CROSSROADS

What is Truth? Since we are all without lies.

2009-10-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

" Truth is God and God is Truth," said Mahatma Gandhi.
" Truth is Beauty and Beauty is Truth," said John Keats.
We all have our own perspective of Truth, since it is abstract and the concept varies from person to person; with time and place and the circumstances in which one is placed at that point of time.
For me Truth is eternal and permanent.
Hence, I raise it to my perception of God and His attributes.

What are you passionate about?

2009-10-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

My passion is "Love".
"I have no friend except my Beloved I have no work except His love"
‘With every breath I must bow to my friend For I owe my life to His Grace."

“Love is the name for a continuous restlessness of the heat,
This endless yearning is the symbol of my life."

I have heard you are the Messiah of the Messiahas,
yet it is strange that you do not heal those suffering from love."
(These are just a few Couplets of the Great Paramsant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, written by him in Urdu and translated into English by his son, the Living Master, Paramsant Rajinder Singh ji Maharaj--- Extracts taken from the Book: ‘Love At Every Step.’)

I am passionate about Divine Love. With love for all.

Can I have your Good Wishes and Blessings?

2009-10-09T07:24:00.000-07:00

You have my Good Wishes and Blessings.
I have something more for you.
Read carefully:

"YOU DID! There have been situations in your life that you thought you would never get through. And yet, you did.
There have been challenges you faced that you thought you would never overcome. And yet, you did.
There have been losses you've suffered that you thought you would never be able to get beyond. And yet, you did.

For you are here today, stronger, wiser, more experienced and more knowledgeable as a result of it all. Though the road has had its rough spots, you've successfully made your way along it. There will certainly be more rough spots ahead, and there may even be some particularly difficult ones right now.
So it pays, every now and then, to look back and remember that even though you thought you wouldn't get through, you did.
And perhaps, if you think about it, you'll see that there's really never any reason to doubt yourself. For when life challenged you to make your way through, You did.

And now, even more importantly, YOU WILL. So Cheer Up. You will do it this time also.”

Whether you fool death or death fools you?

2009-10-09T07:21:00.000-07:00

Interesting question!
Are you ready for a metaphysical point of view?
“Death” is seen and regarded generally as the end of Life, but in fact it is the beginning of a New Life.
There is life beyond Death. This has been proved beyond doubt by thousands of cases of 'Death like Experiences.'

Death is ' The soul leaving the physical body to don another.
‘Death is going back to God.'
Death is ' a stage in the fulfilment of one's Karma.'

How do I fight it? Are you joking?
'Cowards die many times before their Death, the Brave die only once.'

Robert Browning in his poem: "Precipice" writes:
“I have ever been a fighter,
One fight more, the last and the best."

That is what is true of me. I shall live Life to the last.
I want to burn out rather than fade away.
Death can not be defeated. But at least, it will remember me for the fight that I hope to give it.

Death of a loved one is a great loss, but only in the physical plane. Death does not erase the memories and love of a dear one. In fact, death adds sacredness to our love and sanctifies the beloved.
Death is a symbol of rebirth and life beyond. It is union with God, the Divine.

I see it that way. I have dedicated my life to service of my fellow beings and of everything that the Creator brought into existence and I am fortunate if I am able to continue doing so till the very end. If that happened, I will have achieved the purpose of living my life.

I live, serve, love and do not think of Death. When the hour comes, I will be ready to render my account.

Why do people need you right now?

2009-10-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

I have been a Teacher, a Teacher Educator and a Mentor.
I have influenced the lives of many of my students and teachers.
There is a lot that needs to be done still.

We are passing through times where we find a crisis of character and conscience. We all need a friend, a guide, a mentor and a confidant.

Education is at crossroads. Values are getting eroded. Quality is being compromised with. We teach children to pass Exams and not to lead a better life.

Teachers are losing interest in their profession. Many of them are pure mercenaries.

Hence my need in these crucial times. This is my testing time. I have to put in an effort to make a difference in the lives of a few, if not many.
I have to be a Role-model, one who inspires, a motivator, a facilitator and yet compassionate and keep on learning to find new ways and means to affect lives.

Thank God, I am alive and in fine health to continue this noble work.

I would love to know the two things you most like about yourself.

2009-10-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

My being "ME' Unique and Different.
My ability to Empathise and help others.

• If Tomorrow is Today....Today is Yesterday......What is Yesterday ?

2009-10-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday is the ROOTS of Today and Tomorrow.
Yesterday is the DAY GONE.
Yesterday is HISTORY.
Yesterday is WHAT EXISTED ONCE BUT NO LONGER EXISTS NOW.
Yesterday is MEMORIES. Yesterday! WHO CARES?...........

"Think not of the future however pleasant,
Let the Dead past bury its dead, Act,
Act in the Living Present,
Heart within, God overhead."

How to prepare oneself for the loss of a dear one; especially when one watches helplessly the dear one consumed by a terminal illness?

2009-04-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

How to prepare oneself for the loss of a dear one; especially when one watches helplessly the dear one consumed by a terminal illness? Prof. B.L.Handoo

Steve Stokes wrote:
Not sure I can help you with this one, Prof Handoo. That we die is an ugly truth. The denial of human mortality is not an altogether unexpected response. Much is said about how we handle life, in the way that we handle death.

You have my sympathies as you face this tragic event. My thoughts are with you.
Norm Yerke wrote:

Prof, complete abandonment to the Will of God...St. Augustine said "Nothing, occurs by chance in the whole course of our life. God overrules all." If we allow these words to penetrate into the depths of our souls, we will never regard what comes to us from God's hands as hurtful.

No one loves us more than God does, therefore he would never send us anything that is evil....

Another quote from this book:
ABANDONMENT TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE

"The terrors we meet on our journey are really nothing. They are sent only so that our lives may be made more splendid by our overcoming them. God involves us in every kind of trouble, and ordinary human common sense, seeing no way out of it, realizes all its weakness and shortcoming and feels completely baffled. It is at this moment that God appears in all his glory to those who belong wholly to him and disentangles them from all their troubles far more easily than novelists, working away in the peace of their rooms, extricate their heroes from all their dangers and bring them to a happy and successful end. With far greater skill and most happily does God lead them through deadly perils, monstrous happenings, through hell itself and its demons and all their snares. He sweeps these souls up to heaven and transforms them into the heroes of stories far stranger and more lovely than any invented by the stunted imaginings of men. So, my soul, plunge ahead, sweeping through all the monster plagued dangers ahead, knowing that you are guided and sustained by the mighty, yet invisible, hand of God. Let us carry on to the end without the slightest tremor of fear, but full of peace and joy, with everything that befalls us becoming the occasion for fresh triumphs. We march under God’s banner to fight and to conquer: “He went from victory to victory” (Rev. 6.2). Every step we take under his command is a victory. God has his pen and an open book before him, and in this book he writes a blessed story which will end only when the world ends. For it is an account of God’s dealings with men and women. If we want to have a place in this story, we must ensure that we link all we do and suffer with God’s will. I most solemnly assure you that all your actions and sufferings are not meant to destroy you. They serve to help to fill this holy book of God, which grows every day."

Hope this helps.....

Eric Van Wetering wrote:

... my father in law died a number of years ago ... what I tried is to give my wive all the time possible to spend with her father ... we had very small kids then ... and I worked as a consultant (long hours) ...

practical maybe but it gives the people who need it most the 'space and freedom' to decide what's best ... and to do what's best ...

other point of course is to be there for them ...

Michael Modes wrote:
Been there twice. Watching the suffering is the worst part. That's what eats you up. You are ready for the end if it goes long enough. In my case.

It was my parents in my case though. My whole life ahead of me, despite tragedy, youthful resilience. Were it my spouse or my child at a later age, I can't imagine. Torment.

Someone who loses someone suddenly? That would be harder in terms of acceptance. Healthy today gone tomorrow is much harder, I would guess.

My sympathies.

You may find that comforting others who come to comfort you helps. I was almost embarrassed by the awkward sympathy. Putting others at ease helped me handle it and take some of the hurt off myself.

Everyone reacts differently. Hope that helps.
Marc Estrella wrote:

I really don't know.

I hope the link below helps.

Links:
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=691855

Kevin Harville wrote:
One thing I find is that the effects of ones life go far beyond themselves, and in a sense we are all one super-organism. The best we can do is love. And for whatever reason, to play this game of life for a few rounds is a better choice than hanging out in a state of Nirvana or Heaven doing nothing, learning nothing, and meaning nothing. We are leaves on a tree, here for a season and gone the next, preparing the way for the next season's leaves and the ongoing growth of the tree.

Time is just our perception. You know New York exists, even when you are not there. Similarly, all those moments that occured are real. They simply are not being experienced by you at this moment.

Bad things are not an interruption of life. They are life. And because bad things happen and life adapts, we exist as ever greater beings, living, learning, and loving--instead of remaining primordial unevolving amoebas.

My body is not the same one I had 7 years ago. Nearly every cell has died and been replaced. It is the same with humanity. The process of life has no true barriers. The dinosaurs are our great....great....grandparents, sending living DNA through us all without cessation or interruption--we are the same life force as them and each other. It is like a relay race--but the baton is the same, and the race is one race.

So, in short, this life is and will always be an important part of the universe, important to life just as each individual step is necessary to a staircase, each seemingly insignificant or meaningless till you realize each is a step up to the 100th floor.

I think our role here is to accept the wonders of life just as they are and to love it and others as important parts of creation, however brief each beautiful spark of consciousness remains. Your loved one is an important part of the universe.

Given the choice of existence or nonexistence altogether, God or the universe chose existence. I can see why, and given the choice of the universe existing with pain so we may grow and learn and experience, or not existing, I would choose it just the way the decisionmaker did.

We are all just different parts of the universe, and all life, however long or brief, is one step in a miraculous creation there to love and be loved, even to all be eventually missed and grieved, and to be shown concern and care.

I wish you all the best.

Kevin

Sandy Klocinski wrote:
My mother in law was unable to eat for more than a year before she died. Since she was still in possession of her mental faculties we allowed her to make a choice to either have a feeding tube and live a while longer or to die in short order. By the end she was nothing but skin and bones. I think that those of us in the family were actually more relieved when she died than anything. Not because it was a burden caring for her but it was obvious that she was very tired and ready to go. If I were to be given the choice she were given, I believe that I would choose to let go rather than to starve slowly

Kelly Karius wrote:
Hello Professor,
My dad died of lung cancer in 2006. You'll get tons of advice for this question. Some will work, some will not, it's so very individual.
My short advice is to hold tight to all the moments. Even the ones at the end will help a person later, no matter how dreadful they seem at the time.
That's it.
Keep well if this questions refers to yourself!
Kelly

Links:
http://www.kellykarius.com

Indira Chaudhry wrote:
Just be BRAVE and HOPE the end is peaceful....

On 4/1/09 3:46 AM, Indira Chaudhry added the following clarification:
Death is certain..in most of such cases...so one has to take heart and be courageous....at the same time not to show the ill person your own sad emotions.....which may depress them further...

Also cherish each moment spent with the terminally ill...for later all you may have is their memory....

Rodica Petrescu wrote:
Dear Professor,

Perhaps it is not the most intelligent thing to say... I went through a loss and since then I thought it would be easier to go first than stay behind.

I believe that one who stays behind has to be stronger that the one who dies. It is in the order of things to be tasked with things that one can endure. If the order was reversed, the dying one would probably not be able to bear the sufferance of surviving. That is, I believe, the meaning of staying behind: to spare the loved one this sufferance.

Rodica

Roberta Weiss wrote:
I sincerely hope you are not facing this event yourself. I don't think you can prepare yourself for this kind of experience. It is terribly emotionally draining, sad and depressing. However, you can often find support to help youself get through this terrible time.

1) In the US the hospice system provides care to patients and their families when afflicted by terminal illness. The hospice caregivers are skilled in helping families and patients deal as contructively as possible with these situations, aqnd most doctors can put patients and their families in touch with hospice care.

2) Often there are patient and family support organizations for patients with terminal illnesses. Members of these support groups help each other by sharing experiences and advice for dealing with terminal illnesses. Often relatives of patients who have died have their own support groups that get together and provide support following death. You can often find out about these help groups by googling the disease online. Your doctor may also have this information.

3) Some patients and families seek out psychiatric or psychological treatment to help with the pain of impending loss. Even though depression one feels over the death (or impending death) or oneself or a loved one is a reactive depression, antidepressive medications are often helpful. psychiatrists or other behavioural therapists can help families come to teerms with coming death and resolve family issues in order to help relieve family stress at this time. Your doctor or frieds may be able to provide some referrals if this is a problem.

4) Talk openly with the patient's doctor and let them know what your concerns are and what is important to you and the patient. Make sure that you and the patient understand what the doctor can offer in terms of palliative care, including pain relief. Let other close family members know what is going on (often it is helpful to have a family meeting with the doctors so that everyone gets a chance to ask questions) so you can all be comfortable with the medical choices made.

5) Be kind to yourself. Eat. Sleep (if this is a problem talk to your doctor- she/he may be able to help). Give yourself time to deal with your own feelings over the impending death. Let colleagues know what is going on so that they will not be surprised if you need to take time off for an emergency doctor visit with the patient. Try to minimize other stresses in your life (not a good time to start a new diet). Let your good friends help support you through this time by visiting, staying with the patient while you get out for a few hours to regroup. Try to keep doing some things that both you and the patient enjoy as long as possible- even if it is something like listening to music.

Hope this helps,

Roberta

Madhu Sameer wrote:
My deepest sympathies.....

Something that helps me cope is the thought that wanting an ill loved one to stay alive in the discomfort is born of my own need and insecurity. Perhaps there is a better world out there for them, where suffering is minimized for them. Holding them back for my own benefit, because I hurt, or because I am not prepared to let go, feels self serving. We THINK our anguish comes because we want them to live, but really we only want to prevent ourself from being hurt.

Let the caterpillar turn into a beautiful butterfly and fly away to a higher level of existence....let go of the attachment......what would YOU have liked to do if it were you? Linger in pain, struggling against the currents of life, or go with the flow into a place that may be more blissful...?

May you find the strength to do (and endure) the right thing...

Susan Shwartz PhD wrote:
Both of my parents are gone. I was not there when my father passed: it was unexpected. I was with my mother when she died, ill and old and, as I gathered, ready to go.

In a way, you can't prepare yourself for this. The hurt is unbelievable. In other ways, you can make yourself better able to bear it. Don't be alone all of the time. Give yourself time to rest, to walk, to eat, to wash. Make sure, if you can, that there are people to mediate between you and well-meaning people. Don't set any requirements or expectations for yourself: this is hard enough without there being one right, or wrong way to behave.

You are helpless to turn back the clock or the devastation of illness. You are not powerless to act. If your loved one is conscious and coherent, you can talk. You can listen. You can hold the person's hand. When you're not with the person, you can begin to set things in order.

What I found consoling was the sense that this is a thing that is common to humanity and that I was doing everything that I could and making certain my mother had what she needed and that her wishes were carried out to the letter.

Don't let anyone tell you anything else, or that you did things wrong. It is your loved one. You simply have to get through it. Style points aren't an issue.

Good luck. If you are a person of faith, that helps. If you aren't, bring your reason to bear. It will never go away. It will diminish in size.

shipra yadav wrote:
Dear Sir,

Just try to live every moment with that one so that whenever we close our eyes we can see that person smiling, laughing and thanking GOD for whatever having even at the end of the journey.
Take whatever u wanna take and Give whatever you can.
We have to, then why to choose a sad way like no other option why not a far better way to convert that great loss to loss and let that person live life like it is given only once live it fullest.

If we can't save life at least we can give best ever lasting moments with the happiness we gave and let that one forget pain for some moments.

Sit n Think about the pain he/she suffering from, its not curable, only one way, the moment we can't even dare to think but for him/her this is the only cure and we have to make up our mind. ya we can lessen that and we did (as i said above)

One should live with smile in our eyes not with tears

Private Note:
Sir,

I m not as experienced as you are, i have seen few such losses in my own family, these are my own ways to prepare for worst moments of life, we can't think of life after this so it should be full of good memories and a satisfaction "i lived however i desired, if not then i don't have any regret "

Regards

John Covey wrote:
The simple yet harsh truth is that you cannot prepare. And after experiencing both I’m not really sure which one is the worse; a slow lingering death, or a quick unexpected one.

I do not know why the nature of the universe is such that we are born only to die. There are some philosophies that say the moment we are born is the moment we begin to die. We each have a defined time that we will be here, and no one really knows when that time will end. This is the way this world was made, and it may well be that it’s also the nature of the universe that we are never to fully understand this.

This is of little comfort as we stand by with someone we know will depart from us soon. The helplessness that we feel wears on us constantly. It is an unwelcome guest in everything that we do. And more importantly, this fear, helplessness, and sadness is the very thing that robs us of the precious few moments we may have left with those who we love.

As I’ve become older, and as the time has grown from the moment when my Parents had to journey on, I’ve come to appreciate more and more the simple wisdom that they tried to impart upon me. My Mother often would say a simple prayer at times like this; “Lord, Thy Ocean is so vast, and my boat is so small”. This simple prayer allowed her to give to God those bad feelings, pray for strength, and search for ways to be an instrument of peace in the family. All by just acknowledging how overwhelmed it made her feel, that God was in command (not her), and by recognizing that it wasn’t about God giving her strength, but providing this time as an opportunity to be strong. And believe me, she almost always was.

Regardless of what you believe, how you believe in it, or to whom you pray, there definitely is a greater power and a higher source in the world. By letting go of the emotions that block us, we have an opportunity to tap into that power. But it’s not like plugging into a light socket. We can’t just turn it on and off when we want to. We have to live the moments, even the bad ones, and let it happen to us. There is no school for it, no handbook, and no grades. But it is a test; and in many ways that test never ends.

Time and distance will help. It is a slow process, and often we make headway only to be pushed back even further than where we feel that we’ve started. But know too that others are watching you to see how to act themselves. By doing your best to be strong, and trying to act as an instrument of peace for them, you can significantly impact others around you in the same way that your loved one impacted you in the first place. And in the process you may find peace and grace in that difficult moment and time.

Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance. By thoughts and prayers are with you.

Karen Opas-Lanouette wrote:
There is no way to 'prepare' yourself. You simply do the best you can to help your loved one during the process, whatever that may be. If you have a religious background, I presume that turning to your faith may help. If, like me, you ascribe to "Life isn't fair, it's random," then you try and see what is good in the world, small and large, and share it with your loved one.

Lee Joyner wrote:
To be fully prepared I do not believe is possible. As many have already said, embrace the moments beside your dear one. If you are able to talk with your dear one, share memories together. If you cannot talk with them, share memories with others. The memories will grow sweeter and fonder as time passes. If there is any issues that have not been settled, this is the time to settle those. Ask for forgiveness, grant forgiveness even for small or perceived wrongs. This makes the transition easier for all involved.

I would suggest finding someone who is not emotionally attached, whom you can share your feelings with. They don't have to have answers, just be available to listen as you unload some of the burden you carry.

Hope ;this helps some.

Private Note:
I have served as a chaplain for hospice for almost 4 years. This is the primary work I did was to help patient and family find ways to be better prepared for the final moment in this life for the patient. Having someone to walk beside you is a tremendous help.

M. Joyce McMenamin wrote:
I have been blessed in that nobody close to me has withered away from a terminal illness... which is incredible given the fact that my mother came from a very large family and my father came from a medium sized one.

People in my family have typically died from old age and many seem to have gone quickly (overall) - no nursing homes or life support needed (Thank God!)

I have, however, had several employees and a few co-workers over the years who have (a) died this way or (b) dealt with long term death of a loved one... so I still feel as though I have been touched by the process.

All I can tell you is that I have stood in awe of the bravery and strength of those who have experienced the process first or second hand and those few days, or weeks or months that are part & parcel to the 'waiting' period are really small gifts of precious time for preparation for the dying and the ones that loved them.

I think the best prep is to not leave anything left unsaid or undone.

One of the saddest moments I saw in someone's life was at the memorial for my former mother-in-law. One of her friends wept after the service because he remembered a time when she wanted him to take her to Paris for dinner (from San Fran) -- after her death his pain was living with the fact that he could have and didn't (she had asked when nobody knew she was dying).

Don't wait until someone is dying to do what you can to make their life happier. We never know when the next request will be the last one. If we can follow through, we should.

Annette Hope Brewster wrote:

Prof, you will never loose your memories; nor are you "watching helplessly" as you claim.

Your will to live, is to remain positive, your friend or loved one is feeding off your energy -- its your choice to give positive or negative energy to the person enduring this terminal illness.

Pitty no one but yourself for the choice you make enduring this walk of life -- learn from this walk so the next time you are in this equal situation you will walk with dignity, rather than pain.

We all endure grievence, however, why grieve when one is still alive?

Private Note:
I am suffering a terminal illness, and if anyone close to me is negative I walk away -- I am sharing with you my attitude to not let this disease kill me -- others have done the same -- Lance Armstrong to mention one that has kept me on my toes...good luck and please stay strong, stay positive and encouraging to those that are suffering -- it does help ease our pain.

chenbagam pillai wrote:
We attend the funeral of our close kith and kin. Why?

It is not just simplyto show our respect and our affection.

Cremation ground is the learning center for understanding the real life. If we can understand the real concept of life, then we need not worry about our and others death.

Dana Tierney wrote:
I don't think you can.

What I want to say to you though is that this is incredibly difficult for you and much harder for the person dying. So for now it is important to be strong and to help that person to go in dignity and in peace. Afterwards there will be tasks that need doing, and these will help.

I wrote poetry, some profound, some not. But perhaps something of the kind will help you too. The color does slowly return to life. There were objects that I kept for years, and conversations years later; these helped too.

I doubt your dear one wants you to eschew your own life to mourn. It is important to remember that

Christine Gottschalk Barlow CPCU wrote:
Do what's best for both of you; keep the ill person comfortable, talk, cry, whatever you need to do, even if it sounds silly. Laugh at what you can, even the illness itself; it helps take the edge off. Take advantage of every good moment, and try not to focus on the end. Have frank discussions with the doctors, ask every question you can. A good supportive doctor is worth his weight in diamonds.
Read Strong at the Broken Places by Richard M. Cohen - book about 5 folks with seriously chronic illnesses and how they coped. You may find it helps you feel less alone.

"When Death is the end of Life; Why should Life all Labour Be?"- Comment

2009-04-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

"When Death is the end of Life; Why should Life all Labour Be?"- Comment….. Prof. B.L. Handoo

Steve Stokes wrote:
Life should not all labour be. We ought not live to work, but instead work to live... on this journey that we call life, we must balance enterprise with experience. In other words, we should work in order that we can play.

Life is short, and it could be over with at the drop of a hat, so we must not waste a moment. We should do what we must do in order that we can do what we desire to do.

Steve

Scott Byorum wrote:
I keep telling my boss that but they just don't seem to get it. Neither does my landlord or my creditors.

Kevin Harville wrote:
All we ever have, under any circumstances, is the moment. We are part of the universe, like cells in a body, and if we only look at ourselves in this time period, life is senseless.

But when we consider the FACT that we are not just lonely separate parts of the universe, but parts of a much larger process, then life makes sense. For instance, you may consider only your own life, but YOUR life is simply one stage in a process that started with the first life on earth, which started because of the Big Bang. From the first DNA to your DNA, this process has NOT CEASED, but has CONTINUED, UNINTERRUPTED, giving rise to a person who is on linked in, communing with other parts of the universe (us), pondering the meaning of life, consciously.

Through us the universe experiences life. We are like leaves on a tree appearing and disappearing from season to season. But the tree remains.

We are a necessary process and stage in the evolution of the universe.

Indira Chaudhry wrote:
Life, like a fire, begins in smoke and ends in ashes.

Life itself cannot give you joy/ Unless you really will it./ Life just gives you time and space -- It's up to you to fill it....Life is half spent before one knows what life is.....

Neetubala Raina wrote:
Dear Prof.

Not sure if I will be successful in putting down my thoughts together to answer your query but would certainly give it a try as your query within itself has thousands of queries echoing.

"When Death is the end of Life; Why should Life all Labour Be?"
I believe, while I am on the deathbed, I would rather wish to die a peaceful and dignified death, happily recalling all those efforts/labors that probably were successful / unsuccessful but intentions behind were too genuine for sure. I would certainly not want to be full of regrets while I am on the deathbed for having done nothing but wait for the doomsday to arrive for myself.

It is a perception too that differs from person to person. More than half of the humans on earth, I am afraid if think so profoundly about life and death!!!! “Ignorance is bliss” stands true for such a philosophical thought process and happy are they who don’t understand this or wish not to understand this. Anyway, God bless all!
“Life is a comedy to those who think and tragedy to those who feel”
Few lines from my poem I would like to recite here that I jotted down while having similar thoughts:
“I understand things that I am not interested in,
I am living the kind of life that I find no charm in
Bless me with the ignorance, which to people makes sense,
Replace my ability to perceive with such “blissful ignorance”

One query that comes to my mind is “why parent a child when we know death is the end of life?”
I believe nothing on the earth is as dear as the child to a parent. Still we love our kids more than ourselves and make sincere efforts to give them a good life and bring them up as a good human being. A parent is the one whose happiness knows no boundaries while the child is admired. And while I am on the deathbed I would happily want to leave the world only if I see my child standing before me as an independent human, emotionally stable and capable of leading a successful life, an ideal life that I would teach him about based on my experiences to make him stronger.

Similarly I believe like we love our kids and feel proud seeing them successful when they grow up, probably when on the deathbed our body while bidding good bye to our soul would certainly wish to feel proud and have no regrets before leaving the world, a world that had and gave ample opportunities to ensure a dignified death. So I would make the most of the opportunities made available to me to ensure I die respectfully in my own eyes essentially.
Labour in life basically gives a positive direction enabling us to do justice to our capabilities and our essence as a human being.

Thanks so much!
Neetu

Rodica Petrescu wrote:

Dear Professor,

What is proper Life, one asks, when it ends in Death anyway?
What should Life be? Chasing pleasures? Labour? Refusal? Wealth? Worship? An anticipation and waiting for death?

Each must try answer what is Life and why he/she is here; there is no one answer like the other and no answer is better than the other.
I cannot speak for someone else. All I know is it takes a lifetime to grow an answer and there is no reason to rush. Shall I ask for guidance and help – I'll miss. Shall I jump to conclusions – I'll miss. I must use everything I am “gifted” with, I must do everything I do, learn the lessons and wait.

Rodica

Susan Shwartz PhD wrote:
There isn't much time in life, but there surely is -some- time to smell the roses. The trick is becoming aware of that, making the time, and enjoying the best roses possible for as long as you can.

John Covey wrote:
I think it best said by the Author Kahlil Gibran in the book "The Prophet" - On Work

You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.

For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.

When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.

Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?

Always you have been told that work is a curse and labor a misfortune.

But I say to you that when you work you fulfill a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born, And in keeping yourself with labor you are in truth loving life, And to love life through labor is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.

But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.

You have been told also that life is darkness, and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.

And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.

And what is it to work with love?

It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.

It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.

It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.

It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit, And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.

Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep, "He who works in marble, and finds the shape of his own soul in the stone, is nobler than he who ploughs the soil.

And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the sandals for our feet."

But I say, not in sleep but in the over-wakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;
And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.

Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.

For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.

And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.

And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.

Colleen Norris wrote:
Life is whatever I create it to be.
I choose to look back at the end of this life having lived.
Take the time to enjoy this life. It's all that you are guarenteed.

M. Joyce McMenamin wrote:
Only the good die young.

{So they say}

Vinod Kad wrote:

Life is a tremendously beautiful gift to enjoy. But it is us humans who impose things like hard work, labour, ambitions, goals upon our lives.

But you may argue that we need to labour to survive. Thats is not labour. Thats natural. Thats what a hungry animal or bird does. Thats not labour.

Now you may further argue that if we do not labour who will make beautiful gardens, temples, paintings, inventions etc.. I would say that all the beautiful paintings, inventions, temples, buildings, palaces etc. were made out of one's love or passion or interest for these things.

Remember buildings like Taj Mahal, Khajuraho Temples, Mughal Gardens; Inventions like Radio, Television, Electricity etc. were not made as a compulsion of Labour.

So if you are yourself sure and unconditionally / totally accept Death then you should immediately drop concepts like labour, effort, goals from your life.

But the problem is neither I nor You and most of others ACCEPT that our death is certain. We just TALK and WRITE that death is imminent. But we never experiment it.

Perhaps death is the most TALKED / WRITTEN about and the least EXPERIMENTED subject in this world.

Whoever will dare to EXPERIMENT with death, will surely drop all labour from life. But that does not mean that he will not live here. He will live much much relaxed and joyful life than us. For example Raman, Buddha, Nisaragdatta etc.

James D'Argantel Odrowaz wrote:

Proverbs are the collected errors of humankind.

So always take then with a pinch of salt... and who can categorically state that death is the end of life?

Annette Hope Brewster wrote:
Is death the end of life or merely a new beginning?

As for my life, my labor pays for the luxuries I enjoy in life, such as helocopter rides, hiking, backpacking, water skiing, ski diving, etc., none of which I can do for free --

I had a near death experience when I was 21 and learned then life is way too short to be a work-a-holic; my time at work is 150% of my efforts, my company shouldn't expect anything more from me, as long as I produce greater than my quota.

Rajshree Mathur Ghosh wrote:

Hi
I whole heartedly agree with you. God has been very unkind to mankind . He created such a beautiful word, Sun, Stars, Breeze, Valleys, Flowers and Love and so much more. And thud..bang it all ends with death. If only someone would feed me and give me ready made clothes and a lovely house on the beach......I would not work a day. Then life would comfort, luxury, beauty, freedon, happiness and all that I intend to do with it...But alas....Labour is an integral part of life. So thats how mankind must earn his/her right to life! By working hard. Death....Is where this beautiful story ends. No regrets about the Labour. I am fine with it. One has to pass time (life) some how. So better is working and being useful to other humanbeings.

Rajshree

Andrew Scharf [LION] wrote:
Death is not the end of life; it is the end of the duration of the physical form allocated to us from the moment we manifest on the material plane. The soul cannot be touched by fire, water, wind, heat, or cold. In a body we experience many things; and this is the pleasure and curse of the body.

What someone chooses to do with his or her body is a question of choice. Sometimes those choices are difficult and challenging but there is always choice. The 'labour' of life is series of lessons to teach the soul awareness and the 'meaning of life'. We can get caught up in a multitude of activities like children experimenting with new toys. Toys titillate but they can never satisfy ultimately.

Because of the roles we play, there are diverse levels of responsibility and obligations. However, we need to have the perception that every task is filled with joy. Taking out the trash does not appear to be joyous, but with the right frame of mind, we can make it so. It is what one sage referred to as a question of consciousness.

Having said this, when we are physically present knowing that life is a gift, we should not waste time. Time is a non-renewable resource. At first, we believe it is infinite. We have this belief because, i fact, we really are. However, our bodies are not. The body can be used for a multitude of activities. Engage in ones which bring peace of mind as well as pleasure.

One day the 'hotel keeper' will come and ask us to check out of the hotel. That day arrives for everyone. There are no extensions for VIPs. Big Boss is very democratic on this. Therefore, appreciate, give thanks, and dwell in the state of grace which is the birthright of us all.

Above all, one should have no regrets. Remember, life is a journey, not a destination.

from Andrew Scharf

Links:
http://www.whitefieldconsulting.com
http://www.mba4success.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewscharf

Educating Young Learners.

2009-01-02T02:29:00.000-08:00

Parents and Educationists recognize the crucial importance of good quality education in the early years. The experiences and environment the children are exposed to in the first five years, when the seeds for learning are sown in the blossoming brain, have a great impact on the child’s life. We recognise that learning shifts from age to age. A three year old is not a five year old, but a perfect three year old. Children at different age levels have different needs and ways of learning.

Young children love to play and are naturally curious. They are full of love and purity. Games, puzzles and educational activities need to be incorporated in the syllabus, so that the children learn new skills in both a fun and challenging way. We know that children learn best when they are enjoying themselves. One of our main aims should be for children to develop a joy for life-long learning.

School is often the first time the children are away from home, so the classroom becomes a new family. An atmosphere must be created in which each individual is respected, loved and cared for. Children learn to grow and learn together in a cooperative environment. In games they learn to work together as a team. Students need to be provided with opportunities to work in small groups, so that the teacher has more individual time with each child. We should have a daily organised routine with a variety of activities for the children to experience learning in a stimulating environment.

Students need to start the day with a few minutes of meditation. This helps them to relax, develop their inner peace and be more focused. They also ought to have a daily period for Life Skills, in which they learn to take care of themselves and others. They need to learn how to share, become a good human being, learn good manners, and polite social interactions. They also must learn to appreciate multicultural diversity and the common elements of different religions.

We must incorporate kinaesthetic learning – learning through movement, in the learning process. Physical activities are a fun way to learn the alphabet, numbers and many environmental topics. Children love to move, jump and run. Children process new information through their whole body, in kinaesthetic learning. Some children learn best through their sense of touch, they are called tactile learners. Such children flourish when they can paint, and create things with their hands. These art and craft activities need to be linked to topics they are learning. They also love educational aids and manipulative. School is not about sitting still the whole day.

The preschool years are not the time to engage the children in lengthy memorization exercises. Children at this age develop their thinking processes in the context of play and physical activities.

During the year there ought to be special theme days, like an Alphabet Party or a Number Day. On these days the whole day has to be packed with role play, games, music, and craft activities related to the topic.

We need to be aware that children are keen observers. How we speak, listen and interact with others needs to be loving and polite. Children quickly pick up our attitudes and behaviour traits. By modelling how we want our children to behave and the skills we want them to learn, we do the best in creating a congenial atmosphere for learning and growing.

After modelling we also need to give children the opportunity to do things on their own. Learning through doing has to be a key word at all Schools. Mistakes are okay, and part of the learning process. We remember 90 % of what we do, whereas we remember very little of what we read. Our teachers should be committed to providing the best possible learning experience for your children. Encouragement is an important word for children. Words of encouragement work wonders. We need to help our students develop self confidence. All of these efforts make a School a wonderful place for a child to grow.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.

2009-01-02T02:23:00.000-08:00

Jean Piaget needs no introduction to a trained-teacher. Every teacher receives some exposure to the theories of Piaget during his training. Piaget’s notions of assimilation and accommodation are probably the most commonly known and the most easily interpretive of Piaget‘s theories.

The fact that is intrinsic to Piagetian theory and the one that must be reiterated in regard to these two concepts and indeed to the totality of his theory is that at no point in the child’s intellectual development does Piaget consider the child as the passive recipient in the acquisition of knowledge. His theory rests on the fact that the intellect is active in the development of knowledge

The young child in the process of assimilation continually reaches out, touches, and tastes accessible elements in the environment. Piaget categorizes this earliest of stages as the sensori-motor stage in the development of the child. In the process of assimilating external reality, the child gradually moves towards a system of classification. This process of assimilation, however, remains comparatively uninhibited in the early stages of a child‘s life. Later when the child reaches the age of two or three, the process involve contradictions which result in disequilibration in the knowledge previously attained. The child seeks equilibration and resolves the problem through a process of accommodation. It is this process that contributes substantially to the development of the child’s intellect.

The processes of assimilation, accommodation and equilibration are life–long processes.

At the later stages of intellectual development, more sophisticated processes are developed, yet it is this disequilibration that is at the heart of intellectual development. The interaction of the human intellect and the environment results in increasingly complicated systems of knowing, and assists the individual in attaining advanced stages of knowledge. These stages called SCHEME (Plural schemes) by Piaget develop progressively, and although Piaget suggests ages at which they occur, the limits have been determined empirically from numerous investigations in Geneva and elsewhere.

According to Piaget, although the age limits are not rigidly delimited, each stage must nevertheless be attained in the proposed sequential order: - sensori-motor stage, Pre-operational stage, Concrete operational stage and Formal operational stage.

FOUR PERIODS OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

PERIODS APPROXIMATE AGE RANGESensori-motor Birth-1 ½ - 2 years
Pre-operational 1- ½ - 2 – 6-7 years
Concrete Operational 6-7 – 11 – 12 years
Formal Operational 11-12- through adulthood.

The ages at which these stages are attained has much to do with the development of the individual child and environmental factors.

Another important characteristic of learning is the process of reversibility. The question of reversibility has significance for the development of knowledge, especially in mathematics and the sciences. The ability of the pupil to grasp the process of reversibility contributes significantly to more comprehensive learning. The application by teachers of this process in teaching; for example, addition with its converse subtraction and multiplication with division, provides the pupil with the opportunity to improve learning.

“I recall one evening of profound revelation. The identification of God with life itself was an idea that stirred me almost to ecstasy because if enabled me to see in biology the explanation of all things and mind itself…… The problem of knowing (properly called the epistemological problem) suddenly appeared to me in an entirely new perspective and as an absorbing topic of study. It made me decide to consecrate my life to the biological explanation of knowledge.” ………..PIAGET

Teaching a Gifted Child in the Classroom!

2008-11-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

Every class has a heterogeneous group of students. You always have 68% Average students and 16% Above Average and 16% Below Average. This is best represented by a Normal Probability Curve. One of the biggest challenges of a teacher is to reach out to all students in the class. This is possible only by organising Teaching Activities at various levels of the continuum. We have to have some activities compulsory for all and then either offer a choice of activities to the children or else make a particular activity mandatory for a child.

A gifted child is very precious and needs to be handled properly. We need to ascertain that the child is really gifted and then find out his special abilities and interests. Gifted students have particular behaviour characteristics and we have to keep their interest levels high by challenging them with Enrichment and Accelerated programmes. They need challenges and they are quicker at the uptake. Hence while the teacher is teaching the average, the gifted child is bound to feel uncomfortable. Since, in the situation you are teaching; we do not find many such gifted in a single class; there is no possibility of grouping them. But we can group students who are gifted from each class and assign them tasks, projects and assignments as per their abilities. The school needs to be innovative and provide these students opportunities of working with their classmates for major time of the School Day and then for a specific period with the Group of Gifted students. This will need teachers who understand the gifted students and have knowledge of teaching techniques for the gifted. Some schools have separate sections of the same class for the Gifted. Some call these Sections as the Ability Sections. Some have Co-teachers assigned the responsibility of catering to the academic needs of the Below Average and devising strategies for the gifted. Fortunately, I have had an opportunity of observing these practices in several schools over a period of time. I would not like to undermine their contribution but, in all honesty, I must admit that these have been mere gimmicks and have done more harm than good. We have acute shortage of efficient teachers who can teach the gifted students.

Under the circumstances, I suggest:
• Identification of the Gifted is done objectively after Psychological Testing.
• A programme for catering to the Gifted is made at the very beginning of the Session.
• Teacher assigned with the responsibility of handling such a child is made aware of the Characteristics of a Gifted Child and Trained/Mentored in Teaching Strategies that need to be adopted for teaching the gifted.
• No change is required to be made in either the School Timings or Period Wise Timings.
• In fact, some Programmes of Teaching the Gifted would surely benefit other students also and enable them to enhance their Academic Achievements.

I would conclude by saying that ultimately the whole exercise will be determined by the Giftedness of the Child, the Extent and the Potentialities of his being Gifted, the environment in which he is being educated and brought up, the facilities existing in the School and the availability of competent and committed teachers to handle such a child.

A personal request to you if you are facing the problem: “Please consider each child in your Class gifted. Treat and teach them as if they all were Geniuses. I assure you, they will not disappoint you”. I have Research based Evidence of Psychological Experiments to make this request to you.
Cheer up!

How can we nourish creative potential in children?

2008-11-30T07:01:00.000-08:00

Education has to develop creative potentialities of children and this requires proper understanding of Creativity, choosing the right kind of Curriculum and transacting the same in ways as foster creative thinking and creative ability.

We have various approaches and a lot of information: both Pedagogical and Research based available. Montessori Approach of Sensory Training is best suited at the lower levels. Frobel’s Gifts and Didactic Apparatus can also be used at this stage. It is necessary that teachers adopt a Multi-Sensory Approach. We need to know the Preferred Learning Style and the Brain Hemispheric preference of a child. We have to find the Super Link that will help us to present information and have it processed in the Child's Brain through the fastest pathways. Use of Colour, Music, Movement, Brain Gym and Donkey Bridging are all important.

As the child grows, we have to provide a variety of experiences; in order to allow his latent talents to be explored and then nourished. At this stage I would recommend the Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence Approach and even the SMARTS. The child will need to explore the world. The wider the experiences provided, the easier it will be for the teacher to identify the child's interest and talent. By the age of 16 the child reaches his Highest IQ and research studies reveal that Creativity keeps on growing. Hence there is an imperative need to include Thinking Skills; especially of the Higher Order. I mean activities that help the child to Analyse, Evaluate and Create. This requires Activities that challenge him to do so. He has to be a Discoverer, an Inquirer, a Judge, a Producer and capable of De-structuring Knowledge to understand relationships of the parts with one another and with the whole.

We all know that Creativity involves: Originality, Spontaneity, Fluency and Elaboration. It requires Divergent Thinking, Inductive and deductive Reasoning. Our Educational programme, therefore, needs to be flexible, Activity Based, Child- centred. We have to make provision for Hands on Learning, Demonstrations, Experimentation, Practical Work, Surveys, Projects, Assignments and these have to be such as provide a challenge to his particular creative ability. We have to follow an Integrated Approach; wherein the Bloom Taxonomy, Gardener’s Multiple Intelligence, SMARTS, Tony Ryan’s Thinkers Keys, SCAMPER Strategy and De Bono’s Lateral Thinking are all integrated into Educational Planning and Practices. We have to prepare a Grid- Matrix of Activities and engage the child in Activities that require Thinking, Thinking Out of the Box, being Original and going beyond the limits of what is known.

Please remember that Traditional School practices are routine, monotonous and hinder creativity. We have to find alternative strategies that are flexible and cater to an individual child. I have faith that this is possible.

TEACHERS NEED RECOGNITION.

2008-11-02T19:41:00.001-08:00

Recognition is what I care for most. Who doesn't?

I look for recognition in the enthusiasm of my trainees. Their non-verbal language speaks a lot; their feedback is my recognition, if that has a few words of appreciation.
Recognition comes to me when my colleagues appreciate the work done, when the press reports about it, when friends call up to congratulate and finally when I am financially benefitted for all my endeavors.

The smiling faces of my students and teachers, the admiration of colleagues and the appreciation of the management; these all are important to me but more important to me than all this is when my wife asks me 'How did it all go?' and if with confidence and with my head raised, I reply that it all went as planned and I am happy. This self-recognition is the highest form of recognition to me.

After so many years of research and work with teachers I have realized that teachers are really unique and we should treat them in a unique way.

Encouragement, motivation, awards, recognition... these are all part of what teachers need to see throughout their career.

As we all know most teachers are in the profession NOT because of the salary but because they love teaching. So if we can't give them a $100,000 annual salary, why not encourage them and bring them into the social spotlight where society at large can also learn about them. That way we can "turn the table" and the image of the teaching profession will change for the better. Then being a teacher will mean more than just going to work and dealing with crying kids. It will be what it used to be - the great art of teaching and shaping kids' future.

I don't think we are giving teachers the necessary credit they deserve.

Let us start recognizing our teachers for their being teachers, for the work they do and for a thousand other good things they do.

TEACHING CLASSES OF STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES.

2008-11-02T19:22:00.000-08:00

Teachers and I mean all teachers have to face this problem. My teachers faced it, I faced and now I mentor teachers as to how to deal with it.

We never have a homogenous class, it is always heterogeneous. Believe me, teaching a class where there are children with the same knowledge, same skills and same learning abilities (though an impossible situation unless we have a group matched on various variables after detailed psychological testing and Factorial Analysis) would not be a challenge to a good teacher. It would be routine and monotony.

Find as to what are the Learning Styles of your students, check their Entering Behaviour and where you find that it does not suit the minimum expectations at Entry level, organise a Bridge Course and improve upon their Entering Behaviour. If majority of students show poor learning abilities then change your objectives, your expectations and choose Curricular Areas that will help in improving upon their Entering Behaviour.

Most important is your Instructional Procedures or Strategies.
Adopt a Multisensory Approach; choose from a range of Activities on a topic, those that are obligatory and those that are optional. Give students the freedom to choose projects and activities from a Grid that allows them the freedom of choice at two levels; Taxonomical and Multiple Intelligence. You will in the process find that while all children perform activities at Lower Levels of Remembering, Understanding and Application; only a few will choose activities on Analysis, Evaluation and Creating. Similarly different children will choose activities as per their Intelligence.

You have to teach keeping the average 68% in view most of the time and the remaining 32% who are evenly distributed at the two ends of the continuum: 16% Above average need to be challenged with activities, projects and assignments as a programme of Enrichment and Acceleration and the other16%-Below average need immediate Remediation but after Diagnostic Evaluation and they need your time, attention, patience, reinforcement and care. This is the challenge to a teacher.

Please follow practices that have been tested and found useful; like peer work, group work, Use of colour and Music, Movement Breaks, enough opportunities for Review and Practice.

You have to individualise your teaching in a classroom setting. This is not difficult at all provided you have all the background information about each child and you can transact curriculum at various levels.

Cheer up. We all did it. I am sure you can do it better than us.
.

HOW LONG SHOULD WE CONTINUE ADDING TECHNOLOGY TO THE TEACHING LEARNING PROCESS?

2008-10-27T04:28:00.000-07:00

The answer in brief is "NO LONGER- A LOT OF DAMAGE HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE."

Let us pause for a while and understand the fundamental process of Teaching-Learning. Once this understanding has been acquired, add what you like but with an objective and that has to be only “to improve the process."

Teaching is an objective-oriented activity. It has a well defined purpose. It is meant to induce learning. It is a social activity. You need two people at least.

Learning is a relatively permanent change in behaviour. It is an individual activity and needs both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. We all have our preferred Styles of learning. Our Brain Hemispheric functioning also affects the way we learn. Review and practice enhance learning.

One needs to have a holistic view of the Behaviouristic School of thought and the Cognitive School as also of those who talk of learning as Need-Reduction, Problem-Solving and what not.

What is essential to us is that there are a lot of variables that intervene in the process of Teaching-Learning and while we are able to control a few, there are many that are beyond our control.

We have been constantly endeavouring to bring in efficiency, speed, change in this process and every decade has witnessed the growth of new strategies: Nature as Teacher, Play-way, Project Technique, Child centric methods, Tutorial system, Heuristic approach, Socratic Dialogue, Inquiry based teaching, Developing Schemas and Strategies, catering to the Zone of proximal development etc.

We did speak of and use Technology in Education. We developed a Technology of Education and a Technology in Education.

I am of the view that an approach where the Laws of Learning, the Researches of Behavioural Sciences and the Knowledge of HOW learning takes place in the Brain is concerned; we should use it to our best possible advantage in the Teaching Learning Process.
Then, we need to look for introduction of the Hardware and Software of Technology that can facilitate the Process and make it more effective, enhance learning, individualise instruction, give each learner the space and freedom to learn at his pace, assess learning in objective terms for Remediation and for providing reinforcement.

In fact, the use of Technology as a substitute for Teaching needs experimentation and research based evidence. I have found a display of Technology and the concerned did not have a perfect understanding of its use, its scope and its effects on the Teaching learning Process. When asked why they were doing this or that, the answer was because everybody else was doing it or it gave them a standing in the community or else it added to the marketability of Educational Institutions. Nobody was convinced that it aided learning, improved upon the quality of learning, increased accessibility or made the process more interesting and gain speed. May be I have interacted with teachers in Schools that had their compulsions to use (misuse) Technology in this way.

We have to define the levels, the structures and the types of learning; before we continue with any further addition. Whatever has been added has to prove its worth and has to be used properly before we add any more.
Thanks.

HOW TO REDUCE STRESS?

2008-10-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

We all experience stress in one form or another. Children and teachers feel stressed. The degree and level of stress varies from individual to individual. Stress is harmful and affects both performance and health.

I have found that daily Meditation helps reduce stress considerably. One only needs to be guided properly by a Spiritual Master in Meditation.
The simplest technique is to:
Sit in a comfortable posture and ensure that nothing disturbs or touches your physical body.
Close your eyes and look/concentrate on the seat of the Soul. (The Third Eye: the place between the two eyebrows). Do so in a relaxed manner without putting any stress on your eyes.
Repeat the Name of God. Choose any one of the names of God. Repeat it inwardly. It helps to still the mind.

Thus, we withdraw from the world of physical sensation and go within.
Evidence is there that regular Meditation brings an Inner Peace, a sense of physical well being, an equanimity and poise to face the challenges of life. This Inner Peace radiates itself to the outer world. Meditation helps a person rise above Physical consciousness and be detached. At the same time, the person is one with God and can feel the Divine presence in animate and inanimate objects around him. This Inner Peace leads to Outer Peace.

We did try this Technique of Meditation on thousands of students by asking them to meditate at the beginning of the School day for 10 to 15 minutes, under the supervision of their Teachers, in their Classes. The Children were asked to practice Meditation at Home also. We found remarkable progress: increased attention span, more concentration and improved performance. The teachers also felt the same.
What I am writing is based on feedback from students about Meditation and its benefits, if any. The Experiment is still continuing in about 15 Schools managed by Darshan Education Foundation, Delhi, India.
The guiding Light is His Holiness, Paramsant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj; the President of Worldwide Science of Spirituality and Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission, Delhi, India.
Visit: http://www.sos.org/ and
http://www.darshanacademy.org/

HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN WITH DIFFERENT ABILITIES?

2008-10-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Teachers and I mean all teachers have to face this problem. My teachers faced it, I faced it and now I mentor teachers as to how to deal with it.

We never have a homogeneous class, it is always heterogeneous. Believe me, teaching a class where there are children with the same knowledge, same skills and same learning abilities (though an impossible situation unless we have a group Matched on various variables after detailed Psychological Testing and Factorial Analysis) would not be a challenge to a good teacher. It would be routine and monotony.

We ought to find after testing as to what are the Learning Styles of our students, check their Entering Behaviour and where we find that it does not suit the minimum expectations at entry level, organise a bridge course and improve upon their Entering Behaviour. If majority of students show poor learning abilities then we need to change our objectives, our expectations and choose curricular areas that will help in improving upon their Entering Behaviour.

Most important is our Instructional Procedures or Strategies. We should adopt a Multi sensory Approach; choose from a range of Activities on a topic, those that are obligatory and those that are optional. Give students the freedom to choose projects and activities from a Grid that allows them the freedom of choice at two levels; Taxonomic and Multiple Intelligence. In the process we will find that while all children perform activities at Lower Levels of Remembering, Understanding and Application; only a few will choose activities on Analysis, Evaluation and Creating. Similarly different children will choose activities as per their Intelligence.

We have to teach keeping the average 68% in view most of the time and the remaining 32% who are evenly distributed at the two ends of the continuum: 16% Above average need to be challenged with activities, projects and assignments as a programme of Enrichment and Acceleration and the other16%-Below average need immediate Remediation but after Diagnostic Evaluation and they need our time, attention, patience, reinforcement and care. This is the challenge to a teacher.
We have to follow practices that have been tested and found useful; like Peer work, Group work, Use of colour and Music, Movement Breaks, enough opportunities for Review and Practice.
We have to individualise our teaching in a classroom setting. This is not difficult at all provided we have all the background information about each child and we have learnt to transact curriculum at various levels.

Cheer up. We all did it. I am sure you can do it better than us.

HOW TEACHERS INFLUENCE LIVES?

2008-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Question Asked by Prof. B.L.Handoo
Which Teacher influenced and shaped your Life? What was it that he had in him or did for you?
We all have been influenced by our teachers. I want to know from you in what ways were you influenced and how did your teacher do so. Please give us the details as it might help us to tell and inspire our teachers as to how their predecessors have influenced and shaped lives
Good Answers (8)
Steven Engravalle
Chief School Administrator at Hamburg Borough School District
This was selected as Best Answer
1.Being a professional educator is a privileged position that demands humility as much as respect. It is crucial that educators recognize the power inherent in their roles and are self-reflective about their actions. In my work, I strive to be attentive to my position as a role model of the type of learning and character I strive to promote among students. Learning is a reciprocally educative endeavor that is informative and uplifting for teachers and students alike. Education is about opening hearts and minds and changing lives for all those involved in the process. Your students will know they are successful in their work as educators when students tell them that they have learned to see the world through a new lens and to think more critically. Without a doubt, these are tools of empowerment and the rewards of teaching and learning. This all becomes possible when teachers choose to know their students before trying to teach them. Children want to know their teachers, and teachers must want children to know them as well. Teaching is about relationships: significant learning only becomes possible once significant relationships have been established. The teachers whom made the most difference in my life and career were the ones who cared for me as a person.
Alan Bleiweiss
Senior SEO and Internet Marketing Consultant at Hey Dude Where's My Site?
2. There have been several teachers who have helped shape my life. In every instance, they've done so through seeing where I was passionate as it could relate to the subject matter, and helped to draw that out - encouraging it, reinforcing it, rewarding it. A major aspect of this has also been that each challenged my thinking, - from my motives to my reasoning. Not to shoot me down - instead to help me understand how to evaluate my own position, to allow myself to change my view / perspective or belief if in the process I discovered flawed aspects of my assumptions or motive. These teachers all set an example for me in how I can best participate in life, remain open minded, and succeed in any aspect of life where I am passionate about something. Truly remarkable people.
aurora bramble
Independent Entertainment Professional
3.althea kaplan was my music theory fourth term professor she assigned our class to write 24 bars of music in any style we wanted i found a melody based on indian ragas stuck some chords under it and handed it in the next day i was asked if i would like to be a composition major with ms kaplan as my private lesson instructor (she had a phd in music comp from eastman rochester school of music) i went for it it was the best thing that ever happened to me and the most meaningful gift i have ever received she poured everything she knew into me in the two years she was in remission from cancer she gave me everything: direction career status and unshakable confidence and deep satisfaction
Robin (Yates) Burgoon
I help users to understand SAP (and other software and hardware) with clear, direct documentation and other materials.
4.Great question! For the most part, I think that almost every teacher that I have ever had, from nursery school (preschool) through college, has influenced me in some way. I can still remember and name almost every one of my teachers, too. Although I could go into a good bit of detail here, I'll just say that my teachers of whom I think first are the ones who took time to understand the differences in the students in their classes, and challenge the students appropriately. While I excel at languages, I'm not so great at math, so while many of my language teachers challenged me by giving to me more difficult assignments than they gave the rest of the class and, in some cases, even 'student teaching' the lesson for part of the class period, many of my math teachers spent extra time, one-on-one, explaining the lessons to me in more detail. I really struggled with Theoretical Algebra in high school, and even with the extra help and my best efforts, only managed a 'C' in the class; however, when I had the same material, the logic part, in college, I finally *got* it, and ended up tutoring others in my class. Recently I had the opportunity to speak with one of my high school English teachers, who is now the principal, and he remembered me, more than 15 years after I graduated. A few years ago, my *Kindergarten* teacher recognized me at a community event. I was happy and yet surprised that the teachers still recognized me from the hundreds (if not thousands) of children who have gone through their classes! That is so special to me, and I think it's a great testament to those teachers that they remember students from their classes decades ago!
Kelly Karius
Owner, Karius & Associates Conflict Resolution Consultants
5.Hello Professor! A lot of teachers influenced me in many ways - most that I didn't realize or understand until later. In Elementary years, I was lucky enough to have my mom as my grade one teacher, and an influence and a support that was always in the school. In later years, I was a difficult teenager - fun, but difficult. A few memorable teacher interactions: I had an invisible dog and one teacher used the dog to make me sit alone in Chemistry class - the first day of class he told me that he had a table for me and my dog, specially reserved...influence: humour, distraction and using what you have at hand. In my grade 12 year, I was living on my own - spoiled by my parents, not neglected - and shouldn't have been. I was drinking way too much. My French teacher was the only person that ever commented on it, I didn't realize it at the time, but the fact that I thought a lot about what she said, then and over the years tells me that she was a great influence. influence: being direct. And finally, my policies professor - who took a class that should have been painful for me and turned it into something that allowed me to embrace and interpret policy, without fear or resentment. influence: unlimited ability to deal with policy! Thanks so much for this question! Have a great day. Kelly
Brian Thoma
President of Thoma, Inc.
6.One of my college professors helped me in making a decision about which university to attend for graduate school. One of the schools had a better reputation in my chosen field of study, but was located in a "rat hole" (those were his words -- he had lived in the city). He suggested that I choose the school with the lesser reputation (in that field of study) in the very nice city of Williamsburg, VA at a school with a beautiful campus. Here was a college professor who made his career in this particular field of study steering me away from the (alleged) academically "better" school towards the "nicer" school. I was extremely happy with my choice of the nicer school. To provoke some additional thought, what is the message of this story? ************* I had a college professor who, I assume, was burned out. He taught courses in my major field of study. He was the oldest professor in his department. In the classroom he simply provided information. He was severely boring and seemed to not really care whether we learned or not. One of my favorite teachers was an art professor. The art appreciation course was one of those courses that I was required to take even though I wasn’t really interested in the subject. I initially had no interest in learning how to appreciate paintings and sculptures. But, this professor was so passionate about art that she excited me about the subject. I loved watching her face light up as she explained about a certain shading or form. Her lectures were like performances. It was education and entertainment. The boring professor was very influential in a backhanded way. The passionate professor exhibited the kind of passion that I seek.
Michael Sanford
Graduate Student at Carleton University, Freelance translator & application localizer
7.Though this will sound like a stereotypical answer, my high school physics teacher was arguably one of the most influential teachers I've had. Aside from expertly teaching physics, he was also the coach for the rowing and cross-country skiing teams (which our school always did exceptionally well in). As an extra curricular facilitator, he was also an instrumental mentor in the Canada FIRST robotics team (in which we designed a robot to play a sport). He taught me how to manage people (in all three senses of manage: as their superior in a hierarchy, as a collaborator and in tolerating difficult people). These skills have stuck with me ever since, and I believe have helped to shape the way I behave with colleagues and with students. He was also a fantastic teacher, and imparted knowledge in a way that I try to model myself. His vigour was viral, and has stayed with me ever since. I've become a life-long learner, and
Kate Podkopayeva
ESL Instructor
8.I believe, that any person may become your Teacher, If s/he inspires you to develop, helps your ethical growth, gives rise to your thirst for knowledge. Sometimes it happens that a professional teacher becomes your Teacher. For me, one of such teachers was Igor Doubinin, who taught Logics at our University when I was a student. He managed "to breathe life" into the dry formulas and laws, he made us reflect on different social events, taught us introspection and critical thinking. Thus, he tried to bring up Active Personalities, to awaken us, students. I think that potentially any professional teacher may become a person who influences positively her/his students, shapes their lives. And first of all, if you would like to become a Teacher for someone, you should get to know yourself better - examine your abilities, your weaknesses and strong sides. Develop the best qualities you possess, and make use of them! Build up your relations with students on the fundament of these qualities. Don't try to be like someone. Instead, become a person who will be an ideal for someone else. Thus, your confidence, your constant mental growth and development will make you a teacher!
More Answers (3)
M. (Monica) Begum
Journalist (investigative)/researcher/writer/yoga addict/sports fanatic/deep thinker/firm believer/wannabe bottle washer
1. Hello and thank you for the note you sent me earlier today. The teachers that really matters to me, in fact, are essential in my life are God, the Dalai Lama and quite a bunch of Buddhist monks. They are all my greatest examples.
Neil Barker
Corporate Trainer at GS E&C
2.For me, it was a Professor I had in university that taught International Security and Strategic Thought. He really opened my eyes to a lot of the unknown conflicts during the Cold War. His way of teaching really showed me to look at information beyond the headlines and obvious places. Still remember some of his lectures from 10 years ago.
Robert Rohr
Rail and Transit Education Professional, Retired IBMer, and Deep Generalist
3.His name was Franklin Meyers and he was recruited from a Ivy League College to head up the English Department at my High School. He only taught the College level courses for the high achievers. He asked to School to give him a class of capable but under motivated students. He took this motley group and has us, reading short stories and writing papers. He also had us write papers on topics of our own choosing. I wrote one paper and it was graded and A+ on content and a F or technical grounds. He said we will now make this a A+ A+ paper. At the end of the class we discovered we had done all of the work his advanced classes had done. He had simply used a new approach. I went on to College and become the Editor of the school paper in my junior year. He was an educator and not just a teacher. I owe him as much as anyone in my life. Too many Teachers simply teach, and not inspire or encourage.

COEDUCATION- MANAGING EMOTIONS.

2008-09-18T09:16:00.002-07:00

Co-educational System was meant to foster competition, do away with curiosity about the opposite sex and to build healthy relationships- both emotional and interpersonal. Unfortunately, our laxity, non-availability of a well defined policy, confusion prevailing between modernisation and traditional values and the absence of an Adolescent Education/Sex Education Programme in our Schools has led to severe problems. We come across cases of puppy loves at much junior classes and some teachers take delight in making fun of these, rumour mongering, gossiping and making young children conscious of their infatuations. There are scores of cases where the teachers have been found love -sick and setting a bad example before students. Teachers of opposite sexes have been seen dating each other, flirting and news travels to students. On many occasions teachers have got married after a protracted so -called affair and continue to work in the same School. There are instances of teachers marrying students and even some Heads of Institutions have been found guilty of moral turpitude. This is the example we are setting. On the other hand, the Media sensationalises every incident and the young fall a prey to their emotions.
If we study a few chapters of Freudian Psychology about the development of sexual urge at various stages of Growth and Development, read about the Seven Stages of Moral Development and study literature on Emotions and how to sublimate and channelize Emotions; I am sure we will find many answers to our problem. But that will not be enough. Let us ask ourselves, are we ready to execute some strategies, experiment and use a multi-pronged approach to the problem. If our answer is yes; I suggest the following:
> Introduce a Programme of Adolescent/Sex Education in our Schools. The CBSE had already engaged an Expert and the Expert would travel to various States and Regions and train the Teachers. Find out about this Programme.
> Call Senior Doctors who are Specialists to talk to our students on Health, Hygiene, Habits and Sex related Issues.
> Organise Debates, Presentations by Students on Topics related to the Issue and let students express their views freely. Ask them for their suggestions.
> Have a very congenial Academic Climate, where the focus is on dedicated Scholarships, healthy interactions for exchange of views, information, joint surveys and projects. Ensure that students are always busy and never left free, unsupervised or idle.
> Trust them and build a climate of mutual trust. Do not suspect, do not allow rumours to be spread and accept emotions and feelings as natural.
> Have a proper Dress Code for students and Staff. Do not allow any laxity in this. Take Students and Staff into confidence while deciding this. The students need to understand that we want them to look decent, elegant and beautiful. They have to be ladylike and gentlemanlike.
> Introduce a variety of Co-curricular Activities of all types and see that students get an opportunity of spending their spare energy, exploring their talent and canalize their emotions. Sometimes, dance, theatre and other performance may help in Catharsis and per rogation of emotions.
> Talk to them often, make them speak and even call parents to speak to them. They are being exposed to a lot of influences of varying types' why can't we provide enough examples of positive behaviour and these have to be real life stories.
> Be a Role Model. See that all Teachers are Role Models.
> Have Trained and adequately qualified Counsellors on Staff and they should be available for help, counselling and advice.
> Have a Student Body-Boys and Girls- assigned the specific task of counselling cases that seem to suffer infatuation and drift away from expected behaviour patterns.
> Be firm and yet caring.
Wishing you the very Best

INTERVIEW OF PARENTS FOR ADMISSION OF KIDS.

2008-09-18T09:16:00.001-07:00

Admission procedure of Toddlers to Schools in India has been very defective and has come for a lot of criticism and flack. Parents raised the issue in The Supreme Court of India. Ganguli Committee Recommendations were tried for a Session and finally the Court gave detailed ruling on each contentious issue. But there have been very little changes.
Small Kids and the Parents are interviewed and the process is called "Interaction."
Parents are to fill Registration Forms that seek all personal, educational, professional, financial information. Besides, questions like: "How will you help the School?”- “How much time will you devote to supporting your child with School work" are asked If one makes it to the list of shortlisted applicants for Admission, one has to attend an Interview at a fixed time on a scheduled date.
Parents are grilled. Sometimes perplexing questions like: "Who attends to the child when both of you are working?', " How much time do you regularly spend with your child?', “In which language do you converse at home?",', "How often do you take your child out with you to a Circus, a Zoo, a riverside, a holiday trip?”are asked. Parents are tense and stressed. They look for agents and touts, pay under the table and get the Admission of their wards confirmed. The School Authorities say that it is more a process of elimination rather than selection.
Supreme Court has laid down a policy where Schools are required to give weight age to Proximity, Siblings, Alma-mater, Qualification of Parents, Girl Child, Management Criteria (To be announced in advance) and allot marks to each. Hence the List of Admitted/ Selected students has to be put up on the School Notice Board.
The Schools need to Interact with the parents on a regular basis. The home and the School have to co-operate for the education of the child. The School needs to Orient the Parents on its Philosophy, Teaching Methodology followed, Assessment Procedure, Learning Outcomes expected in a Term or Month or Week. The Parents need to keep the School informed about the changes they observe in the child’s behaviour and what they expect.
Education level of parents does have an impact on the child’s education and upbringing but then there are glaring instances of children from slums and of rickshaw-pullers topping, not only the Board Exams but also in Competitive exams. I would say NO to refusing admission to any child on the grounds of his parents not being adequately educated.
In a Socialistic, Democratic Republic committed to Equality and Equalisation of Educational Opportunities, admission can not be denied on the grounds of Parents Qualification or their financial status. Even private (what we in India call Public Schools) that do not receive or accept Funds and Grants from the State, have a moral obligation to admit and educate one and all.
I am of the firm belief that we must have Neighbourhood Schools and all Children within a particular radius-be it 1km to 3 km’s- should be admitted to this School. This will bring children from different sections of the society together and we shall have strong Foundations of a future societal order.

As on date, we have Branded Schools, Schools for the Affluent, Public Schools, Government Schools and Minority run Schools. Each has its own characteristics, strengths and weaknesses and ‘believe me each is contributing in dividing the Society into the Elitist and the Non-elitist, the Highbrows and the Lowbrows, the One’s that get all facilities and exposure and the others who are deprived of the basic facilities’. What pains me that education is meant to create an egalitarian society and our Schools are creating divisions.
The ripple effect has begun.”

TEACHING AND WOMEN.

2008-09-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Indian Society has down the ages witnessed male-chauvinism in its extreme forms. Although women have been held in high esteem, yet their joining professions of choice has been a long drawn battle. Women have often faced ridicule and even been ostracised for making a choice of profession.
The choice of taking to Teaching was allowed because of the high degree of prestige attached with Teaching.
With emancipation of women, spread of education, special facilities for their academic and professional education; more and more women have joined professions that were deemed a male prerogative, so far.
Teaching is respectful. Working hours suit women. Mother is the first teacher of a child and the mother extends this role to the society by joining a School. Her innate qualities, her patience, her love and care and her “Mother Figure” role enable her to be ideally suited for this profession.
In the present scenario of education, especially in India, women have often outclassed men in academic pursuits and there is proof of it in the results of Boards and Universities. Women are finding the teaching profession safe, respectful, satisfying and many have proved their mettle.
It is a fact that in India the male member happens to be the main bread earner for the family. The family unit in rural and urban sector accepts women as equal partners in work and as her earnings are often meagre in comparison to their male counterparts, hence women only supplement. Exceptions are their but they are so few. With the family as an institution undergoing change and more and more women taking up professions that are lucrative, demanding and competitive; we have more and more mediocre teachers joining schools

If we want a change, we have to stop exploitation of Teachers, we have to restore this profession to the level of esteem in which it was held in the past, we have to make it a very lucrative profession and we have to create awareness among people to look at the profession not only in terms of what is apparently visible but lots and lots of intangible work that goes on behind the screen in moulding personalities, in transacting curriculum, in a lot of record keeping and paper work, in evaluation, in managing behaviour and in influencing lives through role-modelling and living in practice what they teach. Mahatma Gandhi called “Women as incarnation of Ahimsa”. Teachers are called Nation Builders. Teachers do need appreciation of their work and contribution to Society. No lip-service please. The work environment, the salary and perks, the facilities for upgrading one’s skills and incentives for performance are to be improved.
Let us hope that it happens soon.

FEAR FREE TEACHING-LEARNING.

2008-08-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Teaching is building inter-personal relationships and facilitating the process of Learning. Fear has no place in this.
Fear is an emotion that distorts reason, reduces mental capabilities and develops apathy, depression and leads to frustration. It also hampers learning and effects performance adversely.
Once we realize this, half the battle is won.
The relationship of a teacher and a student is that of a Guru and a disciple. It is based on mutual trust and faith. A teacher who believes in the innate goodness of all human beings, who believes in Fatherhood of God, who believes that every child has it in him and it is only the right kind of learning experiences, the right type of teaching strategies and the right form of environment that can draw out the latent talents of students; will never resort to any kind of practices that even come close to developing fear.
"To be in Love or to Doubt", says Othello.
The Process of Teaching -Learning is one where fear can be detrimental to the process and the personality development of both- the child and the teacher.
We need to create an open Classroom environment where asking questions becomes a habit, where committing mistakes is acceptable as it leads to learning, where every small success is celebrated, where every desirable response is reinforced and every undesirable response is ignored. Rules to be followed are decided upon after deliberation by students for the students, discipline is more a matter of self-discipline, social control is Modeled in the behavior of teachers, the systems are flexible to adapt to changed needs and conditions, the school environment is one that caters to emotional security and channelization and where confidence building measures are a routine activity.
Teachers have to be of this firm conviction and thoroughly mentored in Classroom behavior management techniques. The teachers need not be unduly friendly. Mutual respect has to replace authority. Discussion has to give way to one way communication and the number of activities in which students and teachers participate together, both inside the classroom and in the playfield, indoors and outdoors have to be in plenty.

Cheer up my friends, there is a vast store house of Research based information available on Managing Students. Read from the net: www.pivotaleducation.com/behaviour. You will find wonderful Tips of Behavior Management be Ellie Wood-Pivotal.

Discussion on Quality Education/Schools/Teachers?

2008-08-30T09:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Education has the function of transmission of culture, social control and social progress. It is always based on the philosophy of the people of a nation. In India, we follow the Philosophy of Scientific Humanism. Our Educational System is based on Macaulay's Minutes and hence it is an alien system transplanted in our Country. It has been surviving on a patchwork of recommendations from Commissions and Committees since 1942.

We had the Radhakrishnan Committee Report for improving University Education in 1942, then the Mudliar Committee in 1952-54, looking in depth at the Secondary Education and why it was divorced from the realities of life. Again we had a very Comprehensive Kothari Commission Report in 1964. The Indian Educationists regard it as their Bible in education. We followed it with the NPE-National Policy on Education after a Nation-wide debate and then for the first time we had a POA-Programme of Action- Goals were decided, Time-frames were set and every thing came to naught with a change in Govt. We have the latest Recommendations of CABE-the Central Advisory Board on Education and in Feb.2005, the NCF-National Curriculum Framework was decided, announced and implemented in a phased manner. I gave this historical background so that we have a clear perspective of what went wrong. We never had an indigenous system of Education. Experimentation, sudden changes and drastic reforms with changes in Govt's have left the Educational System in shambles. This is our first casualty. Let me honestly share with you, these Recommendations decorate the shelves in our Libraries and we only pay lip service to them.

Our schools which we regard as our ‘Temples of Learning’ got into the ‘Business of Education’ and soon made ‘Education their Business’. These Educational Institutions over a period of time lost their missionary zeal, their social character and ignored the stakeholders thus distancing themselves from those, whom it was meant to serve.
We do have a few Good schools here and there but that is just an Oasis in a huge desert. Schooling has become drudgery, routine, monotonous and there is no scope today for innovations, creativity. Status quo is being maintained rigidly and we find a lot of gimmickry in the name of Education. Our kids are being treated as guinea pigs for being experimented upon by quakes and novices.

Teaching has and never was an occupation in our country. Teachers are there more by chance rather than by choice. They are humiliated, exploited, blamed, used for every work and drilled into practices that are meaningless. Their Pre-Service Training is defective, there is a huge yawning gap between Theory and Practice and once appointed in a School, they are regimented and carried along. By the way, our Country happens to be perhaps the only country in the World where Heads of Institutions are appointed because of their experience as Teachers and there is neither a training before appointment as a pre-requisite, nor do we make a sincere attempt at Training them in Administration and Management of Schools after appointing them.

The Curriculum is lengthy, concept ridden and encourages rote-learning. The teachers take great pains in covering the content and Examination is the End. All possible means are adopted to get through these exams and hence we have malpractices, depressions, suicides, disappointment and yet a few excel and we forget the rest and bask in the glory of the achievements of the few.

Finally, Quality in Education is a misnomer. We are unaware of its true meaning and in spite of some Schools having started Quality Circles; we are not a Quality conscious community of people.For me Quality would mean meeting requirements. It is that Zero Error state where you are aware of PONK. Quality in Education is nowadays- a misnomer and we are paying the price for not maintaining or even aspiring for Quality

2008-07-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
As an Educator engaged in teaching since1965 and as a Teacher-Educator & Administrator since 1977; it has been my earnest endeavour to improve my teaching, to grow professionally and to share what I had learnt with others. I have lost count of the number of Seminars, Extension Lectures and Workshops that I attended for the purpose.
After 1980 I had the opportunity of organising these Workshops for Pre-Service and In-Service teachers. I experimented with different approaches to training of teachers, including the Diagnostic Remedial Approach in Training Teachers in Skills of Teaching.
I owe a lot to the experts from NCERT, IGNOU, CBSE, UGC and other Agencies; with whom I interacted, learnt a lot (if I did not learn more, the fault was mine and not of the experts) and tried to put it into practise.
The best opportunity came my way when I joined Darshan Education Foundation- Delhi and had first hand experiences of training teachers on Activity-Based Teaching, Classroom Management through DA Agreements, Buddy System, Key-Priority Areas, Practice and Review Techniques and Scores of other Topics.
I owe a deep debt of gratitude to Madam Suzanne Lauber, Director, DEF; who became my Role-Model of a Teacher Educator/Trainer. We also had opportunities of interacting with dozens and dozens of Experts from India and Abroad and from them we had Sessions on Memory, Study Skills, Time Management, Team Building, Leadership, School Administration, Systems Management, Quality Circles, Value Education Models, Non- Violent Communication, etc.
During the last 20 years, I have conducted Workshops for thousands of teachers across the country. It has been a privilege to interact with teachers at Srinagar, Jammu, Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Gwalior, Aligarh, Hathras, Rohtak, Sampla, Hissar, Ambala, Ludhiana, Kolkatta, Kaithal, Pune, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Jhansi, Lalitpur, Datia and Delhi.
In the process, I have met teachers and Principals of the reputed and prestigious Public Schools of Delhi and of other cities, of Air Force Public Schools, of Kendriya Vidyalaya, of Residential Schools and also of Schools trying to establish their identity in the community.
What I have observed and experienced is, that although the Teachers and Principals show a lot of enthusiasm, are willing to learn, participate actively, deliberate and contribute during the workshop; although their Feedback is very encouraging; but what really is transferred to actual classroom situations is not even a fraction of what the teachers were trained in and for.
This is appalling! An in depth study and discussion with Principals revealed that these workshops were an eye-wash and each School had an ulterior motive behind the conduct of the Workshops. Most often the workshop was organised to publicise the School through press and Media. Sometimes the Principal organised these workshops to prove to the Management that he was on the job of Professional Growth of Teachers and in most of these workshops, he was the one who was not a participant. Workshops were being used for Image Building, Publicity, for inviting authorities from the State Administration, Boards etc; and even for providing an opportunity to the Publishers to talk about their publications and how their Text-Books were better than those of other Publishers.

As a result there has been a Mushroom growth of so-called Experts in various areas and the Quality of Workshops conducted desires a lot. The teachers are on the receiving end. Workshops are held on Holidays, Sundays and during Vacations. The Workshops are dull and boring. These are far from the realities of classroom practices and situations. Most of them are Lectures or presentations. There is hardly any activity which the teachers could take up when they return to schools. Managements are least bothered about professional growth of teachers. No one bothers to keep the teachers abreast of the latest in the field of teaching-learning.

What again is disturbing is that the teachers and Schools seem to act on herd mentality and suddenly experts spring up from nowhere to conduct workshops on: Blue Print of a Question Paper, Parenting, Counselling, De -stressing, Motivation, Teaching without Burden and now the HOTS Questioning. It looks as if one school is trying to outdo the other. The Focus is lost. No one seems to remember the Objective behind the Workshop. Customised workshops or Need-Based Workshops are not possible in the absence of a seasoned Expert teacher trainer. Question and Answer sessions have been forgotten. A lot of precious time is wasted in introductions, reception, report about the achievements of the school, a few words by the Chief Guest, a vote of thanks at the end, which usually is a summary of what the person has understood at the workshop rather than what the Expert tried to convey. The poor expert has no other alternative but to cut on the activities for Hands-on -Learning and deliver a talk and thus we have been talking at the teachers.

Some Board Members have asked me occasionally as to how the workshop is going to benefit the School, or how have the Workshops conducted so far benefited the teachers. This is obvious since their is a dichotomy between what the teachers learn at the Workshops and what they are required to do at the School.

In such a situation how do we expect sound Educational, Pedagogical and Psychological practices in our schools. We come across a plethora of teaching techniques and many are not even able to justify these or speak of their relevance. What is going on in the name of teaching is..........TRASH! A good practice here and another there are an oasis in a desert of dead habit.

Kindly give me the benefit of your opinion and advice to remedy the situation. If I am wrong in my assessment of the situation, please correct me and let me have your experiences.

With Hope
Prof. B. L. Handoo

Managing Director

Indira Educational Consultancy Services.

Cell:09810890998, 09313706527.

Visit:- www.iecs-india.com

SAVE OUR CHILDREN

2008-03-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

How is it that our 3yr & 4yr old kids are subjected to Formal paper pencil Tests and Interviews at the time of Admissions by the School Authorities? All this is camouflaged under the name INTERACTION. It is a SHAME!
I recall having interviewed most of the Principals, Heads & Teachers and let me honestly admit that they never made the Grades, but we had no choice since they were able to express themselves better in comparison to others.
How many of these Heads & Teachers have read about Cognitive Psychology, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, De Bono, Gardener, Mel Levine and others? Are they aware of Multi sensory Teaching, Sensory Training, Multiple Intelligences, Six Hats, SMART ,Play-way, Bloom's Taxonomy, Teaching to Think, Learning Styles, Brain-hemispheric preferences, Intervention Techniques etc?
How dare the Schools Interview kids against all norms of decency, respect for the talent & integrity of a child and Childhood and in utter disregard to the decisions of Courts, the Ganguly Committee Report and even the Recommendations of Prof. Yashpal in his "Learning without Burden".
I was flabbergasted to overhear a self styled Counsellor in a School telling a mother of a 4yr child that she will have to put in a lot of effort in preparing her child during the Summer Break, since all Kids in the Nursery in their School had already finished writing the Big & Small Letters of the English Alphabet. She did not say that the kids had learnt all this, nor did she say that they had succeeded in damaging the finer muscles and the sensibilities of each child and so lovingly (callously) robbed them of their childhood.
Since I regard Schools as "Temples of Learning", I didn't butt in or say a word but as I drove back home, I decided to fight this battle. I was reminded of the words of Browning;’” I have ever been a fighter, One fight more, The Last & the Best".
Please join me in this Fight against the Mafia of School Managements, their Puppet head Principals and their unethical practises of Interviewing small kids and admitting them after garnering huge sums; misguiding and exploiting teachers, damaging children, following traditional outdated techniques of teaching and assessment and misrepresenting Academic Performance as talent & excellence in Education.
How long can it continue? Are we dumb cowards to see it, bear it and let our future generation be harmed irreparably? I want you to join and then we can wage a war for the sake of our children.
It is a SHAME!