Juggling thoughts

"The doctor wants his child to be a doctor, so do engineers, scientists, officers and bankers. The businessman too wants his child to succeed his empire. The pastor wants his child to walk in his footprints so are the musicians.   But a teacher also wants his child to become one of them, as well." quoted the Principal on a graduation day. Among guests sitting around the dinner table discussing Life, a CEO of a giant company came up with the explanation about problems in Education. In his argument, he asserted, "What is a child going to learn from someone who decided his best choice in life as a mere Teacher? He questioned one teacher, "Be honest. What do you profitably make being just a Teacher?" Then the teacher stood and replied, "You want to know what I make?" Well, I make children sit through 40 minutes of class time when parents can’t make them sit without phones, games, computers and IPads for a couple of minutes. I make children wonder i...

One day we were all at school and the next day the world was kind of flipped up-side down. The lighting strike like transition from classroom learning at school to digital learning through phones, tabs and again being back to school has not only stir confusion in the mind of the children but they are lost in the middle of the transition, not getting anywhere yet. The start of the school year after two long year’s gap of physical school has been overwhelming for parents, teachers and our children. In my   long years of teaching career, this I agree that though a challenge it was, being apart of the   virtual teaching journey during the lock-downs and also limping back to   physical school this year has made me feel fortunate enough to have personally experience the paradigm shift in teaching and learning.   I have deeply felt and seen the learning gaps our children had to jump into because of the global health crises. When I said learning gaps, it is inclusive of ...

  As I retrospect the kinds of books that taught moral values and other social norms during our foundational years of learning. I am thankful for some of the moral values based lesson I have had learnt while at school . But I also don’t much agree with all of it. Now that I have my own son who I try to teach equality and equity of all gender, respect for all, beautiful things that makes beautiful minds. I want to make sure, that I do not lay his foundational learning with contents that may create an image in his mind about differences: in abilities, responsibilities and the concept of every fair and ugly things . Little did we know that, it all begin from the time we read a lesson in hindi or english that gives an example: Rani the fat, dark child. And Priya the fair, beautiful and smart girl in the class. Didn’t it not make us believe that 'fair' is beautiful and 'dark' is ugly? Why was it Raju who only played cricket and football and not Riya? Why was it Charu w...

 Albert Einstein wrote, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The question that caught me thinking today is "What is your genius? What is my genius?" The nurturing of a child is a journey together of the teachers and parents. And in this long uncertain journey, let's remember to love and appreciate every child for who they are . I remember this quotation that alludes to a long stand allegory. It is unfair to judge the animal by its skill they do not posses. If monkeys are forced to swim, if fish are forced to climb, if frogs are compelled to fly, if birds are expected to slitter and if snakes are to walk. How good the result would be? It will be a folly on our part to try to run all kinds of children through the same mold or to bring  all to the same standard of uniformity or level of intelligence. Every child is unique and we must also learn to embrace them all with their ...

 Dear Ri&Lan, I wonder if little boys would grow out of needing a love letter from their mother. But each year when I pen down this for you both, I post it in my blog so that oneday when you both grow old enough to understand. You will read and understand how valuable you are in our life. Ri, didn't we wait for your partner who'd stand by you like a rock? So comes Lan, that determined person who would really not give up on anything he love and would protect it dearly. You both are just perfect and amazing the way you are.  I admire the enthusiasm you both have  for pens and books.  I hope that someday you boys will help me in building a library of my dream books. Though your Dad and I still do not know what you boys would prefer to do in life. Whether you would crunch numbers, fly a plane, cure people, teach children, be a melody ,  be an artist yet we would always encourage you to pursue what you wish to do but also not forgetting the love of God. Whatever ...