Unravelling CCE: The Teacher at the centre of it all, Nov 2011

Dear Educator,

This time we focus on the A-Z of being a teacher. Let us get straight into it.

To print the newsletter, please download the PDF here.

CONTENTS

Are we equipped to implement CCE?

Assess yourself

The ABCs of being ‘alive’ as a teacher!

Education Around the World

Enabling CCE

Our Online Initiatives

ARCHIVES

If you want to access our old CCE Newsletters please click on the links below.
You can also read and discuss these at our blog http://discuss.ratnasagar.com

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

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ARE WE EQUIPPED TO IMPLEMENT CCE?

Here is a check list. What is your TQ (Teacher Quotient)? Do you teach or do you get children to learn? Do you cover the portions or do you uncover learning? Discover yourself! Mark every sentence with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’.

In the classroom

In the staffroom

1. I accept each child as he/she is.

2. I help children build a sense of belonging.

3. I let them know I like them.

4. I make every child feel that he/she is contributing.

5. My students bring their problems to me.

6. I get them to accept responsibility.

7. I help my students to accept each other.

8. I shore up their confidence.

9. I identify misbehavior and am able to point out the consequences of it to students.

10. I do not blame a child, but allow a child to respond positively to misbehavior.

1. I develop faculty cooperation.

2. I aid colleagues with constructive ideas.

3. I do not interfere with the affairs of my colleagues.

4. I take my share of responsibility with general duties.

5. I avoid petty gossiping with my colleagues.

6. I can be trusted to hold confidential information about my colleagues.

With parents

My ethical standards

1. I maintain friendly and cordial relations with parents.

2. I make parents feel I am just when I deal with their wards.

3. I give them their fair share of my time.

4. I can give parents an honest, fair and meaningful evaluation of their wards.

5. I listen to parents’ point of view.

6. I appreciate the concern of parents.

1. I do not indulge in partisan policies.

2. I support school policies.

3. I have the courage to voice my opinion when I differ with the higher authorities.

4. I am kind and tolerant towards all.

5. I criticize with discretion.

6. I participate in all school activities

7. I can be trusted to hold confidential information about policies and management.

8. I am proud of my profession.

Make a conscious effort to keep every pointer in mind. Let us aim to mark a yes against each sentence above. The 21^st century classroom requires us as educators, to have high values, attitudes and practices. The teacher is still the guru that everyone looks up to. Technology cannot replace you.

ASSESS YOURSELF

Keep these focus points in mind to help you have a wonderfully creative classroom. CCE is effective when learning is comprehensive as well. Unless students’ learning is comprehensive, your evaluation of them cannot be comprehensive.

Classroom management
1. Physical environment – is it conducive to the best that is possible?	6. Do I use collaborative learning techniques?
2. Time management – do I make effective use of the instructional time?	7. Do I enforce classroom rules firmly?
3. Material – do I take the necessary material to class?	8. Do I use effective discipline strategies?
4. Do I plan ahead and instruct students to bring the material required?	9. Do I plan assignments keeping multiple interests/intelligences in mind?
5. Is there a smooth transition between activities?	10. Do I use the strategy of peer learning?

Instructional techniques – Do I?

Interaction – Do I?

1. Assess how much students already know.

2. Explain the relevance of the lesson.

3. Give clear instructions.

4. Pace myself well.

5. Periodically check understanding.

6. Provide guided and independent practice.

7. Integrate subjects for wholesome learning.

8. Use teaching moments that come by.

9. Include all learners.

10. Review and realign my teaching.

1. Treat my students with respect.

2. Enforce rules and discipline to channelize efforts.

3. Encourage independent learning.

4. Use motivational techniques.

5. Use questioning techniques.

6. Make direct eye contact.

7. Offer direct and specific praise.

8. Allow students to respond or interrupt when they need to.

9. Get ideas and views from everyone.

10. Boost their self esteem and self worth.

If your answer is a ‘YES’ to most of the pointers, pat yourself on your back. If you are half way there, commit yourself to consciously work on your TQ! If you have too many ‘NO’ answers, thanks for being honest! Read through the check list and use them as guidelines.

Teaching is at the end of the day a noble vocation. You need to charge your batteries, so here are tips and more tips to help you have a fulfilling career.

THE ABCs OF BEING ‘ALIVE’ AS A TEACHER!

Attitude, wear a happy positive attitude. Be open to your students thinking and behaving in different ways. They come to you with multiple intelligences and their learning styles vary. Accommodate every child in your class.
Balance in all that you do. Balance your work / home life. Do not allow a heavy spill over all the time. You need family time and ‘me time’ as well.
Calm, it is only a calm inner ore which will help you handle things. The distance from heaven to hell is actually just a single thought. Whether a glass is half full or half empty depends on your perspective. So stay calm! If you find things getting to you, sit up comfortably on the floor / chair, close your eyes, relax your muscles, place your hands on your lap, palms turned upwards and take deep breaths.
Discipline, to channelize and not to control. Your intention is to get the best from each child, it is not to punish. Use disincentives, such as ‘no games’ ‘no other activity’, but do not abuse a child. Say ‘no’ to the act and not ‘no’ to the child.
Escape. Take a 5 minute ‘mental escape’ to catch up with your breath and calm. Just don’t do anything, shut your eyes or look out of the window.
Flexibility, be fluid, keep flowing, do not be rigid in your ways. Look at the things from the others’ perspectives. You will see two sides to the coin. Sometimes letting go is an act far more powerful than holding on to things.
Grow, do something to expand your mind, body, spirit – a physical, mental and a an activity you do, that you thoroughly enjoy will get you there.
Humour, learn to see the funny side of life, don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh with your students, unwind, let them see the ‘fun’ teacher. Start your class with ‘A joke of the day’ instead of or along with ‘A thought for the day’.
Interest, develop an interest in life around you. Students are smart. Get to know what interests them. Relate your lessons to their interests – Make reference to sports, music, films, books, people….
Joy, maintain a ‘Joy Journal’ of the wonderful things that happen in your day. If you list the small joys of a good deed, a helpful hand, a thoughtful concern… they add up to quite a bit.
Knowledge, you simply must know or make the attempt to find it. Work on your reference and study skills. Learn to be savvy with google and the net.
Listen, to yourself and your students, communication is a two way street. Be an intuitive listener. Pay attention to the emotional needs of students. Their EQ is more important than their IQ.
Meditate, take 10 – 15 minutes to just breathe easy and for quiet reflection. Shut your eyes and start by listening to outward sounds, your inner noise will slowly fade. Focusing on one thing is meditation after all.
Neutralize, stay neutral in your thinking, try not to have extreme thoughts and views. Accept that the many people you know, think and feel too.
Organize, note down all that needs to be done, both personal and professional. With much on your mind, you can give many things a miss. Keep a handy note pad, where you can jot down all the things, both big and small – even to pick up veggies. That clears a lot of space in your mind.
Plan, your pre, while and post classroom sessions. Note down,
‘What do I need to do in preparation?’ ‘What do I need to take to class?’
‘What is the flow of my class from the time I enter till I leave?’
‘What do students do as homework/assignment/activity?’
‘What is the follow up work to consolidate on what they have just learnt?’
Question, for a change, allow children to question. eg. Take the first line from your English lesson – Alice was sitting with her sister on the river bank. Ask students to frame as many questions as they can, show them how.
1. What is the name of the girl?
2. Who was Alice sitting with?
3. Was Alice alone?
4. Where was Alice sitting?
5. What is a river bank?
6. How many girls were sitting on the river bank?
7. Who was sitting on the river bank?
  This small activity gets students in the habit of framing and answering questions. This will prepare them to actually think deeply and laterally.
Read for the sheer pleasure of it, anything that you enjoy, but read, please read. The more you read, the more you know. Knowledge empowers you and widens your horizon.
Socialize, not just on networking sites, but go out and meet people. Meeting people helps you have fun, interact and exchange ideas and also build a network of like minded people.
Time management, make the most of your day. Make time for yourself, don’t forget. You don’t need to always put work, family, the universe before you. Airlines advise you to administer oxygen to yourself first before you do so to others! Of course managing your time at work and home is crucial. Be aware of time wasters and robbers.
Utilize all the material and inputs you have around you, let your horizon grow. Collect resource material as you come by it, build a resource pool and draw from this pool.
Voice your feelings and opinions, express yourself. Do not bottle them up. You can express almost any thought, feeling or emotion that comes to your mind, provided you do it in a way that is acceptable to both. Voice your silence.
Walk for recreation. Don’t carry mobile phones, just immerse yourself in nature. Be aware of every step you take, your breath, the sky, the vegetation, the trill of a birds song… stay with the things around you, do not unwind conversations in the mind.
Xercise. Dedicate time for your body, it will help you with your mind and spirit. A walk to the fridge or kitchen or in the course of house work is not considered exercise. You need to dedicate atleast 20 – 30 minutes a day to this.
Yoga, that brings your body, mind, emotions and energies together.
zzzzzz, get a good night’s sleep. Follow A-Y and you can zzzz like a baby. Nothing is worth it if you cannot get a regular good night’s sleep.

EDUCATION AROUND THE WORLD

Building blocks as educational tools are back in vogue. NYTimes
Many parents prefer paper books than e-books for their young children. NYTimes
Reading with kids and being involved boost a child’s academic achievements. NYTimes
Learning apps for kids, do they actually do any good? A mixed response by parents. HT
According to a study conducted by McAfee, Indian kids are vulnerable to cyber crimes as many of them tend to share personal information on various networks. TOI
Fluctuating emotional quotient in children prompts them to take up wrong steps. TOI

ENABLING CCE

We, at Ratna Sagar, have come out with CCE editions of our English, Science, Social Science, GK and Maths textbooks. Apart from the other unique features, they include activities that can be used for formative and summative assessment, life skills, multiple-choice questions, and more. To know more please click on the links given below or contact any of our representatives or email us at cce4u@ratnasagar.com

CCE Editions of Textbooks from Ratna Sagar

English — Revised Communicate in English click for details
English — New Gem’s English Reader click for details
Science — Living Science click for details
Social Studies — Revised & Updated My Big Book of Social Studies click for details
GK — Tell Me More click for details
Maths — Number Magic click for details

Unravelling CCE: The Teacher at the centre of it all, Nov 2011

By Ratna Sagar

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