Freedom & Peace: Samriddhi RPKM

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

Choice of subjects: As a student, I often felt limited by the subjects available. I wished for more freedom to choose the subjects that truly interested me and aligned with my career goals. This would have allowed me to realize my potential in a better way by pursuing my passions and strengths.

Extracurricular activities: I felt restricted by the limited options for extracurricular activities at my school. More freedom to explore a wider range of activities would have allowed me to develop various skills and interests, ultimately helping me to realize my potential more holistically.

Independent projects: I often wished for more freedom to pursue independent projects and research that went beyond the standard curriculum. Having the autonomy to explore topics of personal interest would have allowed me to push my boundaries and achieve greater academic growth.

These circumstances still exist today, as many educational institutions have rigid structures and limited options for students to explore their interests and strengths. However, there is a growing movement towards personalized learning and flexible curriculum, which aims to provide students with more freedom to pursue their goals and potential in a better way.

What is it about human behaviour, according to you, that causes people to give up peace and adopt violence? How do you think classrooms can be used to shape peace-loving individuals?

Human behaviour is complex, and various factors contribute to individuals resorting to violence. Social, economic, and political factors, along with personal experiences, can influence this behaviour. Classrooms play a crucial role in shaping individuals' values and attitudes. Fostering a peaceful environment involves:

Promoting Understanding: Encouraging empathy and understanding diverse perspectives can reduce misunderstandings that may lead to conflict.

Conflict Resolution Education: Teaching conflict resolution skills equips individuals to address disagreements peacefully, fostering a culture of dialogue rather than confrontation.

Cultivating Open Communication: Creating an atmosphere where students feel comfortable expressing themselves can prevent suppressed emotions that might escalate into violence.

Emphasizing Emotional Intelligence: Developing emotional intelligence helps individuals manage emotions effectively, reducing the likelihood of impulsive, aggressive behaviour.

Incorporating Peace Education: Integrating peace education into the curriculum can raise awareness about global issues, tolerance, and the importance of cooperation.

Positive Role Modeling: Teachers can model peaceful behaviour, demonstrating how to handle challenges constructively.

By addressing the root causes of aggression and promoting positive values in educational settings, classrooms can contribute to developing peace-loving individuals.

Samriddhi @RPK Moradabad

Seema Kulshreshtha, Rakhi Gupta, Saraswati Singh, Saloni Bharadwaj, Anju Gupta, Gurpreet Kaur, Meeta Gulati.

Freedom & Peace- Avighna RPKM

A. 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?

As a student, I remember feeling that having more freedom to explore different subjects and choose my own learning path would have helped me realize my goals better. I also wished for more freedom in expressing my creativity and pursuing extracurricular activities. And of course, having the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them would have been valuable too.

Having more freedom in choosing their own learning path would have allowed students to explore subjects that interested them the most. Sometimes, the curriculum felt a bit rigid, and they wished they had more flexibility to pursue their passions. Additionally, I believe that having more freedom to express their creativity and participate in extracurricular activities would have enriched their overall educational experience. Lastly, I think having the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them without fear of judgment would have encouraged students' growth and development.

These circumstances still exist today, but I believe there's been progress in providing more opportunities for students to have greater freedom in their education. Also, I believe there have been positive changes in education systems to provide students with more opportunities for personalized learning and self-expression.

B. What is it about human behaviour, according to you, that causes people to give up the peace and adopt violence? How do you think classrooms can be used to shape peace-loving individuals?

I think various factors can contribute to people giving up peace and resorting to violence. It could be due to a lack of understanding, fear, anger, or even a desire for power or control. Sometimes, people may feel that violence is the only way to address their grievances or protect themselves.

Here are three real-life situations involving students and their choices regarding peace and violence:

A. Imagine a scenario where a student witnesses bullying happening to a classmate. Instead of joining in or ignoring it, the student decides to intervene peacefully. They stand up against the bully, using assertive communication and empathy to diffuse the situation and protect their classmate.

B. In another situation, a student is part of a heated debate in the classroom. Instead of resorting to aggressive arguments or personal attacks, the student actively listens to others' perspectives, respects differing opinions, and engages in constructive dialogue to find common ground and promote understanding.

C. Let's say there's a student who faces discrimination based on their background or identity. Rather than responding with violence or anger, the student chooses to educate their peers about diversity, inclusion, and the importance of treating everyone with respect. They organize awareness campaigns, initiate discussions, and foster a culture of acceptance and unity within the school community.

In each of these situations, the students demonstrate the importance of choosing peaceful approaches to conflicts and promoting harmony within their classrooms and beyond.

Let me give you one more example -

Imagine a situation where two students in a classroom have a disagreement. One student feels frustrated and resorts to using aggressive language and even physical force to express their anger. The other student, instead of responding with violence, chooses to remain calm and tries to understand the root of the problem. They engage in peaceful communication, actively listening to each other's perspectives and finding a solution through compromise. In this scenario, the second student demonstrates the ability to prioritize peace and resolve conflicts without resorting to violence.

Classrooms can play a crucial role in shaping peace-loving individuals by promoting empathy, understanding, and conflict-resolution skills. Teachers can create a safe and inclusive environment where students learn to respect and appreciate diversity. They can teach about the consequences of violence and the importance of peaceful communication.

Encouraging open dialogue, fostering a sense of community, and teaching problem-solving skills can also help cultivate a peaceful mindset among students.

By instilling values of empathy, kindness, and respect, classrooms can contribute to shaping individuals who actively seek peace in their interactions with others.

Avighna @RPK Moradabad

Ritika, Shwetank, Evon Anthony, Neeru, Saymeen, Swadha, Deeksha

Freedom & Peace - Siddhi RPKM

Freedom & Peace

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

When I was a student, one of the most critical instances where I felt that more freedom at my disposal would have allowed me to realize my goals or potential in a better way was when I passed my intermediate and was very confused about which field to opt for. 

During that time I didn't find any guidance or help from my surroundings, still, I tried to search a lot and seek opinions from my teachers as I was willing to study something related to designing buildings or architecture; for which I prepared well and cleared my AIEEE exam. 

This gave me a chance to seek admission but I could not do it as my relatives didn't permit me to go out of the city for higher studies because I was a girl. It always hurt me that I was not given the freedom to explore more and know my potential.        

B. What is it about human behaviour, according to you, that causes people to give up peace and adopt violence? How do you think classrooms can be used to shape peace-loving individuals?

There are many causes of violence including frustration, exposure to violent media, violence in the home or neighbourhood and a tendency to see other people's actions as hostile even when they're not.

The most common motivation for violence can be viewed as inappropriate attempts to handle emotions. Often, violence is the medium used by an individual to openly express their feelings such as anger, frustration, or sadness.

There is definitely a tendency for violence because violence is quick, easy and effective. Watch really young kids playing together. They quickly realize that if someone tries to take their toy, they can protect their plaything with a quick wallop from the potential toy thief. We have to teach children Negotiation, Compromise, Sharing and Cooperation.

If we want our children to be non-violent, we cannot use violence to discipline them. Rather, we can direct our children's energy by giving them a job or task. We can model for children how to apologize and help them apologize when they have hurt someone.

This is especially true when children fight with a sibling or other child. When a child tells us of a problem, we often respond with solutions—such as "Be nice to one another", "You have to learn to share", "Give him the toy, you've had it long enough," or " If you can't take turns, then the toy will be put away."

But these solutions are not permanent. We should teach the children proper discipline or behaviour from time to time.

Discipline means “to teach.” When we discipline our children, we are turning their misbehaviour into an opportunity to teach them how we want them to behave. To do this, we need to be clear on how we want them to behave rather than just focusing on what we don’t want them to do.

The ultimate goal of discipline is to teach our children self-discipline so that they can make good choices about how to behave.

Siddhi @RPK Moradabad

Sanskriti Tandon, Priyanka Ruhela, Lovely Singh, Swati Saluja, Soni Bhatnagar, Manjit Palit

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

Steve Cardwell "I am passionate about Education...

On my show this week 
August 8th, 2020
Episode #37: Sandeep Dutt in conversation with Steve Cardwell the President of Learning Forward. Steve values ethical leadership and responsibility, building and fostering strong working relationships, leading with technology, and demonstrating exemplary communication skills.  He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Simon Frasier University (BC) and an MA and BSc from the University of British Columbia. Steve was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2013 for his outstanding service to public education. In 2015, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the BCSSA and was selected as one of UBC Faculty of Education’s top 100 Alumni. He currently serves as the Vice President of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Steve has had an exemplary career in education, in this podcast he shares the role of his family in his life, a teacher by choice, has a deep belief in the philosophy of Servant Leadership and champions professional learning. His Mother a Teacher has been a role model for him, as well as his father who served selflessly as a medical practitioner. A champion of student well-being, one who goes the extra mile to support teachers with their lives and careers. 

- Sandeep Dutt
School Improvement Coach
Learning Forward Podcasts are produced by the Learning Forward India Foundation