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Points to Remember During Exam Time

Posted on by VIBGYOR Group of Schools

Are you stressed due to your upcoming exams? Don’t be! Let us look at how we can help you lessen your stress and make the entire examination process smooth.

Remember the following points and we are sure you won’t be tensed during the exams.

Remember 3 C’s: Calm, Concentrate and connect

Most of the students panic during exam time. They prepare for the whole year for these days and finally when the exam days approach, they develop the fear of exams. Remember to remain calm, concentrate on your studies and stay well connected with the subjects you find difficult.

Proper planning of the syllabus:

It is a must to plan your day with certain target of completion of studies .This will set a timeline for you and will help you complete the portion on time.

Make sure there is enough time for revision before the exams and avoid reading any new topics at the last minute.

Healthy food:

Eat healthy and homemade food. It’s very important to remain fit and fine for the preparation of the exams so avoid outside food and eat lot of vegetables and fruits for healthy mind and body. Keep water bottle near you while studying as drinking water at regular intervals will keep fatigue at bay.

Avoid unnecessary discussions with the friends:

Discuss with your friends only if they can solve your subject related problems, avoid discussing how much portion they have covered. If your friends are lacking in the completion of their portion, then psychologically you will relax thinking you are ahead of them and if they are ahead then this could be the reason for you to panic and lose concentration.

Meditation and Yoga:

We understand it’s difficult to devote time for exercises during exam time but mediation for few minutes will help improve your concentration and breathing exercise will reduce fatigue.

Avoid electronic gadgets:

Never keep your mobile phones near you while studying as this diverts your attention. Choose place where there will be no distraction like T.V, music, etc…

Leisure time for rejuvenation:

Spare some time to have fun and enjoy some leisure time at regular intervals, which will help you rejuvenate and you can get back to studies with full spirit.

Trust yourself:

Be confident and self-motivator. Exams are not the end of the world but they are a part of the school/college life and education system.  Life is full of opportunities so enjoy every phase of the life.

 

Ms. Sheetal Varma,
Principal, VIBGYOR Rise – Chinchwad (Pune)

How to Talk to Children so that they Listen

Posted on by Kavita Sahay

We are well into the New Year 2019 now. As parents and educators, one of our New Year resolutions should be about spending more time talking to children…especially the school going ones – how to talk to them so that they listen, is what worries us most. This would surely be an intriguing topic for some of us, a non topic for others, but it is nonetheless an important one.

The 21st Century has thrown up many challenges, not the least of them being the problem of face to face communication. With the advent of newer means of technology at our disposal and the proliferation of hand held and portable devices for communication on the rampant increase, personal conversations have become rare occurrences with people resorting to con calls, audio and video chats, SMS and Whatsapp messages as well as connectivity on other social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Even official discussions, meetings, seminars and conferences are now being conducted over Skype and Zoom and other such mediums. Hangouts is one of the ways in which the younger generation actually hangs out! In such a scenario, how do parents and teachers connect with children who are more comfortable with online and virtual conversations than the ones in real life? No wonder some of us may feel a sense of disconnect with our children when in their physical company.

The answer does not lie in resorting to messaging or video calling our children and learners but in using the following simple tips to connect with the children who mean the most to us.

When talking to children we should:

  1. Smile and greet our children when we meet them at any time of the day. A smile is a great way to connect and radiate warmth that envelops and cheers up the children. When we say ‘Hello’, or ‘Good Morning’, we will get a reply which can then lead on to the next step as the connection is established. Maybe we can even have our own special ways of greeting our children.
  2. Ask leading to and open ended questions like, ‘So, how was your day?’, ‘What are you thinking about now?’, ‘What is it that I can do for you?’, ‘How have you and your friends been doing in school?’ or even something as simple as, ‘Which subject/time of the day/snack/book/movie do you like the most? And why?’. These can be great conversation starters.
  3. Give ample time to our child/learner. Set aside time for the conversation. Children too, just like us, love to be heard patiently. Let us respect that. Do not try to close conversations in a hurry. Do not raise your voice. Do not keep looking over their shoulders or here and there while talking. Look at the child/learner in their eyes, but do not stare. That would be disconcerting. Though, one should be firm, in a polite and friendly manner, in case the child/learner does not follow the decorum of the conversation.
  4. No matter what turn the conversation takes, let us not forget to smile at times, nod our head, use appropriate, non threatening body language, and most importantly, listen to them when they talk so that they may return the favour when we have something to say.
  5. Speak in a positive, encouraging tone. Instead of asking, ‘Was the test difficult to attempt?’, we should instead ask, ‘Which question in the test did you find the most exciting?’. A statement such as. ’As you haven’t been doing any reading, I don’t think your language will improve!’ could demoralize children and put them off reading. It would be far better to say, ‘Over the holidays you could read this book. It seems to be enjoyable!’.

There are many more ways to make a conversation interesting for children. Let us begin by using these 5 crucial tips which will be most beneficial to us. Let’s begin talking in the way our children would love to listen to us!

Importance of Integrating Play into the Curriculum

Posted on by VIBGYOR Group of Schools

As it is rightly said, “Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

Teaching through play has always been close to my heart as I believe; play is a gateway and the foundation of learning. Through play, children learn all the critical skills that are needed to succeed and be engaged in the world. Learning, as we are all aware is different for every child because each one learns at his/her own pace, learning in his/her own style, and guided by his/her own intelligence. Through self-directed play, children make choices and decisions, confront uncertainty, overcome fears, and learn to work together as a team. Especially in recent times, ‘Play’ plays an important role to develop skills that are required in the present world. It is also observed that when teaching children, Teachers need to think out-of-the-box to keep learning engaging and fun.

We as Educators must focus on developing the 4 important C’s – Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity and Collaboration. The need of the hour is to hone these soft-skills that will ensure that a child will be best prepared to engage in the futuristic workplace while having successful and meaningful relationships in life.

In schools, we rarely set out to learn by playing. Instead of dismissing it as ‘just fun’, one must understand that play is a very important activity that children use in order to learn about and interact with the world, to develop their mental, physical and social skills which are required to succeed in their adult lives. Children learn concepts best through play and the power of play is seen when children master the concepts through fun, rather than learning in a mundane theory class.

At VIBGYOR, we place emphasis on teaching concepts in a stress-free environment through play, where each concept is taught keeping the child’s pace and interest in mind. Through play and integrated learning, we realise that we can put children on a discovery path to lifelong learning, innovation and creativity.  One of the major distinctive facts which set VIBGYOR Group of Schools apart is the integration of SPA (Sports & the Performing Arts) curriculum with in-classroom learning. The exposure that is given to the child through various SPA activities further facilitates the development of kinesthetic and spatial skills. Our aim is to provide a rich environment for our young learners and to develop their natural curiosity and creativity. The activity-based curriculum of VIBGYOR focuses on offering children unique opportunities for playfulness – to explore, engage and connect with the world we live in.

As Vince Gowmon pertinently reminds us that, ‘Play is the language of children. Have you spoken it to them lately?. As Educators, it is our duty to constantly remind ourselves this and ensure that play is always protected and an integral part of children’s learning.

Ms. Seethalakshmi,
Principal, VIBGYOR High – Horamavu, Bengaluru

Posted on by Parent

I remember the days when as a student it seemed comforting to know that the answer to a question after a lesson, lay snug comfortable between the 2 brackets that the teacher had asked us to mark. Neatly scribbled in the page margin was the question number. Back home, I looked forward to draw the double margin with a red ball pen, using a sharp pencil and scale to underline the topic while completing the homework assignment to copy the beautiful long answer in the brackets from the text in the notebook. I used a sweet smelling eraser to rub any pencil smudges that might have run over the ruled lines while I moved the scale. Once I completed writing the answer, I would turn back all the pages to count the number of times I had received a star or a ‘Good’ or ‘Neat Work’ written by the Teacher. I knew that this time too, the assignment would get me something to make my effort count. To see a sharp bright red tick across the page with a remark that said – Neat work, scribbled in the right hand corner of the page was a pure delight. I can still remember the strange feeling of peaceful content that I felt at the end of each lesson that went this way.

Then there were days that I dreaded. Days I knew were a Tuesday. The first session of the day was the test. It was ok until I finished writing the date and my name on the sheet. Then came the questions – which stared as if they were back to avenge the neglect. I had always chosen to decorate only my answers in neat cursive and punctuated them lovingly. I remembered exactly that there were 2 paragraphs for the answer of this question and yes it was written on the right hand side of the book, but what I could not recall then was… exactly what had I written on that page. Sigh, sharpening my pencils or measuring my scented eraser with my scale did not seem to help nor did my memory come to my rescue.

Racing time ahead, I am still fascinated today with answers that come drafted to a question. As a parent of a middle schooler, I see the difference in how the student has now begun to enjoy the questions and the challenges it brings. The more the questions are intriguing, more the student is happy to unravel the mystery. The happiness to explain, the joy to crack the questions and writing answers gleefully on the paper reflects the sheer joy of a learner when challenged. Gone are the days when answers to questions were served like a gift wrapped with the exact words quoted from the text lovingly garnished with the words from the question. Today each child writes differently, interpreting in ways not prescribed by texts but by a reflection of whatever understanding has remained with the learner, long after the lesson sessions were completed. Discussions which are prominent with their animated explanations and a glowing sparkle in the eye and yes, you know for sure that the young adult in front of you is more of a seeker of knowledge than you were at his or her age.

This is today’s generation which quenches its thirst for knowledge under many streams. They find the lessons hidden in a capsule of digitalisation quite fascinating and long lasting in their memories. Of course, nothing can match the sheen that a prepared teacher brings in. Armoured with a strong content knowledge, the right essence of humour, fluent communication skills and also a razor sharp sense of sight and hearing, these modern day educators are often the right blend of a loving parent and a professional mentor. These teachers not just teach the answers to questions but also their class learns to ask questions which can challenge any existing explanation to prove itself yet again. The days have turned and questions you ask have become as meaningful as the answers one seeks. Rather than answers, questions have begun to reflect about what you know… so far.

So here is a question: When was the last time you did something for the first time?

My answer is today, as I write this article and punctuate this sentence once again lovingly with my favourite punctuation mark – the ellipsis, 3 perfect circle dots and this time I know exactly what my page speaks or do I…

 

Diana Isabel,
Parent of Teekshna Sherry Tabita
VIBGYOR High – Airoli, Mumbai

 

Selecting the Right School

Posted on by Kavita Sahay

Due to the mushrooming of numerous educational institutions all over India, parents have a plethora of options to choose from when selecting a school for their children or when changing from one school to another. There is an array of boards, statewide, national and international; and myriad curricular and co curricular subjects and activities which can be mind boggling and create a real dilemma! With the admissions season on in full swing, the question arises: Which school to choose and why?

Here’s a helpful and purposeful list of the various features that you could count as advantages: the proximity of the school to your place of residence; the curriculum that would best suit the abilities of your child, specially keeping an eye out as to how it would affect future studies, thus selecting the course most apt to lead the student towards a particular career; the qualified and accredited teachers, who will have the maximum interaction with learners, and are the ‘heart’ of any school, so their sensibility, passion, expertise and commitment would be one criteria that can be really decisive; an experienced resource department which would deal with the concerns of SEN (Special Educational Needs) students; and the fee structure, which suits your budget.

Additionally, parents should also look at the facilities and amenities offered such as – Science and IT labs, play areas, library, good infrastructure in the classroom, seating arrangement and use of modern technological teaching devices; a good SPA programme with students able to choose from a number of sports for e.g. swimming, basketball, cricket, football and others; school clubs like a speech and drama club, an environment club, a literary club and many more; connectivity with the larger world in the form of international activities such as student exchange programmes and skype sessions; the attention paid by the school on students’ safety with trained and efficient security personnel keeping an eye on the children right from the school gate to the corridors, the installation of CCTV would certainly be an added advantage; trained ancillary staff who would be sensitive to the needs of the learners; the transport system well in place with GPS tracking in the school buses and an ancillary staff member accompanying the children to and from school; the cleanliness too would be a crucial aspect as well as a canteen serving freshly made nutritious food; a strong PTA would be a distinct benefit as it speaks of the connection between the two important stakeholders in your children’s education process – you and the teachers.

All these points mentioned above would combine to create a positive overall atmosphere in the school which would be conducive to the well being of your children and enhance their learning experience. We, at VIBGYOR are committed to excellence in education and providing all round support to the learners under our care.

Remember a happy school is a healthy school! So, dear parents, please choose wisely for the sake of your children.

Good Parenting

Posted on by Parent

Being the ‘Good’ parent is not so difficult, after all!

From the moment we become parents, we are constantly under pressure to attain the much coveted ‘Good Parent’ title. An idealistic unmeasurable concept that only exists as a notion in our own heads; whose measurement parameters are in the hands of every human we interact – known or stranger.

In many ways our parenting journey is like the Aesop’s fable ‘The Man, His Son and The Donkey’. In our case, the donkey being our parenting style. So, whichever way we lead our donkey we are bound to attract criticism. Here is where the feeling of GUILT comes handy.

Guilt is a feeling of worry or unhappiness that we experience when we have done wrong or have deviated from the set norm. While Guilt is labeled as a negative emotion, for us parents it works in our favour.


This is how guilt helps:

First, I create a list of traits that according to my society and me, a good parent must have. Like, all good mothers, bake cookies and cakes or, to be a good mother I must host trendiest playdates or, good parents sing lullabies each night. Then I assign an implicit under side, which says if I did not host the latest in-trend playdate (so what if trends change every hour) or bake cakes (a take from colonial mommy image) or sing melodious lullabies (despite my sore throat) I am a bad mother.

Now, being a bad mother is not what I wish to be. It is not a feeling I am comfortable with. So, I feel GUILTY. Now I say, “I am a bad mother as I do not bake cakes with my son, but since I feel so guilty about it, I am actually a good mother.” By feeling guilty, what I just did was to allow me keep a high opinion of myself while acting like what I believe was bad. After all, only good conscious individuals feel guilt and remorse for their actions. Is it not? In a way, guilt becomes our saviour.

Most often, the source of these high code of conducts originate from benchmarking with our previous generation, comparing lives over social media, our own upbringing where we have been made to believe in ‘sacrifice all for the sake of children’ kind of parenthood or, in majority cases our beloved Bollywood cinema and television serials.

Going back to our ‘donkey’, just as there is no right or wrong way to deploy the services of this faithful animal except to avoid cruelty, there is no right or wrong way of parenting as long as it stems from trust and love. Each child is different and so is each parent.
Few points from my personal parenting diary that helps me stay sane:

  1. We are unique:Know what is best for my family and accordingly align my expectations from self
  2. One step at a time:Listen to my child to know her immediate needs (at times the need is for attention, at times seeking more freedom and yet at times the need is of being appreciated) and tend to those for that moment
  3. Different is good:Be conscious that my child is not an extension of me but an individual in her own right
  4. Be OK to be wrong: Accept that I am also growing as a parent, just as she is growing as an individual, so we shall both make our own mistakes and that is OK.
  5. Lose control:Remind myself that I am not responsible for fulfilling her dreams, my responsibility ends at being the facilitator.

To quote OSHO, “The function of parents is not to help children grow, they will grow anyways. The function is to help what is already growing.

Oindrila Purohit
Parent of Daanya Purohit
VIBGYOR High – Goregaon, Mumbai