All of us have this desire to look cool and to be intelligent. We feel intelligence can be gathered through what we study and that’s the only way to gain intelligence. But in reality, intelligence is the ability to think on your feet, the ability to keep growing and to continue to be curious and alert. The key is in our mindset.
There are two kinds of mind-sets –
Fixed Mindset – where intelligence is static and
Growth Mindset – where intelligence is developing and learning continuously.
A fixed mindset leads to a desire to look smart and hence we unconsciously become rigid in our ways. We try and stick to the known path, avoid challenges and when faced with any challenge we tend to give up easily.
We do not like to put in too much effort as we fear failure. This may lead to us being hard on ourselves and developing perfectionism as a coping mechanism. We are unable to take in negative feedback and easily feel threatened by others’ success.
A growth mindset on the other hand leads to a desire to keep learning and hence we tend to look at life as a learning process. We are not scared to face challenges as it only teaches us how to approach life better thereby increasing our persistence and we become more resilient.
We see effort as an ingredient to our success and hence we do not shy away from putting in the effort required. This also opens our minds towards criticism as we get a valuable lesson from this as well. We are also able to feel happy for others’ success as they become an inspiration to achieve more!
As we can see, with a Growth mindset we can reach greater heights and also gain a sense of greater free will…..
The choice is yours.
-Anushree C N, Counsellor
More than a year into the pandemic, online schooling has become the new normal for education. However, the entire last year felt like a temporary thing - and we were all thinking about how we’d be back in offline school with a year. Well, since we’re all slowly coming back to offline classes and adapting to the new normal, here are some of the things I’ve learned along the way, which have helped me adapt easily and can hopefully help you too!
Monitor your screen time :
Having a long exposure to the screen is inevitable, with education, socializing, and downtime - all done online, but it comes with several repercussions. So, taking a 5-10 minute break every 1-2 hours is something we should all follow. Utilizing the breaks in between classes to get something done, like cleaning up your room or drawing, or reading a chapter of the book you’re currently reading is also a simple way to give your eyes some rest.
Focusing during class :
Studying during online classes is not an easy feat to achieve. With distractions through the internet right at your fingertips, focusing during class is understandably hard. To help with focusing, log out of your chatting accounts on the device you’re taking classes on. Try not to switch tabs during class and keep your phone away to reduce notifications
Self-studying :
Study without the internet. Use physical copies of books or download PDFs of the books you’re using online so that you can disconnect from your wifi and only focus on the topic you are currently doing. Also, don’t type your answers, write them.
Take notes :
Taking running notes is an easy way to maintain focus, and remember concepts. It’s alright if your notes are messy during class, just note down what you think is necessary, and later categorize and make it neater. Writing what you learn in your own words makes it far easier to understand, and it helps in cementing the topic. Look up different ways to write notes, such as the Cornell or sentence methods, and follow what suits you the best.
Downtime :
Since everything is still partially online, the need for fresh air and no screens has been at an all-time high. Make sure to take at least a 15-minute walk outside your home, or spend some time with friends (while remaining safe). The fresh air and lack of internet will not only revitalise you, but it will also help you clear your mind so you can work on your tasks effectively.
Implementing these simple things in your daily routine will make a huge difference, and is sure to help make online schooling a little bit easier, if not a lot more.
It all began with ‘roasting’. Being a foodie, ‘roasting’ to me meant only one thing: marinated vegetables, fish, or meat cooked over slow heat to produce a heavenly gastronomical experience. Again, I was wrong! Roasting, as the eighth graders enlightened me, was actually a way of putting down a person with insults couched as humor….a particular favourite of the current brood of keyboard-happy netizens.
Like one thing leads to another, I went into a spree of discovery. As I read, spoke, and listened to the gen z around me, the ugly truth raised its hydra-head. Roasting, stalking, flaming were different avatars of cyberbullying. As the world battled with the lethal virus that traipsed the air we breathe, this silent pandemic has affected the virtual lives of millions of young people who were forced to spend hours before the screen. E-safety commissioners around the world report an increase of 36-50% increase of online abuse in the first three weeks of lockdown. Around 20% of the adolescent and youth population fall victim to this invisible monster. And it has also been noticed that on average only one out of ten victims report their plight.
The tentacles of cyberbullying are strong and far-reaching. Depression, anxiety, social awkwardness, low self-esteem, seclusion, and absenteeism from school and social occasions are common. Taking one’s life is also not unknown.
Now, how can an innocent joke be offensive?
If I call you an ‘elephant’ do you really become one?
Oh! I don’t really think you are ugly...it was a joke...you always overreact da.
Why do you have to be so dumb?
A joke is no longer a joke, it makes someone upset. No one enjoys a negative nickname however endearing and loving it may be. Every word we click on our keyboard leaves a thumb impression on someone’s soul. None of us actually have the right to act funny with someone’s self-esteem...make them feel worthless. But how do we draw a line between humor and insult? It is not rocket science at all...follow a few simple steps.
Step 1: After you type any comment (humorous or otherwise) before pounding on entering...take a step back.
Step 2: Click open a checkbox in your head and ask yourself ‘Is my comment going to upset the receiver? Would I like to be addressed the same way?
Step 3: THINK…..THINK….THINK
Step 4: Take responsibility for your actions and post your comment only if you are sure about it.
We do have our freedom of expression, but not the freedom to abuse and bully others on the internet which the Indian Penal Code considers a punishable offense.
If you are a victim of virtual abuse, your escape route is ‘BLOCK and TALK’. Even if your closest friend upsets or insults you do not have to take it. Block the perpetrator and talk to someone you are comfortable with: a parent, a teacher, a friend, or your school counselor. If you find someone a victim of cyberbullying, lend him/her a patient ear, validate his/her feelings, make them feel comfortable and then seek help. Your patient ear can heal wounds way better than trying to fix things in a hurry.
Hence, we can safely wrap up our three-pronged approach to battle this silent pandemic as ‘think before you type’, ‘block and talk’, and ‘listen and validate’. Be a frontline warrior and promote ethical use of social media.
Let us make an effort to be the compassionate and empathetic friend who lends a helping hand and a patient ear. Not the sarcastic and mean one. Let us not be creatures of darkness but the light at the end of a dark tunnel.
-Priyanka Ghosh, High School English Teacher, Ekya School, JP Nagar
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