Emotions and colours are interconnected; I see life through the spectrum and want to share my colourful experience at school!
At the start of school, everything is grey. I am disappointed to bid the summer a farewell, but it is also blue with hope, yellow with excitement and black with mystery of what I can go through here.
The third week at school is purple with the calmness of routine and inspiration for new projects. It is pink with playfulness and fun that has grown between my classmates and me now that I have gotten to know them.
My orange days symbolise my optimism for upcoming exams and our class assembly. A hint of brown peeks through; after all, one cannot write her exams or perform on stage without slight anxiety.
Cyan gives me a sense of calm after the brutal first term and all my hardships whether classes, exams or friends, and I am at peace, but not for long.
Maroon makes itself known with the new constant race to finish portions and revise for the next set of exams, with more homework, and meanwhile, I am stuck in the eye of the stress storm.
Finally, red revealed itself with the danger of the final exams, but no matter what, while means risk, it also gave me the strength to complete and conquer it, but all I can think of is the summer.
At the end of the year, I am green with growth in my academics, friendships and myself, for the gruelling school year has passed. Exam marks come later, as it’s time to chill with Indigo during the summer break.
Prisha A Reddy,
Ekya Schools
“As much as 80% of adult “success” comes from EQ.” — Daniel Goleman
While success means different outcomes to different people, it is clear that EQ plays a very crucial role in enabling one to achieve his/her goals.
This applies to young minds also. Academic learning can happen only when the child has emotional awareness and self-regulation. Integrating these emotional skills into the curriculum is the need of the hour. Is this a need that has arisen just now? Not really; but this need was not realised and understood earlier; Over the last few decades, educational institutes “managed” academic learning without emphasis on emotional awareness, and there were no visible undesirable consequences at the community level.
So, what is different now?
Globalisation and Social Media have condensed the world, and children have access to a variety of information. One needs emotional balance to sort and process this sea of information.
Children of this generation are part of nuclear families; some do not have siblings; hence are the centre of focus of both parents and have access to all privileges without having to “earn” them. Children find it difficult to cope with disappointments and failures.
Post-COVID, children find socialisation difficult, resulting in increased interpersonal conflicts in the classroom.
Thus, the need to develop emotional intelligence should be a high priority of educational institutes across the world. More today than before. At Ekya, we empower children with self-awareness and social awareness through our “Life Skills” program. Our life skills programme is based on the Social Emotional and Ethical Learning curriculum developed by Emory University, Atlanta, USA. It is a module-based curriculum that takes children through various aspects of self-awareness and social awareness. If we want a better world to inhabit, we need to start today, right now, by empowering our future citizens with emotional intelligence.
Mathangi R Head of School Ekya NICE Road
Tips on study routine/time management
Effective time management and a well-structured study routine are crucial for academic success. Here are some valuable tips for developing a study schedule and managing time.
Set Goals: Set clear, measurable, and attainable academic goals. This might be scoring a certain percentage or mastering a new concept.
Prioritize Tasks: Not all assignments are equally important. Apply the Pareto Principle – focus 80% of your time on the 20% of tasks that yield the most results.
Time Blocking: This involves dedicating specific time slots for different tasks. This can help you concentrate better and avoid multitasking.
Regular Breaks: Short breaks can rejuvenate the mind, improving focus and productivity. Consider the Pomodoro Technique – study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break.
Study Techniques: Explore methods like the Feynman Technique, SQ3R, and active recall. These can enhance your understanding and retention of information.
Review and Reflect: Regularly review your study plan. Modify it based on your performance and changing academic requirements.
Healthy Habits: Don’t neglect your health. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep can significantly improve cognitive functions and concentration.
To remind you, consistency is critical to maintaining an effective study routine. Experiment with different techniques, find what works best for you, and stick with it. Good time management can help balance your academic commitments with other aspects of life, leading to a more fulfilling and less stressful student experience.
-Richa Saxena IGCSE and Middle School Hindi teacher, Ekya School-Byrathi
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