Heart Vs Mind - Sunbeam School Mau

Reading the chapter “Heart Versus Mind” made me reflect deeply on the responsibilities of a teacher. The chapter beautifully shows that every child carries emotions, fears, dreams, and struggles that are not always visible. As a teacher, I believe that before correcting a student’s behaviour, I must first understand the reason behind it, as Brinda Ma’am said. Young children need emotional security more than strict discipline. If a child cries, becomes silent, or behaves differently, I would patiently listen, comfort them, and make them feel safe rather than scold them. A classroom should be a place where children feel accepted, respected, and confident to express themselves. 

A student’s emotional well-being is the foundation of meaningful learning. At the same time, senior students need guidance, trust, and motivation as they face academic pressure, peer influence, and personal challenges. Instead of judging them for their mistakes, as a Pastoral Guide, I would encourage open conversations, appreciate their efforts, help them set realistic goals, and remind them that failures are opportunities to learn. 

The title “Heart vs. Mind” reminds me that a good teacher should never choose one over the other. The heart teaches us to be kind, compassionate, and understanding, while the mind helps us remain fair, responsible, and thoughtful in our decisions. A balance of both qualities enables a teacher to create a positive learning environment where students not only achieve academic success but also grow into confident, responsible, and emotionally strong individuals. 

This chapter has strengthened my belief that the greatest achievement of a teacher is not producing high scorers but touching students’ lives with empathy, patience, and genuine care.

Rekha Sharma

As I read this part of Heart vs Mind, I was reminded that adolescence is one of the most sensitive phases of a student's life. As an Academic Head and an English teacher, I often observe that students need not only academic guidance but also emotional support, understanding and someone who listens to them without judgement.

What impressed me most was Roma Mathur's approach of understanding her students before correcting them. She looked beyond their behaviour and recognised their emotions, fears and hidden potential. This reflects the true essence of education—that every child deserves empathy, trust and an opportunity to grow.

In my experience, students perform their best when they feel valued and emotionally secure. Meaningful conversations, encouragement and a positive teacher-student relationship often create a greater impact than mere classroom instruction. This chapter also reminds us that when teachers and parents work together with patience and understanding, children develop the confidence to make responsible decisions.

For me, education is not only about academic excellence but also about nurturing emotionally strong, responsible and compassionate individuals. Heart vs Mind beautifully reinforces the belief that before shaping a student's mind, we must first connect with their heart.

Sangeeta Singh

To Copy or Not to Copy Part 1

Learning Forward Saturday

The meeting centred on reflections and discussions on adolescent behaviour, particularly the chapter “Right vs. Wrong” and the upcoming chapter “To Copy vs. Not to Copy.” Sneha Pundir shared reflections on alienation, emphasising that punitive measures such as detention can exacerbate disconnection. Anurag Tripathi’s reflection underscored the importance of empathy and trust in schools to prevent high-risk behaviours. The discussion also addressed the impact of peer pressure and the need for healthy coping mechanisms. Roma’s story in the chapter illustrated the importance of honesty and effective learning techniques, such as associating information with personal milestones.

Like vs Unlike- Mizan Ali

 The contrast between like and unlike is evident in the journey of a student who struggles under academic pressure yet refuses to conform to societal expectations. She is unlike the typical high achiever, often seen as an underdog, sitting at the back of the classroom. Society expects students to fit into the mold of toppers, but her journey challenges this notion. As the book suggests, “Success is not always about grades; sometimes, it’s about finding your true path.”  

However, she is also like many students who feel misunderstood and pressurized. Her struggles with expectations, friendships, and self-worth resonate with countless others. The story reflects this reality: “Marks define nothing but a moment in time, not a person’s potential.”  

The contrast between like and unlike extends to friendships as well. Some people support her uniqueness, while others try to change her, believing academic success is the only road to a bright future. This interplay highlights a central message—true growth comes from self-discovery rather than mere conformity.  

The journey beautifully balances like and unlike, making it a deeply relatable yet thought-provoking reflection on the pressures of student life.

Mizan Ali
Sunbeam Indiranagar

Embracing Change - Sunbeam Annapurna Production

"Embracing Change" offers a clear and practical demonstration of how positive peer pressure can be harnessed in a professional setting to foster growth and innovation. Peer pressure, typically viewed negatively, is redefined here as a supportive and motivational force encouraging individuals to step out of their comfort zones and embrace beneficial changes.

In the faculty lounge, Diksha introduces a new project-based learning approach. Priyanka and Uma immediately express their support, embodying openness and enthusiasm for innovation. They emphasize the benefits of this teaching method, which enhances student engagement and critical thinking. Their positive reactions create an encouraging atmosphere that paves the way for constructive dialogue. Shivangi, initially sceptical and cautious about deviating from traditional methods, represents a common reaction to change. However, rather than dismissing her concerns, her colleagues address them empathetically and constructively. Uma acknowledges Shivangi's apprehensions, stressing that growth comes from trying new things. Diksha reassures her by outlining a clear plan for a smooth transition, including training and support, which helps alleviate fears of a steep learning curve. Positive aspects of peer pressure:

• Supportive Environment: Enthusiastic peer responses create a sense of comfort and acceptance.
• Constructive Dialogue: Concerns are addressed respectfully and practically, demonstrating peer support.
• Shared Goals: Emphasis on student benefits unites the team, reinforcing the positive influence of peers.
• Gradual Integration: Starting small reduces perceived risks, making peer encouragement more effective.

Shivangi's eventual agreement to try the new method demonstrates how positive peer pressure, applied thoughtfully, can lead to meaningful change and collective growth. This scenario shows that mutual support and open communication among peers can help teams embrace new ideas and improve practices for the benefit of all, highlighting the powerful and beneficial role of peer pressure in a collaborative environment. Masterclass 2024 team Sunbeam Annapurna.

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.

Freedom and Peace - Jaspreet Kaur

Freedom means we can do anything according to our abilities and inner potential. There are numerous instances where I felt that my potential was not encouraged during my school period. Here I would like to write about 3 Instances as a student where I felt that more freedom at my disposal would be allowed me to realize my potential in a better way: - 

1st Instance- During my school Sports Meet, my teachers always selected a few students who were their favourites in various games. They never gave me a chance to explore my skills in badminton. Although I played with my friends and brother in the evening and always won, my sports teacher never gave me a chance to show my talent in school. My parents also requested them, but they always ignored their pleas. I still think I might be a good player if my teacher showed trust in me and if they gave me the freedom to play on the ground. I knew many of my friends too, who were very good and never got a chance to play at State or National level.

2nd Instance- I was not very good at Art as my art teacher never encouraged my artistic skills. It is the moral duty of every teacher to give equal chances to every student, whether they have some incapabilities. Real teachers always teach from the heart, not from any book. Whenever I did something wrong in my drawing book, my teacher scolded me and said, “Never try to do art; you can’t do it”. Gradually, I lost interest and still couldn’t draw anything confidently.

3rd Instance- As a student, I always hesitated while speaking in mike as my teachers never motivated me to speak in morning assemblies or functions. Mostly they have chosen monitors of the class or some favourite learners.  Today’s scenario has totally changed. Now teachers give a chance to each and every student. They give freedom to everyone to explore their hidden potential. In our school, we also give the whole class chances and help them be confident. We are promoting SDG goal number 4, Quality Education.

Causes people to give us peace and adopt violence: -

Peace is a situation or period in which there is no war or violence in a country or area. There are numerous reasons that people adopt violence and give up peace. The primary reason for the violence is now people have less patience than before. Young people can’t tolerate any suggestion given by their parents.

The next reason is work pressure and frustration; when people feel overburdened, they adopt violent methods. Moreover, disagreements in opinions also play a vital role in adopting violence and giving us peace. Teachers play a crucial role in the classrooms and in society. When there is any conflict between students, teachers must counsel them by giving real-life examples where small conflicts lead to violence. In this way, they can understand the significance of peace in society. Teachers must share meaningful folktales related to freedom and peace in the classrooms. During Assemblies, teachers can share keywords and names of persons who receive Nobel peace prizes. The biographies can be shared, for instance – The biography of Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa. Teachers must connect some lessons with peace. In our school, we connect our lessons with SDGs. We are promoting SDG goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institution.

Jaspreet Kaur 

Kamla Nehru Public School, Punjab

Honesty and Respect - The Doon Girls' School

Some section of school policy suggests implementing honesty and responsibility on the students. The students may forget about it and start to do things that lead to academic dishonesty or simply lying. They may begin to cheat by copying each other's homework, using their notes on a test without teachers' permission or having someone else write the paper. The students may bribe someone to do their work or let them copy their homework. They may start to submit the same paper to two different classes. They can also tend to plagiarise and present their work without changing any lines. Students may commit these dishonest things under peer pressure or anxiety about getting good grades. One of the most common reasons for academic dishonesty is students' ability to manage the pressures of their social and educational lives. Some students genuinely may not know what constitutes cheating or plagiarism and may not ask the course instructor for clarification. 

I have experienced this kind of situation. Once in my class, there were two kids. Both of them were very hardworking; however, one was a bright child, and the other was very weak. They both were close friends and used to sit together. At the beginning of the class, they were not together, and their result differed. Since the day they sat together, their results were equal. Every test I took had the same mistakes, scoring the same marks. I did not say anything and kept on noticing the two girls. Their half yearlies were near; they both were appointed at different places at the opposite corners of the class. When the result came, I got a little worried because the weak girl had scored significantly less, and the bright one had scored well. I was just waiting to make them realise their mistake and learn from them. 

According to the incident, the intelligent girl's first dishonest behaviour was shown. The girl should have warned the weaker girl about the consequences she might face shortly. She should have told her that you are not doing the right thing by copying from me because it will affect her future. You will be deprived of the proper knowledge. I asked her why did she do this. She told me that she was insecure about her friendship with the girl as she did not have many friends.

The weaker girl showed dishonesty because she was afraid of getting bad marks on her tests as her parents were stringent in this matter. The girl was also insecure about not being able to set a good example to her younger siblings as she was the eldest in her family. 

One example of academic dishonesty is disrespecting the teachers and their fellow classmates.

I had been teaching the junior school and now was deployed to teach the seniors after 2 years. Everyone knows how many handful teenagers can be. Being promoted from middle school to senior school, the children were disrespectful towards me and used to disturb the class and not allow me to teach peacefully. But, slowly and gradually, most of the children accepted me and started giving me respect. Still, one of the girls asked silly questions and tried to disturb the class. One day she came to ask about some of her quarries which I simply explained to her, and she was pretty satisfied with my way of teaching, which changed her attitude towards me. She became quiet and did not cause any trouble in the class anymore. 

Sometimes children do not accept a junior teacher and show respect to teachers who teach them. So we should deal with patience and give them time to adjust to the situation. Slowly and gradually, good relations are developed between teachers and the students.

Jyoti Tadiyal & L K Bhatt
THE DOON GIRLS SCHOOL

Handling Pressure - Nikita Rajpurohit

You might have come around terms like depression, stress, anxiety, or any other similar negative terms. You might have read many intellectual articles reflecting the reason behind these negative feelings, but the only key reason common in all of them is Pressure or Stress. 

Pressures are of various types:- 

Physical pressure

Emotional pressure

Psychological pressure

Psycho-spiritual pressure

Everyone is going through some or other kind of pressure. The pressure of academic performance, the pressure of earning a good living in society, the pressure of feeding family, the pressure of making your own life successful, etc. And the fact is that no remedy can help you escape the pressures in life; you have to fight daily with these pressures and overcome them.

Some people become a conqueror and win over these pressures, while others lose their willpower and kneel before them.

Students are handling mainly three pressures in life:-

To achieve great academic results

To chase their aim and work accordingly.

To balance their skills between academics and other practical skills.

Learning healthy ways to cope and getting the right care and support can help reduce stressful feelings and symptoms. The symptoms may be physical or emotional. For example, if you are emotional and nervous or have trouble sleeping or losing appetite, it can all be normal reactions to stress.  It's very much important to handle stress to live a healthy life. 

Follow some tips to relieve yourself from the stress.

Take good care of yourself:- Eat healthily, exercise daily, sleep well and give yourself a break if stressed out.

Talk:- Talk about your feelings with your friends, parents, or the one you trust. Taking time to share your feelings and to listen and support others will go a long way.

Entertain yourself:- Watch a TV show, listen to music or podcast, watch a comedy show that makes you laugh.

Cook or bake something:- Just the thought of having something delicious to eat can bring you enough joy. 

You can't feed your mind well if you don't feed your body well. So during this unprecedented time, let us support and be there for each other.  Stay fit, Stay healthy, Stay strong. 

Nikita Rajpurohit

nra@fabindiaschools.in

The Fabindia School

Handling Pressure - Prakash Dangi

Courtesy: newstodaynet.com

How do you handle stress and pressure? The easiest way to get started is to take ten minutes each day to prioritize and organize all the key things you need to accomplish. Once you have the big priorities identified, you can break down your large goals into smaller, more manageable incremental goals. At that point, you will have a plan for moving ahead. Focusing on accomplishing one task at a time can prevent you and others from feeling overwhelmed. With this in mind, try these tips to start thriving under pressure. 

It’s important to recognize the small steps that you and your team members are taking towards completing a larger project because it helps people feel good about their accomplishments, builds morale, and bolsters the team’s confidence while working through long-term initiatives.

Studies strongly suggest that having the ability to handle pressure successfully plays a significant role in their success and the organization they work for. People who work well in high-pressure situations have a few things in common, including the ability to resolve conflict positively and meet challenges with humour and determination. These leaders and employees have the self-awareness to know when they feel stressed and manage their responses to that pressure. 

Prakash Dangi  

The Fabindia School

pda@fabindiaschools.in

Handling Pressure - Prerna Rathod

Pressure means stress that affects us in different ways.  It also affects a person at work or home.  There are different types of stress like physical stress, emotional stress, psychological stress and behavioural stress. Some of the causes of stress are as follows :

1. When we do non stop work without taking rest then it  leads to physical stress. It causes body ache and headache.

2.  If we take less sleep or stay awake till late night, our eyes become red. Our mind does not get any rest and it can lead to psychological stress.

3. Sometimes, we keep on thinking  or worry on certain matters which affects us both physically and mentally and can lead to stress.

4. Sometimes due to financial crisis or loss of a beloved or unpleasant work  environment can also lead to  stress.

 Following steps can be taken to keep away stress:

1. You need to take proper care of yourself, i.e. proper diet and rest.

2. Talk to others to divert your mind from the thing that can cause stress.

3. Do  activities like reading, painting, dancing, playing games, listening music.

4. Do yoga, exercise, meditation daily. 

As educators we must make our students understand what is stress, how it is caused and how to deal with it. If stress is not handled properly, then it can lead to dangerous consequences. Each one of us must try to handle stress in a positive way and get it out of our life to lead a happy and stressfree life.

Prerna Rathod 

The Fabindia School 

prd@fabindiaschools.in

Courage and Patience - Kusum Sharma

Courage and patience go hand to hand because we need the courage to keep patience. Just related to this, I have recalled a stressful situation of a child due to examination pressure and parents' high expectations. It was one fine day of winter, I was enjoying my holiday. An email notification popped up on my screen. It was a wonder for me that I did not access my Gmail then how could I get a notification. I tried to find out about this, and the day passed away. Next day when I went to school, I tried to discover the matter.

After a lunch break, a child rushed to me to inform me of something. As I was busy teaching, I asked him to meet me after a lesson. The child came to me and was about to cry. I consoled him and asked the matter. Firstly he felt sorry and stated that due to exam pressure and his father's strict behaviour, he tried to open my email for the exam paper and after a few attempts, he was successful in accessing my mail Id. And after that in great fear of being caught by me, he formatted his gadget. I listened to everything patiently and dealt with him affectionately. I praised him for his courage of being truthful and also advised him to use his skill of technological advancement in an affirmative manner. I also explained to him a few ways to deal with exam pressure. The child listened carefully to all the ways to reduce stress from me and was very happy. Today he is a very good techie student and always tries to help his friends and teachers to make the technology easier for them.

Kusum Sharma, The Fabindia School

Don't Let Your Child Crumble Under Pressure!

Is Your Child Ready To Face The World?

This is the title of a very interesting and knowledgeable book for children as well as their parents and teachers. Written by Dr. Anupam Sibal, it seeks to convey a critical message to parents and teachers alike - that along with studies, they should strive to inculcate some basic values in their children. As the book rightly demonstrates, this is best done by taking the help of examples from the lives of great people. He writes this book as the father of a teenager  and a doctor. As a result, he constantly delves into a child's psychology in order to understand children better.

When I read this book’'s chapter "“Handling Pressure", “I remembered a child in my class whose name is Rohan. He was average in academics.His parents visited the school regularly to keep themselves up to date with his performance. One day when I was teaching in the class, I noticed he was sitting quietly and crying. I went up to him and asked him the reason affectionately. He did not tell me anything and continued to cry. I turned to his friend to inquire further. His friend told me that in the previous day's class test, he had scored very less marks. His mother had scolded him for his poor performance. As a result, the child was frightened and was unable to speak. 

I realised that the child was being put under undue pressure from his mother to get a good rank in class. I decided to speak to his mother. She visited me a few days later. I welcomed her nicely and sat her down. I explained to her in a patient manner that the pressure to score well was having a negative impact on the child. He was constantly under fear and overburdened with the expectations of performing well. As a result, he was unable to concentrate on his work and was always sad.

Fortunately, the child's mother realised her mistake and promised to take corrective steps. After a week, I noticed a drastic change in the child's mood and behaviour. He appeared more confident and cheerful. 

It is very important to understand that children are just beginning their life's journey. They need support and encouragement at all times to succeed. Overburdening them with expectations and pressurising them will leave them demotivated at a very young age. We must deal with them patiently and hold their hands firmly through the initial phase of life. 

~ Aysha Tak is an Educator at The Fabindia School. Her email address is atk4fab@gmail.com

Don't Compare - Every Child Is Different

Avoid Pressure To Work Better

This book is a wonderful example of how parents and teachers can prepare their child to become a good citizen. It elaborates on how we can deal with children's challenges in future by sharing our own and others' experiences with them. The numerous qualities described in this book, such as courage, hope, determination, and humility, are the values that every parent wants to see in his or her child. It is the duty of teachers and parents alike to inculcate these qualities in their children in order to help them achieve their goal in life. A child must have courage to give his opinion and stand by what he believes in. He must also possess the ability to accept the reality and truth whenever he is wrong. It is important that that we learn from our mistakes in order to prevent them from recurring, and the first step in this regard is accepting them. I would like to share an example of how this book can help us in our classroom.

There is a girl in class V - Navya. When her teacher distributed the exam sheets to the children, Navya did not secure the marks that her mother was expecting. Her mother had told her that she must get more than 90 marks in all subjects because she had made her study hard. Navya was under pressure as she feared she'd get scolded and punished if she told her mother about her marks. As a result, Navya gave fake scores to her mother. When Navya’s mother came to take the report card, she told the class teacher that this time Navya had got more than 90%. The teacher thought she had misunderstood the grading system. She explained it to her. Navya’s mother was shocked that her daughter had not been honest about her marks in any subject. Her actual score was less than 70%. She was very angry and decided to give Navya a hard time. She told the teacher that she had taught her daughter well but could not understand why she got such low marks. There were students who had scored full marks. The teacher asked her to calm down and ponder over why Navya lied to her. Her mother responded by saying that the fear of getting punished must have caused her to lie.

 

The teacher tried to explain that Navya was left feeling under pressure due to this. All children are different and their performances are also different in every subject. Navya may have interest in other activities and should not be compared with others. No one is perfect in this world and everyone makes mistakes. The same applies to Navya. The teacher advised the mother to be patient with Navya so that the child can share her feelings comfortably. A person cannot work properly under pressure and sometimes ends up making a wrong decision to escape from the pressure. Putting pressure blocks all communication and increases the chances of the same mistake being repeated in future.

 

Navya’s mother realised that she needs to trust her child to dissuade her from hiding anything in future. She also needs to be more polite with her in order to understand her better. She should not mount expectations on her. This will only put her under pressure and will bring her performance down further. She decided to help her child explore her interests and hone them. 

This book is helpful for teachers as well as for parents to prepare their children for future. Every individual has his own dreams and interests which must not be compared with those of others. Instead, a child must be motivated to achieve his own goal with determination. For this, a supportive environment must be ensured.  

~ Monika Vaishnav is an Educator at The Fabindia School. Her email is mvv4fab@gmail.com

Tackling Pressure on Students

Victory Over Pressure

“Is Your Child Ready to Face the World?" is a great book for understanding the psychology of a child. The author, Dr. Anupam Sibal, is a Pediatrician, having good knowledge of child behavior. In this book, he has written about his journey of raising his son Devaang with moral virtues such as humility, truthfulness, and compassion. He prepares Devaang to face the world, equipped with these good values. 

All the parts of the books are enlightening, but the part I liked most is the one that deals with “Handling Pressure”. It notes that the immense pressure on students due to sickness, study and other reasons may cause many pediatric symptoms. Further, it is also indicative of serious problems in future such as depression, loss of appetite, and negativity. The book provides the example of a child with peer pressure symptoms. 

While reading this chapter, the image of one of my students flashed again and again in my mind. Her name is Bhawika, a girl who faced immense pressure this year. Her parents wanted her to perform well in her academics as well as in other activities. For that, they met the teachers and the Principal as they were not satisfied with the grades secured by their child. They wanted her to perform like an all-rounder student. Bhawika was good at all subjects, given her age. But they wanted her to be the best. They wanted her to be promoted from Grade 5 to Grade 6, which required her to take some tests. This put her under pressure and she could not perform well. Even then her parents insisted that she be promoted to Grade 6. As a result of this pressure the child’s behaviour changed completely. She stopped talking with her friends and was always lost in deep thought. When I asked her about her sadness, she told me that she did not want to be promoted to Grade 6. The thought of taking tests and moving on to the next grade came as a shock to her and she felt that she was not mentally prepared for such a move. One day she began sobbing during the class. Upon being asked about it, she told me that she didn't want to leave her friends and that she did not find herself fit for Grade 6. I decided to meet her parents and make them understand the fact that they must not pressurise their child. I quoted an example from the book to explain my point. Luckily, they agreed with me and gave up the idea of double promotion of their child. Soon after, I noticed that Bhawika was happy again and was paying attention towards her studies and games.

Pressure affects children negatively and makes them deviate from their normal behaviour. It also tends to take away their happiness and robs them of the joys of childhood. It is crucial that as parents and educators we understand and tackle this pressure in every possible way.

~ Rajeshwari Rathore is an Educator at The Fabindia School. Her email is rre4fab@gmail.com