Source: Easy Shiksha
Natasha Chetan, a sports enthusiast, started her sports practice at a young age with a determination of creating history, is all set to realise her dream. The 8th grader from Ekya School JP Nagar, recently won the Sub Junior State Ranking Snooker & Billiards tournaments organised by KSBA (Karnataka State Billiards Association) and she will be representing the state at the national level.
Natasha held her first cue at a tender age of 10, inspired by seeing her mother play the game at Bangalore Club. Natasha developed a liking for the game since then and she pursued it further. Soon Natasha started to ace the game winning various tournaments. She has also participated in the Chinese pool tournament held in Malaysia.
Billiards, snooker and all cue sports require precision, accuracy, stillness, patience and excellent hand-eye coordination. This is what enthrals Natasha about the game and she is all set for the new challenge. Her determined pursuit of excellence in sports has led her this far.
For the past three years, Natasha has been practicing for 3 hours every day under the able guidance of her coach, Pranit Ramchandani of Sight Right Cue Sports India. Now, most of her time is dedicated to practicing with her focus on the national championship.
About Ekya Schools:
Ekya Schools (ekyaschools.com) offers world-class education using modern pedagogic learning methods to ensure well-rounded students. Established in 2010, it has four schools and nearly 2800 students. Drawing on the legacy of CMR Group of Institutions, Ekya Schools are imparting innovative, application-rich education by using their in-house developed curriculum. Ekya’s vision is to provide real-world learning experiences facilitated by passionate educators, to prepare students for bigger challenges in life. Ekya empowers young minds, driving them to make a difference in the world. A host of features makes the schools’ curriculum unique and exemplary. It is on par with the global curriculum – learning is fun-filled, contemporary, and meaningful: insightful, real-world methods of understanding and application. For senior students (14-16yrs) Cambridge IGCSE model is followed as it is recognized by leading employers and universities worldwide.
Source: The Hans India
Since teachers get to be around so many unique kids of all ages, there is no doubt they have heard and seen some truly comedic things. On this Children’s Day, Young Hans has asked some teachers to share the funny incidents they have experienced during online classes.
One such instance was about the discussion of house-warming ceremony, arrangements and the people to be invited for the same. This created a wide uproar and a topic of laughter throughout the day when students kept asking the child whether they were invited. Also, pursue with their parents to send the invite to them. The conversation of the same was caught live and students had a hearty laugh at the same. Indeed, it was hilarious.
— Rajalakshmi P S, Teacher, Orchids- The International School,Jubilee Hills In my online English language class. The source of the interruption was one of my students who was apparently playing an online video game alongside the online lesson. He had probably forgotten to mute himself. In order to enjoy this sudden burst of energy in my superstar student, I gestured everyone discreetly to remain quiet. The verbal 'hitting' and 'kicking' continued for a while and we all had our share of laughs.
— Himani Mehta, TGT, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad There was a child, who was practicing her dialogue along with the parent who was trying to translate the same in Hindi, who got unmuted. The video of the child was on, and the parent was unaware of this. The moment it was heard by the children, all started laughing and when she was called out by the teacher to mute herself, the student and the parent realised, that the video and the mic were on, they excused themselves and left class immediately.
—Manisha Shelke, Teacher, Orchids - The International School, Jubilee Hills During one of the 'Me and My World' sessions online, I was recapitulating the concept taught. I asked one of the students what helps fish breathe. The student thought for a while and then tried to enact breathing like a fish, with her mouth. This was very unexpected and all the students along with their parents started laughing.
— Pratima, Principal, SMVM (Deeksha STEM), Bengaluru Children were asked to dress up as their favourite cartoon characters. Children had come dressed up as various characters. One of the kids dressed up as a warrior. Each one of the kids expressed why they had dressed up as this particular character and what they believe Childrens' Day stood for. To which that kid wittily replied "I have dressed up as a warrior, because children are saviors of the world. To save the world we celebrate Children's Day.
— Iram Jaffer, haman Bhartiya School, Bengaluru Once while delivering a lecture, a student accidentally got unmuted, and his words made me realise that as I was engrossed in explaining the topic. I realised that I had superseded the time by 10 minutes. He said, "Mumma lagta hai, aaj Sir lunch nahin karne denge, abhi class end nahin hua hai, kuch jyada hi learning ho rahi hai" (It seems Mumma, today, Sir, won't let me have my lunch. The class is not over yet. Too much learning is taking place).
—Dr Nalin Jha, Chief Manager Academic Delivery & Operations, Times Professional Learning A common problem that we have been facing is network issues where our screen "freezes" and we become statues. One such day, I had a horrid internet connection and a student exclaimed, "Miss, you've frozen!" As I switched to the hotspot and had a slightly more stable connection, another student quips, "Miss, now you've defrosted!"
— Shreya Bhagattjee, Teacher, Jasudben ML School Khar, Mumbai At times, during breakfast club, when Pictionary is played, we find kids coming up with the weirdest imaginative ideas possible. It starts with someone making a very unlikely guess about the hint and then other students build upon it and completely twist the whole idea into a funny one. For example, once a ukulele was drawn for the kids to guess and they ended up guessing a horse, a ladle and a lollipop, etc.
—Samadrita Majumdar, Teacher,Ekya School, Byrathi, Bengaluru During my online session, one of the funniest incidents was while taking the class one child unmuted herself and said, 'Mam he is my pet dog and he also loves to attend your session' so can he sit next to me and attend the class. I replied, 'Yes dear sure but kindly get the admission done. Everyone in the class started laughing.
—Jain Pooja, Teacher, Always on Learning (AOL) School, Bangalore The lovely incident which happened was during the 'Young Entrepreneurs Day. A child who had a Food stall, herself started to eat the food displayed without realising the camera was on.
— Radhiya Das, MSB Educational Institute, Pune One incident which I vividly remember was when students had discovered the 'freeze extension' feature which they were using to freeze their videos to trick the teacher into thinking that they might be facing a network issue. However, one day to avoid answering a question, a student just sat still facing the screen trying to imitate a frozen screen unaware of the fact that his fan was still on in the background. This incident was indeed extremely funny and will always be in our fond memories
— Jyothi K, Principal, The Samhita Academy, Bengaluru
Source: Higher Education Digest
Anushree CN, Counseling Specialist at Ekya Schools, Bangalore is an ICF certified Coach and certified counselor. She has over 10 years of Corporate experience in leadership and executive roles across various verticals including Operations/ Administration/ Finance/Human Resources in Automobile, IT, Media and Hospitality sectors. Inspired by Maria Montessori’s contributions to the world, she has completed her Diploma in Montessori education as well. She is working towards building her life in teaching, counseling, mentoring and coaching specifically focused on parenting and empowering children to unleash their true potential.
Mental Health is the foundation for overall well-being. The Dalai Lama says – “A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering”. This quote holds good for all ages. It helps in achieving developmental milestones which further helps children to acquire emotional wellbeing and social skills.
It is believed that in India every 7th person suffers from some form of mental condition/ disorder. The Pandemic has posed fresh challenges to Education as a whole as well. In tweens and teens especially there is a rise in screen time, social isolation, fear, anxiety, depression, becoming a victim of bullying due to the lockdown. Covid 19 was not only a stress starter but also had negative psychological effects on the students.
Parents are also feeling burdened and seem to be struggling to find a work-life balance. They are finding themselves in a position of helplessness as they see their children go through the tough phase. Hence, it is of utmost importance to become aware of how to be emotionally healthy.
Children are the world’s most valuable resource. They are the foundation of our nation’s future. As a parent, teacher and caretaker, it is essential to look after them and provide utmost care and support. The following ABCD guide will help students overcome the situation and ensure their complete well-being.
Always be patient – Remember that some students need more help and support. Be gentle and approach with calm behaviour, show that you are trying to help them and be very patient.
Be alert for any behaviour change – One of the most important duties of a teacher is to identify the change of behaviour in the students. Slow learning, inactive in class, missing out on class, failing to deliver assignments and remaining quiet are some of the signs signalling that they must be going through some anxiety or stress. You may seek a counsellor’s support in this case.
Communicate – It is one of the best solutions. Listen attentively to their problems and help them understand the situation. Be supportive. This will help build their resilience. They are curious and they will get scared easily of the unknown. Reassure children about their safety and well-being. Explain to them about the situation and the virus, give honest and accurate age-appropriate information. Also, encourage them to share their stories and let them understand the joy of sharing and caring.
Do activities together – Teamwork is dream work. A simple thing such as meditation for a minute before the class commences is helpful to de-stress the mind. Along with learning, do activities together that promote mental health and bring a balance to the mind, body and soul like dancing, cooking, reading, take breaks in between occasionally.
Additionally, you could practice the following as well –
Be mindful – Being aware of what is happening within you e’g – your thoughts and emotions and also what is happening around you?
Empathy – Put yourself in the place of the other person (start by being a good listener). This will help in connecting better with your children.
Establishing healthy routines – A regular routine eases your brain activity and reduces stress so have some activities that you can do with your family and on your own regularly.
Spaces – Provide adequate space to your children especially the tweens and teens. Give them space to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions without fear of judgement.
Normalizing Emotions – No emotion is good or bad. They need to be taught that all emotions are ok to be felt, it is how they respond to such thoughts & feelings that are important. This will create greater self-acceptance and in turn, their self-worth and self-esteem will grow. The best way to teach is to be a role model and accept all your emotions as is and respond instead of reacting.
Constructive Challenges – From time to time if students are given constructive challenges that make them think out of the box and come up with solutions it will help in their brain development and sharpen their intelligence. It is also a good way to keep them occupied.
Seeking Support – Do not hesitate to reach out to your confidant, friend, Counselor when you or your children need support.
Last but not the least, “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha. As caretakers ensure you care for yourself as well. Ensure you get proper rest and maintain a healthy lifestyle as well.
Stay safe and maintain social distance when you step out.