Insearch Of Reasons, Light And Faith #HopeForPeshawer

There couldn’t be a worse example of ignorance as the #PeshawerAttack. And though it was a stark eye opener to what is going wrong with our world today, it was also a doleful reminder of how far we have all come from losing a sense of belonging and oneness as a people.

Sadly, we experience unity and one mindedness only when confronted with such irreplaceable loss. We are angered today at the gruesome reality of the act which is symbolical to our everyday attitudes that reflect intolerance and rigidity of thoughts.

Though education is a far priority in our society and government’s ‘to do list’, it is the only counter strategy to win this war against terrorism. Our suffering has been on going and there seems to be no end to it because even today our political gains take precedence over all pressing issues.

Therefore, many independent institutions, organizations and individuals have taken upon themselves, this daunting task of uniting the people as a nation, to spread the message of tolerance and to find solutions to this ever growing epidemic of bigotry. This divide between the haves and have-nots needs to be bridged to build the lost trust and faith in each other. These are the true well-wishers of our country. The real face of empathy and believers of the one religion that unites us all as a people, “A living conscience”.

In this scenario, educational institutions play a pivotal role in molding the young minds with a renewed sense of togetherness as humans and acceptance of people as different. The character development must now be given an equal weightage in our institutions as part of our academics. This state of emergency needs to be realized and acted upon with vigilance. And even though some people might argue insisting that grooming is a part of the education institutions, there are very few, if any, that provide students with application platforms to exercise this compassion and ability to debate.

As a teacher, my greatest challenge is to develop in my children, the ability to figure out the abstract, to make reason with the intangible, to read between the lines or look beyond the obvious. It may appear quite simple to teach children to be thankful, but to witness them practicing this trait requires consistency in faith and the willingness to try different ways to follow through successfully. It requires the teacher to discard the hypocrisy and set a living example that his/her students could make connections to. The abstract needs the concrete to make sense to them.

Denial, another factor that misleads children to carry the legacy of hate and holding supreme opinions, needs to be dealt with. Investigating ideas, views and formulating opinions based on facts is an integral skill that we need to emphasize on in not just schools, but as parents. Problem solving and finding solutions is the only way forward. Communication, speaking or listening, is a dual carriage that holds meaning and is effective only when the opinions are backed by logic and the listening experience isn’t a passive one. We need to create awareness on the possibility of deadlocks, inconclusive arguments and agreements on disagreements.

In this whole argument, I find it but pressing to bring to your notice that every day, we are introduced to some new gadget or techno tool that can help our children learn faster and make him/her smarter. And as an educationist, I find technology a strong and supportive plan to follow through. However, my fears are manifested in the loss of the ‘human connection’ that is necessary to the emotional well-being of our children. We are already at a loss of spending quality time with them which is necessary to their understanding of relationships and the skills needed to maintain those relationships. The ability to say sorry, to express love and to thank one another because we observe and acknowledge the time and effort put into each relationship.

The #Peshawer incident is clearly a sad depiction of anger, spitefulness and darkness that came through with a force and targeted the very heart of life, aiming to kill the hope and submit to death and pain.

This darkness, gloom and aversion is not an absent human trait. It is present in each one of us. ‘Nafs’ or controlling the soul is a practice that further endorses the presence of this negative power within us. And therefore, the conclusion that arises from this discussion is that education enlightens the mind. We might fall a victim to this loathing if we stop believing in the power of books, faith and light. Teaching is a great responsibility and an ever demanding commitment in the world today.

As a mother, I feel devoid of any understanding of the brutal murder of so many innocent children. I place myself many times in place of these shattered mothers who would never be able to reconcile with the idea of losing their children to this inhuman act. To now find reason to their lives and solace to the heart.

As a teacher, or school, I would invite them to walk into ‘The Army Public School’ and teach alongside those brave teachers to find a strong purpose in life. I would support them by surrounding them with the positive energy of children who would still demand their love, compassion and understanding. The connection with their children will come through stronger with hope for the many that will return soon, in search of reasons, light and faith.

 

 

Beyond The Obvious

The very first project I pick up for my students when they begin the year with me, is one that I primarily hold close to my heart. Reasons are simple. I want to teach every child the ability to “Look beyond the Obvious.”

The “Beyond the Obvious” project is a good starters activity because it helps you identify first hand, children who hold the ability to read and interpret the details attached to the pictures well in contrast to the ones who merely describe the pictures based on the shapes, sizes and colours. It is imperative to discern who these vulnerable minds are to mould them well with the elasticity to stretch beyond the visible.

We as educationists, face the greatest challenge of our times. To help our students make meaning out of shallow structures, plastic speeches, synthetic relationships and most of all, pretentious self-existence. In this world of technology, where every bit of our existence is powered by an alternative to self, how do we teach our children to feel pride in who they are and believe that what they have to offer to the world is enough and respected?

For me, as a teacher who believes in infinite possibilities, I spend the whole year with my students reinforcing the idea of reading between the lines. I am not run by the ideal IQ or the mandatory curriculum. I am navigated by the desire to complete what is incomplete and explore the plausible fertility of a barren mind.

The human connection that is gradually being decimated in educational institutions, needs to be revived with a conscious decision to build strong whole individuals with sound emotional intelligence. We need to hold discussions, talk to each other, listen to diverse perspectives, accept conflict as a necessary step to coexist, and provide platforms to our children to help them realize their self-worth and unique contribution to the world.

While subbing for a Grade 4 class, I created an imaginary classmate for them who came to school untidy, felt angry most of the time and never had his books ready for the lesson. I asked the students, “Who would like to sit next to him?” None of the students raised their hands. When I asked them why they responded, “He is so dirty.” “He is careless and always angry.” And so on. After I had gathered all their comments on the board, I asked them. “Did you ever wonder why he was like that?” And they all went silent. Nobody knew why. So they asked me filled with curiosity to learn. “Because he had a broken family. He had a sick mom who couldn’t iron his clothes for him and because he had no help, he was all alone.”

This distressing news didn’t go down too well with them and some of them had tears rolling down their eyes. “This is so sad.” “Oh so that’s why he was so angry because he had no one to help him.” All of them raised their hands, ready to sit next to him with their individual plans to help make his life a little more comfortable.

 Realization isn’t a mountain to achieve with children. It is only a question away. The question being Why? Tomorrow when they will see something ugly, incomplete or unlike, they will learn to question why and investigate before isolating and labelling.

The skill to look behind the picture makes you more objective and compassionate. It’s a higher order thinking skill and much needed in this contrived world that we live in. We want to build tolerance in our children but hold no patience to spend time on it. Tolerance and patience go hand in hand.

My work as a teacher is never done. There is always something left to do. Some task that needs to meet a deadline. Some plan that requires modification. Some assignments that will take away my weekend and so on.

But I tell you it’s all worth it. I know that this small piece will fall into place in the big picture. I am aware that what I have to offer to the world is enough and respected. I know that tomorrow is much brighter than today because I hold the ability to “Look beyond the Obvious!”

 

 

 

 

 

Progressive Paths to Lead On......

The best lessons that I’ve conducted or experienced have been those with a few visitors in class to observe or take notes. Usually the thought of being watched, assessed or monitored would give teachers a little anxiety or create apprehensions related to unpredictable student behaviour or inability to execute the lesson as planned. I feel no exception considering the fact that I usually go over my lesson ten times in the head before the management actually walks in to make an analysis.

Therefore, I think it can be helpful to evaluate the factors that could contribute to the success of a great lesson or assessment.

To begin with, it’s very important to absorb the objectivity of the act. Management is in your room to assess the amount of learning happening with all your best efforts. It is not the enemy or a movie critique who is going to judge you on personal liking or dislike. There will always be areas of development and falling short of perfection is but an indicator of growth and progressive paths to lead on.

The next step to follow is closely connected to your personal aura. A pretentious teacher is a predictable and boring teacher. The extra smile or a louder voice comes across as an exaggerated theatrical performance. The personal energy matters and should be in balance with the overall class mood and expectations. The zeal and enthusiasm should come across as the lesson picks up momentum. The spark that the observation team is looking for does not necessarily involve the teacher most of the time. It lies in the reflection that comes through the student participation.

The class routines or rituals should come through naturally without any effort. Any sudden changes made to impress the team could backfire and the anticipation on whether they would flow smoothly or not could show on your face evidently. A teacher who holds faith in the system in motion holds confidence and the ability to counter problems without losing her focus and face.

Another compelling factor that adds value to the lesson is knowing your students well. An observant teacher can tell which way to look when searching for an effective beginning or needs a blend of different flavours to her discussion. Avoid the single-minded, concentrated call outs and enjoy the dynamic voices available in your classroom. Even the weakest link in the room needs to be heard and accommodated. Your attention to detail will easily win the management over.

As you move forward with the lesson, you might counter bad behaviour or non-serious learners. The idea is to stop the lesson and deal with the situation at hand. Ignoring the scenario will not only aggravate the negativity but make you look accepting and helpless. The amount of time you spent on correcting the conduct should however, be reasonable and effective. Follow the code of discipline and familiar methods to ensure quick resolve. Also be sure to applaud the offenders once they settle down and respond as desired to meet the lesson objectives. It will ensure their continued commitment to the lesson.

The lesson itself should always be interactive, activity based and student engaged. Once the teacher understands her role as a facilitator, she can focus on executing the above mentioned points which are in reality the backbone of any successful classroom.

An environment conducive to learning. A popular and accepted norm in the field of education. However, a conducive environment is a product of many positive components such as objectivity, balanced energy, faith in the system, equal opportunity, acknowledgement of growth and most of all, “Progressive Paths to Lead On!”