Category: BLACKBOARD

Every student has hope attached to him/her. There are many teachers who strongly feel that their students should learn and have high ambitions. But with the growing pressures of school, highly indulging technology culture and busy lifestyle, it is a little difficult to keep students interested in school or at home.

But there are some simple things that teachers can do to motivate students which have worked wonders.

Plan to innovate

Plan each class in a different manner. Innovative measures to convey your subject matter will always keep your students motivated to learn more and be excited about what is coming next. This curiosity is one of the greatest attributes of a student and if you’re able to stimulate that, you will have a bunch of highly motivated students who’re willing to take what you offer.

Set examples

Screening of movies with a motivational protagonist or reading biographies or books related to successful people in the world, taking examples of high achieving seniors is one of the best ways to motivate students. Every child has a role model. If you help them choose an inspiring role model and keep providing new examples, your students would discover motivation for themselves.

Explore the unique

Every student has his/her specific likes and dislikes. Based on every child’s interest, give them an independent or a group project to explore something regarding what they like. Ask them to come up with a presentation and tell everyone what they found. Knowing they are the only ones to have this information, they would be highly excited and motivated to share it with their peers.

Give them control

Hand over certain responsibility to your students in the classroom as well as their day today life. You can assign a new student every day to take the class attendance or to handover and collect notebooks or to write the date and name of the subject of the board and you can keep rotating these responsibility to keep them involved with their own class.

Sometimes it is good to know let them decide what they want to do. Put the topic in front of them and ask them to give you ideas in which they can do their homework with a new method.

Motivation outside of classroom

Students need motivation not only in school, but outside of school too. Give them various personal tasks to keep them interested in various things. Ask them to help their parents cook at home and come and share the experience with their class. They can also be asked to give a short speech about the news item they like which they’ve seen on the television or read in the newspaper. You can ask them to plant a seed in their house and give a regular update about it to the class. The children can accompany their parents to their workplace to understand the process and share experiences with other children.

Thus, children will be motivated in all spheres of life and not just at school.

Above all, if teachers and parents themselves are motivated to enhance the lives of students, it is not a challenging task to make the students feel the same way.

Your children tend to learn not only from their text books, but from everything around them. Everything they learn in this period shapes them into an independent human being. They will make career choices depending on what they learn. They will make life choices based on the ideology they develop during their upbringing.

An ever naughty girl can become a disciplined professional. A shy boy can grow up to be a motivational speaker. And as parents, you can make such a difference for your child. That of course, will not happen if you make decisions for them. A better approach is to inculcate certain life skills to mould them into self-sufficient human beings who can confidently build a remarkable future for themselves.

The best part is you don’t have to make them sit and listen to a big lecture about life. That will only make them uninterested and sleepy. All you have to do is have them participate in various fun and innovative activities exposing them to these life skills. You just need to nurture them further.

Interaction and team work

Survival for the human race is social relations. Your child should know how to make a friend, how to interact with people and how to be a team player.

You can start with simple things like letting your child answer the phone and speaking politely with the person that is calling. Let them answer the door and talk to the courier delivery man, the man collecting newspaper or telephone bills, etc.

Have your child invite his/her friends from school or the neighborhood. Let them do a puzzle together, paint a wall together, create decorations for festivals, create a map of the neighborhood etc. You child will learn to make decisions along with a team, taking the opinion of others into consideration, voicing their own opinion and backing their team up.

This life skill would benefit when they meet new people, when they’re made to work with people they are not fond of or when they’re working with a team at their workplace. With your assistance, testing the water and acting accordingly will come naturally to them.

Problem solving

Conflicts and problems are an unavoidable part of life. Rationally look at something, analyze it and come up with a solution is rare in people.

Ask your child the question “why” whenever possible and have them find the answer. Avoid hiding mild family problems from children, rather discuss with them and ask for their opinion.

If they have a fight with someone, let them tell you about the background and the reason behind the argument. Discuss it with them and encourage them to discuss this with the person they have had a fight.

When the sugar in the house gets over have them run to the store to buy some, make them change the batteries of the remote as soon as they die. Let them fix something that is broken under your supervision and let them make mistakes. Once they make a mistake they will try a different approach. This will enhance quick thinking and trying to find a solution in more than one ways.

Independence

You don’t want a child who calls you every time something goes wrong, who makes you serve them dinner every night neither you want to be the parent who’s doing bank work or paper work for your child forever. Your job is to make sure that your child can do everything on their own in a timely manner.

Get them in the habit of making their bed every morning; have them make their own milk / cereal; have them go to their classes or school by themselves. Daily tasks will lead to them taking bigger things under control too.

Take them with you to the bank, to pay the bills, to buy groceries and let them take over after a few times. Have them fill their own forms for school or insurance etc.

The sooner your child learns to take control of things, the more independent he/she will be.

Basic life skills go a long way. You are making their future look good already by finding innovative ways to inculcate life skills. You can become a very proud parent when you see your child follow the learning acquired by their own experiences.

All of us had that one teacher in school that we loved and that made a difference in our life. He/she was everything the other teachers were not! We got inspired, engaged and most importantly we learnt something valuable from that teacher.

What is that makes such teachers stand out? They are successful for a reason and they make it a point to do everything differently to get through to each child.

Goodbye boredom

Unlike many teachers, successful teachers give no room for boredom. Everything you teach can be made into a fun learning activity, which is called active learning. Cognitive studies have shown that children learn better by doing rather than watching and listening. Successful teacher take advantage of this fact and assign projects to ensure complete understanding of the subject matter whilst enjoying.

A science teacher creates an experiment of a certain principle; a math teacher creates sums based on the students or uses tools to solve math problems; an English teacher creates assignments like writing a book or a movie review, conversing with your parents in English or conduct interview of someone in English etc.

Depending on the objective of each topic, great teachers have created real life examples out of it to enhance holistic perception.

Student-centric approach

The most successful teachers are those who put the needs of the students before all. Every day is a new day and you have to evolve with it. You can’t be doing the same thing, the same way everyday just because you have to finish something.

The mood of the students, the previous class they attended, the weather outside can require you to alter your plans and go with the flow. If the students are bored, you may need an activity to stimulate their brain cells. If the students are energetic, you may need to channel those energies into a project that intensifies their curiosity. Small decisions such as, letting students sit in a circle instead of on benches, changing the arrangement of benches, sitting under a tree on a chilly day can help students get out of their rut.

Successful teachers know when to encourage students to do better. In a student-centric approach, negative feedback is never an option. Discussion of failures with a positive approach is much needed tool and they always give a constructive feedback to encourage students to try harder.

Consistent learners

The greatest teachers in the world are consistent learners. They never stop learning and exploring their subject matter. When they teach something they’ve learnt, they will not shy away from sharing all their knowledge. The only way they can keep inspiring their students is if they’re inspired to learn themselves.

Successful teachers purposely take help of their students to learn something outside of his/her expertise. This shows the students that their teacher can also be a student sometimes and they feel motivated to explore new topics.

Respect and consideration

Successful teachers respect the students for their opinions even though they may not agree. They find a way of discussing a few things other than the subject they teach and get to know the thoughts and ideas of their students. Every student is unique and every student must be appreciated and respected for what they are. Successful teachers don’t have favorites. All their students are their favorite!

A successful teacher feels that the learning of the students is the greatest success and takes the responsibility to make a difference. We salute the successful teachers who teach differently.

Your kids are going to schools, following a proper lifestyle and doing everything that they should do, but is that all they necessitate? Experts are saying no. Your kids need an extra edge. They need holistic development. Wondering what this development is about? Well, this development refers to the complete development of your little ones, where they are physically, emotionally and educationally developed. Childhood is one of the most remarkable phases in your kid’s lives. Thus, in order to shape their childhood well and prepare them as good and extremely competent adults it should be your responsibility to ensure that they are taking part in holistic learning. Read on, for a better insight on this advanced method of learning.

What does holistic development mean?

Holistic child development is the process where your child’s physical, emotional and intellectual aspects are addressed.  This development ensures that your child is completely developed without any scopes of inconsistency. Thus, with time, holistic development shapes your kids and helps them become responsible adults in the long run. This approach is extremely viable in letting your kids learn the different things in the different stages of their life. The approach speeds up the overall development of your children.

Why is holistic development important for your kids?

Your kids are not divided into various domains of specific learning styles, areas of learning, intelligence or creativities; they are rather all of these domains piled up in one. However, if they learn about the various aspects of life at the right stages, they turn out to be more mature and competent individuals in the long run. The educators promoting holistic learning know this fact and they thus ensure that this holistic approach is incorporated in your kids’ complete development. Thus, if you want your little ones to grow up as mature and responsible adults it is your responsibility to promote these holistic learning approaches.

The different aspects of holistic development

Physical development- This is one of the most remarkable aspects of holistic development. Your kids need proper support in their nutrition and basic hygiene with tons of physical activity. This will foster a healthy holistic development, which is more

Development in emotions– With the constant upsurges in our society, many kids live with a big emotional trauma. Certain kids may develop this trauma due to serious family problems. Now, with a holistic learning approach, they learn to control and cope with their emotions. This also improves their self control.

Development in relations– With proper relational development your kids learn how to handle the various relations, make friends and work together in a group, which certainly adds to their humanitarian kills.

Intellectual development– Proper education fosters the intellectual development of your child and provides opportunities for education in the long run.

With this exceptional developmental approach, your kids turn to enjoy a complete development that fosters their growth as responsible adults in the long run. Parents, who are yet to understand holistic approach, need to take professional counseling for holding the idea right and imparting the same in the little ones.

The year 1996, the place Bangalore city, the person me, the object-our first computer and desktop. My kids were jumping with excitement and my husband the IT genius was assembling the device. As for me, I pretended to busy with my household chores, while I was actually anxious.

My anxiety soon turned into fear as my children aged 4 and 5 were playing games the very same day.They invited me to join them, but I was scared. How could, I the adult not be able to do something , the kids seemed to work on as pros. I accepted the offer and sat down at the console, my fingers on the mouse and lo behold !!!!!! The cursor ran all over the screen and disappeared, no amount of cajoling would bring it back . My kids sensed my utter helplessness and saved me the ordeal.

I decided , I had get a grip on that silly mouse and my life . It was now or never. The very next day with husband at work and the kids at school , I sat down to discover this mystery box called computer that only people with logical minds were supposed to excel at. As I struggled and eventually managed to tame the mouse, I started to marvel at the the things this ‘thing’ could do . I lost count of the hours spent only to realize that it was almost 2.00pm and it was time to pick the kids up . AsI tried to close the system, I realised that like Abhimanyu , of the Mahabharata, I had learnt how to enter the CHakravyuh but not to exit….I had no idea how to Shut the system down . I tried all that I had learnt in the last few hours, but to no avail. I left the system as it was and went to bring the children home. On returning home my son all of 4 years , ran to the system and just clicked the mouse and hey Presto ! the system SHUT Down.My little PC Sarkar had done the trick !

The year 2014, the place Bangalore, the person me, the objects my smart phone, my tablet, my laptop and my SMART TV …I am forever networked, the world is at my finger tips. I am not an IT expert…I never will be, but I am glad that I am always curious to know and always eager to explore.

Thank you Technology for turning me into a life long learner -teacher !!!!

Do follow me on my blog as I continue to discover, unlearn and relearn with technology everyday !

– This Guest Post has been written by Manju Balasubramanyam, DPS North Bangalore Principal

Does your kid dread math? Does he have serious issues in memorizing the mathematical tables? Well, math might be an intriguing subject, yet, some kids may find it baffling because of the super long formula charts and tables. For these kids, Vedic math can be a new way to get acquainted with numbers.

With Vedic way, kids learn to remember the formulae and table charts tad quicker. It also reduces their pressure of calculation and helps them get the sums done quickly. Sounds interesting? Vedic math is indeed one of the most interesting genres of math. So, if you want your kids to understand math better and buck up in their calculations Vedic math can be your answer. Take a look at the benefits of Vedic math.

Reduces the burden of memorizing tables

Very often, kids find it tremendously difficult to learn the complete tables in math. However, with Vedic math, they don’t have to remember much. Here, they have to memorize only up to the tables of 9. It reduces their burden of memorizing and helps them calculate faster than the conventional method. In fact, they no longer need finger counting or scratch work in Vedic math. Thus, a huge chunk of their time is saved in this way.

Increases concentration and confidence

To make faster mental calculations, your kids need more attentiveness. Thus, Vedic math fosters concentration in your little ones. With this branch of math, they concentrate more on studies and their confidence too boosts up. Thus, the simple, direct, unconventional and easy methods of Vedic math help your kids be confident in completing their calculations quickly.

Enriches your kids

If you want your kids to have a holistic understanding of math and its roots, Vedic math can be the best option. This branch of math keeps the mind alert for your little ones. It also bucks up their flexibility in calculations. Your kids are completely enriched by this unconventional branch of math.

Effective for both slow and quick learners

The best part of Vedic math is that the branch is pretty handy for both quick and slow learners. It helps improving the creativity and intelligence of the quick learners. They become even more efficient in calculations with Vedic math. On the other hand, this stream of math is also great for the slow learners. It helps them understand and grasp the concept of math faster, than any other conventional method. Therefore, irrespective of the learning tendency of the student, Vedic math works for all.

Speedy one line solutions

Vedic math is a kind of mental math. Here, unlike the conventional methods, kids get a speedy one line solution for even difficult math problems. This branch of mathematics also has a complete link and continuity, between the types of mathematics from kindergarten to the University levels. Kids get to understand complete math better with their holistic enrichment and speedy calculations. This saves ample time at competitive exams. With Vedic math, kids get the time to re-check the calculations they have completed.

All in all, with the plethora of benefits, Vedic math is indeed an amazing way of learning math. Encourage your kids to try Vedic math which in turn will help them with speedy calculations and better understanding of the subject.

Parenting is undeniably one of the toughest and most under-appreciated jobs out there.  It is your responsibility and moral duty to check on the physical development and encourage the best mental growth at the same time. Often this question pops up, how do you help and encourage your child to learn? The answer to the question can be subjective, but there are a few ways by which you can motivate your child in his/her learning process. Here are a few methods by which you can really motivate your child to learn.

Leisure reading

If your child does not enjoy sitting down with their books to study, you might need to instill the habit of reading in them. By encouraging your child to read, you increase their ability to read and understand study materials better. It is also a healthy habit to read as a form of relaxation or leisure. Give your child story books that are age appropriate, do not try to burden your child with advanced books or bore them with books that are for younger children.

Encourage writing

As important as it is to read it is important to encourage your child to write. Writing improves communicative skills as well as creativity. This is why motivating your child to write can help the learning process. You can ask your child to write stories, write on topics you assign them or even maintain a diary. This is sure to be a good way to motivate your child to write. The importance of writing skills cannot be stressed on enough.

Show interest

Most young children do whatever they can to grab the attention of their parents. If you do not show an interest in any positive activity that your child is engaging in, then you might have to deal with negative activities that your child might resort to. At the same time by showing interest you show your child that the activity is important. Show interest in creative activities that can allow your child to mentally develop.

Celebrate achievements

Rewards can be the best motivators that you can offer your child. Whether you buy your child a game that they want or whether you take the family out for dinner, showing that the achievement has resulted in the reward is important. When your child realizes that his achievements matter, they will be more ready to work harder. If you reward academic achievements then they might be more willing to focus on academics.

Encourage mingling

Socializing is an important part of growing up. Allow your child to interact with children of their own age or a little older. How can this encourage learning? This encourages learning since your child is likely to pick up some good traits that the playmates show. You can make your child do away with the bad traits and encourage the good ones. Your child’s ability to pick up details, traits and actions will increase.

These are merely a few methods. No matter how hard you try to be clinical with parenthood the answer to how do you help and encourage your child to learn, will always vary depending on your child’s personality.

If having a baby was the most important decision that you had taken as a couple, then the second most important decision that you would take is choosing the best school for your child. This decision is vital as you would be putting them towards their lifelong path. The school is the gateway to their life and care must be taken while making the decision. If you are worried about how to choose a good school for your child that would be fun yet effective for them, then these tips may come handy.

Understand your child’s unique needs

Every child is unique and has her own set of preferences and dislikes. If they are not set in proper environment that would allow them to bloom properly, then you cannot expect the best from them. As a parent, you must try to be aware of what they like and shortlist schools that would match their personality.

Consider your kid’s level of independence

When you are choosing a school for your child, understand your kid first. Does he still throw tantrums, can he spend time with others without you, is he able to make the other understand what he wants to express? Can your child manage the tantrums of other kids, is he able to take his food on his own? Try to answer these questions and then it would be much easier for you to find out the best place which would be the best for him.

School Policies and Curriculum

Every school claims to have the best policies and procedures to teach their pupils. It’s your duty to verify that whatever they are claiming is correct and their curriculum is fit for your child to grasp. Depending upon the aptitude level and preferences of your kid, you can choose a school, but do ask other parents about the environment inside the school.

Quality of teachers and teaching

If you really want to know how to choose a school for your child, make sure you know about the teachers and the way they teach your child. Ask the parents of the children who are already in the school, and you can come to know about the quality of the teaching. If you want to make sure then try to check the development of their child.

Location and transportation

Next thing that you must consider while choosing the school is its location from your home. Would it be very far away for your child to commute from home? Is the transportation facility good enough so that your kid can travel everyday with ease?

While choosing the right school for your child, all the above points would help you find the best place where your child can learn with fun and develop for his forthcoming life.

At School of India, we provide individual attention for the growth of all our students. We are currently open to inquiries for the coming academic year. For inquiries, please click here.

Ever wondered how to handle the emotional rush in your kids? Well, childhood is one most perceptive phases of your kid’s life and it is pretty normal for them to have behavioral changes at various ages. This is the time when they start having a flash of emotions and don’t understand how to handle or identify them.

However, as parents, you have to understand their emotional pangs and equip them with ways to deal with the same. Role of parents in emotional development of Children is very crucial. Well, the job is extremely simple. All you need to do is communicate with your little ones and help them identify the right ways to express their emotions. This will make them emotionally secure and will prevent all kinds of behavioral problems. We’ve figured out a few things that you can do to make your kid feel better. Read on, for some quick tips.

Being sensitive to your kid

Yes! You can ‘actually’ make your kids feel better and improve their emotional development by being sensitive. Observe your little one’s behavior and listen to whatever he has to say. If your child cannot express his feelings verbally, encourage him to show gestures and tones that will help you identify his mood.  Accept the feelings of your child and help him differentiate between the good and bad. This will be inherent in the development of his emotion and personality in the long run.

Encouraging and positive feedback

Kids love encouraging words and praises, and this factor has a great effect on their emotional development. If you constantly criticize them and expose their flaws, they will feel bad and lose self confidence. Thus, to trigger their positive emotions you have to be encouraging with them. No matter whatever small job your kid does, encourage him to do that and give him a positive feedback if he does it well.

If something goes wrong and your kid is unhappy, console him and teach him the basic lessons of life. Instead of asking him to compete with others, ask your kid to concentrate more on his performance and compete with himself. This positive behavior will play a significant role in developing your kids’ emotions.

Providing kids the opportunities to solve an issue independently

This is another major factor which can improve your kids, emotionally. Right from their childhood, try to make your kids independent. Encourage them to do things on their own. This will help in developing their problem solving abilities. Thus, your kid will be able to cope, even in the worst of all situations. They will feel independent and good about themselves while handling the little activities alone. However, while giving them the opportunity don’t forget to keep a close watch. Help them solve situations and if they can’t do anything even after trying, encourage them to try harder.

Spending special moments with kids

With the hustle and bustle of our lives, it becomes pretty difficult to keep pace with the kids. But if you want them to enjoy good emotional development try to spend some special moments with them. Talk to them and engage in any activity, which both of you love. This will foster their emotional development and the relationship between you and your child.

All in all, follow these guidelines for your kids’ emotional development.  These tips will surely help them a great deal to overcome their behavioral and emotional problems.