Reflections are important. They help us focus better and sometimes the distorted image can really awaken you to the need to work on the picture a little more. This doesn’t necessarily indicate that it’s an easy process or a reflex act. Often it comes uninvited and finds you unprepared. It was a usual morning. The class environment was controlled and children were busy preparing for the lesson. It was a crowded space with 30 students, each one special in his or her own respect. I moved around the class r...
“I have pushed this child to be in Grade 6, though according to his age, he should be in Grade 7,” the Principal informed me hurriedly as the tall, chubby boy entered her office to share the greetings for his first day at school. He had a soft smile and his manners were laudable! “Good Morning “A”! How are you?” The Principal shook his hands with warmth trying to make him feel better about the decision to sit through Grade 6 again. I extended a handshake and he complied with the same respect and protoc...
Triggering the imagination of my Year 3’s helped me immensely to sensitize them to people and different perspectives with the help of interesting and thought-provoking news clips. Each morning we would share some good and bad news. The short dialogue would end with a moral conclusion that would be pasted onto the White Board. I always found the children completely engrossed and excited to contribute their opinions. Their innocence came through along with their determined intentions to bring about po...
Every sunrise promises new opportunities and possibilities. Yet we awaken to different moods and energies to carry through the day. There are mornings when the corn flakes feel crispier than ever and some days the daylight can’t seem to find the appetite for any meal. Such is the cycle of life. As a teacher I would stand at the door to my classroom greeting my children as they would walk in to begin the day. Some would hold a cheerful smile and their walk would indicate a happy ride to school. Some ...
A: She had the delicacy of a Japanese doll. Her eyes were sparkling and her fair complexion was in strong contrast to her jet black hair. She smiled with warmth but her laughter kept in. She spoke in whispers and hardly ever raised her hand. B: His writing was magnetic and the intensity of the events he logged down through his Creative Writing classes was in strong contrast to his absent looks. He had nothing much to share with the teachers and stood quietly when asked to answer a question or add his ...
MubeensBlog #MubeensLawThis Article has been written in response to a successful Twitter Trend run by Pakistanis around the globe to create an awareness and state of emergency to wake up our nation to our deteriorating values and Educational System.The past two months have been buzzing with more or less the same Political nonsense in Pakistan. As usual the point of focus has been our distinguished Leadership. The never ending debate on inflation, power-cuts and cowardly foreign policy has been the drivin...
After a break of 3 years I shall finally be reverting to my passion of teaching and learning. I was fortunate to land a job in an absolutely new School environment. The management hired me as an English Language teacher for Grades 4 and 5 and as the Language Co-ordinator. I spent a week with them to get myself Oriented with the system and routines. I was pleasantly surprised at being greeted by the students with my name though I had interacted with them through a demo lesson almost a month and a half ...
My life has always been quite surprising with regards to my state of mind! On days when I am absolutely positive and prepared, it can really topple my confidence with its unpredictable swings. On the contrary, when my anxiousness appears to be the order of the day, it elevates me to astounding heights! This ebb and flow sunk into my nervous system which was jittered and calmed by the following events which happened coincidently or with a purpose in a sequence. “It’s a good school and the KHDA has rat...
The beginning of a new term brings hope for every life that comes in collaboration to meet the basic objectives of growth and progress. Whether it’s the student, teacher or parent, there is the desire to be able to achieve new targets and in some cases, fix or amend the previous year’s errors. Here, the point that I would really like to highlight is the complicated levels of expectations that come together at one time. Parents look at the teacher as the magician who would sort out their problems at onc...
Most terms associated with teaching today invariably come in context with the word ‘interactive’. Whether it is a lesson plan, an activity or a school event, the need for student interaction is compulsory to the attainment of success. As a Curriculum Specialist I was asked by the School Management to conduct a workshop on “Interactive Teaching” to help equip the Primary Teaching Staff with effective tools to incorporate an environment of interactive learning. I set out to plan the workshop by listin...
