| | |

Achhe Bachhe Kaise? (What are ‘good children’ like?)

Ravikant. (September- October, 2017) “Ek Adhyapak Shikshak ki Diary – V” (Diary of a Teacher Educator-V), “Acche Bacche kaise? –Aise” (What are good children like? – Like this.), Shiksha Vimarsh, 19(5): 41-45. Introduction The paper begins by discussing the stressors and dilemmas faced by school teachers, particularly those in the government school system, on an everyday basis. Systemic…

| | |

Should there be a Dress Code for Teachers?

Manjrekar, N. (2013) Gujarat: Patriarchy Revisited – A Dress Code for Teachers. Economic and Political Weekly, 48(43). Read here Key Idea The paper addresses the phenomenon of making a dress code compulsory for teachers. This in turn points towards the authoritarian approach of bureaucracy as also towards the attempt to curtail the freedom of teachers,…

|

Business of Teacher Education in Haryana ~Anita Deswal

Deswal, A. 2017. Business of Teacher Education in Haryana. Economic and Political Weekly, 52(11): 62-66. Teacher Education The paper begins by establishing the significant role of teachers in the development of children and of the nation at large. This builds the base for the need of a sound teacher education system. Deswal enlists the various reforms…

| |

Are we (over)structuring our classrooms?

Jackson, P. (1994) Life in Classrooms. In Pollar, A. & Bourne, J. (ed.) Teaching and Learning in the Primary School. (pp. 113-118). London: Routledge. (Affiliate Link)  The chapter is an extract from Jackson’s book titled Life in Classrooms. It addresses various aspects of school life. It brings to the fore that not all aspects of school life…

| | |

#8 Of Mice and Mould: Teacher Frustration

The title of this post is inspired. I read this chapter in a book where the author talks about mice and mould in American classrooms and the frustration that teachers experienced from having to teach in less than healthy physical conditions. Sometimes you read something that sticks with you. Mushrooms, Mice and Mould Shalaby in…

|

Humare Shikshak by Lok Shikshak Manch

लोक शिक्षक मंच (2016) हमारे शिक्षक. नई दिल्लीः लोक शिक्षक मंच।40 पृष्ठ The booklet begins by presenting a summary of the lives and works of educationists. While some of these educationists have been recognized for their contribution, others have not got their due. Situated in pre-independence India, the educationists differ across class, caste, religious and…

| | | |

#7 Of Unmet Expectations and Hierarchies: Student-Teacher Relationships

I have reached a stage where I have started accepting the hierarchy in student-teacher relationships. I sometimes fancy myself believing that it is necessary. I went for school observations today. The basis of this entire exercise is rooted in hierarchy. I sit at the back of the class while my students teach. With the current…

|

#6 The Urgent Need for Teacher Communities

One of the key things that I learnt from working on field projects early in my career is the importance of teacher communities. I realised quite early that regular training and updating of skills for teaching, organised by the government, was a far-fetched dream. Although things have since changed at school level, many have often…