The National UN Volunteers

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Topic: Instill civility in children

Group discussion

Participants: Dr. Sekar srinivasan, Dr. Parvathi, Dr. Balasubramanian, Mrs. Vijayalakshmi menon and Azeez

Topic: Instill civility in children

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¶ Let's define civility:

It is the behavior that recognizes the humanity of others – a key element of sociability.

It is to recognize and to appreciate.

¶ Psychological elements of civility:

Civility demands restraint and an ability to put the interests of the common good above self-interests.

It requires us to treat others with decency, regardless of our differences.

The psychological elements of civility include self-awareness, self-control, empathy, and respect.

¶ Is Civility on the Decline?

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Strictly saying it is not on the decline.

Most of the observations on civility is from vested media propaganda.

In reality with the enormous population and in the rural sides it exists as a core human value.

• Azeez: True to some extend. Because it is impossible to know if civility has declined because it is difficult to measure scientifically.

But by all subjective measures, most of us measure civility by hearing stories daily about ridicule, bullying, and simple rudeness – and these stories are happening in homes, classrooms, on social media, and even street corners.

• Dr Parvathi: Now a days people have started to be reserved as much as they can because the environment around them has become challenging, more of selfishness, lack of trust, truthfulness and people are not concern about the harm they are doing to others knowingly and unknowingly as the situation is demanding them to do certain things and in doing so they dnt even think of their sanskriti, culture, values etc. So you can say civility is lacking in people now a days but as there are 2 sides of coins so there are some people in this world still who think of others and are scared of doing harm to others.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: The reasons for non civility is the availability of shortcut or otherwise not straightforward processes and procedures. For a country like India the human race evolved and rich cultural heritage and performances as observed in literature strongly uphold our points. Yet by invasion of others made us develop a slavery mindset and the dividing rules had fueled this.

But our young students settled in different parts of our globe explicitly depict our esteemed civility in all spheres bringing trustworthy charecter across their fields. True emancipation of civility to be well demonstrated during assembly and recognised even in small levels.

It forms the basis of social networking and vasudeivika kudumbam.

In short civility is like pranav which is all inclusive and like prana in human body where the real life enlives.

• Azeez: There are several reasons for this seems to decline. But truly not, and it can be brought once again into the power.

Some ethics scholars suggest that as society has become more informal, there are no longer agreed-upon rules for respectful behavior.

The borders of societal norms have become more broad and fuzzy.

Shows like “The BigBoss” and “Live in together” highlight back-stabbing behavior as admirable and winning qualities. And above all our social media.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Our generation had seen both. With the advent of making (mocking only) pseudo equality amongst people with vested interests and even in public domain without responsibility speaking ill of others in the seige of freedom of speech this undesirable culture evolved. The social set up had spoiled even basic family values. Yet a ray of hope still lingering in our minds if literature studies are made in proper ways the recovery may be accelerated.

• Azeez: Basically, we all, children included, are exposed to rudeness, vulgarity, and violence that would have been unthinkable in previous generations.

That isn’t going to change anytime soon. But if we are truly a world turning away from civility, we may be in for tougher times ahead.

Studies show that incivility leads to violence, unhealthy communities, and societies paralyzed by conflict and political division.

It’s not exactly the kind of world we envision for our kids.

Our next generation children are systemically connected to everything around them.

The world is their learning environment.

We are their teachers. And as parents, teachers, coaches, politicians, social media producers, and others who impact children’s lives, we have a responsibility to foster civility in children so they grow up with less, not more violence and ridicule.

Unfortunately, there is no neatly organized curriculum for Civility because civility is learned through respectful relationships.

The truth is, we are all teaching a class in civility to children – parents, teachers, youth mentors, and everyone who comes into contact with kids.

So what can we do? We can teach kids the foundations of civility every day in the way we communicate with them.

• Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Menon: Agree, to your point. Children are innocent and gullible. What they see and hear is gospel for them and they inculcate it. They are exposed to many things good and bad and unless they are guided they will go astray.

• Azeez: Some of foundations what we do communicate with our kids are as follows:

We can teach kids the foundations of civility every day in the way we communicate with them and others, including the following:

• Think about the impact of words and actions on others before you use them.

• Apologize when you are wrong.

• Set ground rules for civil behavior at home and in classrooms.

• Teach kids how to become engaged citizens.

• Treat children and adults with the respect that you expect from them.

• Demand civility of politicians and public servants.

• Use respectful language when you disagree with someone.

• Don’t let anger and emotion get in the way of listening to others.

• Be tolerant of people who are different from you.

• Teach character strengths, like respect and empathy, at home and in classrooms.

• Challenge people’s views, but don’t attack the person.

• Acknowledge others for their civility and respectful behavior, regardless of their viewpoints.

• Remind kids often why they – and you – should be civil.

• Empower children to take a stand against bullying.

• Lead by example.

Thursday, August 26, 2021

The Annual pedagogical plan

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The schools are free to finalize their own set of components for the annual pedagogical plan as per institutional requirements, available resources and future goals of the institution.

The Annual pedagogical plan requirements

♦Contents:

1. Basic information about the school

2. Vision, mission and Focus of the School

3. Details of stakeholders

4. Consultations and discussions held with teachers and eminents for preparing the annual plan.

5. Goals to be achieved- annual and long term

6. The culture of the school

7. Economic and Academic Resources available

8. Number of Grades, Grade wise number of subjects, Subject wise number of instructional modules

9. Time tables

10. Pedagogical solutions (i.e. how curriculum shall be transacted in each grade for each subject/module and specific teaching-learning techniques)

11. Assessment tools and rubrics for each class and each subject.

12. Assessment of aptitude and learning needs of each child and ensuring availability of the need-based instructional facility

13. Assessment training needs of Teachers and staff at all level

14. In-service teacher training topics and schedule

16. Coordination with parents/community/Board

17. Pupil’s well-being (which includes health care in school, group and individual counseling, personal hygiene).

18. Supporting activities (which includes co-curricular activities, activities after school, transportation, etc.)

19. How to take care of diversity in class

20. The requirement of remedial classes

Annual themes/celebrations/events/collaboration with other schools

21. Community outreach

Special events to be organized in the year

22. Number of meetings to be held for implementation of the plan

23. Annexure such as details of timetable, remedial classes, peer learning, subjects and languages taught guidelines for child safety, etc.

¶ Point 1

Basic information about the school

School Name:

Religion:

Orgranization:

Type:

Founded in:

Motto:

Supervisor:

Principal:

Contact No.:

Fax No.:

Email:

Website:

Address:

Map location:

¶ Point 3 ......

For an educational institution, certainly stakeholders could be an educational trust.

Therefore while preparing this part:

Name of the trust promotes the Institution

Reg.No

Registered office and location

Year of establishment

Purpose of the trust

Name of the founder/s

Financial sources

Trustee's name and address

PAN

Project plan

TAN/GST no if available

No of members

Governing bodies:

Present president

Secretary

Trussurer

Organiser

Converner.....etc..

Latest resolutions if any

Major Achievements

Contribution to society/Education

Latest IT returns update

Communication of engagement (latest)

Associated with any other organisations...if any

Other than Education, if any services

Aadhar card of present president

Address for communication

Latest project updates

Awards/rewards

¶ Details of stakeholders

In education, the term stakeholder typically refers to anyone who is invested in the welfare and success of a school and its students, including administrators, teachers, staff members, students, parents, families, community members, local business leaders, and elected officials such as school board members, city councilors, and state representatives.

Stakeholders may also be collective entities such as:

• Local businesses

• Organizations

• Advocacy groups

• Committees

• Media outlets and

• Cultural institutions.

In addition to organizations that represent specific groups such as:

• TEACHER'S unions

• Parent-Teacher organizations and associations representing superintendents, principals, school boards

• Teachers in specific academic disciplines (e.g., the National Council of Teachers of English)

In a word, stakeholders have a “stake” in the school and its students, meaning that they have personal, professional, civic, or financial interest or concern.

¶ Types of Stakeholders

◼Customers

Stake: Product/service quality and value

◼Employees

Stake: Employment income and safety

◼Investors

Stake: Financial returns

◼Suppliers and Vendors

Stake: Revenues and safety

◼Communities

Stake: Health, safety, economic development

◼Governments

Stake: Taxes and GDP

🔹 Stakeholder vs Shareholder

This is an important distinction to make. A stakeholder is anyone who has any type of stake in a business, while a shareholder is someone who owns

shares (stock) in a business and thus has an equity interest.

¶ How are students, parents, teachers and government stakeholders of schools?

🔸What makes them stakeholders?

🔸What are their responsibilities as stakeholders?

🔹Students have the responsibility to work appropriately, to behave appropriately, to take full part in the school as an institution.

🔹Parents responsibilities lie in ensuring the student attends school, is appropriately dressed, has a healthy lifestyle so that he/she can learn, ensuring that the student does his/her homework, supporting school sanctions against the student in the case of misbehaviour, ensuring that the student receives medical/dental/optical treatment as necessary.

🔹Teachers' responsibilities are to prepare, plan, deliver and assess the curriculum in line with the requirements of the National Curriculum and the school, to ensure the safety of their students, to endeavour to promote their emotional security, to ensure that instances of abuse are reported to the appropriate member of staff, to deal with misbehaviour in ways which are within the school discipline policy, to work with colleagues to develop the school as an institution, to keep their own knowledge up-to-date, to liaise with parents and outside agencies as appropriate.

🔹Governments' responsibilities are to provide funding, to create an over-arching and under-pinning set of guidelines for all aspects of education (curriculum, health & safety, employment guidelines, standards of professional behaviour etc) and to monitor and report upon standards nationally via Ofsted.

¶ Point 4

Consultations and discussions held with school Teachers and eminents for the preparation of annual plan.

A range of data has been collected in relation to studentsachievement, attendance, behaviour and participation.

Thereview of this information identified strengths andopportunities for improvement within our school.

Thereview of this data is ongoing.From all of this information, three strategic directions were

identified upon which the 2019-2020 plan was structured.

These are:

4.1 Quality teaching and learning for the 21st Century

4.2 Engagement for life long learning

4.3 Community involvement

Each strategic planning should be prepared by three different teams or a single team headed by the head of the Institution.

4. 1. Quality teaching and learning for 21st century

Purpose

To ensure that teachers and support staff maintain high expectations and utiliseeffective practices to equip our students with the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will allow them to be confident communicators, critical and imaginative thinkers, lifelong learners and informed, active participants in Indian society.

Improvement Measures

• In each of the PLAN numeracy aspects, 100% of students will achieve at the expected level by the end their stage.

• All teachers will be effectively implementing the new syllabi, with emphasis on developing with students critical and imaginative thinking in English, understanding and fluency in Mathematics, creativity and competence in working scientifically and technologically in Science and Technology, and critical skills of inquiry in History and Geography.

Planning Team members:

• Teachers

• Head of the Institution

Monday, June 14, 2021

Mental conflict

Dr Sekar Seenivasan

Ministering.....

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Topic: What is mental conflict? Why educationists are concerned more about it? How it can be minimised.

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Education is that which reduces mental conflict and enhances self confidence.

Teachers and students are both involved in the process. Both should understand each other. Hence the discussion centered on both.

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¶ Participants: Ms. Leena Rai-UNV Leader, Mr. Nahid Raza, Mrs. Archna, Mrs. Sangeetha Tyagarajan, Mrs. Nikita Kothari, Dr. Balasubramanian, Pooma, Mrs. Phani, Mrs. Buvana

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• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: Mental conflict is real. In this pandemic everyone is under several conflicts.

There IS NO RIGHT ANSWER OR RIGHT WAY in many of these conflicts. Teachers are learning that all that they thought was right, could actually be wrong. For example all these years teachers forced science and math are the most important subjects. BUT, we have a generation lacking in humane values, decency, respect and commitment. So, mental conflict is real. Answers to these and managing them might differ from person to person, be it student, teacher or parent.

Education has created more entally conflict and stress in the last 2 decades than actually instill knowledge and values in students.

• Mrs. ArchanaUNV: Education can’t evoke conflict- it is the people managing the system they can. Parents, management, teachers - preparing students for competition and very few are genuinely concerned about the well being and holistic growth of the children. That results in mental conflict. Teacher and teacher competing. Teacher and management - insecurities, fears, worries

Student and teacher - concepts, sYllabus, other competitions

Parents and students - oh! Just so many conflicts. Gadgets, communication, comparisons, etc

And many more.

• Mrs. Nikitha Kothari:How true!

True education evokes wisdom !.

Wisdom brings balance in mental peace. If it is balanced, their won't be any conflict.

• Dr. Sekar srinivasan: When we fix the matrix of examination and job oriented or comparative competition it will not lead to real education.

As you have rightly pointed out some forty years back even schooling was not that much tough and examination and marks stress was little. So fearless learning with basic values were available.

But with the modern outreach all-round changes are inevitable. Hence the topic significance of today's discussion.

Most of us think schools or institutional academic programme are education. Right from birth one starts learning from environment and from nature. This goes till last moment. Rig veda says enlightment comes from absolute learning without differences. Gita insists on pariprsna i.e., inquisitive questioning. Western philosophers like Aristotle and even Milton or Shakespeare insists on learning without doubts by questioning.

In learning fine arts when mechanical rote learning has minimum scope and bhavartha realisation becomes essential the learner should eschiew his ignorance by reducing conflicts.

Students, Students-students,teachers, teachers-teachers,students vs teachers and teachers vs students. Actually this is psychological approach to learning. The main sequence inlearning is to know what is right and what is wrong. To decide in what direction to proceed in solving a problem. Whether to accept or not. This is leading to creativity and innovation

• Ms. LeenaUNV: Out of the discussion only let me say one thing and later I will be back onto the valid points of discussion. Well, I think this mental conflict is coined on the context of manipulation in the form of webinars to be conducted(only for those who are indulged in such practices) nowadays where these people have created such an hype over it

Even if there is mental conflict I know and I am agreed but due to pandemic this term is used to convert it into publicity and to show that we too are doing something anyhow

Where Sekar sir is right that education bring confidence and peace instead of mental conflict. To filter out the the strong,steady and confident individuals who can bring changes and work wonders later. Let there be an inch of mental conflict and let the inner clarity comes out let the roots of deep understanding be more deep and strong and let the mind to be explorer. How can we expect the same uniform thinking uniform ideas and uniformity in action otherwise the stagnation would be there so for progress that mental conflict is a part. Even if it's between me and me or between you and me or in between us but the creativity is going to be result or the best of the efforts will emerge then

Conflict is as real as living a life. Conflicts are bound to happen whenever we come across a situation/discussion/opinion which our subconscious mind hasn’t stored in the memory through the past experiences.. confusions, dilemmas and conflicts happen then.

People looking for opportunities to conduct webinar’s are doing so because we don’t pay much attention to mental health even now. Covid and lockdown especially for school and colleges have opened up pandora of unemployment, confusions and insecurity.

People who have done practice of controlling the thoughts and have awareness can deal with mental conflicts- some people can’t. Just simply can’t and that leads to more complications resulting into anxiety, stress and depression.

Hence resolving conflicts - the art and science of it should be taught/learned and practiced by us all so that we can balance our emotional and mental Health.

• Mrs. Archana UNV: Not denying mam. There are many untrained people using webinar’s as platform to SELL out fears because they don’t have competence and competencies.

What I described is genuineness of requirement for Mental Health awareness and solutions.

The need is there let us all concentrate on that- like award selling events these webinar’s will also die down their own slow death.

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Schooling was tougher earlier. Board results used to be between 30 to 40%. Failures were more whereas today it is easy to pass that too with high percentile.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Kindly don't mistake me for one example. Earlier in language learning you have to write in full a letter of the given topic.

But now you are only filling the blanks . That too out of seven choices you have to choose five and put them in order.

• Ms. LeenaUNV: Oh exploration in the subject is almost removed sir I am agreed. And where there is the need of mental conflict to come to the right answer or to express own views on certain topic is thus deleted. Without diversions we need more skimming of the topic with intrinsic and introgative analysis

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Earlier essential points were emphasized. Today everything has become essential. Hence confusion is too much.

Buvana: Absolutely right...what to do what not to do no clear picture in front of learners.

• Ms. Leena UNV: But subject experts at that time were subject experts now every other person with a degree calls himself or herself there subject master. I do remember when we were in the middle years of school our English teacher used to mark our articles with circles and correcting there and then with the right form of grammar. Imagine I still remember him rather we do remember our all subject teachers and especially those the language teachers all superb. More of the objective questions have increased the habit of non seriousness among students as students don't understand the concept but choose the best option out of 1-2-3 randomly

• Mrs. Phani: Parents role is very important to mould and nurture life values like compassion, truthfulness, humbleness, cooperation, family bondage and many more good virtues by simply making them 7nderstand the essence of Bhavathgeeta, where Sri krishna has given solution for all the problems that we create. Like 'What to do and what not to do no clear picture in front of learners' . We as educators have to completely orient our mind set of traditional inputs that we were giving to children.

• Pooma: When we hear the meaning of mental conflict, it is defined as ....Failure of adequate adjustment to the social environment is the cause of mental conflict.

One of the key funcrions of education is socialisation and its integration. Education and causes of mentak conflicts are no where connected directly. One could say how education serves in removing social conflicts, but not in mental conflict. The source of mental conflict is social setup and our coordination with it.

• Dr. Balasubramanian UNV: Our edcuation system and paretns should spend time and should teach thinking than conventional edcuation methodology and scoring marks. Even parents involve in forgery and sadly still seeing bribe amd donation for higher studies .

• Pooma: Again when we see the source of mental conflicts, they all are from family conflicts, relationship conflicts.....all are social roots. The best word which can replace mental conflict by internal conflict. Some solid reasons for internal conflict are...

• Lackness of faith, and its symptom is boasting self.

• Desires of flesh and its symptom is serving self..selfishness

• Unlawful deeds....symptoms are reatlessness

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: In the higher levels of self realisation also conflict arises with the quest for body mind budhi and Atma. Further the link between the creator, creation also this evolves as a major setback. When the doubter doubts his own self as maaya where will the essence of doubt go? So only the highest form of our religions talks about kasta mounam. The upadesha goes like this. " sollaru summairu " speak not and be inert.

The ultimate Anandalahari can be realised only without conflicts

• Pooma: Hear to know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ Breaking these certainly leads to inner conflicts.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Educational psychological process also tells about the triangular relationship between experience, behaviour and mental processes. Emotions and thinking evolves out of conflicts

• Pooma: Nothing can cause for the conflict and nothing can minimize it...neither education nor knowledge or wisdom.

It is we, self, already programmed within what is right and wrong. What is good and what us not....

In order to discriminate right things from wrong, Is education required? Wisdom required?..

Some more points please:

We are not limited, believing that we are limited is what causes suffering from internal conflicts.

The highest, most important knowledge is self-knowledge, because it is the only permanent knowledge.

If a person does not seek this permanence, then of what value is intellectual knowledge. If this knowledge does not provide a lasting experience, what good is it? This is another cause for conflict.

Working for rewards results in an inferior form of work than does working to help, a more perfect attitude.

So even if we do good work but expect some reward in return, that work becomes inferior owing to our lesser intent.

The latent curriculum for attaining internal conflict.

¶ How to minimise internal conflict?

Solution:

One wonderful idea is, ‘do your best’ to do good. That is all a person needs to do. Success is in God’s hands — so just try your best, but do not try to make something happen. Otherwise, the ego gets in the way and proclaims itself; The Doer.

The value of doing your best, or stated another way, act out of love, removes fear and guilt of failure from the picture.

It freeds you from all conflicts and help us to rest in peace in here and here after.

• Dr. Balasubramanian UNV: Past - present - future. And past cannot be changed and future cannot expect what to drive, So do maximum workout today, if you repeat same like yesterday and perhaps tomoor is too like today , today repeats for conventional , since they keep on repeat past and today same like yesterday and tomoor mow won’t have a changes. So certainly do maximum effort in each and every minute given to us, Change today so easily tomoor shall change.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Social capital

SOCIAL CAPITAL IN SCHOOLS

Group discussion.

Platform: The National UN Volunteers

Moderator: Mrs. Sima J Singh

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• Pooma: There is something in life called "Social Capital."

The people you know; the people who know you and how they know you.

• Mr. Nahid Raza: First we need to form ourselves as capital, establish it and serve it.

• Mrs. Sima Singh: Relationships with our students and parents in school .

Pooma: Quite unfortunately, people think or behave like social capital is only needed on weddings, family or social gatherings and burials....

That is why you see someone will not have contacted you in ten years but out of the blue they are sending you a message, "Hello so and so, long time. I was unable to connect

you....etc....behind that there must be a purpose to connect you or to get from a support at their need now.

• Mrs. Sima Singh: Need to engage students and parents in unstructured cocurricular activities

• Pooma: Social capital is not built overnight; it is reciprocal and does not need money (especially in this virtually connected world) to build.

It just needs being sensitive that people have emotions and that you can't sneak into their lives only when you need help.

• Mrs. Sima Singh: Social media is a powerful tool in connecting ...if used constructively

• Pooma: Social capital is massively important and when built and used correctly, it can make a very big difference to one's quality of life.

It can save you money, make you money, get you a better job, make things easier and safer, it can save you from prison, or save your life: it can save you time and effort, and make life more enjoyable and productive.

• Pooma: As we progress through the year, please learn to connect with people in your circles.

Check on people, send someone a birthday message, check their timelines and comment something positive and inspirational.

Pick your phone and call someone, or text them.

It could be your relative, your colleague, your former schoolmate, a former or current boss, your CEO, your parents etc.

Creating a connection with people is important for building your social capital.

And even if they don't respond, at least keep in touch and don't just reach out when you are in need.

Most importantly, respect everyone no matter their status in life and be there when others need you.

Be a solution, an encouragement and inspiration.

Avoid being a leech, a user or nagger. Just be a nice person who in a calculated way stays in touch with people and brings joy, encouragement and hope.

The most important asset you have in life is not your job, money or title; its people.

Your network is your networth!

Have you seen some of our used to fail to pick up calls or avoid responding calls made by us.

In true sense, they are missing massively their calls and not other calls. Because the call is made for them and it does belong to them. This way they miss their capital. Similar is in our schools, classrooms........

Let's see to it one by one.

Will be interesting...please

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Social capital formation must be attached with vision and mission of school. The question arises here is HOW.

• Pooma: Social capital in schools

1. Types of capital in schools:

In schools, there are three clear types of capital.

• The first is physical capital and this is what you can see and touch. It comprises the buildings, the books and all the equipment and materials needed to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum.

The quality of the physical capital of a school is evident when we are shown the gym, the laboratories and the library.

• The knowledge and skills of the teaching and administrative staff comprises the human capital.

You can’t see this directly but you certainly know its there!

It is the central focus for appointing new staff. How much do they know and how well can they deliver?

• But You can’t see social capital directly either but it is as important as the other two in the development of a high quality learning environment.

Social capital is a valuable resource that would develop when individuals connected to others in meaningful ways.

When this invisible social capital is lost in a society, it cannot provide the environment and education necessary to bring out the best in any individual.

So the corner stone of any functions that involves human relationships is the social capital.

• Dr. M Ramachandran: Dear All, greetings and best wishes. School infrastructure is the hardware but its software components are quality of life at schools not only for pupils but even for teachers and non teachers. Best industrial relations is another factor. The value systems, vision and mission statements and its implementation in day to day life etc are some of the other factors. The satisfaction drawn by all stakeholders of the school system is another aspect. Finally, everything depends on the happiness curriculum. All Delhi schools in India has introduced happiness curriculum as a non- examinable discipline.

If children are happy, rest of the stakeholders are happy which will ultimately lead towards a happy society.

• Pooma: Therefore, A simple definition of social capital in schools is the relational quality between all stakeholders.

It is what happens between teachers and students, between peer groups in both the classroom and staffroom, in the interactions between executive and staff and communications between the school and the family.

Most experienced teachers know exactly what does we mean about toxic environment of this kimd and how it makes people feel.

It is illustrated by colleagues bad-mouthing each other, favouritism and cliques, bullying behaviours going unchecked, jumping to negative conclusions about intentions, lack of acknowledgement of effort, domination by the loudest voices and public put-downs....etc.... So Social capital is, in a nutshell, the opposite of a toxic environment, the environment which breaks the bond of human relationships.

Where social capital is high the atmosphere is positive as it generates good feelings about the self and others, it promotes motivation and commitment; collaboration flourishes and mutually agreed goals are more likely to be attained.

Feeling good nature is nurtured if social capital is attained.

Being a school leader, how do you raise social capital in your school?

• Social capital requires high levels of emotional literacy and this again needs to start with school leaders - those who walk the talk by showing they can stay calm in a crisis.

• keep a sense of perspective - and a sense of humour - are good listeners and collaborators and explore issues before making judgments and decisions.

• Being able to admit mistakes gives permission to both teachers and students to do the same - and this opens doors to learning - something not. Another aspect of it is,

Social capital gives everyone a voice - facilitating authentic consultation on issues that affect everyone in rge organization/society...

Conflict is inevitable when people have different perspectives but how this is handled is critical.

Both young people and staff in schools need to know how to be appropriately assertive and maintain a respectful approach when faced with challenges.

• Ms. Leena Rai: Social capital is itself to be earned yes first by the leader of the school the so called principal.

How that individual presents himself or herself counts a lot in the society of the school to which every single individual is linked the student the parent the staff the administration the outer world clients or the outsources.

It is actually a trick to create that persona for everyone as feel good factor with your presence and always ready to be the solution provider and to be the part of problems with their rightful actions till the satisfaction

• Pooma: Social capital cannot be visualised as if changes in physical structures or changes in computer programmings.....

It is there in the expressions on people’s faces, in the way they talk to each other, in the sounds of laughter and the willingness to be flexible.

It is not so much in the policy documents but in the acknowledgements, the sharing and the celebration.

• Ms. Leena Rai: The team leader is to be the leader and not the boss but a person who exemplifies as a mediator to let the toxins be released out of the campus without affecting the basic threads of strength and quality and personifies himself or herself as the biggest example

• Mr. Nahid Raza: It is soft skill. It connects people. It generates social web. It emanates empathy, servitude. It develops cooperation. It turns staff into team. It pens purpose of togetherness.

• Pooma: Why do we need social capital in schools?

Is a happy school environment or school with rich social capital improve standard of the school?

If you feel to say Yes, you are wrong please. The reason why is.....

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Because we are social being. We live in society. We need each other. It provides happiness. It minimizes sadness. It provides energy.

• Mrs.Buvana: EQ ,KQ more important than IQ for social capital.....other point of view more important and listen first as a leader

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Listening is respecting. Responding is winning.

• Mrs. Buvana: After listening than response

• Mr. Nahid Raza: We work in team 50% more today than we did 5 decades ago.

• Mrs. Buvana: Taking credit along with team is a social capital.... accepting their mistake as yours......to build their confident. Ignoring mistakes also

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Social capital is the base line benchmark for the progressive institution. It literally combines the ethical values bonding the stakeholders of the institution. In a way not only the parents/teachers and the society, but also the contributions of alumini takes remarkable role in this. To strengthen these alumini act like brand ambassadors. We consider IIMs IITs and IISC as top ranking institutions since their social capital expansion is universal. These observations are more valuable in the days of changing structure where interaction of school administration from principal to highest level.

• Pooma: Need of social capital in schools:

Social capital in schools support to have all other capitals as said earlier posts.

Social capital creates physical capital, financial capital, resource capital, good administration, peaceful environment......

Therefore, we can conclude that "Strong relationships between teachers, parents and students at schools has more impact on improving student learning than does financial support, new research shows."

Social capital is the root cause of successful business in schools.

Failure of school is not due to crisis in administration, finance, employees or employers. It is due to the crisis in social capital. It brings all capitals in the schools.

Your network is net worth. Social capital is the name scientists give to the network of relationships between school officials, teachers, parents and the community that builds trust and norms promoting academic achievement. When we talk about why some schools perform better than others, differences in the amount of money they have to spend is often assumed to be an explanation. But this is not true.

Of course, we found that money is certainly important. But this study also shows that social capital deserves a larger role in our thinking about cost-effective ways to support students, especially the most vulnerable.

Research results showed that on average schools that spent more money did have better test scores than those that spent less.

But the effect of social capital was three times larger than financial capital. The study also found that the money spent on student learning was not associated with levels of social capital in schools.

That means schools can't "buy" social capital just by spending more money. Social relationships require a different kind of investment.

Now, let's think about how to generate social capital in schools?

• One point is for schools to generate social capital is to do more to help teachers work together.

• Research shows that the more teachers collaborate, the more they work together on instructional improvement, the higher the test scores of their students.

That's because collaborative work builds social capital that provides students with access to valuable support.

• Building connections to the community is important, too.

School-based mentoring programs that connect children to adults in the community is one idea.

• Sustained interactions over time focused on children's learning and effective teaching practice are the best way for people to build trust and build networks that are at the heart of social capital.

Ameen. Thanks for reading and helping us to get to know about a thing which is lesser known to us with some sort of solutions.

• Mrs. Sunita Yadav: Yes, because we get to interact, share our opinions, and learn as well from others too.

• Mrs. Buvana: It relates to social relationships and social structures. It involves people knowing each other and having positive relationships based on trust, respect, kindness, and reciprocity. Above all life skills to be taught....

• Pooma: The creation of sound school-family-community partnerships is being widely acknowledged as it strengthens school programs, family practices, student learning and behavior, as well as development.

Active participation of parents and communities in the school tends to reduce the traditional unidirectional accountability of teachers as a sole party responsible for learners’ success.

Furthermore, such collaboration is said to cultivate new hope about schools and education, especially among rural communities.

However, key stakeholders in education claimed that school-family-community partnerships were weak in primary schools in Indian school sectors.

The alternative way of making all other capitals is making a good social capital first which we failed to know.

How much emphasis is being given in best ways to score, marks in digits, we failed to score in digital networking to generate social capital.

Social networks are a valuable, invisible and floating asset, as interaction enables people to build communities, commit themselves to each other, and knit the social fabric in our society.

• Mrs. Nazima Somani: Good afternoon sima ma'am,

A wonderful topic indeed to ponder over.. let's talk in simple language we will be talking about our good will in the school. Not only we as the stakeholders as in teachers, principals and other management groups, we need to see what role does the society in general and family plays in building this social capital..

This is what we can say it takes ages to develop this Goodwill in the field of education..a trust that needs to be developed..

Now my question is . Is our Indian Education System trustworthy of producing youth who is going to improve the quality of people and the economy as whole??

• Mrs. Aruna singh: Social capital as we are talking about is a virtue to be found everywhere and all the levels.

Let me speak about school ecosystems!

The biggest leveller is how are the students treated, how are they taught and how much of love, patience we show, how much of fun and values are there in the space a child is in. It’s not only the teachers but all the people in the school may be ayah, cleaners or any other person have to demonstrate the same value systems.

The most frequent interaction for children are the teachers, knowledge, patience, resilience and genuine care will make the environment a wonderful experience.

When these values are enforced everyday in a continuous manner the children learn the same and they have no other options. That is the reason when a child is with the school for 14 years they have learnt, imbibed , practiced social capital and which reflects in their personality, mindset and confidence.

• Mrs. Nikitha Kothari: With experience, I can say that when teachers are motivated to inspire students.. and there is connect.. a proper follow up.. assessment.. evaluation.. doubt clearing session..a helping hand for special students.. etc .. this can be few points incorporated .

• Mrs. Sima Singh: The onus of responsibility kied on the teachers who have to connect and build on this resource ..a school is known by the faculty. .for the faculty ..so in a way management has to be ensure there is no compromise oon faculty.

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

What does meant for culture of the school?

The National UN Volunteers Group discussion.

Moderator. Mrs. Sangeeta Thyagarajan

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What does meant for culture of the school?

• Some inputs:

1. Shared goals—“we know where we’re going”

2. Responsibility for success—“we must succeed”

3. Collegiality—“we’re working on this together”

4. Continuous improvement—“we can get better”

5. Lifelong learning—“learning is for everyone”

6. Risk taking—“we learn by trying something new”

7. Support—“there’s always someone there to help”

8. Mutual respect—“everyone has something to offer”

9. Openness—“we can discuss our differences”

10. Celebration and humour—“we feel good about ourselves”

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• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: Culture of the school set the norms, beliefs and practices on which a school run. The school culture motivates and show the true nature and the set priorities on which a school functions

• Dr Parvathi: And these cultures are commonly built keeping nationality feeling in mind

• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: Yes ....According to the th need of the society the culture of the school sets. Culture is reflection of said and unsaid statements and need of society

• Dr Parvathi: In short the child spends his life's most valuable time in learning once he is entering into a pace of learning which is later on going to makes lots of changes and is going to shape his life so it becomes the duty of school to give him what he or she requires equally.

• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: School prepares the future citizens .so the school environment should be carefully planned b

• Dr Parvathi: There is saying that every small thing gives you something before leaving this world like silkworm so I think every student also gives something very precious to this world before leaving this world or his school.

• Mrs. Ishrat Tabassum: The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students.

• Dr Parvathi: I think the first and foremost duty of the school is to set their goals,objectives and make curriculum taking into concern national development ,social welfare with students development and welfare. Because students are future of this country who has to play very important and vital role in the development of country so school should keep aside their selfish interests as now a day education has become more a source of learning then knowledge.so school should look forward towards every student as their own children and do their best for their growth and development. Students are branches and leaves of a tree and school is a tree. If students achieve success that success ultimately reflects that school from which he or she has gained knowledge or of which he or she is a part of. When two or three river water merge together the sea becomes large same manner when students achieve success it makes the school's name as bigger as the sea .

• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: The goals set by the school management and teachers, as individuals and as a group, must first and foremost coincidence with the needs of the society. Schools should remember that imparting knowledge and building the literacy rate as not the only primary functions. Giving the society a future generation of responsible, worthy individuals who would take mankind forward in the right direction SHOULD be a the goal of every school. Students should enter into adulthood with splendid IQ, EQ and SRQ for a better tomorrow.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should make all stakeholders to realise the nobility and universal human values at any point prioritising equality. Culture of the school should be the embodiment of all sources of learning not only academics but all art forms. Culture of the school with diginity should provide scope of learning cultural heritage of the nation and at large that of our planet earth . Unity in diversity should be taught in the real spirit and zeal. Culture of the school should immensely bring out the character of respecting others of different philosophy and stress diginity of labour. Culture of the school should delebrately provide ethics of service to other beings and preserve natural resources

• Mr. M Mohammad NASEERUDDIN: Culture of the school must be on Human Values. At Present we are in need of great personality like Abdul Kalam Sirji, who can take Our India to the top of the world.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should provide tolerance as the prime value and committed involvement in all spheres of activities thinking that it is nation building exercise. Culture of the school should develop confidence in the young minds that it is the means that justifies the end .

• Dr Parvathi: Culture of the school is to make them understand what their duties are towards society and towards nation as a whole.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school school should inculcate perseverance and caring and sharing

• Dr Parvathi: Culture of school is to make students understand and differentiate between right and wrong.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should make each one stand in their own legs.

• Dr Parvathi: Culture of school is to promote a feeling of vasudaiv kutumbakam among students

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should also make every aspiring students to know about their self and to respect the benovalance of the creator.

• Mrs. Farhana Khan: Students, parents, teachers, administrators, and other staff members all contribute to their school’s culture, as do other influences such as the community in which the school is located, the policies that govern how it operates, or the principles upon which the school was founded.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Culture of the school should be making all to respect parents teachers and elders and all.

• Mrs. Jemi: Creating a culture of learning in the classroom can require some work upfront, but once that environment is established, teachers will see joy and success from their students.

• Dr.parvathi: I think sir first and foremost requirement of culture of school is to be cultured first then only they can inculcate that feeling among others. Now a days its missing. Dont you think so. It's all in the books only not in practice

• Mrs. Farhana Khan: Planning a bridge program for new students and staff. Administrators should start by introducing a school’s newcomers to the institution’s ethos and expectations as soon as possible. This allows them to make an easy transition and fit in with the school culture.

• Mr. Nahid Raza: The culture of the school must be centred on human, humanity and human relation. It is indeed happening too. We are more well knit. We work in groups. We form teams. We need others. In future too, we shall be more social. School must have culture of learning. Learning to respect others, listening effectively and responding affectionately.

• Mr. M Mohammad NASEERUDDIN: Excellent all your opinions are exactly true. We must take it forward as our own responsibility .Jai Hind

• Mrs. Jemi: Yes. Very true.

Environment counts for a lot when it comes to learning. It can influence motivation, concentration, memory, and attitude. We want our classrooms to be places students look forward to coming to each day, places that feel welcoming, safe, nurturing, and fun. When students feel positive about their environment, they’ll also feel more positive about what they’re doing in that environment and be more willing to engage with you, the material, and each other. Keep things light and show you care, emphasize high expectations, let your own passion for the material shine through. Hold meaningful class discussions that go beyond the standard lecture. As William Butler Yeats once said, “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” Create surveys at the beginning of the school year to get to know your students better and gauge how to offer more personalized instruction. Determine their likes and dislikes with regard to subject matter, learning style, and pace. Throughout the year, check in at least once a month with students to show you care. You don’t have to ask them “How am I doing as a teacher?” but rather “Is what I’m doing working for you?” or even “Are you enjoying learning?” The point is to show you’re genuinely invested in their learning..

• Mr. Nahid Raza: The purpose of edu is service. The objective is to support the inculcation of service. The aim is tranquility. When we go to school with purpose, we turn taller, better and happier.

• Mrs. Jemi: Try to connect learning with the real world as often as possible. Don’t wait for students to ask, or to drift off onto another mental plane. Offer up the connection right away, and emphasize it regularly, to keep learning relevant. While the quadratic formula itself may or may not come in handy, you can talk about how hot the engineering field is at the moment, and that engineers use advanced math all the time to build robots, launch rockets, develop cities, create advanced maps, and more.

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Service is gift to humanity.

• Mrs. Jemi: Too often we teach theory without grounding it in practice. Help students get excited about what they’re learning by giving it a sense of urgency or personal relevance, or at least by showing how it’s used by others in the real world.

Choose a new quote each day to display as students file into class. It can be a quote that prepares students for the lesson ahead or has its own lasting value. It can be an excerpt from a book, a speech, a film, or any other source of your choosing.

• Mr. Nahid Raza: It comprises abundance in itself. Knowledge emanates from perception. Perception is created with intention. When we intend to serve, it gives light of every form.

• Mrs. Jemi: Add rigor to move first to the Complier quadrant, then activate intrinsic motivation to move to the right to the Scholar quadrant. Balance increased rigor with activated intrinsic motivation to move diagonally straight to the Scholar quadrant. Activate intrinsic motivation to move from the Resigner quadrant to the Hobbyist quadrant, and then add rigor to move to the scholar quadrant. Positive, productive learning environments are key to students' academic, emotional and social success in school. Unfortuntely, positive learning environments don't just happen on their own–they must be created. There are many components that go into making a positive learning environment for students. For starters, positive learning environments should offer a climate of safety, where risk-taking is encouraged, there is open authentic conversation, trust and respect are fostered, and positive interaction is the norm. We should teach all students how to synthesize cultural differences

• Mr. Nahid Raza: It is the objective of assembly of children in school.

• Mrs. Jemi: we should culturally responsive curriculum helps students from a minority ethnic/racial background develop a sense of identity as individuals, as well as proudly identify with their particular culture group. Teachers can play a big role in helping these students succeed through the establishment of culturally responsive classrooms.Express interest in the ethnic background of your students. Educators must redirect their roles in the classroom from instructor to facilitator. Maintain a strict level of sensitivity to language concerns. Maintain high expectations for student performance. Incorporate methods for self-testing. A multicultural society is best served by a culturally responsive curriculum. We Educators must understand that schools that acknowledge the diversity of their student population understand the importance of promoting cultural awareness. When we interact in cross cultural situations, Cultural awareness helps us and increases the chance of us making more insightful, considered decisions.

• Mr. Nahid Raza: Culture of sports could lead to happy children. Discipline may also be in play. Sports help better understanding, mutual respect, negotiation, robust atmosphere and above all 20% better academics. Sportspersons motivate for excellence. We develop we feeling. We imbibe good citizenship. We have broader horizon.

• Mrs. Jemi: Yes. Very true..Children who are members of a sports club and exercise regularly are happier, healthier and are better able to get along with other children than children who exercise little or not at all. It does not matter which sport the child plays and whether this is an individual or a team sport. This insight leads to the recommendation that children should be encouraged to choose a sport that they enjoy so that they will practice it regularly. I have experienced this personally in my life. While my children were young, I admitted them in sports school. I was able to a blessed cultural bonding amidst the children. Children from various backgrounds and different culture studied together, They respected each other more, accepted more, there were no differences at all. My children along with their peers focused on participation in sports club activities, which is the dominant form of children’s sports participation in school. Their relationship of sports participation with psychosocial health or health-related quality of life has been evidenced in what they are today. .”

• Mr. S. C. Vohra: Good point. It’d be even better if the same quote is explained too in detail in the morning assembly by the head of the institution or by the teachers taking the first lesson. Many times a very good quote fails to have the desired impact as it goes unnoticed or uninterpreted simply because the students start taking it for granted as an unnecessary piece of furniture. Visitors definitely pay serious attention to it.

• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: We as Indians realize the importance of cultural and social unification amongst children. Thus, Art Intergration into cbse curriculum happened. Further, sports and physical activities are being given prime importance in NEP now, though sports has been a part at cbse curriculum forever.

So, why the sudden interest? Well, the ingress of JEE and NEET into mainstream has pushed sports, arts and culture into the back burner of every parent's mind. Children above 12 years are encouraged to discontinue sports for academic activities. Hence, the parent's need to be educated on the importance of sports before children can imbibe the values from a young age. Contradictory opinions confuse a child. Stress and teen anger against society prevails in the 12-17 age group by large. Parents need to be educated

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Your observations are valid. Only in the last two decades most of the schools had turned into coaching centers like mark producing end oriented industries. Before that 99.9./. Of institutions were run by educationists with the support of philanthropists. When political merchants entered system gone to stakes. However principals and teachers are preserving. I am sure with NEP we will regain values

• Mrs. Sangeetha Thyagarajan: Yes, so true.

Definitely looking forward to have ethical teaching methods back in practice rather then working children like mark producing machines to up school's popularity.

• Mrs. Ishrat Tabassum: MASHAALLAH The term school culture generally refers to the beliefs, perceptions, relationships, attitudes, and written and unwritten rules that shape and influence every aspect of how a school functions, but the term also encompasses more concrete issues such as the physical and emotional safety of students. The school and classroom rules should be clear and simple to all students so that it can be easily followed and be well-regulated. In school the students/ children are learning more than just secular instructions and they're also developing social skills and this helps them in learning how to be successful. Developing essential social skills are preparing them on the deeper level of their future. Ask teachers to Involve them in the activities on social emotional learning so that it helps them to develop qualities in them such as ..respecting teachers, elders, peers and having sympathy, empathy towards others, concern for others. As Teachers or parents we should be a Good role model for them because they admire us they Imitate us they learn from us. The Teacher's should adapt the qualities in them like to be kind, patient and polite in their nature and behaving good with the students, being friendly with them, by being a good listener, by understanding child 's mentality and also to have love and respect for students ( Children by nature are too sensitive and emotional) Teachers should also Appreciate and motivate, support the students effort and work by praising, giving rewards and Keeping on Complimenting students which helps them feel that they are getting cared Individually. When talking to teachers encourage them to try new methods of teaching and you can also discuss about following new techniques, teaching children in practical way and some times teaching in traditional way too helps children in understanding and these kind of teaching should get Implemented in the schools. Actually these kind of meeting will help the whole teaching staff to brainstorm and implement new ideas and bringing teachers into process of building new culture.

The very Important thing is involving parents in school activities and building a healthy relationship in a meaningful way also foster feeling between the school and the parents. By Implementing Developing educational programs for parents can also help involve them in their children’s schooling and can also build a more positive atmosphere in the school INSHAALLAH

• Azeez: School culture, school climate or campus culture......these are common terms widely accepted and exhibited by the people in a unit of a society. Let it be a family, community, organization, groups......

Generally it can be defined as a collective effort of a team works for the development of an individuals.

Here as we link this culture in a school, we can define it in school limits. It begins with connections — strong and overlapping interactions among all members of the school community. The ideals of a school is infused in its components first then works together to achieve it through collective efforts of these components in individuals which benefits the society. These ideals remain unchanged as the generation go by. As an example, we could see people saying as I'm the product of this school that school, this university, this family, this region, this community.....

We could see in them a royal behavior, appearance and personality....Products from such a climates never go unhatched.

• Dr Sekar Seenivasan: To strengthen your points I had seen many students will say I am the student of a particular teacher of the school. Even as a professor at Yarword, I had heared him quoting by name his school teacher who was responsible for ethical and cultural values.

• Azeez: Culture here based on two greater things. By knowing these facts, we can built up a good culture in our school.

One question comes here in our minds that this term could be used as environment. We say big No. Environment is different from climate. Environment changes, not the climate. Weather changes not the environment.....

Now the two things are on:

1. Connections

2. Core beliefs and behaviors.

The above are the building blocks of a culture and culture lies in these two foundations as

1. Culture in connection

2. Culture in beliefs and behaviors.

Now let us look into how it works.

1. Culture in connection:

Culture of a school campus culture depends strongly on how two individuals interact with each other. If this interaction is based on the beliefs and ideologies of the system, then we can say the culture is strong and beneficial to the society through the products of the climate. If it is not, the culture is weak and result is reversed. Therefore every new entries to the campus is taught those ideologies first then infused into the dependents.

• Mrs. Sweta Srivastava: Sure... School culture truly shape up an individual character.. Children carries that character in them. Culture is basically the way of life ...which a child learn knowingly or unknowingly in his school environment

• Azeez: Therefore in a school culture specially, this connection is important:

• Beliefs, values, and actions will spread the farthest and be tightly reinforced when everyone is communicating with everyone else.

In a strong school culture, leaders communicate directly with teachers, administrators, counselors, and families, who also all communicate directly with each other.

• A culture is weaker when communications are limited and there are fewer connections.

For example, if certain teachers never hear directly from their principal, an administrator is continually excluded from communications, or any groups of staff members are operating in isolation from others, it will be difficult for messages about shared beliefs and commitments to spread.

This is possible only when the promotors are strong in school campus climate first.

As an example, the products of Doon Public School, there are many, but here we take one example as Mr Kamalnath, then Union cabinet minister used to wear his school coller tie to address very important gatherings to show off that I m the product of so and so so school.

So many beaurocrats are from the above said school because of its culture. This culture is due to connection.

2. Culture in beliefs and behaviors:

Culture is shaped by five interwoven elements, each of which principals have the power to influence:

• Fundamental beliefs and assumptions, or the things that people at your school consider to be true.

For example: “All students have the potential to succeed,” or “Teaching is a team spirit.

• Shared values, or the judgments people at your school make about those belief and assumptions.

• Norms, or how members believe they should act and behave, or what they think is expected of them.

• Patterns and behaviors, or the way people actually act and behave in your school.

• Tangible evidence, or the physical, visual, auditory, or other sensory signs that demonstrate the behaviors of the people in your school.

In simple form we could say all are focused on beliefs and behaviors of the school include heads, teachers, students, parents and community associated with the school.

They echo the same by words and behaviors in the society.

Each of these components influences and drives the others, forming a circle of reinforcing beliefs and actions, strong connections among every member of the school community reinforce the circle at every point.

• Mrs. Jemi: Scientific knowledge is tentative and revisable; yet in science education, expectations of what ideas are worthy of consideration are relatively fixed. Culture settings expectations of ideas are “scientific.

• Azeez: Some Steps to create a good school culture:

1. Look in the mirror.

The leader is the main role model for an organization.

Everything a leader does — her statements and philosophy, reactions to key events, energy and interaction style — influences culture in a powerful way.

If you want a collaborative staff, ask colleagues for advice early and often.

2. Select staff wisely.

The teachers and administrators you hire will enter your school with their own beliefs about education and expectations about what it will be like to work at your school.

3. Broadcast your vision.

Every formal communication you have with your community should reflect and reinforce the culture.

In every memo to staff, letter to parents, or address to students, make sure to:

• highlight the future and what your school has the potential to achieve;

• use data and facts to reduce ambiguity about your vision;

• appeal to people’s emotions, values, and the deeper needs that motivate them;

• stay positive, grateful, and idealistic, which is an important counterweight to any negative messages students or staff might receive;

• use collective statements (“we are,” “we will”) to increase a feeling of belonging and collective identity.

4. Train and teach what you’d like to see.

• Create formal trainings and space for honest conversation about the attitudes, norms, and practices that are core to being a member of your school community.

• Use those trainings and other professional development to model the beliefs and behaviors you desire.

• Offer rewards (praise, written notes, community celebrations) for students and staff when they demonstrate those behaviors.

• Mrs. Jemi: Strategies to Improve School Culture:

Strategy1: Establish unobtrusive procedures for actual and perceived security.

Strategy 2: Create a genial climate with prosocial activities.

Strategy 3: Make “every student, every day” the attendance norm.

Strategy 4: Implement a comprehensive Behavior Management system.

Strategy 5: Build Relationships.

• Azeez: 5. Reach the unreachable:

There are untouched areas, unnoticed achievements, unsung heroes...in every walks of our life.

Reach to learn from them to create a new culture of your school.

Change you vision, redefine the defined, and restructure the social networks that works beyond our expectations.

• Mr. Alok Mohanty: Perceptive observations. School means a space for leisure. In a sense a space of freedom to explore, engage with things that is dear to one at a point of time, thinking & doing things and above all getting or remaining liberated in the process. Modern day school culture is not about liberation it is about learning and earning as learning has earning inherent in it. Most of the time school acts as a conditioning agent, mass producing Maculaputras. Aren't the school space a big commercial bazar space for transaction of money in the name of Saraswati (Knowledge). So schools are factories producing products who should be valuable to the big machine called society. A cog in the big machine. Can it be possible to keep the flame ( The Child) alive in this culture? Just some critical thinking.

Everything a leader does — her/ his statements and philosophy, reactions to key events, energy, and interaction style — influences culture in a powerful way.

• Mrs. Jemi: A school’s culture develops over years, growing from the shared experiences, beliefs and traditions of everyone within the school community. A culture may be positive, nurturing a sense of belonging, encouraging teamwork and celebrating individual and group successes to create an inclusive and trusting place where children learn and thrive..

A positive culture cultivates a safe environment with everyone in the community looking out for each other.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, a negative school culture foments hostility and suspicion. This threatening environment forces members of the school community to focus on self-preservation to the detriment of safety, learning and growth.

• Azeez: Let us conclude with:

Questions Every School Leader Can Ask:

• As a leader, ask yourself: What fundamental beliefs do you want community members to hold about the work they do?

• As a leader, ask yourself: What do you want community members to value as being right or wrong, good or bad, just or unjust about the work they do?

• As a leader, ask yourself: What expectation should everyone have about the appropriate or desirable way of operating; what agreed upon rules should guide behavior?

• As a leader, ask yourself: What actions and attitudes do you expect to consistently observe?

• As a leader, ask yourself: What will be the tangible evidence of beliefs, assumptions, values, norms, and behaviors?

Dear leaders you learn to lead, lead to excel. Powerful.

The National UN Volunteers

Thursday, August 11, 2022

Topic: Instill civility in children

Thursday, August 26, 2021

The Annual pedagogical plan

Monday, June 14, 2021

Mental conflict

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Social capital

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

What does meant for culture of the school?

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