions to society's betterment are made on this day, paying respect to Rajiv Gandhi and his vision for India.

Sadbhavana Diwas Celebration

On this day programs are organized in different parts of our country. Everyone is taught the lesson of 'Go Green'. People plant more trees on this day and more attention is given to the greenery theme. Children play, paint, debate and sing on the theme. It is celebrated to make people aware of critical environmental issues. The statue of Rajiv Gandhi is decorated with flowers and goodwill day is celebrated.

Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavna Award

A year after Rajiv Gandhi's death the Indian National  Congress instituted  Rajiv Gandhi  National Sadbhavna Award in 1992. It was established to accredit outstanding contributions in promoting national integration, peace and harmony. This award includes a cash award of Rs. 10 Lakh and it is presented every year of Rajiv Gandhi's birth Anniversary.  A few of the renowned  recipients of the award are as follows:

1. Mother Teresa   2. Last Mangeshkar  3. Freedom Fighter  Subhadra Joshi  

4. Former President  K. R. Narayanan  5. Nirmala Deshpande  6. Sunil Dutt  7. Shubha 

Mudgal &  8. Mohammed Azharuddin.

Kavitha Devda

The Fabindia School

kda@fabindiaschools.in  

Quality and Love - Richa Solanki

Quality is a thing of excellence of something as compared or measured against other similar things and may be understood differently by different people. Quality determines how much and how well children learn and the extent to which their education translates. Every educator wants his students to have a high standard and quality work. They always try to plan good lessons, so their students can always do their best. 

Achieving quality can make yourself and others feel happy and good inside. We can also work together to get quality work and quality to care for the world. There should be positive things in our words and thoughts need to be of high quality, there is no place for negative words. It means not giving up, you need to believe that they can do it and educators must tell this to their students. 

In our circumstances, we need a friend who will stand by you when all will be against you.  To get excellent in work we need the better quality of everything and for that, we practice and also educators can encourage their students for better quality work and students will give their best.

Love is a feeling of deep affection. Love is an interpersonal relationship between two people. It creates an environment where everyone feels secure and safe. It is a parameter through which we can attach with each other deeply.

Someone told a great line that in our educational system, scholars should be given love not thought because they will have their own thoughts. But nowadays, students are not being given love, but they are only pressurized by the educator.

Love plays a very important role in the system of education. An educator can change the life of a student, if the educator is caring (lovable) towards the students, he can teach anything to him or her & along with that, the students will also show their interest in hearing. They will learn with more curiosity & according to our thought that things which cannot be solved by any technique or method, can be done by the help of love.

Richa Solanki

The Fabindia School

rsi4fab@gmail.com

Quality and Love - Bloom BHIS

Love, Care and Respect. The first two you give. The last one you earn..!

"You always gain by giving LOVE"

Reese Witherspoon

As teachers, we can inspire and encourage our students to love what they are learning and doing in the school or around them. We can create an atmosphere or surrounding which on its own will blossom the love for what they are doing in the school. One such incident which I remember is of Firth.

Firth was a sweet child but I could always feel him disconnected when he came to school. Thought he was regular in school, he was physically present but not mentally. He didn't have any friends. He used to be in his own world. He was average in studies and use to always peep out of the window.

Later, I can to know that he comes from quite well to do family but his parents were too busy and in their own world. In fact, there used to be days when a poor child after coming to school use to take my permission to refill his water bottle as his mother didn't bother to do the same for her child.

After some months of observation, I realized that the child is brilliant in penning down his thoughts and imaginations. He came up with some amazing piece of writing considering his age. I started encouraging him by providing him with the right kind of atmosphere. Soon, he started opening up in front of me. He even started talking with his peers I could see him developing a good rapport with his fellow mates. He felt wanted in class. His academic performance also showed upscale.

Firth was a happy child thereafter and till date. Hope you remain the same all throughout your life. Love 

Bloom@ Billabong High International School, Thane

- Priya Wagle, Rinku Lapasia, Manisha Joshi, Ranjana Solanki, Sharanjeet Kaur, Savita Rane, Manjit Kaur

Hope and Friendship - Bharti Rao

Hope is the optimistic state of mind which helps us to expect that something is going to happen. Hope is a feeling of trust, builds confidence, belief for positive outcomes. Hope brings us out from our pains and in our journey of life it gives us the courage to come out of our problems. Hope is the ray of light which brings us out from the darkness to a new and fresh morning.

Hope is a dream where we think of the possibility of an enlarged horizon. Hope gives us the courage to fight against our sufferings and problems. It helps us to gain confidence that our future will be bright. If we possess the quality of Hope then nothing is impossible for us. Hope will strengthen your faith and aspirations and help you to achieve the aim of your life. Hope will always encourage us and push us to overcome all obstacles of life.  Students come to school with a hope of learning. Teacher with his unique style of teaching inspires, motivates and engages his students engross in learning. 

  

A true friend is one who walks with you in your journey of life when the rest of the world walks out. A friend is one who knows you as you understand and accepts the way you are. He is there always to support and guide us even in our moments of darkness.  Hope and friends are interconnected and both push us forward to overcome our difficulties. In the school we experience many times when the students exhibit true friendship. They help them in their tasks and sometimes also hide their flaws. Friendship possesses the quality of honesty and transparency. 

True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but not by heart. They understand each other and are always there to hold their friends in their hard times. Friends are the one who laugh with us, cry with us and smile with us. Friendship has a huge impact on mental health and happiness. Good friends always prevent loneliness and isolation. True friends boost our willpower and increase our chances of success. Friendship is the bond of trust and loyalty. 

Bharti Rao

The Fabindia School

bro@fabindiaschools.in

Courage and Patience - Sharmila Vijayvargi

Fear is natural in human beings and even adults sometimes get this feeling. But we should all understand that fear is nothing to be ashamed of. The same should also be explained to young students who have various kinds of fear like the fear of scolding, fear of losing friends etc. This will encourage them to confide their fears to someone and to find ways of overcoming and dealing with them. 

Stories prove to be very effective when trying to rid students of their fears. Anecdotes of how successful people overcome their fear of public speaking or meeting new people are both entertaining and inspiring. Students should be told about our personal examples relating to things we, as teachers were afraid to do and how we overcome those fears. This will help them understand that it's not shameful to be afraid. 

Students should also be told that: *There is a difference between good and bad fears. *Everyone has fears, they are nothing to be ashamed of. *Fears can stop us from having fun. *If we try, we can get over our fears. *People who love us can help us get over our fears. *We make ourselves and our families proud when we overcome our fears. While courage is an important trait, patience also goes along.

Plato was one of the greatest philosophers the world has ever known. He was famous for his learning. People respected his wisdom. When Plato was told that the boys in the street were making fun at his singing, he said, "Ay, then I must learn to sing better! That was patience. He did not get angry at the Street boys who made fun of him, nor, did he react badly to the action. Rather he tried to improve himself, accepting his limitations, in spite of what he was.

Patience is the ability to bear sufferings, troubles, hardships, tools, etc. calmly. It helps us to achieve self-control and enables us to stand up to people troubling or upsetting us. It is strength in difficult and trying conditions.

Patience is reflected through calmness, bearing up and firmness. Patience makes no expectations; it greets all, speaks to all, serves all and is kind to all. It forgives, is generous in all giving and kind in fraternal corrections. We have to practice patience with everyone. Both courage and patience go hand in hand and are very important traits in an individual and as educators while we have demonstrated these traits, we should also try to inculcate these in our students. Sharmila Vijayvargi

The Fabindia School

Responsibility and Cooperation - Innovators BHIS

Taking responsibility for oneself is by definition an act of kindness.  -Sharon Salzberg 

Vraj, a student of grade 7, was the most active child in the class. He could not contain his energy and was simply unable to sit anywhere, at a stretch, even for a little while. The teachers were at their wit’s end, as they attempted to make Vraj focus in classwork. It seemed there was nothing that could calm him down during the class hours. The class monitors always had his name in the trouble makers’ list. Despite the warnings, nothing made him behave well in class.

His peer, Rahul, was a complete contrast.

     

Rahul, a specially challenged child was timid, quiet and sat in one corner of the class, the whole day. Other students, including Vraj, often bullied him. Some were not even willing to go near Rahul, leave alone help him cope with the class. A unique idea struck the class teacher and she announced in the class that she knew Vraj to be a responsible child, who could be trusted upon to help Rahul study in class. Saying this, she changed Vraj’s place and made him sit beside Rahul. She gave Vraj the responsibility of helping his buddy Rahul with all the class notes and finishing his work on time. Vraj felt very strange at this decision of the teacher as he had never thought that any teacher could ever find him capable of shouldering responsibility! 

Vraj was determined to put his heart and soul to prove that the teacher had made the right decision! He realised that in order to help Rahul, he too had to focus on the classes. He became very serious about school, dutifully sat beside Rahul every day, and ensured that he had completed his own work before he could begin to help his buddy. Rahul too started co-operating with Vraj and tried his best to grasp how he could work in class. All the teachers noticed the sea change that had come over the boys and appreciated them a lot. This further encouraged them to work harder! On seeing that both Vraj and Rahul were being appreciated for taking up responsibility and co-operating with each other, their classmates unconsciously co-operated with them to do better. The bond between the classmates was enhanced. The teachers were proud of the huge change that they noticed in the class. Responsibility successfully changed the personality of a child for the better and they also learn co-operated with each other in the process.

Innovators @ Billabong High International School, Thane
 - Bhumi Punjabi, Vaishali Phatak, Krishnakshi RaviShankor, Smita Bhobate

Happiness and Tolerance: Sandeep Singh

The happiness which is achieved through material things is called temporary happiness. The real meaning of happiness is showing contentment. This contentment comes through the process of meditation. The activity of doing meditation can make children deeper thinkers. It also improves concentration and generally gains greater self- understanding and peace of mind. Life is full of joy. So we should make our children appreciate and acknowledge all our feelings and let it feel them positively

Tolerance means the ability to tolerate something. Children can develop their tolerance skills through listening to other people’s views, respecting each other, showing patience, understanding the needs of others and showing appreciation for everyone’s differences. Tolerance also means rejecting unfair stereotypes, discovering common ground and creating new bonds. When teachers encourage tolerant attitudes in their children, talk about their values, and model the behaviour they would like to see by treating others well, kids will follow their footsteps. 

Sandeep Singh

The Fabindia School

Caring For Others - Kusum Sharma

Hello Everyone

Today I am going to share my views on caring for others, so I am sharing a story related to the topic. There was a farm, where lived farmer John with his wife Molly. They had pigs, cows and many animals on their farm. Also, there lived a little mouse.

One day the mouse looked through a small crack in the wall and accidentally saw the farmer opening some package. The mouse was curious about what food may it contain and discovered that it was a mousetrap. The mouse was determined to run around the farmyard and warned all the animals regarding the danger. First of all, he met the chicken. “There is a mousetrap in the house! “, the mouse declared with despair. But the chicken answered with indifference, “It doesn't concern me, as this is a danger for you, but not for me. It cannot bother me“.

Then the mouse raced towards the pig and the goat and told them about the mousetrap. But the pig and the goat were not impressed too. They said that there is nothing to worry about this and promised to pray about the mouse. Sad and depressed, the little mouse returned to the house. In the night the farmer‘s wife Molly heard a sound of a mousetrap. She hurried to see what was in it, but due to the darkness, she did not see that it was a poisonous snake, whose tail was caught in the trap. Suddenly the snake bit Molly.

The farmer rushed with her to the hospital. Later, when they returned home, Molly still had a fever. John remembered that it is good to treat the fever with chicken soup, so he went to his farmyard to bring the main ingredient, the chicken.

Whereas Molly‘s sickness continued and many friends came to visit her, the farmer butchered the pig so he could feed all the visitors. Unfortunately, as time went by Molly became weaker and weaker and one day she died. Many neighbours, relatives and friends arrived for the funeral. John had to slaughter the goat to feed all of them. The mouse watched all this with great sorrow. Remember, when we learn that someone is facing difficulties or dangers, we all are at risk. It is better to help and encourage one another and don‘t leave anyone alone with his problems.

Kusum Sharma

The Fabindia School

Courage: Shivani Rao

It means making an effort to do something that frightens one. It most important value that should be taught to students. This can be done by setting a good example in front of them, many kids try to copy their teachers.

The teacher should encourage student  by saying things like, “You can do it—I know how brave you are,”  to show your child how you see her.

Giving permission your student to mess up things, and encouraging them to perform better next time.  Also, tell your child that it’s okay to fail. Remind your child that every time you fail at something, you learn what doesn’t work.

Encourage your child to try new things. Share stories of times when you felt scared or nervous or had to stand up for yourself against others’ opinions. Discussion on what kind of difficulties you face when you stand is right.

Sharing stories of freedom fighter, how they took a stand when everyone was against them, how they overcome difficulty. Also giving them a comfort zone to discuss any topic with their teacher.

Shivani Rao

The Fabindia School, Bali

Do Schools Kill Creativity: Usman Gani

I do not agree with the topic as schools in today’s world develop the overall personality of the students, in which creativity is an important aspect. The creativity includes various art subjects – dance, music, handwriting etc. The innovation in any field of interest is always supported and encouraged by the educators.

The previous concept in which mathematics and languages were on the top hierarchy , was acceptable in 19^th and early 20^th century when there was more need of  technical and learned persons, but today whether in business or in job a person has to be multitalented and multidimensional which is the need of the hour.

Creativity is the key to develop a multitalented and multidimensional individual, for which school is the playground.

Usman Gani
The Fabindia School, ugi4fab@gmail.com

Byju P Joseph: Do Schools Kill Creativity?

In every school, there are bright students with creative minds, they need to be encouraged, they should be provided with chances to prove their talents, creativity and strength before the world. Their extraordinary abilities should be discovered. It’s very important that the child must himself be aware of his abilities. The creativity of a child should be channelized properly for positive outcomes.

The most powerful weapon that we have with us is our brain which can store many things and can produce innovative ideas. So it should be utilized in all possible ways.

We know all children are born with different talents. It is the duty of a teacher to encourage the children to realize their capabilities and nourish them. As technology develops there must be more and more innovations and creativities. Knowledge is the base of creativity. It leads to curiosity, imagination and formation of new ideas. Schools are the place meant for all round development of a child. But nowadays most of the schools are the place meant for profit making. They are in a competitive world and stand only for commercial purpose where students’ skills or talents have no value. Then where are creativity and innovation?

-          Byju P. Joseph

bjh@fabindiaschools.in