Masterclass 2024 Reflections: Abhishek Pratap Singh

 What is a School?

A school is much more than just a building; it's a vibrant ecosystem of learning and growth. At its core, a school provides a structured environment where students acquire knowledge and skills across a range of subjects. But beyond academics, a school fosters social and emotional development, helping students learn to collaborate, communicate, and become responsible citizens.  Great teachers are the heart of any school, inspiring students and guiding them on their educational journey.  A positive school culture emphasizes inclusivity, respect, and a love of learning, creating a space where every student feels supported and empowered to reach their full potential.  Extracurricular activities, from sports to clubs, enrich the school experience and allow students to explore their interests.  Ultimately, a school is a place where young people are nurtured, challenged, and prepared for success in the world beyond its walls.

War is a state of widespread conflict between nations, states, or organized groups. It is characterized by aggression, violence, and the disruption of normal life. Wars are often fought over territory, resources, ideology, or power. They can last for short periods or drag on for years, leaving behind a trail of destruction, casualties, and long-lasting trauma.

In contrast, peace is a state of harmony, tranquility, and the absence of war. It is a condition where individuals and societies coexist without resorting to violence or aggression. Peace is often associated with cooperation, understanding, and mutual respect. It is a state that is actively sought and cherished by many.

War Vs Peace

War and peace are two opposing forces that have shaped human history. While war brings devastation and suffering, peace offers the hope of a better future.

The experience of learning can be drastically different depending on one's mindset.  Those who love learning approach it with curiosity and enthusiasm. They see challenges as opportunities for growth and are intrinsically motivated to explore new ideas and acquire knowledge.  This love of learning fosters resilience, a willingness to embrace mistakes, and a genuine enjoyment of the process of discovery.  In contrast, those who hate learning often view it as a chore, a source of stress and frustration.  They may feel forced to learn material they deem irrelevant or uninteresting, leading to resentment and a negative association with education.  This aversion can stifle creativity, hinder academic performance, and ultimately limit their potential.  The difference lies not just in the subject matter, but in the learner's attitude and their internal drive to understand and grow.

Affection Vs Rejection

Affection and rejection  represent two extremes of human social interaction. Affection, in its various forms, signifies a sense of connection, warmth, and positive regard for another. It can manifest as love, care, friendship, or simple kindness, fostering feelings of belonging and security.  Affection builds bonds, strengthens relationships, and contributes to emotional well-being.  Rejection, on the other hand, is the experience of being excluded, unwanted, or unloved. It can range from subtle social slights to overt acts of abandonment or hostility.  Rejection can be deeply painful, leading to feelings of isolation, inadequacy, and even depression.  While affection nurtures and uplifts, rejection wounds and can leave lasting scars on an individual's self-esteem and sense of worth.  These opposing forces play a significant role in shaping our social experiences and our overall emotional health.

Similar to how "like" expresses a positive connection or enjoyment, "unlike" highlights a contrast or difference.  "Like" draws parallels, suggesting shared qualities or characteristics, creating a sense of familiarity or agreement.  For example, "She is like her mother" implies a resemblance in personality or appearance.  Conversely, "unlike" emphasizes distinct features, pointing out discrepancies or a lack of similarity.  "He is unlike his brother" suggests they have contrasting personalities or interests.  While "like" builds bridges of connection, "unlike" delineates boundaries, emphasizing the unique nature of individuals or things.  Both words, however, serve as valuable tools for comparison, helping us understand the relationships between different entities and appreciate their individual characteristics.

Right Vs Wrong

Right and wrong are fundamental concepts that guide human behavior and shape our understanding of morality.  "Right" typically refers to actions, choices, or beliefs that are considered morally good, ethical, or just.  It often aligns with principles of fairness, compassion, and respect for others.  "Wrong," conversely, denotes actions, choices, or beliefs that are considered morally bad, unethical, or unjust.  It often involves violating principles of fairness, causing harm, or disregarding the well-being of others.  The distinction between right and wrong can sometimes be clear-cut, but in many situations, it can be complex and nuanced, requiring careful consideration of context, consequences, and competing values.  Navigating the landscape of right and wrong is a lifelong process, shaped by our upbringing, cultural norms, personal experiences, and ongoing reflection.

Abhishek Pratap Singh

Sunbeam School Varuna

Smile Vs. Frown - Sunbeam School Varuna

This educational video explores the emotional impact of a smile versus a frown, highlighting their significance in building positive relationships between teachers and students. Through engaging visuals and simple explanations, the video demonstrates how smiling fosters a welcoming, supportive environment while frowning may create distance or misunderstandings. This project, designed for both teachers and students, aims to promote emotional awareness and encourage positive interactions in the classroom. Sunbeam School Varuna Production Ankit Verma, Ranjana Singh, Alok Kumar Singh, Abhishek Pratap Singh and Aakash Aggrawal

Peer Pressure - a Sunbeam Suncity Production

Peer Pressure is commonly known for the influence a peer group exerts on its members. This pressure exists in people of any age group. It can be positive and negative, depending on the nature of the behaviour being encouraged. In this short video produced by teachers at Sunbeam Suncity - Mohini Rai, Khalid Zafar, and Carol Henrik, share the peer pressure teachers faced in online teaching and learning during the pandemic, when most of us were stressed by the "new normal” and had nightmares to cope with. 

Many of us were not tech-savvy and struggled to continue teaching-learning through mobile phones and laptops. Learning new teaching tools and managing the class online virtually was very challenging. To overcome the pressure of learning advanced technology and online teaching tools, they got great support from their school management, colleagues, students, and family members. 

Through a positive approach and a little patience towards every hurdle they faced during the online virtual classes, and come out of the negatives of peer pressure and learnt many things. If we, as a grown-up, can have such experiences of peer pressure, then our teenagers are the most fragile and more susceptible to this. We must help them deal with peer pressure from time to time so that they can build resilience and confidence needed to overcome it and make decisions that are best for their future.

The video stars Mohini Rai, Khalid Zafar, and Carol Henrik.

Humility and Appreciation - Nitin Sharma

If you are humble, nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are – Mother Teresa. 

Humility is a virtue; this character strength must be cultivated in school. 

Humility and Appreciation 

"A child's mind is like a soft play, which can be moulded into any desired shape but with the right intention." 

The school is the right place to make it happen. Moral values are the core of our very being which our children should imbibe and should be taught early. Students must be engaged in certain activities that make them learn about values and their importance.

Humility 

"It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels."

Humility is the valid key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge in the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.

Activity

Students were asked to write some positive affirmations based on Humility. They had to write 5 affirmations and read them daily. Besides, students were taught about Humility and humbleness, the importance and then asked to do an act of Humility and then share with everyone the next day about what they did, what they learnt and what they felt. 

Impact 

A very positive impact was seen in the children's behaviour. They were full of high and positive energy to do such acts and to share with everyone. They valued and thanked me when someone did anything for them. They were helpful to one another eagerly. They learnt to be humble and grateful rather not arrogant. 

Appreciation 

"The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness."

Appreciation is the highest form of prayer, for it acknowledges the presence of good wherever you shine the light of your thankful thoughts. Students should learn to appreciate the efforts someone makes for them and should be genuinely grateful for it. 

Activity 

Students were asked to write appreciation notes for someone whom they really wanted to appreciate for what they do and later give them those notes. Another activity was done wherein the students were asked to appreciate their classmates and later go home and express their appreciation and gratitude for them. 

Impact

All the students participated in the activities with their full zeal and enthusiasm. An increased sense of brotherhood and sisterhood was evident in their learning. All the students made it their primary responsibility to always be humble and truthful, appreciate one another, and be grateful. 

Teacher's Role

The teacher was like a facilitator who guided and motivated all the students to actively come ahead and take part in the activities.

Ms Nitin Sharma

Kamla Nehru Pubilc School, Phagwara

JOL Cohort 2022

Courage and Patience - Guneet Kaur

Courage means facing one's fears. It is essential in all spheres of life and leads to a change in oneself, making one stronger. Sometimes one has to get out of one's comfort zone and adjust to a new environment. This, too, is courage. Being honest and believing in one's honesty is also courageous.

Teachers are like mirrors for their students. The students tend to imbibe whatever a teacher speaks through his or her words or actions. Not pretending and being oneself is also courage. A teacher must teach students to accept and be proud of themselves regardless of their weaknesses. They should be cherished for who they are and given the space where they can be more aware of themselves. In no situation should they be afraid or ashamed of accepting the truth about themselves or sharing it with others. Seeking help and shunning one's ego is also courage.  

As teachers, we must ensure that the children feel safe with us. They should be able to have faith in us. Simultaneously, they should learn to believe in themselves. A child asking his or her doubt in class, saying, "I didn't understand", in front of the other classmates, is courage.

Teachers need to be there for the students, make them feel safe and teach them to solve their problems themselves. This way, they will be prepared to bravely face life's challenges. However, if the learners make mistakes in solving their issues, their teachers shouldn't punish them. Instead, as adults, they should stand with them and show them the right path.

Courage also reflects in sharing one's experiences with colleagues or children of how one dealt with a situation. This can also help in inspiring them and getting over their fears. Being silently supportive of our co-workers is also courageous.

Patience is being tolerant and calm in handling situations. It means not getting anxious or annoyed too quickly. It does require a lot of courage to be patient. Not complaining, having a positive attitude, and giving time and space to others all come in the arena of patience.

Patience teaches us to have faith and hope that things will get better. Working with patience leads to growth. On the other hand, losing patience can ruin the task at hand. Most of us end up giving up our patience because of the pressure from society, peers, friends or family. However, if we have the courage and the belief in ourselves, we will not lose our cool, take a stand for ourselves and help to bring about a change.

Inaction should not be misunderstood for patience. Moving towards our goal with perseverance and a peaceful mind, accepting failures as stepping stones to success, and having the will to start all over again with the belief that the result will be favourable is patience.    

The farmer protest in our country is the world's most non-violent and peaceful fight for human rights. The farmers had immense patience and courage that helped them to withstand all sorts of physical, emotional and mental atrocities. They did not get frustrated and were convinced that their voices would be heard one day. 

We often lose our patience when we think we are better than others or deserve much more than others. This attitude leads only to exasperation. Whenever this happens, we should take a step back and introspect. High expectations from ourselves or from others can make us impatient. However, patience helps to increase our power of endurance, persistence and better decision making.   

As teachers, we need to be role models of being patient with our students. Being a good and silent listener and helping the children cope with their worries and hassles will help them become more accepting, contented and forbearing. They will learn to shift their focus from a problem to possible solutions without complaining. This will also teach them to be emphatic.  

Guneet Kaur

Mussoorie Public School

Mussoorie 

Responsibility and Cooperation - Welham Boys School

 Cooperation

Definition

The verb cooperate is originally from the combination of The Latin prefix co-, meaning "together," and operari, meaning "to work." The term "co-op" is a shortening of cooperative and is used when people work together (or cooperate) to run a preschool, health food store, etc. It develops the quality of Teamwork. To rely upon others for the completion of the Task. It builds team spirit. Creates bonhomie.

Cooperation is the spirit that makes people or organisations work together to achieve the same result or a common goal. The goal can be economic, social, cultural, personal, financial, or general good to Society or humankind. The list is exhaustive. Cooperation brings diverse people of different talents and facets to reach a common target through team building, consensus decision making, shared Responsibility and collaborative work. 

Responsibility is an essential factor or ingredient for cooperation. Without individual Responsibility, cooperation cannot be achieved.

Types: Cooperation can be Voluntary, Unintentional, or as part of duty/commitment like Official work. It can also be coerced. Reasons and situations define the nature of cooperation.

Advantages: It reduces unproductive competition. Enhances knowledge sharing, Fosters good communication, and Makes achievement of common goals feasible and achievable. Build trust and team spirit.

MANY A LITTLE MAKES A MICKLE. OR ONE FLOWER DOES NOT MAKE A GARDEN.

Disadvantage: Individual sometimes lacks motivation. Subdues individual brilliance. Poor management can impact results. Internal conflict is a serious impediment.

AND sometimes what can be achieved by sheer individual talent cannot be achieved by making many cooperate together.

Responsibility

Definition – The state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one's power, control, or management. Or simply put, it is an obligation or duty.

For us, it's to Respond Sensibly.
Be yourself, but always your better self.
Quality of being dependable.

It can also have negative connotations. Like being liable, culpable, etc. What is the difference between Accountability & Responsibility?

Although both terms are often used as synonyms, several characteristics separate them. Responsibility refers to the obligation to perform or comply with the rule; Accountability implies answerability for the outcome of the Task performed. In Corporate World, mostly Responsibility ends/merges with Accountability. However, we feel Responsibility is more internal … self in nature. Accountability is more external … for someone else to scrutinise.

Activity - Give the above explanation and ask students to share examples from their experiences.

Importance - Accepting Responsibility is crucial for success because it helps you work/learn through your strength, weakness and mistakes. It builds strength of character as a person becomes better at admitting they are not perfect.

A safe environment that supports Responsibility is positive and fulfilling. By accepting Responsibility, we become more action-oriented and gain confidence. The responsibilities we accept in our lives contribute to the type of person we become.

Types - Responsibility can be broadly divided into self and Society. The division can be classified further into several subcategories, like individual Responsibility, parental Responsibility, Social Cooperate Responsibility, Environmental Responsibility etc.

Responsibility isn't just doing chores; it's following through with one's commitments, answering for their own actions, being reliable and trustworthy, using good judgment, taking care of their affairs and not procrastinating.

HOW TO BE A RESPONSIBLE PERSON            , 

(AND FEEL GREAT!)

• When you agree to do something, do it. If you let people down, they'll stop believing you. When you follow through on your commitments, people take you seriously.
• Answer for your own actions. Don't make excuses or blame others for what you do. When you take Responsibility for your actions, you say, "I am the one who's in charge of my life."
• Take care of your own matters. Don't rely on adults to remind you when you're supposed to be somewhere or what you're supposed to bring. You take Responsibility.
• Be trustworthy. If somebody trusts you to borrow or take care of something, take care of it. If somebody tells you something in confidence, keep it to yourself. People need to know they can count on you.
• Always use your head. Think things through and use good judgment. When you use your head, you make better choices. That shows your parents they can trust you.
• Don't put things off. When you have a job to do, do it. Doing things on time helps you take control of your life and shows you can manage your own affairs.

Neelima Parmar, Vandana Sahay & Monika Gupta
Welham Boys' School
Happy Teachers JOL Cohort 2022

Courage and Patience - Jaspreet Kaur

A. Fearful Student

In my opinion, first of all, we must find the root cause of the fear. Then we must create a fun environment in the classroom. I will try to do some fun activities or exercises in the class before starting the lesson plan. After that, I will appreciate the responses of fearful students, even if he/ she will give the wrong answers. It might be the student become afraid because of peer pressure. This will help the fearful learner to boost up his/ her confidence. I will also speak to that particular student’s parents to find the root cause. Finally, I will counsel the child politely.

B. An Impatient student:

An impatient student is mostly an attention seeker who wants to attract everyone’s attention to him/her. If I face such a student, I will create a safe environment in the classroom. I will find the cause of that behaviour. I will give some vital responsibility to that impatient student so that he/ she can channel his / her energy in the right direction. I will positively communicate with that particular child.

Jaspreet Kaur
Kamla Nehru Public School, JOL Cohort 2022

An Unhappy Child - Preeti Mahajan

My experience with the values of Happiness and Tolerance in the classroom.

1. SYMPTOMS 

The child was quiet and passive in the class. He did not interact much with his classmates and teachers. He was slow in his work and understanding; he was also quite irregular in attending school. 

Diagnosing the problem 

i. The child was politely asked about his family, parents, daily routine, and likes and dislikes. After a friendly interaction, I learned that both his parents were working and hardly spent time with him. He is the only child. He takes tuition for all the subjects and depends on his maids for everything. He doesn't want to come to school also. 

2. ACTION TAKEN 

It was pretty evident from his behaviour and from the interaction with him that the child was in an unhappy state. You always remain sad and depressed. The child was counselled the parents were called and informed about the child's psychology confidentially. Individual attention was given to the child by the subject teachers. Parents also took time out for their children. Positive reinforcement and acknowledging the child's efforts brought a change in his behaviour. 

Result 

The child has started taking an interest in school and school activities. He has started interacting with his classmates and his teachers. Now he has become a Happy child; he is seen spreading happiness all around. Consequently, there has been a positive impact on his studies. 

Advice to the educators to instil happiness and tolerance among the students. 

1. Make the environment happy tolerant, and respectful for everyone. 

2. Use comments to shape the child's behaviour. 

3. Right counselling at the right time. 

4. Make the child feel memorable, safe and loved. 

5. Make learning exciting and enriching. 

6. Practice before you preach.

PREETI MAHAJAN

AHLCON PUBLIC SCHOOL 

JOL Cohort 2022

Happiness and Tolerance - Jaspreet Kaur

 My experience with handling an unhappy student and an intolerant one.

Jaspreet Kaur

Kamla Nehru Public School, Phagwara

JOL Cohort 2022

Determination - Bharti Rao

Determination is the positive feeling in us that helps us overcome any obstacle and reach our goal. Determination motivates us to go on further & not to stop. According to Thomas Edison, the inventor of light, when he failed thousand times, he said, ‘I have not failed! I’ve just found 1000 ways that wouldn’t work.’ Many more such great people didn’t stop but reached their goal with their sheer determination.

Many times some horrific setbacks lead people to be determined and live the best of their life. I would like to share my daughter’s story with you all where she showed her determination and achieved her goal. My daughter Vaishali was not so good in her studies, especially her Science & Math. She was also not good at Sports. She never participated in games. She always sat under the tree chatting with her friends under the tree.

Her turning point in her life came after her results of Class X. After that, she was determined to prove herself. She started participating in games and reached State Level in Badminton. She represented JNVU University at College Level. She joined NCC and participated in Republic Parade at Jaipur. It was all because she was determined to prove herself. She worked hard not only in Sports but also in Academics. She secured first division in Class XII & graduated. In her MBA, she secured distinction. She also became the Head Girl in her school and received the trophy of Excellence in Skill. With her hard work, perseverance & determination, she pushed herself to reach her goal.

It is rightly said that determination motivates us to improve ourselves, make positive changes in our lives, and increase our chances of success. It enables us to build dreams, live healthier lives, and strengthen our relationships with others.

Bharti Rao

The Fabindia School

bro@fabindiaschools.in

Making Others Happy - Pinkee Chouhan

Happiness is liked by every person, and it is also the right of every person to be happy. Making others happy is the greatest thing in the world. To see someone smile, inspire someone or make their day is really something to live for.  If you try to keep others happy and yourself, then positive emotions will remain around you and the happiness doubles.  It gives you a sense of accomplishment and purpose, to know that you have made someone else's life a little easier.  It helps to defeat your own bad days, depression and sadness.  We can give happiness to our family members, friends and people around us even with small efforts.  As a teacher, I keep making similar efforts in general.  I definitely give chocolates, toffees to the children for their excellent work.  I pat the children of my class on the back, listen to them, praise them, help them on many subjects, support them emotionally, and always try to make them happy with new ideas.  .  Believe me, happiness infuses inspiration in children, and their joy fills us with energy and fun.

I would like to tell you about my attempt to give happiness to others through an example from my life. Some time ago, a labourer family came and settled near my house.  The family consisted of a husband, wife and their three daughters.  The age of the daughters was between 7 and 11.  The father of the children used to go to work, and his mother used to clean the surrounding houses.  The three girls used to spend their entire day playing around the hut made of tarpaulin.  I came to know from their mother that due to the Corona epidemic, those children have missed school, and the education, has completely stopped. Parents being illiterate were unable to help them in teaching, and online education was out of their control due to financial weakness.  Then I decided to help them.  I arranged clothes and books for them and took care of their studies till the school opened.  I did many creative activities with my children, gave them free tuition in all subjects, which is still going on.  Now his parents are very optimistic about his future.  My small initiative brought a smile to his face. Today everyone in the whole locality helps him in one way or another, and I feel immense joy seeing the happiness of that family.

People are happy when their expectations are fulfilled; we can make others happy by fulfilling their expectations.  Sometimes happiness is found in even the most minor things; your one effort fills someone's life with joy.  Happiness and joy are what others need.  If our surroundings are pleasant, then it is also very beneficial for our mental health. By giving happiness to others, we also fill ourselves with happiness in a way, our kindness can become such a virtuous circle that lasting happiness and benevolence promote unity.

American researcher Mila Titova says that giving happiness to others makes you happier than giving yourself.  Making others happy is more meaningful to people than just socializing with them or doing something to improve their happiness.  When we aim to please others, we feel connected to them, our individual needs are better met by those that are important to us.  She suggests that if you are not having the best day, then instead of focusing on yourself, think about doing something nice for your significant other or your peers.  It is effective for giving happiness and also for one's own happiness.

Pinkee Chauhan

The Fabindia School

pco@fabindiaschools.in

Art Releases Stress - Richa Solanki

It's tough to be in a stressful situation, ill, in depression or not well. In that situation, you always need to divert your mind or stay positive. It will spread good vibes; staying positive makes you happy and stress-free in every situation. Also, you can divert your mind from a bad situation by doing some work like hobbies, the things that you like to do, all those things. As when I was going through covid and that time was terrible for me, it is the time when you need some good vibes and positivity. 

You all know that Hindi quote that iron will melt by iron only, so when I was found COVID positive, I used to just hate this word, then I just remembered that quote & kept in mind positive test will kill by the positive state of mind. I started spending time on my hobbies and on art, which always diverted my mind from covid. I learned many things in art that gave me so much knowledge; the artwork is no less than therapy. 

If you don't know how to draw, you should still try to draw something; it really makes you happy and diverts your mind and increases concentration power. My hobby really helped me to overcome my covid positive report to negative report.

In this pandemic, spend time on the work you really like to do; it will make you the best. I have decorated CDs with polka dot design. Here are some of my artwork. Stay positive and stay happy! 

Richa Solanki

The Fabindia School

rsi@fabindiaschool.in

Be Your Own Motivation - Monika Vaishnav

Do not give up in any situation,

Fight with it and be your own motivation.

Accept the truth, accept what you are,

Then you will gain confidence every hour.

Life is always full of opportunities,

Start your day with little activities.

Do not bother about what people say,

Do something that makes your day.

Value the life and make it meaningful,

Spread love and make it colourful.

Think positive, and you'll find something new,

Your view will be changed for what you already knew.

Live the life the way you want to live,

Give happiness how much you can give.

There will be sorrows, there will be frustration,

Handle things the way you could become an illustration.

Forget the past, forget what have you lost,

Or else your future has to pay the cost.

If you try, you will definitely see a ray of hope,

God never gives troubles without giving a scope.

Break the mental walls and do what you want,

It's your life; you can write it in any font.

Work on making the best version of yours,

It's only your willpower, no other cures.

Live the way, you can be an inspiration,

Listen to your heart and be your own motivation

- Monika Vaishnav

The Fabindia School

mvv@fabindiaschools.in