Imagine there’s a get together at home, or a Diwali party ? Do we always have to spend on decorating our living room or the balcony with expensive decors ? The answer I heard from a friend was : No.

She always chose to light candles on either side of the potted plants on the coffee table of the drawing room. She also adds small water bowls with few lighted candles on the candle bars around it in the corners of the balcony. This creates a sense of peace and calm; it also adds to the aesthetics of the room. Try lighting one for the next occasion at home.

A body part that works without rest – 24X7 – 365 days a year- throughout our lifetime. Inspite of its incredible contribution to our lives, why is it ignored – almost everyday. A little pampering – of the feet – massage, oil massage, a gentle press at night, putting up your feet – by lying on the floor or putting up your feet – on the desk after a day’s work – is a good warm-up exercise. Trust me, gentle massaging of the feet with oil is truly de-stressing !

The habit of reading newspapers should be cultivated in children since their primary school. The parents can pick a few news articles, which is age appropriate and aligns with the interest of the child, Like article on pollution levels in the city.

The newspaper – can be split into sheets and each family member gets a sheet. This activity can be done an hour before bed. The child can read a para or two from the news article given to him/her. This can be followed by parents sharing their perspectives on the news, defining a term, correcting their pronunciation, learning a new world and helping the child form an opinion.

The parents can read out aloud a few news from their papers and this too could be followed by a discussion.

As a family, you spend time, get to know each other better and have gently taught your children the importance of sharing and learning – collaboration.

One ideal family activity – for a lazy Sunday afternoon at our farm houses with dogs barking and cool breeze could be solving a jigsaw puzzle. Placing the pieces together about deliberations and discussions, casual banter and laughter are an added bonus while solving it. If you have not tried it so far, please do so.

The morning assemblies at school have been overtly rigid and boring . Thanks to Corona it has been done away with.

A standard format of the morning assembly is a prayer song, followed by thought for the day, a speech by the teacher, performance by a group of students and on special occasions – Principal’s address.

A Morning Assembly can be approached with an open mind.Students who play different instruments – like Guitar, Violin could definitely carry one to the school on a Monday morning – this could lead to impromptu signing – group signing – what a wonderful way to begin a week.

Students could be asked to bring a book – fiction – age appropriate for a ‘Silent Reading Session.’

A Morning Assembly, could also begin with students tying their wish on a wishing tree/aspiration tree.

A Morning Assembly where students can pin an appreciation note to some one on campus.

An Assembly where they could be thanking the non-teaching staff – just to make them feel they are part of a community, where students could do a Zumba dance.

Morning Assembly should be surprising and energizing to the students.

Dear sir/ Ma am,

I have been pursuing B. Ed Spl. Ed. I initally, joined the course with enthusiasm – hoping to learn theory, new techniques of teaching and hands – on learning about teaching hearing impairment students.

The first year really went well. I got to learn new theories, self – learnt while doing assignment and online classes which were informative.

I was excited about the teaching practice too. I am working with an ISC school which requires me to travel an hour up and down each day. So handling classes and being a student elsewhere was quite a challenge.

I liked the mentors from my learning Centre, visiting me and giving me a feedback.

I had 16 records to complete as part of teaching – learning practice. I took that as a challenge – cut down on my sleep, used up all my spare time to do the records within the scheduled date announced.

on the first date of submission, all my records were rejected for want of reasons like :

1. One page in a 142 page record was upside down.
2. Tests and Measurement records – should have minimum of 30 students. Even if I did not have 30 students in my class, I had to fake names and marks. So do I teach students that being fake is acceptable.
3. Action Research and Case – Study records should have photographs of students who had learning challenges.
4. Teaching Learning Methodology (TLM) records had to have miniature 3 models which I had used in class, while teaching. Though I had the models right in front, not finding them in the record seems to have been a big issue.
5. I had to make Albums for both mains and optional subjects – Economics and English – where I had to colour print of images pertaining to one topic from each of these subjects – stick the pictures and write about it.

Dear UGC chairperson,

in this century, does these mistakes or such kind of records make any sense to you.

when the entire India is waking up to POCSO Act – asking photographs of my students with learning disability is criminal. Surprisingly, the learning Centre to which I am attached has not even heard of POCSO Act. Am I with the right mentor?

From enthusiasm; I have moved to a sense of betrayal.

I happen to visit a school to sign their projects as ISC External Examiner. When I went to the office, I was given a fountain pen to sign on the projects, though I carried my ball point pen. The school believed that fountain pen was re – usable unlike ball point – which when used once had to be thrown away. It was not re – usable and this adds to the trash or landfill.

A simple act of replacing fountain pen with ball point pen and an effective one.

What is the right way of holding a pen?

The pen/pencil should lie on your pointing finger and it should be held with the thumb and the middle finger. check yourself the next time you are holding a pen/pencil.

We begin all our emails, letters with the word DEAR. DEAR actually means Drop Everything And Read. Which is right? Drop all your work and read the letter or the mail. How many of us want to still use the word?