KAVITA SHARMA
WHAT MAKES ME A PROGRESSIVE PRINCIPAL
I believe if we want to raise happy and well adjusted children who are responsible citizens of a peaceful world, we have to go deeper and address the 4Cs – Communication, Collaboration, Creativity and Critical thinking. The emphasis in our school is on these 4Cs as a result of which connection, compassion and empathy are not mere words but a way of being. We have made a paradigm shift from teaching to Learning, from the head to the heart.
MY MISSION AS A PROGRESSIVE PRINCIPAL
My mission remains to create a culture and ethos where different points of view are accepted without judgement, where expression and discussion are the daily norm. I am committed to the creation of a model school and share our journey and demystify our practices.
LEARNING BY DOING
We believe in living learning and in the primary years, the focus is on experiential learning as well as making students socially aware and conscious. For instance in class 2 when the students learn a unit on water they run a campaign on saving water. Every day students before going home empty the residual/unused water from their water bottles in a barrel and this water is used to water the plants
and garden. In Grade 3 while studying a unit on pollution, they run a campaign on noise pollution and in grade 4 while studying a unit on electricity, they run a campaign on
saving electricity.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
Till grade 4 we have our own curriculum. For POI and Social Science we do not prescribe textbooks and integrate units with Language Arts and Maths. While studying about food and nutrition children are given, the budget for a field trip and asked to plan the food that should be taken keeping in mind the aspects of a balanced diet and the budget.
INTEGRATION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP INTO EDUCATION THROUGH FACULTY
Students have as mentioned earlier not only opened a chocolate shop as a culminating activity while reading the non-detailed text ‘Charlie and the Chocolate factory’ but to contribute for causes have organised ‘chat’ sales where they have made, advertised and generated profits. They have devised “Go Green’ projects where they have sown vegetable seeds tended to the plot and then sold the
produce.
PROBLEM SOLVING & CRITICAL THINKING AMIDST THE FACULTY
Professional development of Teachers is an ongoing process. At JGIS our endeavor is to create professional learning communities. Many professional development workshops in addition of personal workshops are being conducted regularly for the teachers. We also lay emphasis on peer learning and even cross learning wherein teachers of different subjects pan school collaborate to ensure vertical strands.
GROUP WORK AND DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS AMIDST THE FACULTY
Professional development workshops at JGIS focus a lot on process work – developing emotional intelligence, anger management and Compassionate communication. Every year I facilitate workshops like ‘7 Habits of Effective Teachers’, ‘Power of One’ ‘Reflective Practices”. We also do group projects where in the members of the group collaborate with each other there by practicing the skill of being open- minded, accepting others view point.
UNDERSTANDING & ACTION BASED LEARNING
At JGIS we provide hands-on, experiential learning through various activities. Play way methods are adopted for building the concept. Every concept being taught is related to real life situation to give them better understanding. Students are provided with real life problems and are asked to solve them based on their understanding. We train our students for problem solving skill. We provide lots of opportunities to our students where they apply the understanding of the concept learnt. At JGIS we offer International curriculum which has no scope for rote learning. The assessment is purely application based.
COLLABORATIVE & COOPERATIVE LEARNING PROJECTS FOR FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
I have introduced a reading circle for teachers. Every year Teachers read book and in groups make presentations. Teachers are divided into group, each group reads and comprehend and then have to make presentation to all in varied forms. This Think –Pair –Share activities are encouraged while developing plans.
EDUCATION ACCENTUATING SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND SAFEGUARDING DEMOCRACY
I not only believe this but it is the norm in our interaction with the staff and students. A year back reputed educational company approached the management with their product – a customized curriculum. The management was keen on adopting it. Presentations and meetings were held with teachers. The teachers were not in favour of this product. They were asked for justifications. Their voice was heard and the product was not taken. Teachers gave an assurance that they would build their own curriculum. Democratic processes are adopted and all stakeholders’ perspectives are considered and consensus arrived at.
DESIGN & DELIVERY OF A LEARNING ECOSYSTEM WHEREBY HIGHLY PERSONALIZED LEARNING ACCOUNTING IS DONE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL’S PERSONAL GOALS
We believe In Harvard Gardens theory of Multiple Intelligences and know that every individual-child has different predominant intelligences. Our teaching instruction weaves in different intelligences. Our students also write the ASSET test, which is diagnostic in nature and helps them know their strengths. Regular counselling sessions are done for our students by in house counsellor to identify aptitude and genetic tendencies and set goals. Our students our coached to seek admission in five colleges of their choice. Students are asked to make a list of five colleges/universities of their choice where they would want to pursue their higher education. The student and teachers then work towards it to see that student gets into one of these.
INTEGRATION OF COMMUNITY SERVICE AND SERVICE LEARNING PROJECTS INTO THE DAILY CURRICULUM
Yes we have done this successfully. We participate in the “Joy of Giving week”, we run “adult education programmes” for our ancillary staff –our students are teaching English to the drivers / conductors of our buses. They have also taught them basics of “how to vote”, “how to open Bank account” We have initiated modules on ‘Better citizens”, ‘Future Zone’ .Our primary students design games and musical instruments for the visually challenged when they do a unit on sound. They volunteer at the Blind Man’s Association.
FUTURISTIC SELECTION OF SUBJECT CONTENT
The educational sector and the world at large is deliberating and debating on skills that will be required in the coming decades as man is replaced by machines/robots. What we focus on is leadership and entrepreneurial skills. We believe every child who goes out in to the world from our school must believe in himself/herself that she/he can adapt to change, and be willing to learn. They must have the curiosity of a squirrel, perseverance, a never say die attitude …armed with this they will make a mark for themselves. We believe that the world needs more of peacemakers. With that objective, we create “Compassionate Classrooms” and practice non-violent communication, developed by Marshall Rosenberg.
LIFELONG LEARNING AND SOCIAL SKILLS OF FACULTY MEMBERS
Professional development of teachers is ongoing and our focus is more on personal growth not merely pedagogical practices. We conduct trainings on ‘Non Violent communication (Marshall Rosenberg) ‘Theme Centered Interaction ‘(Ruth Cohen Institute)’, ’Reflective Practices”, and have introduced “Theatre of the Oppressed’ (Augustus Boal- Brazil) games and activities for teachers and students.
FACULTY ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION OF THEIR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS & PRODUCTIONS
We have a 360-degree appraisal system. The appraisal includes self-appraisal by teacher then by peers, students, parents, their coordinators and finally the Principal. We have Rubrics to assess teacher performance. The rubrics are shared with the teachers in the beginning of the year to give them the understanding about expected outcomes. The objective of using Rubric is not to audit them but give them specific feedback on areas of improvement. We use the sandwich approach to give feedback.
PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY TO FACULTY EMPOWERMENT
I believe in ‘Walk the Talk’. I am the soldier not the General and my team takes their cue from that. I trust my team and have an ‘open door policy’, I am approachable to them and each teacher has a voice, that is heard, each teacher knows that they matter. As a result I have been able to create professional learning communities.