The Feedback Card - Gurdeep Kaur

8:00 am – Reading a newspaper article quoting the Supreme Court on student stress and suicides.

5:30 pm – Saturday Master Class: Reading Productive Failure, Chapter: Affect – The Curious Child.

The newspaper article felt like a problem statement; Productive Failure felt almost like the book for the solution.

Once, in class, I said: “If you don’t study, you’ll fail.”

It’s a familiar line — the pet dialogue of many teachers and parents. But with those words, the joy of learning fades. Curiosity is replaced by anxiety. The stakes shift — no longer about learning, but about performing. The curious eyes in front of me turn into eyes clouded with fear.

Fear of failure — a fear we plant ourselves. And as these children grow, that fear becomes a wall they cannot climb over. Because from the very beginning, failure has been a bad word.

Rethinking the Report Card. What if we redesigned it?

What if we called it a Feedback Card, where we don’t declare success or failure, but offer guidance?

Instead of: “The child is not promoted to the next class,” we could write: “The child hasn’t yet mastered these topics — please focus here next year.”

This slight shift would turn the report card into a bridge, not a wall — a handover to the next teacher, not a judgment.

When a child learns to cycle, we say: “Try again, you’ll get it.” When they learn to drive, dance, paint, or play a sport, there’s no deadline, final exam, promotion clause, or report card.

Only feedback. We allow the journey to take as long as it needs. One day, I hope to read a Supreme Court directive that says: 

“No report cards to be shared — only feedback cards to be shared.”

If we can redesign a small piece of paper called a report card, maybe we can also redesign the way children see themselves. Years later, they’ll look back and say, “Those were the days when learning felt alive, not like a race.”

Note: I am curious about designing a feedback card. I’m open to collaborating with anyone who believes in reimagining how we record and communicate learning.

Gurdeep Kaur

The Teachers Centre Ambassador and C0-host Saturday Masterclass

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We have a solution!

Check out the GSA Record Book and the My Good School Report Card, available as Creative Commons at: www.inYouth.org

World Suicide Prevention Day 10th September - Nikita Rajpurohit

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), on 10 September, is organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). WHO has been co-sponsor of the day. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.

The ongoing pandemic has created a world environment that is harsh and seriously detrimental for mental health, making this the most imperative time to focus on suicide prevention. 

Problems in love life, problems in academic life, problems in professional life, whatever the problem might be, committing suicides is never the solution.

● What are the warning signs and symptoms of suicide?

Of course, prevention starts with recognizing the early warning signs, taking them seriously and acting upon them. Following are some of the common signs and symptoms that indicate someone may be thinking about suicide:

● Drastic changes in mood and behaviour

● Major changes to sleeping patterns – such as sleeping too much or too little

● Loss of energy

● Threatening to kill oneself

● Saying things like ‘no-one will miss me when I am gone’

● Looking for ways to kill oneself, such as seeking access to pesticides, firearms or medication, or browsing the internet for means of taking one’s own life

● Self-harming behaviours like bodily harm, cuts, etc.

● Saying goodbye to close family members and friends, giving away of valued possessions, or writing a will

● What you can do if you think someone has suicidal tendencies?

Suicide is a complex issue, however, it is preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions. Here are a few things you can do if someone you know is showing warning signs for suicide, as per WHO:

● Find an appropriate time and a quiet place to talk about suicide with the person you are worried about.

● Let your loved one or the concerned person know that you are there to listen.

● Encourage the person to seek professional help, such as of a doctor, mental health professional, counsellor or social worker. Offer to accompany them to an appointment.

● Do not leave the person alone if you think he/she is in immediate danger.

● Don't hesitate to ask if he or she is depressed or thinking about suicide. Instead, seek professional help from the emergency services, a crisis line, or a health-care professional, or turn to family members.

● Make sure that you stay in touch to check how the person is doing.

● If the person you are worried about lives with you, ensure that he or she does not have access to means of suicide - such as pesticides, firearms or medication in the home. 

If you think someone you know is considering suicide, talk to them about it and listen with an open mind while offering your support.

So on this day, let us take a pledge to help each other in times of crisis so that nobody has to deal with suicidal thoughts. Let's be there to support and help each other. Let's drop the 'log kya kahengey' approach and talk about suicide awareness. 

Nikita Rajpurohit, The Fabindia School <nra@fabindiaschools.in>