Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
If...
IF
by Rudyard Kipling
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
QUALIFICATION OF A TEACHER
In every civilization, culture, religion, region & nation one profession made its impact all through the ages, it is teaching. A teacher imparts knowledge to pupils and moulds them as able and competent individuals and at large society benefits.
Present day teaching professionals need to be a qualified teacher. Anyone, who wants to be a teacher, should get Academic qualification say, diplomas in teaching, Bachelors or Masters Degree or sometimes attending workshops and trainings, etc. However is it just a qualification the main criteria in teaching profession? Or there should be something else?
I think that answer is, a teacher is a person who, absolutely, has command over his subject and ability to make others understand it. Any relevant academic qualification can teach him or her techniques to teach, however a good teacher needs not just a good academic qualification, but in my opinion he or she should have a “talent” or you can call it as a “gift” to “feel” each and every child, to understand child’s psychology, to have good & clear communication with the children, honesty, ability to make his subject interesting to them, balance with different levels of grasping among children, and of course, patience.
Sometimes a well academically qualified teacher is indifferent to the inner world of the children, to their experiences and such a teacher has no place in school. So, it’s the personality or inherent aptitude that makes him/her as a good teacher.
Posted by Olga and Paramjit
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Ushering the Christmas Season
This is dedicated to all the first graders of Sancta Maria International School.
By Shailaja & Suzan
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
When a teacher becomes teaching itself…
Chi Ch'ang aspired to be the greatest archer in the world, so he became the pupil of Wei Fei. First Wei Fei ordered him to learn not to blink. Chi Ch'ang crept under his wife's loom and lay there on his back staring without blinking at the treadle as it rushed up and down directly before his eyes.
After two years he had reached the point of not blinking even if one of his eye-lashes was caught in the treadle.
"To know how not to blink is only the first step," said Wei Fei, "Next you must learn to look. Practice looking at things, and if the time comes when what is minute seems conspicuous, and what is small seems huge, visit me once more."
Chi Ch'ang searched for a tiny insect hardly visible to the naked eye, placed it on a blade of grass and hung it by the window of his study. He then took up a position at the end of the room and sat there day after day staring at the insect. At first he could hardly see it, but after ten days he began to fancy that it was slightly bigger.
For three years he hardly left his study. Then one day he perceived that the insect by the window was as big as a horse. "I've done it!" He exclaimed.
This time the teacher was sufficiently impressed to say, "well done!"
Chi Ch'ang soon became a master of archery, and no feat of bowmanship now seemed beyond his powers. He seemed close to the achievement of his ambition, but with an unpleasant jolt he realized that one obstacle remained: so long as the master Wei Fei lived, Chi Ch'ang could never call himself the greatest archer in the world.
Walking through the fields one day, Chi Ch'ang caught sight of Wei Fei far in the distance. Without a moment's hesitation he raised his bow, fixed an arrow, and took aim. His old master, however, had sensed what was happening and in a flash had also notched an arrow. Both men fired at the same moment. Their arrows collided half way and fell together to the ground. The strange duel continued until the master's quiver was empty but one arrow still remained with the pupil. "Now is my chance!" muttered Chi Ch'ang who immediately aimed the final arrow. Seeing this, Wei Fei broke off a twig from a thorn-bush beside him, and as the arrow sped towards his heart he flicked the point sharply with the tip of one of the thorns and brought it to the ground at his feet.
"My friend," said Wei Fei, "I have now, as you realize, transmitted to you all the knowledge of archery that I possess. If you wish to delve further into these mysteries you must seek the aged master Kan Ying. Compared to his skill our bowmanship is as the puny fumbling of children. After months of arduous climbing, Chi Ch'ang reached the cave where dwelt Kan Ying and announced to the old man, "I have come to find out if I am as great an archer as I believe." And without waiting for a reply he notched an arrow, aimed at a flock of migrating birds, and brought down five birds all at once. The old man smiled and said, "But this is mere shooting with bow and arrow. Have you not yet learned to shoot without shooting? Come with me." Chi Ch'ang followed him in silence to the edge of a great cliff. When he glanced down his eyes became blurred and his head began to spin. Meanwhile the master Kan Ying ran lightly on to a narrow ledge which jutted straight out over the precipice, and turning round said, "Now show me your real skill. Come here where I am standing and let me see your bowmanship."
When Chi Ch'ang stepped on the ledge it began to sway slightly to and fro. He tried to notch an arrow, but soon he felt that he was going to lose his balance. He lay down on the ledge clutching its edges firmly with his fingers. His legs shook and the perspiration flowed from his whole body.
The old man laughed, reached out his hand and helped Chi Ch'ang down. Jumping on to it himself he said, "Allow me, sir, to show you what archery really is."
"What about your bow?" Asked Chi Ch'ang.
"My bow?" Said the old man laughing. "So long as one requires bow and arrow one is still at the periphery of the art. Real archery dispenses with both bow and arrow."
Directly above their heads a single kite was wheeling in the sky. The hermit looked up at it and Chi Ch'ang followed his gaze. So high was the bird that even to his sharp eyes it looked like a small sesame seed. Kan Ying notched an invisible arrow on an incorporeal bow, drew the string to its full extension, and released it. The next moment the kite stopped flapping its wings and fell like a stone to the ground.
For nine years chi ch'ang stayed in the mountains with the old hermit. What disciplines he underwent during this time none ever knew.
When in the tenth year he returned home, all were amazed at the change in him. His former resolute and arrogant countenance had disappeared; in its place had come the look of a simpleton. His old teacher, Wei Fei, came to visit him and said after a single glance, "Now I see that you have indeed become an expert! Such as I are no longer worthy ever to touch your feet."
The inhabitants of his city hailed Chi Ch'ang as the greatest archer in the world and impatiently awaited the wonderful feats which he would not doubt soon display. But Chi Ch'ang did nothing to satisfy their expectations. The great poplar bow which he had taken with him on his journey he evidently had left behind. When someone asked him to explain he answered in a languid tone, "The ultimate stage of activity is inactivity; the ultimate stage of speaking is to refrain from speech; the ultimate in shooting is not to shoot." Chi Ch'ang grew old. More and more he seemed to have entered the state in which both mind and body look no longer to things outside, but exist by themselves in restful and elegant simplicity. His stolid face divested itself of every vestige of expression; no outside force could disturb his complete impassiveness.
It was rare now for him to speak, and presently one could no longer tell whether or not he still breathed. In the evening of his life he no longer knew the difference between 'this' and 'that'. The kaleidoscope of sensory impressions no longer concerned him; for all he cared, his eye might have been an ear, his ear a nose, his nose a mouth.
Of his last year, the story is told that one day he visited a friend's house and saw lying on a table a vaguely familiar utensil whose name he could, however, not recall. He turned to his friend and said, "pray tell me: that object on your table -- what is it called, and for what is it used?"
The friend stammered out in an awe-struck tone, "Oh, master. You must indeed be the greatest master of all times. Only so can you have forgotten the bow -- both its name and its use!"
It was said that for some time after this in the city, painters threw away their brushes, musicians broke the strings of their instruments, and carpenters were ashamed to be seen with their rulers.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Progress on the building
We think that is a wonderful idea and so, from this week onwards, look out for some great updates.
And Thank You , Mr. Purey !
Monday, November 22, 2010
WHEN SHOULD KIDS START SPORTS?
It's not easy to determine how early to start children in organized sports. Children of the same age vary considerably in their physical and psychological maturation, and there is no practical method of measuring maturity. Assuming the child has shown interest, five or six is the generally accepted earliest starting age for organized team sports. At the early ages participation should be limited to sports that involve a lot of physical activity and encourage the development of major motor muscles.
Children in grades 1 - 4 can benefit most from games that are modified to meet their needs and abilities. Play and fun are more important to this age group than highly structured sports that emphasize the outcome rather than the process. Parents and coaches are usually the ones concerned about winning and losing. When helping your child select a sport, keep balance in mind. Encourage your children to try many sports and activities when young and not to think of specializing or playing competitively until they reach middle school. Make sure a balance also occurs between adult organized activities and free playtime. Children need time to just be kids and to play with other kids without a set of rules or adult involvement.
The most important decisions to make, are which youth sports organizations and which coaches are best for your child. Make sure that you take the time to find out about the league, its leaders and coaches. Better yet, get involved and volunteer to coach. Participating in sports is a healthy way, both physically and socially, for your children to channel their youthful energy in a positive direction. Make sure your children's first experience encourages them to begin a lifelong interest in physical activities and good health.
Resource Page:
http://www.ksnusa.org/articles/startsports.htm
Posted by: Paramjit and Olga Suri
Sunday, November 21, 2010
READING IS LEARNT BY READING
Billions of people across the world learn to read using a diverse array of practices – from
the “phonetic” to the “whole sentence” approach. Many children’s first exposure to the
English language is through “nonsensical” rhymes like “Ba-Ba Black Sheep” or “Ring a
ring a roses” – poems which make little sense to their contexts and whose roots are often
macabre. Are there other ways more conducive to get children to read?
Many children experience difficulty with formal reading instruction based on exercises,
material and drills that are to a large extent nonsensical. The philosophy of this kind of
instruction, called “programmatic”, is that reading is a set of skills which can be taught
and mastered in a pre-determined sequence, provided there are frequent tests.
Programmatic instruction is the antithesis of meaningful language experience for teachers
and children. It is primarily a method of control.
Frank Smith in his famous book “Reading” throws light on the process of reading itself.
He proposes the idea of “the literacy club” which children need to join if they are to
become successful readers. At the heart of Frank Smith’s analysis is the seemingly simple
truth that it is only through reading that children learn to read. He describes the ease with
which children become literate when they are personally involved with people actually
making use of the signs, labels, lists, newspapers, magazines and books in the world
around them.
Making Sense
John Holt the famous American educationist recalls a very interesting case. The school
was meant for Black African children and was situated in a low-income area. The
children were not interested in the standard state text books. And if the books and their
contents did not interest the children there was no way the teacher could coerce them into
reading. Many teachers tried the usual ways and failed, until a young lady teacher
changed it all. She was a fresher, just finished her teacher training course and was
looking for new innovative ideas to foster reading. It did not take her long to realize that
her students were not interested in the dry state sponsored text books. Her class was
largely composed of poor Black African students. Most of them had never read or
possessed a book; but their lives were full of music. What she did was simple. She wrote
the popular numbers and songs the children sang in big letters on chart sheets and hung
them on the classroom wall. As the children already knew the songs by-heart they were
soon reading them. For once the written word made “sense” to them – the scribbling on
the charts described their lives, their pains, their aspirations. This interested the children
immensely. This was their “take-off” point in reading.
Context and Relevance
This brings us to the whole question of context and relevance. Often the curriculum is so
far removed from the lives of the learner that he/she fails to make any sense of it. The
plethora of “adult-education” material in India is ample testimony to it. It is often totally
divorced from the life of the learner and the “exploitative” context of his / her life. No
wonder adult education classes never elicited any popular response and died their own
death. The whole vocabulary itself is “loaded” against the un-schooled poor. For instance
the first alphabet in Hindi “Ka” for “Karz” (indebtedness) would be more appropriate for
the dispossessed than “Ka” for “Kabootar” (pigeon). Similar “Sa” for “Sood” (interest on
borrowing) would be more appropriate for the oppressed than “Sa” for “Saraswati”.
Sylvia Ashton Warner in her famous book “Spinster” writes, “What a dangerous activity
reading is; teaching is. All this plastering on of foreign stuff! Why plaster on at all when
there’s so much inside already? So much locked in? If only I could get it out and use it as
working material. And not draw on it either. If I had a light enough touch it would just
come out under its own volcanic power.”
Sylvia was teaching Maori children in New Zealand to read. She stuck “labels” on all
familiar objects in the classroom. Small cards with “fan” “table” “bench” “blackboard”
“door” written on them were stuck at appropriate places. Children would see them often,
read them and soon become friends with them. Sylvia encouraged children to recount
their stories, tell their experiences which she wrote down in the children’s own words.
And because they were the children’s own stories they loved reading them and drew
pictures to illustrate them. In one semester this poor village school in New Zealand
produced over 60 illustrated stories, each a record of their experiences, in short a tapestry
of their own lives.
Following a similar method Paulo Freire began by talking with Brazilian peasants about
the conditions and problems of their lives, and showed them how to read and write those
words which were most important for them. He found that it took only about 30 hours
before the wretchedly poor and demoralised peasants were able to explore reading on
their own. In the process they also traced the roots of their exploitation.
Not the word but the world!
Gijubhai Badheka was a contemporary of Gandhiji. For 24 years he ran the most creative
school for children in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. Everyday he told children a story – which
captivated them and whetted their appetite for more. In the afternoons the children would
enact out those stories. Soon they became so adept with words that there was no need to
mug-up the dialogues by “rote”. If they forgot a few lines, they could “invent” them on
the spot. Gijubhai felt it was totally illogical and foolish for every child to have the same
state sponsored textbook. He said, “What could be more foolish than all the 50 children
having the same book.” So, when the new session began Gijubhai urged the children not
to buy “textbooks” but instead give him the money for buying story books. So, in the
1920’s Gijubhai swept aside textbooks and bought 3 different story books for every child.
With this large collection of illustrated storybooks he started a classroom library. This
was a library with the children’s own money – not gifted by Unicef, Pratham or the
World Bank. Instead of three textbooks children could now read over a hundred
colorfully illustrated storybooks. Gijubhai’s progressive vision of education “not the
word but the world” has been replicated by few schools since independence.
By Arvind Gupta