View from the Windowseat: Raising the prestige of the teaching profession: can we do it?
INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER + CREATIVE THINKING = SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN LIFE.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER + CREATIVE THINKING = SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN LIFE.
7 Sureshot Ways to Kill Your Childs' Creative Thinking.
1. Tell your child often- ' Why do you want to be different?Why can't you be like Mr XYZ's son/daughter?
2. When your child faces a problem, instantly give a solution to her with the words-"Sweetheart there is only on way out of this problem and that I can tell you and here it is.................
3.When your child talks of something you have not heard Mr XYZ's son's talking, or in the magazines or in the newspapers then please arch your eyebrows to the highest point and do not utter a word or try another method: that is frown(as many creases as possible) and ask matter of factly"How could you think of such a thing? I have not heard of it before.
4.If your child talks of something you have a faint idea then do not apply step 3. in such a scenario simply ask-Has anyone of your friends done this before..... No.... then why do you want to do this darling when it has not been done before?
5.When your child is thoughtful, then do not encourage him to talk for it may complicate matters but gently motivate the child to stop wasting time on thinking and remind him to finish off the task quickly and done away with.
6.Keep on giving gentle reminders to your child- "Darling, do whatever you want to but do not make mistakes-they are so messy."
7. Lastly let me share something which should be used sparingly but is very potent-"I have told you once it can't be done, and that's FINAL and I don't see any logic in telling you why I feel it can't be done.."
Believe me all these seven strategies alone or in combination are damn powerful.
7 Sureshot Ways to Kill Your Childs' Creative Thinking.
1. Tell your child often- ' Why do you want to be different?Why can't you be like Mr XYZ's son/daughter?
2. When your child faces a problem, instantly give a solution to her with the words-"Sweetheart there is only on way out of this problem and that I can tell you and here it is.................
3.When your child talks of something you have not heard Mr XYZ's son's talking, or in the magazines or in the newspapers then please arch your eyebrows to the highest point and do not utter a word or try another method: that is frown(as many creases as possible) and ask matter of factly"How could you think of such a thing? I have not heard of it before.
4.If your child talks of something you have a faint idea then do not apply step 3. in such a scenario simply ask-Has anyone of your friends done this before..... No.... then why do you want to do this darling when it has not been done before?
5.When your child is thoughtful, then do not encourage him to talk for it may complicate matters but gently motivate the child to stop wasting time on thinking and remind him to finish off the task quickly and done away with.
6.Keep on giving gentle reminders to your child- "Darling, do whatever you want to but do not make mistakes-they are so messy."
7. Lastly let me share something which should be used sparingly but is very potent-"I have told you once it can't be done, and that's FINAL and I don't see any logic in telling you why I feel it can't be done.."
Believe me all these seven strategies alone or in combination are damn powerful.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER + CREATIVE THINKING = SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN LIFE.
It's nice that my blog can now be seen again, for sometime it had just disappeared.
Whenever I talk to students, that what kind of thinking is required to succeed in life - invariably the answer is positive thinking. Positive thinking is important, no doubt whatsoever, but what is the kind of thinking that leads you to become positive in your approach. Are we positive for the sake of being positive? or we remain positive because we see possibilities in every down side that we face. I feel if one practices creative thinking or lateral thinking, then the greatest by- product of that thinking is that lot of positivity creeps in your thinking. This thinking creeps in by default.
One of the greatest tools of lateral thinking is, challenging your mind to think of a certain number of alternatives for any little/big challenge that we face, and the second part of this exercise is to suspend judgement for sometime. Now let's say- You have to decide What birthday present to buy for your mother; then practising lateral thinking techniques you challenge your self to think of ten options as presents, jot down these ten options, now apply your judgement as to which of these ten options will be loved by your mother and what you can afford. The key is, to purely think when you think, and apply judgement only after you have reached the required number - in this case ten options. If we think and judge at the same time then our poor mind gets confused and just stops thinking of options.
This exercise is so much fun, and so productive that once you start using it, you get addicted to it, and cannot help using it for all kinds of things, including ten befitting replies for a bullying peer who leaves no opportunity to put you down in public. If you feel you are equipped to handle these small/ big challenges by your thinking then you are a positive thinker aren't you, and success is always waiting in the horizon.
It's nice that my blog can now be seen again, for sometime it had just disappeared.
Whenever I talk to students, that what kind of thinking is required to succeed in life - invariably the answer is positive thinking. Positive thinking is important, no doubt whatsoever, but what is the kind of thinking that leads you to become positive in your approach. Are we positive for the sake of being positive? or we remain positive because we see possibilities in every down side that we face. I feel if one practices creative thinking or lateral thinking, then the greatest by- product of that thinking is that lot of positivity creeps in your thinking. This thinking creeps in by default.
One of the greatest tools of lateral thinking is, challenging your mind to think of a certain number of alternatives for any little/big challenge that we face, and the second part of this exercise is to suspend judgement for sometime. Now let's say- You have to decide What birthday present to buy for your mother; then practising lateral thinking techniques you challenge your self to think of ten options as presents, jot down these ten options, now apply your judgement as to which of these ten options will be loved by your mother and what you can afford. The key is, to purely think when you think, and apply judgement only after you have reached the required number - in this case ten options. If we think and judge at the same time then our poor mind gets confused and just stops thinking of options.
This exercise is so much fun, and so productive that once you start using it, you get addicted to it, and cannot help using it for all kinds of things, including ten befitting replies for a bullying peer who leaves no opportunity to put you down in public. If you feel you are equipped to handle these small/ big challenges by your thinking then you are a positive thinker aren't you, and success is always waiting in the horizon.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Mark Twain's comments and quips are unforgettable for their sharp humour,insight and simplicity. Here are a few of them on education, parenting and success.
" We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it- and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sat down on a hot stove lid, and would never sit on it again, and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore."
"Let us be thankful of fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed."
"Education: that which reveals to the wise and conceals from the stupid, that vast limit of their knowledge."
"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."
Hope you enjoyed Mark Twain's quips, do you have some more interesting ones?
" We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it- and stop there; lest we be like the cat that sat down on a hot stove lid, and would never sit on it again, and that is well; but also she will never sit down on a cold one anymore."
"Let us be thankful of fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed."
"Education: that which reveals to the wise and conceals from the stupid, that vast limit of their knowledge."
"My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."
Hope you enjoyed Mark Twain's quips, do you have some more interesting ones?
Why are we teachers
The guides,The mentors
lose direction so often
and treat our cares
as if they are a burden colossus.
'Sir I haven't understood this'
invites derision and ghastly epithets,
or it is explained again
seasoned with favour and anger hidden.
Many come to the class
ready to fill their wards
with reading from the book
and avoiding explanation by hook or by crook.
'You dud's' you don't even know this!
You don't deserve to be in a class like this!
The work is given with lot of flair
Adding to the list of child's despair
Some understand it,many don't
Wondering how to get past this hurdle
Without feathers getting ruffled
The papers are submitted for correction
with plenty of apprehension
and imagining the worst of repercussions.
But lo and behold
they get the papers back
without any marks blue or black.
Once in a long while
A teacher comes along
Who treats the child
as a potential source
of God's light
And nurtures his wards
like rain falling on earth parched
sowing seeds of possibilities endless.
What do you feel about these lines? Do send in your comments and also if you could suggest a suitable title to these rumblings.
The guides,The mentors
lose direction so often
and treat our cares
as if they are a burden colossus.
'Sir I haven't understood this'
invites derision and ghastly epithets,
or it is explained again
seasoned with favour and anger hidden.
Many come to the class
ready to fill their wards
with reading from the book
and avoiding explanation by hook or by crook.
'You dud's' you don't even know this!
You don't deserve to be in a class like this!
The work is given with lot of flair
Adding to the list of child's despair
Some understand it,many don't
Wondering how to get past this hurdle
Without feathers getting ruffled
The papers are submitted for correction
with plenty of apprehension
and imagining the worst of repercussions.
But lo and behold
they get the papers back
without any marks blue or black.
Once in a long while
A teacher comes along
Who treats the child
as a potential source
of God's light
And nurtures his wards
like rain falling on earth parched
sowing seeds of possibilities endless.
What do you feel about these lines? Do send in your comments and also if you could suggest a suitable title to these rumblings.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
*Isn't it strange, parents often talk about the younger generation, as if they didn't have anything to do with it........
*PARENTS DICTIONARY OF MEANINGS
Full name-What you call your child when you are mad at him.
Grand parents- The people who think your children are wonderful even though they are sure you are not raising them right.
Independent- How we want our children, as long as they do everything that we say.
Puddle- A small body of water that draws other small bodies into it wearing dry shoes.
Show off-A child who is more talented than your child.
Monday, September 3, 2007
INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER + CREATIVE THINKING = SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN LIFE.
THE OTHER DAY A VERY SUCCESSFUL businessman was asked, "What has been the greatest mistake of your life?" He said-"The greatest mistake has been not making enough mistakes". I feel he put forth the secret of his success very beautifully. Think back on all the mistakes you have made in life, haven't they all taught so many things, so many lessons that no book, no advice could have done. Moreover the lessons learnt from making mistakes are so durable they do not leave you, ever.
But it is so surprising that, that school is one place where mistakes are constantly abhorred. Compulsive mistakes, and the same mistakes repeated again and again are a different cup of tea altogether, but parents and teachers should think twice of all the advantages before admonishing children not to make any mistakes.Another advantage - it teaches the child how to handle unpleasant situations, and how to operate when you are no longer in a structured environment or you are faced with unexpected outcomes.
Any more advantages of making mistakes? Looking forward to your bricks,bats, views,comments and experiences.
THE OTHER DAY A VERY SUCCESSFUL businessman was asked, "What has been the greatest mistake of your life?" He said-"The greatest mistake has been not making enough mistakes". I feel he put forth the secret of his success very beautifully. Think back on all the mistakes you have made in life, haven't they all taught so many things, so many lessons that no book, no advice could have done. Moreover the lessons learnt from making mistakes are so durable they do not leave you, ever.
But it is so surprising that, that school is one place where mistakes are constantly abhorred. Compulsive mistakes, and the same mistakes repeated again and again are a different cup of tea altogether, but parents and teachers should think twice of all the advantages before admonishing children not to make any mistakes.Another advantage - it teaches the child how to handle unpleasant situations, and how to operate when you are no longer in a structured environment or you are faced with unexpected outcomes.
Any more advantages of making mistakes? Looking forward to your bricks,bats, views,comments and experiences.
Friday, August 31, 2007
INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER + CREATIVE THINKING = SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN LIFE.
"Oh! Ayesha is very creative, she thinks of such beautiful ideas in no time."
"Ask Sam about this problem, He can give you some really wonderful ideas to solve this problem."
We all want to be like Ayesha and Sam, and we want our children to be as quick thinking and resourceful. Are Ayeshas and Sams have this special gift from God or the muse is always sitting on their shoulder,whispering such insights into their ears.
Maybe they are gifted, or maybe they learn much more from their environment than others do.It's my estimate that most of us barely see 20% of what's around us. We see what we want to see, or we see what we already know, to put it in cliche' terms - we do not see the complete picture. The other day in ninth grade I showed children a picture of a minor celebrity with few other common people doing relief work in Tsunami affected village of Tamil Nadu. It was an old picture, and was shown to them for 30 seconds.When asked what did you see in the picture, most of the children happily shouted the name of the celebrity, some mentioned there were a few other people around too, and only two children could remember a few other details.Bulk of the class could not recollect any detail about the background or the other people.
This is how we see most things around us, we see only part of the picture, and the moment we see something familiar, our mind just shuts, off and we stop seeing the rest.Probably Ayesha and Sam are seeing complete pictures around them and are learning much more from the same world around us. After all what we see and experience around us is the raw material for our thinking and ideas.
Seeing the complete picture can be played as a game with children in school or at home. If the children learn to observe better, they will be learners for life. All successful businessmen, and leaders in any field have this singular quality in common, their power of observation gives them insights and uncommon common sense which makes them winners for life.
"Oh! Ayesha is very creative, she thinks of such beautiful ideas in no time."
"Ask Sam about this problem, He can give you some really wonderful ideas to solve this problem."
We all want to be like Ayesha and Sam, and we want our children to be as quick thinking and resourceful. Are Ayeshas and Sams have this special gift from God or the muse is always sitting on their shoulder,whispering such insights into their ears.
Maybe they are gifted, or maybe they learn much more from their environment than others do.It's my estimate that most of us barely see 20% of what's around us. We see what we want to see, or we see what we already know, to put it in cliche' terms - we do not see the complete picture. The other day in ninth grade I showed children a picture of a minor celebrity with few other common people doing relief work in Tsunami affected village of Tamil Nadu. It was an old picture, and was shown to them for 30 seconds.When asked what did you see in the picture, most of the children happily shouted the name of the celebrity, some mentioned there were a few other people around too, and only two children could remember a few other details.Bulk of the class could not recollect any detail about the background or the other people.
This is how we see most things around us, we see only part of the picture, and the moment we see something familiar, our mind just shuts, off and we stop seeing the rest.Probably Ayesha and Sam are seeing complete pictures around them and are learning much more from the same world around us. After all what we see and experience around us is the raw material for our thinking and ideas.
Seeing the complete picture can be played as a game with children in school or at home. If the children learn to observe better, they will be learners for life. All successful businessmen, and leaders in any field have this singular quality in common, their power of observation gives them insights and uncommon common sense which makes them winners for life.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
INTEGRITY OF CHARACTER + CREATIVE THINKING = SUSTAINED SUCCESS IN LIFE.
I TALKED ABOUT CERTAIN comments of a school headmaster regarding honesty in my post on 26 August , I'm still waiting for your comments; in the meantime I feel on this issue that we cannot talk about basic values like truth and honesty in such a wishy-washy supposedly 'realistic' way.We cannot afford to give our children such a wet clay of values, to be moulded based on circumstances. Values should be like the rock of Gibraltar. What children face in life, and how this rock of values gets chiseled into a beautiful statue or weathers away ,will depend on what they learn from their mistakes, and the choices they make in life; but the wet clay of values would be of no value. Probably 'real world values' are imparted to children to save them from making mistakes and to shield them from resultant pain.But can there be any growth without pain? Can there be any durable and wholesome learning without the pain of making mistakes and has any learning been as wholesome and as long lasting as learning from mistakes. Should we or can we shield the children from this pain?
I TALKED ABOUT CERTAIN comments of a school headmaster regarding honesty in my post on 26 August , I'm still waiting for your comments; in the meantime I feel on this issue that we cannot talk about basic values like truth and honesty in such a wishy-washy supposedly 'realistic' way.We cannot afford to give our children such a wet clay of values, to be moulded based on circumstances. Values should be like the rock of Gibraltar. What children face in life, and how this rock of values gets chiseled into a beautiful statue or weathers away ,will depend on what they learn from their mistakes, and the choices they make in life; but the wet clay of values would be of no value. Probably 'real world values' are imparted to children to save them from making mistakes and to shield them from resultant pain.But can there be any growth without pain? Can there be any durable and wholesome learning without the pain of making mistakes and has any learning been as wholesome and as long lasting as learning from mistakes. Should we or can we shield the children from this pain?
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