From Digital Natives to STEM Propagators

 

“Scientists discover the world that exists, Engineers create the world that never was!” -T.V Karmen

What is STEM?

An  acronym penned for Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics!

How do we relate it with the curriculum?

Whenever we instruct the students to make a project which includes either one of the above quoted concepts, we are engaging in STEM activities.

Were the above two answers sufficient to answer all the queries related to STEM? (Certainly Not!)

The word STEM in education has become a common jargon with everyone. Say STEM and everyone thinks that 21 st century skills and everything related to the latest educational trends and technology is being delivered.

Well in most cases it is not so!

I have come up with my own personal definition of “What is STEM?’’ to help my teachers understand it better.

Whenever the student offers a solution to the problem that he or the world is facing using Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics, then he is said to have used a STEM based approach.

Every solution in this world is connected to a combination of STEM concepts!

So STEM is all about creating or finding solutions!

Application based education is STEM.

Memory based reproduction of knowledge is not STEM.

STEM judges you by how effective your solution to the given problem is. It does not test how much you know.

When a student thinks for himself, it is STEM. When we tell the student what to think, it isn’t STEM.

When we put up a problem in front of the student, it is STEM. When we provide them solutions, it isn’t STEM!

Important: All students must understand and gain mastery over STEM subjects. Hence the focus on teaching application based Science and Math at the early levels is to enable them to master these subjects as they grow up. The students start applying logical reasoning and computational skills to every problem that they encounter. They calculate, measure, explore, think and then arrive at a conclusion which is termed as a solution.

The pandemic revolutionized the teaching methodologies and put us on an online mode of teaching. We got associated with technology and became adept at using it. The same happened with the students. They were given technology to assist in their learning. But most of us are just using it to gain knowledge and complete our education or impart education. The day we use it to find solutions, we will enter the STEM zone.

So how do we convert our digital natives into STEM enthusiasts?

1 Application based teaching: All Science and Math based concepts should be taught experientially. Examples for these concepts can be given from real life. Allow the students to touch, feel, explore, apply and experiment. Let them observe the results and arrive at a conclusion. 

2. Logical Reasoning and Problem Solving: The students should be exposed to questions which demand logical reasoning. They should be given worksheets based on reasoning and problem solving. It should be a part of Math curriculum in the schools. The best part about reasoning questions is that they cannot be taught how to solve. The students have to think and solve it. Each question is different from the other. So the approach to the solutions vary and they matter.

These questions or problem statements, force the student to think and arrive at a solution. If the solution is wrong, then they themselves have to figure out what went wrong. This enhances their thinking skills and it significantly impacts their cognitive behaviour.

While attempting these questions, their knowledge of Science and Math is at foreplay. If their understanding of these subjects is good, they will be able to solve the questions with ease. 

3 Looking for Problems:  The teachers have a mindset that they are supposed to give the solutions to the students. Generally in the form of answers to the assignments given in the textbooks. The parents also have a fixed mindset towards the assignments and their solutions given by the school. The teachers must put up the questions and let the students find the solutions. This is the best way to encourage thinking. While imparting STEM education, a teacher must prod the student to think independently. Don't teach them what to think based upon the answer that you want. This approach damages a student’s ability to think independently. They always try to think of an answer which should be right according to the teacher. The expectation of a reward or praise or acknowledgement from the teacher upon a correct answer also kills this thinking instinct of the students.

Hence the teacher should not begin sentences with: Wrong answer….

4 Personalized learning: This is the best way in which you can give them an opportunity to think. Provide them with a topic and give them certain details on how to research and come up with the relevant material related to the topic. Also ask them to make observations and write comments after analysing the situation from their point.  Questions which invite opinions also encourage the thinking process.

Remember when we speak of STEM we want the students to think and come up with a solution. This will ultimately lead to certain innovations and inventions by them.

5 Creativity:  Creativity can be learnt and taught very well with pictures and drawings. I strongly believe that there is nothing original in this world. Everything is copy and then paste with a difference. The human mind keeps absorbing whatever it sees and observes in the environment. Based upon your past experiences, these observations are converted into something creative by your mind. So observations are mixed with past experiences and the result is creativity or innovation.

The teachers can easily encourage creativity by asking the students to draw and by showing them various pictures related to the concepts that are being taught. 

6 Research based learning: As teachers we believe in giving extra information to the students during the class. But all of that information is not retained by the students. Hence the role of a STEM educator is to arouse the curiosity of the students and lead them towards research and finding out information on their own. One of the important aspects of education is to help a student convert knowledge into wisdom. This is possible only with time as they mature or if the student indulges into in depth research related to the given topics.

7 Fear and Hesitation: The teachers have to develop confidence among the children so that they do not hesitate to experiment or apply what they have learnt in real life. This can only happen when the students are allowed to experiment or apply everything that they learn.

NOTE: Hesitation and fear will not have any place in the act of Problem Solving. We need confident students who do not hesitate to take a step. Because problem solving involves experimentation, innovation, invention and failure. Sometimes it takes days and years to arrive at a conclusion which solves the problem. They need to make several attempts before they arrive at what they want. Resilience and patience will be the key emotions at play here.

Statements like-What will people think? Should not linger in the hippocampus (an area which predominates the subconscious mind) area of the brain.

STEM integrated with subjects:

Languages: When you give a statement like-Write a paragraph about how we can control deforestation?

You are asking the students to think, research, calculate and then make a decision based upon the learning. This is certainly STEM.

Social Studies: How can the displaced migrants from flood prone areas be settled in cities or on the higher reaches?

You are definitely calling for solutions which require the integrated approach of all STEM subjects including certain skills like Problem Solving.

UNSDGs and STEM

The 17 sustainable development goals given by the United Nations are the problems that the world is facing today. We have to urge the students to find solutions and put them into practice to help solve these problems.

Every solution that the child attempts will have an integrated base of the STEM concepts. Hence understanding a STEM based approach has become a priority. Most teachers think that STEM is all about learning or studying Science and Math and gaining a mastery over the subjects to secure a well paid job in the future.

Well they are correct but upto a certain point only. Developing a STEM approach is training the young minds to use applied STEM concepts to come up with solutions to ease problems in the world or their environment.

STEM jobs:

Now when we speak of STEM jobs, it also means that the students have-

1 Mastery over STEM subjects

2 Skills like problem solving and critical analytics

3 Creativity and Innovation

4 Team spirit and leadership approach

5 Communication and presentation skills.

6 Decision making

STEM jobs will be the highest paying jobs in the coming decade. So it is important to remember that these jobs involve a mastery over STEM subjects and a Problem Solving approach.

I hope the teachers understand the importance of the word STEM now.

We are not looking at reproducing the models and projects which are already made. We are now looking at projects and models which are providing ideal solutions for the given problems.

So try not to give projects like- make a kutcha house and a pucca house.

Instead give a statement like-

Design or construct a house which has an efficient rain water harvesting system in place.

Hope your understanding of STEM in education would have increased. Now go on and put it into practice. (Words cannot replace actions!)

Observe Patterns to Save Time and multiply Prodcutivity!

 

I have written many articles on Time Management for the teachers earlier than this one. This is an important factor which reduces stress in your life. I like to write on this topic because more often I have seen that teachers do not see beyond teaching or finishing curriculum in the classroom. Vision is an important part in any profession. If you just enter a profession without any vision for the future your progress is slow.

 

I entered the profession without a vision but my goal was set on day two of my job. My mind had registered the fact that I wanted to see myself working as a principal of a school one day.

I admit…

I never took steps immediately to proceed towards my goal. For years I was just content and satisfied working as a teacher. It was much later that I pushed myself to achieve the goal which I had set for myself.

Anyway… I want to talk about Time Management and I will stick to it.

 

Nature has a pattern. All living things function according to a set pattern. We all know about tides and rotation and revolution of the earth. These are set patterns of Nature. There is no stress in Nature because the pattern is almost set.

Similarly, every school and the education system in the country has a few basic set patterns. If a teacher observes the pattern and keeps a note about it, she will be able to complete her work well before time and there will be no cause for stress.

In this article I will only speak about the basic functioning of the school which cannot be ruled out ever. Pay attention to the points mentioned here to get rid of all your time management and anxiety related issues.

It is commonly said that take care of your pennies and the pounds will multiply on their own. If you take care of these daily or monthly or yearly patterns which occur in a school, you will surely focus on bigger goals and progress in your career.

1 Foresee and foretell: As a teacher you must know about what is going to come next in the routine or as a task.

Just a brief example-Every school has a set assessment pattern. The examination department generally asks for question papers and other requirements a few days in advance. This time period is also previously fixed.

As a teacher if you have foreseen the dates then you must also start preparing the question paper a bit in advance. If you do this, you will not be pressurised when the dates are announced for the submission of the question paper.

Similarly, a class test pattern is set, the tentative time period of the annual functions is fixed, parent Teacher Meet is pre decided, celebrations or certain inter school activities are pre-determined, etc.

There are many such other events and activities which are planned at the beginning of the year and then implemented when the time comes. You can gain advantage if you foresee and then foretell about these happenings and keep your own submissions ready beforehand.

 

Most teachers know about these dates but the only thing I have heard from them is-Oh no..they are asking for it again.

OR

There is a lot of time in hand now. I will do it later. (This ‘later’ becomes the killer weapon for action and you just procrastinate to avoid the task.)

2 Mind your minutes to mind the hours:

There are some tasks which are to be done every day. They seem insignificant in nature because they take very less time and are due every day the minute you reach school. Like: Marking attendance for yourself, marking the attendance for the students, submitting the daily attendance report or the daily log, writing date and attendance on the class board, etc.

Even planning a leave and setting aside some assignment to be done while you are on leave. This is a routine process but most teachers pretend they have overlooked it.

Teachers do not understand why these tasks are important and so often they are avoided. They try to overlook it or postpone it thinking that the leadership will forget it. But time and again it adds to negligence or carelessness on your part.

Teachers ask for forgiveness once then twice on such matters when questioned and reprimanded but they should understand that this should be a part of your discipline to complete these tasks without any reminders.

 

No work is small or mundane or insignificant. Work is work. It has to be done.

3 Workstation:

Define a space in the school or the staffroom which will be your workstation. That space is your space. Stick notes. Keep it neat and tidy. Give it a glimpse of your personality. Attach value to it.

At times a good and organised workstation pulls you to work.

4 Maintain folders or files

Organising your work place takes less time but it leaves a lot of time in your hand to do other things. All the papers and important documents should be kept in proper files or folders. Extra paper should be either given for recycling in the school or destroyed if not required.

Take note:

A Do not ever store any piece of extra paper.

B Do not keep any paper in the attendance registers or teacher’s diary.

Teachers receive a lot of applications from the students or test papers, etc. Never keep loose papers in books, note books, attendance registers, class log books, etc.

The correct place of a loose paper is in a file. Take a file from the office, punch the papers and file them. Write appropriate title on the file so that you are able to find the papers later on under proper heads.

 

5 Carry a pocket diary

While moving in the school, or while talking to the teachers, or while teaching in the classrooms, you remember some important tasks which were to be done. Make a habit of writing it down in your diary. You will completely stay focussed and get all the work done in time.

6 Talk to all the teachers in the staff room:

This one is a golden rule. Each teacher works at their own pace. But there are some very proactive teachers. They not only complete their work well in time but they are also the ones who are foreseeing and foretelling most of the time. Keep talking to everyone in the staffroom and do keep a track of what others are doing in the current time. If you have skipped an important point or two, you will be apprised well in time of the task coming up or is immediately due.

 

All this helps you to wrap up your work in a proper way. Hence you have a lot of time in hand to practice creativity or target your higher goals.

Why I advocate to teach Creative Writing?

 

 

Picture credit: https://www.coursera.org/learn/getting-started-with-essay-writing

I have confessed many times in the past and I do it again. I did not enter this profession by choice. It was a good and comfortable option at that time to choose from.

Why am I saying this again?

Well, I am a Convent Educated girl. Proud to have studied from St. Joseph’s Convent, Kingsway, Nagpur. My LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) skills were very good. But that was me and myself.

When it came to teaching the same to the students, I re-searched, re-learned and re-discovered everything entirely. Then I stepped into the domain of teaching creative writing to the students confidently.

Read my story of why I started advocating creative writing?

Imagination is a boon everyone in the world is endowed with. Thoughts run through our mind. They will never cease to exist. But we are not conscious when these thoughts move in our minds. Hence, we are not able to harness them into productive outputs. This has been proven scientifically.

A similar complex situation exists with the students. Since most of the students do not read, they hesitate to imagine. Then they struggle for words to give their thoughts a concrete structure. As a result, they hesitate to write.

When I started teaching, my co-teachers were Uma and Archana. They boasted of super imaginative powers which their students possessed.

What was the proof of the above statement?

Their students framed long, interesting, creative and grammatically correct sentences. PHEW… They really gave me a complex.

All Centre Pointers were supposed to take up ‘Frame Sentences’ very seriously when they were teaching languages. Each teacher took pride in showing off the wonderful sentences made by the students.  We were made to attend different and at least three or four workshops in a year which were targeted to teach ‘Frame sentences.’

Such was the craze to develop skills for Frame Sentences. When I started teaching, I was clueless about how to make children write good sentences. Out of frustration, one day I wrote a variety of sentences and told the children to copy it.

Well, Archana was too quick to catch my folly. Now what?

The only way to learn is to put in hard work. So, I started observing her classes to understand how she triggered imagination. While teaching she was …what? Dramatic, eloquent in speech, used simple vocabulary, added a unique twist to every child’s question, focussed only on students, gave them ample time to think and then to write, showered praise generously, etc.

Google had made an entry in my life at that time. I immediately took to Googling and finding out methods to teach imagination and improve my skills to teach creative writing. I discovered many new and exciting ways. I implemented it in my class and started getting good results. I was happy but not satisfied.

Because the next challenge came in. The students were supposed to write long paragraphs by this time. The demand was that the content should be creative, the language perfect and the spellings absolutely correct.

Oh My God!

Will it ever stop? No came the prompt answer. Once more I started Googling and came up with good solutions and saw the results.

There was a catch in the entire situation. And it was that we cross checked each other’s answer sheets. Hence the quality had to be high because the answer papers went through multiple rounds of checking. First by the teachers, then the coordinators and finally the Principal, Mrs Chatterjee.

Most of the skills that I picked up are actually copyright of Mrs Chatterjee. She took various workshops and taught us these skills and tactics of Creative Writing and a functional approach to teaching grammar. She had what... around ten thousand ideas to teach any given topic. She was super excited when anyone asked her for an idea to teach a lesson. Moreover when we went to her with our own idea she would praise us, encourage us and applaud in staff meetings of the wonderful creativity shown by us!

If I have the authority, I will declare her as the Creative Head for all the schools on this planet. Trust me I am serious. Her capacity for Creativity is beyond anyone’s imagination and reach.

Over time I have realised that it was a golden policy to teach Frame Sentences well to develop good writing skills among the children.

 

Anyways!

There are two sides of this coin!

One reason why I loved to teach creative writing was that it was a challenge each time to make the students write.

The other reason was, the revelations which the children made in their innocence. Most of the time the students’ mental condition is revealed while they write paragraphs or essays or make sentences. It helps us as educators to understand the problems or excitements faced or experienced by the students. This in turn strengthens the bond of teaching and learning.

I believe that no one can just teach. You have to understand the child and deliver your teaching as per his learning needs requirement.

I have won many prizes based on the case studies of children. Most of these case studies find their base in the creative writing pieces which they wrote in my classes. I took a clue from those scribblings and decided upon an approach for the child. It made me empathetic and I developed a good relationship with my students.

Years later, now in the present, very recently, I corrected a few creative writing pieces of students which opened my eyes to what their dreams and aspirations and thoughts were. It changed my perception of the students and the idea of this blog crept into my mind rather it popped into my mind.

There is this bunch of students who have given me sleepless nights because they were not passing the pre boards. Leave apart the pre boards they didn’t even clear the short tests which were planned for them.

I perceived them as aimless, clueless about their own future, not responsible at all, taking life carelessly, and on and on…

But when they wrote about their aims and ambitions in life, I was in for a set-back.

Student A wrote about why he wanted join the Indian Army. He sketched the entire picture of what happens in his house. How his father keeps motivating him to join the Indian Army and serve the nation. He was made to watch the Republic Day Parade to understand what proud moments are. His elder brother is also serving the Army and so he also keeps motivating him by telling him stories of war heroes and their bravery. He wrote passionately about how everyone talks, sleeps and walks through the regimes of the Indian Army. The training given to the soldiers and what pride actually means to them!

So he is clear in his objective- He wants join the Indian Army to serve the country.

Student B’s parents are Government employees. According to him starting a business needs a knack. It needs skills. Since no one has a background of starting a business in his family, he chose to study Commerce and learn the skills to become an entrepreneur. His parents supported his decision and are willing to help him out. So, he is focussed on becoming a businessman in future.

He has the future chalked out completely.

 

Student C remembers that his grandfather passed away due to heart failure because there was no medical facility available in his village. He described how his grandfather succumbed to pain in the ambulance which would have taken him to the hospital and if possible, life. Hence his aim of becoming a doctor and serving the people of his village is very clear.

 

When I read through these essays, my perception about these students changed entirely!

This generation is not out there to have fun. They are serious about their goals and what they want to achieve. They are driven by passion and are full of determination. The roads are chalked out and the maps are well marked for the destinations which are going to arrive during the journey.

 

They are willing to scale peak after peak and hoist the flag of their dreams which will sway in the winds of success!

 

Why you should read Bruce Lee Quotes?

 

Picture Credit: The above picture is taken from the below mentioned website. 

https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/7/23/21334815/three-portraits-of-bruce-lee

In an age of internet, jpegs, pdfs, video files, etc. quotes have become very popular with everyone. These word-embedded pictures act as a motivational force for everyone. The teaching community, I feel has been greatly benefitted with these quotes because they motivate the students as well as the teachers.

 

Message in the form of words and quotes are a regular feature on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. An enigmatic picture and a few captivating words have attracted many teachers to find motivation and keep going on.

 

Being a language teacher myself, I feel attracted towards words. Poetry, to be specific but a good quote has always held me captive. I used to fill my diaries by writing quotes and then reading them every day. It was a regular habit since I was very young.

 

In those days I just copied words because I was not writing on my own. I guess my first attempt at writing would have been inspired by those quotes which I copied from everywhere that I could find them. Gradually the words kindled imagination and ultimately, I reproduced what my mind was imagining on to paper in the form of articles.

So, coming back to the quotes and the motivation that they provide.

Most youngsters now store these quotes in the form of pictures in their mobiles to motivate them in their daily work. These quotes help us keep a positive frame of mind. No matter what the situation arises, there is a quote for every occasion which shows you a ray of light.

 

I know that everyone knows that visualization works. Hence the quotes that come with vibrant visuals are in trend since a long time.

 

 

Why Bruce Lee Quotes?

 

My first acquaintance with Bruce Lee was through a 2-feet by 4-feet Bruce Lee poster which one of my cousin brothers had put up on his almirah. For years when I went to my grandmother’s house for summer vacation this poster stared at me before I went to sleep. According to my cousin, the poster was an inspiration to him. For me it was some Hollywood hero.

A few years ago, the memories of that poster came back to me when I was discussing one of my summer vacation escapades with someone. And I searched about Bruce Lee. Then I read about his life and struggles and finally landed upon some of the motivational words which he had said.

They reflect his thought process and the wonderful philosophy that he had about life.

So when I was thinking of an out of the box idea to write my next blog, a Bruce Lee quote swam into my brain. I decided to go ahead to frame a blog on it to motivate the teaching community out there.

 

These days the classes and the struggles in the online meetings can well be compared with the boxing inside the rings.

So here is my list of 9 Bruce Lee quotes which reflect and can be a source of motivation to the teachers.

 

1                      “The more we value things, the less we value ourselves.”

This is true! And I relate it directly to monetary value that the teachers attach themselves with. Most of them compare their salary to the amount of work that they are doing.

When you decide to work your focus should be on quality work that you produce. Develop your work ethics in a manner which do not reflect the amount which gets deposited in the bank.

 

I know! Salary matters.

But trust me! Quality of work and delivery of results matters more. Focus on your task. Plan and develop a strategy to improve it continuously. Think of new ideas. Simplify the mundane and administerial work. Do it with joy.

 

Make creativity your tool. Let quality drip from everything that you do!

Value your work highly and you will get the necessary rewards.

 

2                      “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

We keep assimilating knowledge all our lives. When we teach, we start applying it to real life. I have seen many creative ideas of teachers going waste because simply they were not implemented. They are written in lengthy and well ornated lesson plans but never implemented. Hence the teachers can feel happy that they came up with unique ideas but actually they will not produce results.

 

Procrastination is the real killer at all times. I suggest this flow chart which seems helpful-

 

Write down the idea which crept up in your mind.

Break it down into simple steps.

Set a target date.

Do one step a day.

Ensure that you do not miss the target date.

 

Nothing can replace action!

 

3                      “To hell with circumstances, I create opportunities.”

 

PANDEMIC-TEACHING-TOPSY TURVY WORLD=MOVE BACK

OR

SURGE AHEAD WITH GREAT FORCE

 

I think everyone agrees with it. There were just a handful of teachers who took a step backwards. Rest everyone created opportunities for themselves. Teachers experimented with apps and programs to make their lectures successful. They ensured that teaching happened.

They made their classes interesting to capture their students’ hearts. There were images and power point presentations. There were innovations and implementations.

Each teacher created the opportunities where there were none.

The circumstances looked too meagre in front of the gigantic opportunities which these educators created.

 

4                      “When you say that something is impossible, you make it impossible.”

Remove the word impossible for your life. Think of probable solutions. If every roadblock can be removed then what are problems in terms of teaching. Yes, impossible takes a bit longer to achieve. But if you are determined nothing can stop you from conquering the world.

 

How many times have you attempted the most difficult of activities and achieved results?

 

How many times did you think that you could never do any more corrections, but you did?

 

How many times you were asked to submit, lesson plans, question papers, and tons of other documents all at one time?

You thought you would crash, but you sailed through smoothly.

Carry the attitude of doing things. Impossible will shrink to a size so tiny that you will need a microscope to trace it!

 

5                      “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.”

From the entire lot of teachers who are teaching right now or who are entering this profession, 99 % of them chose this profession because they wanted a life of comfort.

 

Limited working hours, holidays, vacations, etc. Simply Wow!

Well, the bubble breaks when they start working. Then they face problems because the mindset does not match with the skill set and hence the desired productivity is not achieved.

Expectations were high. Ground realities are different.

There is no celebrity status attached to a teacher until and unless you prove your mettle or make a mark with the students.

There are no praises only expectations. Everyday something new has to be done. The teachers also have to cope with the administrative work. Hence the cakewalk gets messy for most of the professionals.

You can sail smoothly in teaching also, but you need focus, inner strength and the correct approach.

 

6                      “Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”

‘Instructions’ are an integral part of teaching. They have to be delivered from time to time. One has to be meticulous when instructions are given. Also, there are multiple instructions to be given at one time.

 

So, mistakes are bound to happen.

The teacher has to receive instructions from the head of the institution, from the co-ordinators, etc.

He has to comprehend these instructions and then deliver to the students.

It is a lengthy process. One tends to forget or misunderstand instructions.

It is a fact! Let’s accept it! It happens!

The best way out is to accept the mistake rather than try to cover it!

If you cover your mistake, at some point the can will burst and the dirty wiggly worms will come out.

If you accept it, rectification starts and soon everything is forgotten in good faith.

 

Note: Do not repeat the same mistake again and again. It is known as carelessness.

 

7                      “Water is fearless. If you put water into a cup it becomes the cup. You put water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot, water can flow, drip, creep or crash.”

As a teacher, you have to don many hats. The more versatile you become, the more successful you will be.

You have to do many tasks at the same time.

We have heard-‘Teacher, philosopher, guide…’

Many more titles can be added to it-administrator, manager, organizer, leader, etc. All the titles can be given to one person. The role of a teacher demands a cumulative bundle of them.

 

8                      “What you habitually think, will define what you ultimately become.”

Most teachers do not graduate to leadership roles because they do not fore see themselves as one.

There are many negative attitudes attached to a teacher’s role. The dignity of labour is still missing from this profession. Hence the approach of the teacher is shrouded by doubts, insecurities and an unprofessional attitude.

 

Read the biographies of great people and understand how a teacher has impacted their lives. Have role models who are working well in the field of teaching. Talk to teachers who are still connected to their students even if they have retired from the profession.

 

Follow teachers on the social media. Many of them have their own professional pages and blogs. Read, comment, interact with them via the social media. Take a careful look at the content they post.

Upgrade your own social media standing by posting relevant educational content on your page.

Feel proud about the profession, and the profession will give you what is rightfully yours.

 

9                      “Be happy, but never satisfied.”

 

There is a lot of work to be done. There are many students who need guidance. There are changes which are occurring in the system. There are assignments to be done, tests to be checked, lessons to be covered…

It goes on and on.

 

What matters is your happiness in the profession. Cherish every good act that you do. Feel happy about the roadblocks that you are able to remove. Be excited when you are able to innovate to teach in a better manner.

But remember, the moments will pass and new ones will emerge.

So, keep striving. It is an ongoing process. Don’t get satisfied with the little wins and stop your journey. Don’t turn complacent!

 

Happiness makes your journey desirable. Momentary satisfaction leads to contentment. This leads to encouragement.

Never let satisfaction stay for long. Look for an uncomfortable place if you wish to continue your journey happily!

Importance of recapitulation for a teacher!

 

 

The teaching profession is strictly time bound.

It is also very demanding.

It requires great amounts of creativity.

Every educator has to think critically.

 

Well, aren’t these skills actually required among the children?

Why are educators being questioned on this?

 

Well, these skills are equally important for the teachers also. Teaching is a demanding profession. Everyone knows this fact.

And every day there are new demands on top of the older ones.

So every teacher asks, ‘How do you expect us to survive?’

A pandemic hit the world this year but truly I think teachers land in a pandemic every year when the session starts until it ends.

 

They have to complete syllabus, make question papers, prepare the students for the activities, work late in the evening and work over the holidays and vacations.

And yet, the profession doesn’t get a recognition among the world’s top ten professions.

 

Am I right?

DON’T ANSWER!

 

I know I am CORRECT.

 

But if a teacher has chosen a profession and it is a more than demanding profession then there is a way out of this stress also.

 

The most important part of the profession is the curriculum. It has to be diversified, multidisciplinary, experiential, creative, etc. Think of all the important terms and they will find a place in the all-encompassing word called as ‘curriculum’.

It is a very important and integrated part of the school system. Most teachers fail to divide it in a manner in which it is approachable and they are able to complete it also.

 

Most teachers wait for the instructions to arrive from the higher authority. The best of the time management skills is required to complete the curriculum within the given time period.

Well to start with again a lot of planning has to be done on the paper. Divide the year into terms then into number of working days and last into number of teaching periods.

Then the same has to be taught keeping in mind the pace required and the ability of the students.

I believe that if you under estimate the students, your teaching speed will be slow and you will struggle with the time period to complete the syllabus.

If you consider your students smart right from day one, their approach and your approach is different.

 

The time required to complete the syllabus at that time is different.

If you consider them smart, the strategies that you come up with will be really interesting, will create curiosity among the students and you will never struggle with phrases like-

a.  ‘their base is poor’

b.  ‘their learning pace is very slow’

c.   ‘they do not understand what I teach’

d.  ‘their writing skills are very poor’

e.  etc. etc.

Try to rise above these excuses and feel the intelligence of your students.

The confidence of a teacher reflects in the student. If the teacher is confident, the student is smart.

 

So, coming back to the topic, ‘why is recalling the day’s events important?’

a.  Gauge the gain-

Teaching and balancing life becomes difficult. Things get out of hand. We are left with the feeling of nothing is going according to the plan.

But hey, my dear teacher. Think!

You have put in a lot of hard and smart work. You had planned well before the beginning of the session. You had planned when the week was about to start. You had planned when you were asked to submit the lesson plan

 

Then how can it happen that you have not achieved anything in the day gone by.

 

Train your mind to see the achievements and accomplishments of the day. It boosts your spirit and gives you the inspiration to move in the right direction.

 

b.  Feedback to the self-

This point is very important. All successful organisations work after taking feedback. We cannot think that the grass is only green. Learn to give feedback to yourself.

Feedback about what was done during the day and how was it done? Can you improve or should you carry on for sometime.

What were the priorities that you could not achieve?

Is it important to catch up on it the next day?

Work on feedback. Give a critical feedback to yourself. You will become more adaptable to change!

c.   Measures progress-

When we get busy, life seems tough and we do not look for gains during the day but all that we are not able to do or achieve.

Do not let the feeling of hopelessness enclose you. Break that thought pattern which says you did not achieve anything. Shred the process which shouts that you would have been better off somewhere else. If you are not enjoying your today or feeling happy about it then move on.

One cannot keep moving on also.

One way that I find satisfaction and contentment at the end of the day is when I quote my gains of the day to myself.

Measure your progress. When you measure progress you become more accountable towards your future. It is important to keep moving.

Movement is an indicator of success. If you stop, you stagnate.

 

Learn to appreciate and measure the progress you are doing in your life. Do not expect it from others. Being happy about yourself is not arrogance! It is known as satisfaction!

d.  Overcome hurdles-

Richard Branson does one thing everyday which scares him. This makes him agile to face any hurdles or problems that arise in his life.

Do that one thing you are scared of everyday. It will teach you what courage is. Rise above hesitation or doubts. Do not let fear capture you. Burn the circle of fear to emerge as a leader of your own life.

 

e.  Ready for the next day

Thinking about today and recapitulating prepares you for tomorrow. You know what you have to do. You are more confident towards what you want to achieve. You will make better decisions. You will not procrastinate. Preparedness helps you to take action.

 

f.    Self Satisfaction

All the above points give you self-satisfaction.

Trust me there is nothing more important in this world than self-satisfaction. This is the best motivational term which helps individuals.

 

You have to search satisfaction. It doesn’t come on its own.

g.  Self Praise

We keep expecting praise from others. Most of the time you don’t get it. Then you will annoyance.

 

Learn to praise to yourself.

It is said that if you praise the children they do well. If you keep criticising them they develop a negative self image and hence they are not able to achieve.

 

The same applies to the teachers. They wait for praise. Most often they get criticism. This leads to them developing a negative self image.

After that I do not need to tell you what happens.

Hence get over it. Do praise and appreciate that small child who is hidden inside you somewhere. Feel the happiness when you praise yourself.

 

AND JUST FREEZE THE MOMENT FOREVER IN YOUR HEART!

 

Happy Teaching to all of you!