13 Pieces of Advice I’d give my younger self as a newbie teacher.

As expected from any newbie teacher, I was absolutely inexperienced and clueless about what teaching was.

My perceptions about the profession on day one were as given under-

➡️ I am supposed to teach through a textbook. Give question and answers and generate good results.

➡️I will be getting sufficient holidays so I can spend enough time with my family.

➡️ Throughout my life I will be teaching students and then retire at an appropriate age.

➡️ I have to listen to an abide the senior teachers in the school until I become a senior myself.

➡️ I am expected to reach school on time and leave school when it is off. This means that my work gets over when I reach home.

Within a few days, all of the above crashed like glass and I had set new goals and boundaries for myself in the Profession.

The memories of my initial thoughts were crystal clear and I they rushed back to me at one go. I didn't even think of editing them before publishing them.

During the initial couple of days I never thought of-

-Growing on the professional ladder

-Having an aim to reach a position

-Teacher student relationship and its impact on learning

-Experimenting and innovating to teach in a better manner.

-Creating and leaving an impact on society.

On my third day when I entered the school campus as a teacher, revolutionary thoughts swept me away in a storm. It was like a new professional side of me was exposed after layers of misperception got eroded away by interacting with some veterans of the profession.

I still remember someone cleared the concept and functioning of a Director and a principal. 

That was really a very naiive and vulnerable me in the profession.

Then started a fruitful and a meaningful journey which is filled with memories and experiences. I am proud of them and really like living them again and again. So while I was reminiscing and introspecting I came up with these  points which will be very useful to every teacher who enters this profession.

1 Managing Time: As I was too inspired to work as a teacher, when I joined the profession, I was totally focused towards working. There was too much that I wanted to do and so time seemed very little. Also my organisation skills were not so well developed.

It is very important to manage time between your profession and passion. To do lists help a lot in this regards. Writing about long term and short term goals also help in organising tasks and managing time.

2. Limited Research: Educators research for teaching ideas and ideas for worksheets. 

But Google overwhelms you with options and you get carried away because of the vastness and magnitude. I used to spend a lot of time in researching because it helped me to come up with new and creative ideas. I used to download images and articles in bulk for current and future use.

Mostly those articles were never read because of shortage of time or forgetfulness. If you do not put an idea to use, it gets wasted. So I believe limiting research time on internet is very important.

One should know the extent of research that is required for a given project or task at hand. Otherwise we  waste time.

3. Sticking to a to-do List Before Hitting the Internet: This is the best advice that I have given myself and have been following it in the past years.

Internet can turn into a bottomless crevice if you are not careful.

Internet is a great tool to be used by the teacher but remember it is not the only tool.

A lot of planning and then implementation is required in teaching. So spending a lot of time on internet does not really help in this profession. Prepare a list before you switch on the internet. Complete the tasks and switch it off. 

It prevents you from falling a pretty to digital fatigue and reduces your screen time.

4. Writing and Editing Skills: I was a creative person and was inclined towards writing. But the quantum of written work was very less. I wrote a 500 words article in a month or so. Now I write almost 2000 words everyday.

Editing goes hand in hand with writing full stop in those days I almost never edited what I wrote thinking that my thoughts and words fit perfectly like jigsaw pieces. Every educator must write at least one thousand words everyday and edit those articles also.

These can be published in the form of blogs, articles on LinkedIn or medium.com or answers two questions on quora.com.

5. High Level of Energy: It is always good to stay on a high horse. On some days I used to be highly motivated and hence my energy level would be high. But on some other days I would drag myself to work trying to find motivation.

Remember-

Action does not follow motivation.

Motivation follows action.

Keep doing your work and keep yourself in motion. Motivation will always be there behind you.

6 Rewards of Networking: When we work in an organisation, we generally  tend to get along with our colleagues. Contacts beyond that are very rare.

Networking means connecting with new people and maintaining a connect until it develops into a good relationship.

Most of us do connect with different people but regularity in maintaining the relationship goes missing.

Good networking skills result into

-good opportunities

-good friends

-popularizing your skills

-spreading and gaining knowledge

7 Public Speaking and Communication Skills:  A teacher needs to be a very fluent and a confident speaker. Teaching in a classroom is different from speaking on stage. Every educator must develop his or her own public speaking skills.

Public speaking has become one of the most sought after skills in the professional world. With people turning more towards videos now public speaking has taken a firm ground. Everyone who enters any profession must be an expert and a confident person as far as speaking in public is concerned.

8 Exercise and Meditation:  Exercise and meditation are a priority. Exercise keeps you physically active and meditation helps you to stay mentally agile. Even if one is missing it will be difficult to maintain a balance in professional life.

Everyday a 40 minute exercise routine is a must. There are  too many options available online. But it is better to stick to a specific exercise routine. Each exercise should be done in sets of 10s 20s or 30s or whatever you are comfortable with.

Some stretching exercises are equally good and beneficial. They are less stressful physically. So if you want to start something simple you can do so with Surya namaskar.

Meditation calms the mind. The flow of thoughts become very natural during meditation. I read a quote somewhere and it immediately resonated with my thoughts-

“If the ocean can calm itself then why not you. Both have water and salt mixed in their bodies.”

With exercise and meditation focus stays on the path and professional growth becomes easier.

9 Healthy Diet: For most of us food intake takes a backseat when work is concerned. If you have not organised your time well, then you think of skipping meals to complete work.

One should also be mindful while eating food. Research proves that the nutrients are absorbed well by the body if we are mindful of the food we eat. During my career I have seen educator's coming to school without breakfast.

 The two hours of the morning in a school are very important time.

They are also full of activity which requires everyone to be on their toes. Prayer and assembly time is generally packed with a lot of things happening on stage and off stage. 

Students also turn up to school without eating anything and quite a few fall down unconscious. We are all aware of this happening in the school. 

If the teacher arrives with food in the stomach he she can take care of children and handle them better.

If a teacher comes to school with an empty stomach her only focus is to find time to eat something. So make it a golden rule to never leave the house without putting something stuffy in your stomach.

10 Learning Disabilities and Behaviour Issues: A large chunk of learning is achieved by understanding the psychology of the students.  There are many concerns among the students related to learning disabilities and behaviour issues. 

Research papers and blogs are available on the internet. Every teacher must read these to understand the issues and concerns revolving around children. I often say that behaviour is a reflection of the anxiety that the child is feeling or going through. Behaviour changes or improves when the troubling issue is tackled or dealt with properly.

Experience teaches us a lot but awareness equips you with tools to deal with the situation. Knowing the psychological concerns of the children will help the teachers to control the threatening triggers which cause behaviour problems.

Teaching and learning is more of a psychological process. Hence teachers must self educate themselves on these topics. The school counsellor is also of great help. Case studies of issues with children and how teachers dealt with them are also available on the Internet and they can throw light on many aspects.

Caution: Do not try to see the problems which you have read among your students. Take expert advice before jumping to a conclusion.

11 Be a Good Listener: Some of the educators are in a hyperactive mode expressing an ‘I Know It all attitude'. It is good to be well versed about the needs of the profession. But nothing can be compared to practical experience. The people who are already in the organisation are thoroughbreds as far as the working of the organisation is concerned

These veterans of the profession often giveaway titbits related to the profession and they must be considered as useful handy hints. To understand the value of these gems one needs to be a good listener.

There are many advantages of being a good listener. You become aware of certain systems which are an integral part of the organisation. There are deadlines for many of these systems. There are submissions to be done. you will be able to foresee all of these and be better prepared to deliver the submission on time.

12 The Art of Saying NO:

If you set your priorities you will know  which projects you should take as a leader and where you should act as an assistant. Everything cannot be done by a person.

Apart from individual work a teacher is expected to assist and be part of group projects. Group projects between staff members need collaboration and coordination. Hence it requires time and creativity. So it is always advisable to join in projects which cover your areas of interest and say a subtle NO to the ones which are out of your interest area.

13 Define Limits as far as Self Learning is Concerned:

'Learning is a lifelong journey' This statement has been viral since the pandemic started.  Everyone is running after certification programs and trying to score a point above everyone else. Too much learning does not result into proper actions and hence the result is not a productive one. It is good to take up a skill or two but not more than that.

Find ways to implement the knowledge that you already have. Experiment with ideas. 

Perform, then fail, then learn from your failure and perform again

Take honest and crucial feedback upon the work that you are doing. Do not be afraid of the criticism that you receive. Pick up the points which are relevant and push yourself on the path again

These are some of the points which I have picked after a thoughtful deliberation

 They can add a lot of value to the educators who are aiming to start their professional career as a school teacher.

9 Quotes to help you Eat That Frog!

Picture Credit: Toodledo.com

Eat the frog is a common quote used these days to push complacent people towards working. Nothing gets done without work. Action is the key to results. The more the action, the better results.

But procrastination has really pulled down people. Postponing today’s task to tomorrow and then to day after tomorrow has become the new normal for everyone. Pandemic has brought in more blues for people and the situation has turned into a worst one.

Eat the frog refers to that one important task which should be done by an individual which is important for him rather than urgent. People know about the important tasks but do not wish to do anything about it.

This happens because that important task pushes us into an uncomfortable zone. Our mind is not willing to accept that and so we refuse to eat that frog.

Ideally, the frog should be eaten for breakfast because the willpower and determination is much higher in the morning. So the chances of getting the work done are far better. Also we should understand the difference between important tasks and urgent tasks.

Important tasks will help in your long term goals. 

Urgent tasks are focused towards short term goals.

For example if you want to write a book then you must make it a habit of writing at least a couple of thousand words everyday. 

This is an important task.

But if you are an amateur writer then you might avoid hitting the target of a couple of thousand words. So this would be the frog that you must eat everyday. If you are not doing it and postponing it  for future then you are definitely suffering from procrastination.

Since the advent of social media, quotes is a popular way of reading and sending messages. Different aspects of life can be understood, motivation and inspiration can be derived from these quotes.

Hence people believe in reading and sharing quotes. Sometimes one can also read the mind set of the person sending you the quotes or displaying on the status, stories etc. 

Hence I chose quotes because they have often pushed me beyond limits upscaling my performance and expectations in the past.

Every one of us  go through the quotes that we receive every morning as good morning messages. We read them once and put it at the back of the mind for the rest of the life. A good idea would be to keep a collection of it as an album and keep reading them over a period of time.

This is what I do to keep myself motivated and inspired.

Just being lazy does not relate to procrastination. It is the idea of postponing things in the future to avoid a bit of discomfort in the present.

So here is my list which helps me keep procrastination at a hand's distance away.

1. This particular quote is given by Stephen King. He has written 86 bookd in his lifetime.

Imagine the amount of work and time he has put in. According to him we cannot wait for inspiration. We need to act. Action brings inspiration. It is not the other way around.

If your desire to achieve your aims is high and real, then you should not wait for inspiration. Start taking action towards your goal. Inspiration will help you keep going on the path. 

Remove all the uncertainty that you have. Start working.

2. There are many creative visualisation pictures which you might have seen in the advertisements. Imagine one such  visual where the mosquitoes are driven away with the mosquito repellent. Similarly action destroys or drives away procrastination.

Start working. Action is the driving force which will keep your mind occupied with what has to be done next. Hence it won't let procrastination settle like dust on the windowsill.

3. This one is my favourite. Mind is a producing outlet. It produces ideas continuously. But you will have to put them into action.

Mind is not a storage vault for the ideas that are produced. The ideas have to be pushed down the assembly line to reach the final stage of a completed product.

Hence many times a good productive idea comes to your mind but you quickly forget about it.

This happens because the ideas do not stay stored in your mind for a long time. According to research after three or four seconds the idea will vanish if you do not take an action upon it.

Putting ideas into action takes time so what should be done in the meantime?

Write each idea down in a diary. all the creative thoughts should be penned down if you want to take action on it.

4. How does an artist complete a portrait?

He starts with sketching the framework or an outline. Then he gradually fills it. Similarly every project and activity has to be broken down into simple and small steps.

It is easier to take one step at a time rather than jumping two or three steps together.

Breaking down the idea into small steps helps to see the goal as achievable. 

5. Procrastination and overthinking are best friends. These two companions hate the company of action.

Imagine you plan to start something new. Thoughts proceed action. 

If they are positive and constructive, you will start acting and producing results

If you are not confident that these thoughts can be converted into fruitful output, then the thoughts will keep you in the procrastination mode.

The idea of a project is exciting. But when you think too much about it the same idea turns into a dull and boring monster which tries to scare you away from action by making the task look extremely difficult for you to handle.

Hence procrastination will easily make the easiest task look extremely difficult.

6. This particular quote is my favourite. Fear is the main villain or the reason behind most people who consider themselves as unsuccessful.

Fear, hesitation and people's opinion do not let you move ahead. Fear creates an illusion in your mind which does not let you step out of your comfort zone.

Fear cripples you.

Fear holds you back.

Fear paralyzes you into inaction.

Fear pushes you to think negative thoughts.

Fear clips your wings.

Fear cuts down your motivation levels to zero.

Don't let fear grip you and strangle you.

Allow action to strangle your fear instead.

7. All of us use credit cards and we know its repayment cost.

While on a purchasing spree we do not realise the cost. And while paying the bill we sweat.

Procrastination works on the same principle. If you do not act properly at the proper time you have to pay a heavy cost later on.

8. As I said earlier procrastination creates an illusion. Hence we keep postponing our tasks to tomorrow. We feel that tomorrow would be a beautiful day but unfortunately that tomorrow never comes.

9. This quote hits the nail on its head. Look back in the past one year. Think about all the new year resolutions that you have taken and they were forgotten within a few days time.

Drop everything and start working on whatever you think is important in your life.

Don’t go after urgent tasks. Focus on important tasks which are for long term.

Procrastination is the enemy of action and success 

Keep such quotes handy.  Whenever you feel you are bogged by inaction you can read them.

Fuel yourself with action and motivation will follow.

Can a Teacher be a Career Counselor?

The answer to the above question is ‘yes’ they can be a very good career counsellor for the students.

Choosing a profession is not a one day decision. It is simply not an either ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The students take a lot of time to arrive at a decision. Though what we read in newspapers or media is an opposite story.

In the recently held NEET EXAMINATIONS, 111 students scored 700 out of 720 marks. It is an all time high number of students. Hence the clashes for the seats has increased. Two new colleges have been added ie AIIMS and JIPMER(Puducherry)

I read about the story of a boy from Uttar Pradesh. He wanted to become a doctor but failed to clear NEET for 5 years. It was his childhood dream. During that time he completed his graduation.  then took another chance by joining a particular institution for coaching. In his sixth attempt he cleared and secured a seat in MBBS.

But the above-mentioned cases are rare.

Students are absolutely confused about their careers. I believe they need continuous counseling sessions to arrive at a proper decision. Choosing a career is a journey it is not a destination.

It is important that we adults understand this process of helping students choose a career. A school counselor would be of great help here.

We are well aware of the existing fad which has been going on for years and years. The fad and excitement surrounding the JEE and NEET examinations.

Every student who scores above 90% wants to appear for these examinations and try their hand at becoming an engineer or a doctor.

Suicides due to the pressure of parents or society is another stigma which is sucking up our systems. So definitely help should pool in from all sections. Everyone must lend a helping hand to assist the students in making a career choice.

Schools have been performing many functions and so a teacher can very well act as a career counselor.

If I talk about it vaguely, then I will mention things like focus on a student strength, identify his skills and highlight them, listen to the students confusions and doubts, etc.

No there are concrete structures which can be used by a teacher to play the role of a career counsellor for his or her students.

A professional career counselor has the expertise and the professional know how related to different streams. They are aware about the trends existing in the labour market. They are also directly connected to Universities and employers.

So how can a teacher level up to a professional career counselor?

Here is how:

Have Career Conversations:

Every teacher has her own professional journey which consists of pitfalls and appreciations. Sharing your journey about how you reached the current point in your professional life will be a beacon for the students.

A teacher can share the confusion and confidence that she experienced at each step of her career.

Having these career conversations will help the students understand that there are many mountains and valleys to be crossed before being employable.

Brainstorming about professions:

There are different careers so brainstorming session would be really beneficial.

 Teacher’s frequently discuss ‘What is your aim in life?:

This is a good question to help the students. 

A better approach would be to discuss what they would have to do to reach their goal. That means the steps required like competitive exams, colleges which offer that course or financial aspects, etc.

So instead of a vague idea the students will have a concrete structure as to what steps they should take to reach a particular destination of a profession that they have chosen to become.

Fit the academic content in the real world:

Link the curriculum to the real world.

While teaching in the classroom the teachers can speak about where that concept fits in the real world.

For example while teaching  writing in the English class the role of publishers and the vastness of the publishing industry can be discussed. Careers in content writing or blogging can be taken up for discussion.

Certain scientific procedures and their implementation in the industry can be discussed.

So while  teaching just an extra plugin can help a lot.

Relieve the stress:

Students are confused and so get stressed easily. The teacher can relieve the stress by talking to them personally and showing them a clear pathway. 

Teachers know the students personally.  It is better for a teacher to understand the problems of students and provide an explanation.  Talking to the parents will also help the student.

Soft Skills:

Apart from the technical knowledge, the students need soft Skills like team building, collaborating, leadership skills, Communication Skills, anger management, etc.

A teacher should discuss the importance of these skills to succeed in the profession. Only a degree doesn’t guarantee success but an overall development does!

So I truly believe that teachers should talk to the students and subtly lead them towards a full filling career choice!

Have you gamified your Lesson plan?

Picture Credit: Reading Rewards

Screens are an important part of our life. they play a significant role in a child's life also.

The children are used to screens and they use it to their advantage.

Whenever you speak about a screen, they are curious, interested and hence they are good learners with the screens.

Before the pandemic the lesson plans were designed to deliver in a classroom.

During the pandemic they have to be redesigned to achieve objectives of a virtual classroom.

Time and again I have pointed out that there is a major difference between digital content and a digital classroom.

Digital content is extremely attractive both in audio and visual manner.

Digital classroom can be managed by stimulating the students in different ways. The software companies are entering Edtech because they have seen the potential of learning by gamifying the concepts.

True gamified content lures the student into learning a concept by sugar coating the educational content in the form of a game.

The student is focused towards the game which is very interesting an in return learns a concept which might seem boring otherwise. 

Hence if teachers gamify the Lesson plan it would really interest the students.

So teachers how do you gamify your Lesson plan?

Attractive conten:  Just like a video game the content of your class should be attractive. It should have an interesting activity, lively examples or small portions of humor.

Award points:  The students should be given points to score as they move through the lesson. Remember in a video game the player keeps scoring points at every step.

Make a point scoring system in your class based on attentiveness, promptness in answering the question, Raising hands to acknowledge what the teacher is saying, etc.

GI FS and Emojis:  For every high point during your lesson give out  a GIF or an emoj. It livens the mood and draws the attention of the students. It’s the content being given out.

Feedback through points:  If you openly give feedback through points based on their performance, the learners compare their performance and try to fill up the gap in the points.

Hence they try to improve their learning skills. At the end of the lesson every student can display the reward points collected during the lesson.

Gamifying a lesson plan will help a teacher in getting an interested lot if students for the class

The Best Tips to Deal with Digital Fatigue!

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What is Digital Fatigue?

When people use many apps at one time, they experience Digital Fatigue.

It also occurs when you work for long time opposite screens.

Eyes are strained and mind is stressed.

Since remote learning has started and will continue for a long time, one cannot avoid digital fatigue.

Fatigue sets in our daily life also when when we do many things at the same time.

If your pace of doing work is very fast, you get tired easily.

The same applies for Virtual or online work.

The speed of the electronic gadgets is fast. Our brain tries to catch up with it and the result is fatigue.

We should not try to adjust the speed of our mind to that of a machine.

Here are a few ways to deal with digital fatigue-

➡️ Slow Down: Do not try to complete work in a short period of time.

As people are working from home, they try to finish their work fast so that they can attend to other chores. Work at a slower pace.

➡️ Plan: Before you hit the internet button and start work, plan your to do list.

Make a list of tasks on a notepad. Writing it down assures that you will remain focussed on your work. There won't be any confusions and so fatigue will be avoided.

➡️ Handy Note Pad: When you are working online, keep a notepad handy. If something pops up in your mind, write it down. 

Don't act upon it immediately. Read it later on and decide it's priority based upon importance.

I keep a notepad handy when I am on Social Media. While scrolling, if I find something useful, I note it down.

Later I reflect whether it is of value and should I react to it or not.

This Technique saves time. There is no unnecessary wastage of time.

➡️ Shut Down: While working, all notifications should be off. Notifications causes distractions and distraction causes fatigue.

Digital Fatigue kills creativity and sets in procrastination.

To avoid Digital Fatigue, complete your work and move away from screens.

3 Ways to help you in Virtual Teaching!

There is a vast difference between teaching in a classroom and teaching online.

When you teach in a classroom, the expression on the faces of the students give you an idea of the level of understanding.

This Wonderful emotional touch is missing in the virtual classes.

It is encouraging to get a good response while teaching.

But in vurtuvi classes, it is difficult to get a reply.

The response of the students is very low.

These factors and a few others build up frustration and dissatisfaction in a virtual classroom.

"When you can't control what is happening, challenge yourself to conteco the way you respond to what is happening!

That's where your power is!"

Below mentioned are three ways to help you stay motivated-

1: Be Enthusiastic:

Don't let anger or disappointment lower your level of energy on the screen.

Keep the smile up.

Happy and cheerful screen presence kills the boredom of the students.

2: Don't wait for the response:

Teachers often ask questions like

'Have you understood?'

'Am I clear?'

'Shall I repeat?'

Speak for long stretches before putting up questions like these.

They have become your habit.

But they are ineffective online because they break connectivity. The students aren't able to respond quickly.

3. Voice Quality:

Ensure that you speak slowly and clearly.

Modulate your voice.

Don't scream. But talk boldly and a bit loudly.

Your voice should not sound crass and at the same time it should convey your ideas clearly.

The above mentioned tips have helped the Teachers while delivering their online lessons!

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How Growth Mindset Will Help During Lock Down!

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“Love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort and keep on learning.”-Carol Dweck

When you are thinking positively the results will automatically be positive. The people who have positive thoughts seem to have a good control over their thinking processes. Hence if they are faced with a problem they try to look for a solution. They do not react with negative emotions like anger, frustration or violence. They are happy, keep putting in efforts and keep thinking about a way to ease out of the given scenario.

Growth Mindset is a term coined for people who love challenges. You can see progress taking place in their lives. They keep climbing up the stairs of life and success.

They do not measure success with financial wealth and prosperity. They measure success with their ability to deal with the given circumstances.

There are two main mindsets we can navigate life with: growth and fixed. Having a growth mindset is essential for success.-Dr Carol Dweck

I know that during the lock down period no one is thinking of success. Everyone is just managing to survive these tough and never seen before conditions that they are faced with. But moving through the daily routine with a growth mindset would really be beneficial for the entire people of the household.

What is a growth mindset?

As Dr Carol Dweck says-

Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts).

What she wants to emphasise is that one should aim to make himself smarter by learning the necessary skills required rather than putting in mere wasteful efforts in just looking smarter than the rest of the lot.

The initial cover definitely weans off and the real turf will be exposed. Let the real turf be full of strong mettle which can be acquired with a growth mindset.

Leave the –I have-it-all attitude-

Life will move on different terms after the lock down. Certain rules and conditions will certainly change. Hence we all need to be ready to face the life after the lock down period is over. So just by assuming that things will be absolutely normal and life will get back on track is not a very productive gesture.

Introspect and see whether you require to gain certain skills. This is the right time to utilise it. Get enrolled in some certification courses and upgrade your current technical or soft skills if required. There are many webinars happening and people are willing to share their knowledge. Almost every website has a note about what they are offering for free or at discounted rates.

Face Criticism, Challenges and Low performance-

This is happening with most people these days. Just to avoid wasting time, they try to delve into some productive activity. At times they get a good response at other times they are faced with criticism about their work.

Because they have worked but the result is awaited. There is no guarantee of success right now. Everything is on hold. The results are not visible. The future seems bleak. The challenges seem big and unattainable.

Halt! It is alright. Do not worry.

If you have taken up something to do and are working towards it, do not expect the results right now. Have patience. Work can never go unnoticed.

I strongly believe in actions. Right actions will bring in the results. There may be a delay but the fruits will be enjoyed by the person who puts in efforts.

“It is hard to beat a person that never gives up.”-Babe Ruth

Efforts require thinking and planning an implementation. And all these actions act in a sequence. They are a proved scientific approach which is know to give you the results that you have sought of so far.

Keeping a growth mindset will make you face these challenges and much more. Do not give up. Keep putting in the efforts that you wish to.

“I like criticism. It makes me strong.”-Lebron James

If you are feeling the insecurity you have lost the growth mindset-

Overcome the feeling of insecurity that is gripping you. It will not let you work. It will be a hindrance in your growth. Overcome these feelings as soon as you can.

Meditate, pray, write down positive affirmations, read blogs written by motivational speakers, etc.

Use the indicators which your mind is giving you. Follow the instinct. If you are trying to do something, those pangs of insecurity will threaten to choke you until you decide to lower your guard down and finally end up on the couch without the potato chips.

Some indicators which will tell you that you have adopted a growth mindset-

1.  You are happy and cheerful every day.

2.  Anger and resentment has not crept up your sleeve.

3.  You are watching the daily news only once a day to update yourself.

4.  You are reading articles or blogs related to your industry to keep yourself updated.

5.  You are discussing things with people if faced with a problem.

6.  You have revived one of your hobbies and are giving time to it.

7.  You are lending a helping hand to the people who need it.

8.  You are connected to friends and relatives and providing them the mental support required.

9.  Your day is scheduled properly.

10.              You are sleeping only for the limited period of time.

“You are capable of so much more than you can even imagine.”

Mind has limitless thoughts. Growth mindset can help you achieve the unlimited potential that you possess. This positive mindset challenges to keep growing in your life. You will never stagnate or decay with this wonderful mindset that you decide to adopt.

People will survive the challenges thrown by COVID-19 with the help of the powers of their mind, with collaboration and coordination wherever and however possible.

Let us beat this pandemic with super positivity and unlimited growth to give a different dimension to the world when it is ready to reopen.

Kesar Patel is a National Award winner. She is a blogger who details the life of an educator through the colours of her own experience in the field of education. Follow her at kesarpatel1234@gmail.com.