School Leader’s Collective 2016 | What Schools Miss Out

To quote Prof. Linda Darling-Hammond of Stanford University “You cannot learn without attending to social relationships and emotional development. The science is clear”.

There are no existing well-researched and articulated standards for social and emotional learning of Indian school children. Despite the mention of the importance of SEL in the National Education Policy 2020 and national documents like the NCERT’s National Curricular Framework, the affective domain has not been understood or addressed meaningfully by the vast majority of schools and teachers in India.

It is the Indian Social & Emotional Learning Framework. It is a research-based educational resource developed by The Teacher Foundation to foster social emotional development of Indian children, using a carefully age-banded approach, from 6 years to 18 years.

ISELF will help teachers, counsellors, facilitators develop 5 vital social-emotional competencies in children: Self Awareness, Self Management, Relationship Management, Social Awareness and Decision Making.

ISELF is freely accessible online to all schools and teachers through www.teacherfoundation.org. It will also be available in other Indian languages soon. There are numerous ways in which schools could use ISELF with their students. Schools and teachers would need an in-depth orientation from TTF to know how to navigate through ISELF.

To make it easy for teachers to navigate ISELF, the learning standards and outcomes are provided for each age band competency-wise. There are many ways in which ISELF could be included into a school curriculum and used with children. Here are some practical approaches:

Separate time-tabled SEL Periods
A time-tabled weekly period across grades 1 to 12, for planned and structured sessions on SEL. The facilitator can refer to ISELF on a specific social-emotional skill appropriate to the children and plans the lesson around it. TTF recommends schools to use Jenny Mosley’s Whole School Quality Circle Time as the approach for these weekly SEL periods.

Focused SEL programmes
The school allots specific days at the beginning or towards the end of the academic year, or after school hours during the academic year, to conduct SEL programmes with a planned and structured approach to developing specific social emotional skills. ISELF is used to plan activities appropriate to the age group.

Specialised SEL Interventions
These interventions are specially planned for children with identified behavioural or emotional problems. Similar to other SEL interventions, they have a design and structure to meet certain key SEL objectives, within a time-frame. ISELF can be used to plan activities appropriate to the age group.

Integrated with the Academic curriculum
This however requires teachers to have in-depth knowledge of and skills in SEL, apart from fluency in seamlessly integrating the age-appropriate SEL outcomes with the learning objectives of the subject and topic at hand.

To know more about the research conducted for ISELF please click here

ISELF has been mapped by EASEL Labs of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, along with other SEL and Life Skills frameworks from across the world. ISELF has been found to have the most depth of focus in terms of absolute values. Do click on this link http://inee.exploresel.gse.harvard.edu/compare-domains/

The diagram provided below shows ISELF with 5 SEL competencies. Each competency comprises 2-3 Learning Standards and each Learning Standard has Learning Outcomes in 5 age-bands. Finally each learning outcome has a set of learning opportunities that students must be provided with to develop the appropriate SEL outcome.

Here’s an example to understand how to make sense of ISELF.
In order to address routine negative student behaviours of bullying, conflicts amongst peers, the school/ teacher could examine the competency of Relationship Management in ISELF and its corresponding learning standard of ‘Demonstrate an ability to resolve interpersonal conflicts’.The age-banded learning outcomes provided below suggest tasks that could be designed by teachers in a grade and age-specific manner.

• Grades 1 to 3: Describe situations in school where students disagree or experience conflict
• Grades 4 to 5: Analyse how anger makes a conflict even worse; Try out alternative solutions for a conflict
• Grades 6 to 8: Practise refusal skills; Identify strategies for avoiding violence
• Grades 9 to 10: Explain the concept of a win-win resolution in a conflict
• Grades 11 to 12: Evaluate various approaches for conflict resolution

ISELF is meant for anyone who has the best interests of children at heart! It can be used by schools and teachers for teaching SE skills, developing content or creating curriculum for SEL; mental health professionals; child social workers as well as parents.

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is defined as “the process of acquiring a set of social and emotional skills—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making—in a safe, supportive environment that encourages social, emotional, and cognitive development and provides authentic opportunities for practising social-emotional skills” *
* (adapted from Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), 2005)

The 5Ws and 1H is a popular formula used by journalists for getting the complete story on a subject. Therefore in true journalistic style let’s examine the 5Ws and 1H of Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) – What, Who, Where, When, Why & How.

SEL is the wellspring for helping young people lead a purposeful life. The Teacher Foundation (TTF), after several years of research and exploration in this field has encapsulated the essence of a complex domain of learning, like SEL, in this simple ready reckoner for Indian schools and education professionals.

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With more than two decades of experience in the field of Education, Nidhi brings in sound understanding of various education boards and profiles, including CBSE, Cambridge ‘A’ Levels, ICSE and the State Board.

As the Head of Humanities and the ISA Program Manager at a leading International School and Junior College in Mumbai, she ensured a consistently good standard of learning and teaching across the faculty within the constituent areas. She has also worked as an adjunct faculty and advisor at the American School of Bombay.

Sheela has been successfully managing teacher development and school support projects for over a decade now. Her professional expertise include implementing projects, developing organizational systems and processes, building teams and liaising with funding agencies in her capacity as a member of the senior team at The Teacher Foundation.

Sheela effectively manages end-to-end delivery of multiple projects in both private and government schools across India and abroad.

She also guides the school relationship team to promote TTF services in schools. She has been with TTF since 2004 and ensured the effective operational implementation of Continuing Professional Development projects for teachers and school heads supported by Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Reach India, Deshpande Foundation, Swades etc.

Teachers learn to use different types of questions and use them deliberately to promote deeper thought and greater participation in class.

TTF uses video clips of actual early years classes, to help teachers identify good practices and reflect on their own practice.

Teachers look at long-term, medium-term and short-term planning as well as lesson plans.

Teachers explore various methods of assessing and documenting the progress of children and how to report back to the parents.

Enriches teachers with creative ways of involving music & movement in classrooms.

This module helps teachers recognize the role of play as a powerful, natural behaviour contributing to children’s learning and development.

Identifies the purpose and characteristic of an effective portfolio and how it can be used by the teacher for recording, reporting and measuring the child’s progress.

Learn how children can use the 5 senses to explore and make sense of their immediate environment.

Teachers understand developmentally appropriate mathematical teaching practices and learning outcomes in a pre-primary classroom.

Master a variety of developmentally appropriate literacy and language experience in a classroom environment to foster communication and literacy development.

Helps to create learning corners to nurture each child’s optimal development and enable interaction between the indoor and outdoor environment.

Teachers build their background knowledge to know who their child is, what he/ she can do best at their age.

This gentle whole school ecosystemic model enables honest and authentic conversations between students and their teacher. It has been used by several leading schools across India for over 21 years. The Teacher Foundation (TTF) is the sole accredited training provider for Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK. TTF has trained thousands of teachers across India on QCT.

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Based on the progress the school makes, at the end of the programme, it will be awarded a certificate at one of the 3 levels – Bronze, Silver or Gold. This will be tracked by the TTF team from the Needs Assessment / Baseline Report to the second round of School Based Support. A school that makes a 25% improvement from the baseline will get a Bronze certification; above 25% shift will be awarded a Silver certification and any school that has moved to 75% or above score for Classroom Practice will get a Gold Certification.

School-based support involves every teacher being observed twice in the course of the project. During the classroom observations, TTF facilitators will look for/examine teacher-student interaction, teaching-learning methodology, assessment practices and the physical classroom environment. Every teacher will be given one-on-one feedback , post observation. This will enable the teachers to reflect on their existing practices and explore more impactful approaches. After each round of SBS, the school will be given a qualitative and quantitative report highlighting the strengths and areas for further improvement in the school’s classroom practice.

To better understand existing school resources and teacher practices, The Teacher Foundation does a thorough needs analysis at the outset. The needs analysis consists of carefully reviewing existing classroom practices and teaching-learning processes through observing a sampling of teachers in their classrooms, understanding existing school resources and teacher practices. This enables TTF to customise the training and support to individual school’s needs.

Based on the needs analysis the school will be provided a baseline report as well as a recommendation of the training modules that would be suitable. The Training modules include a combination of mandatory Core Courses and a choice of Elective Courses. For details on the modules do get in touch with TTF.

Authentic understanding involves six facets: Explanation, Interpretation, Application, Perspective, Empathy, and Self- Knowledge. In order to enable this, teachers’ perspective of what ‘understanding’ is, needs to be broadened. This workshop helps teachers understand the facets of understanding and the practical techniques that could be used in class to check for true understanding. The workshop is particularly applicable for teachers of middle and high school.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• experience each of the 6 facets of understanding
• identify the methods of assessing for the 6 facets
• discuss the stages of backward design for planning lessons

Project-based Learning has numerous benefits such as offering a deeper understanding of concepts, broader knowledge base, improved communication and interpersonal / social skills, enhanced leadership skills, increased creativity, and improved writing and reporting skills. It thus serves as the ideal set up for a learning-centred classroom. In this workshop, teachers will get an in-depth understanding of what constitutes Project-based Learning by constructing teaching-learning activities that are long-term, interdisciplinary and student-centred. Teachers will also learn how to assess project-based learning meaningfully which will enable students to track the development of their own learning. The workshop is aimed at teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• explain the meaning of project-based learning
• experience all the stages of designing a project
• examine how projects will be assessed meaningfully
• design a project of their own

Teaching is more about asking the right questions than giving the right answers!

Teachers, therefore, need to be proficient in asking questions that steer away from rote-memorisation and convergent thinking to encourage higher-order and divergent thinking. This calls for effective asking of open-ended questions! In this workshop, teachers learn to use different types of questions and use them deliberately to promote deeper thought and more participation in class. The workshop is for teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• distinguish between open and close ended questions / higher and lower order questions.
• use a question matrix to plan for effective questioning in the classroom
• reflect on their questioning practices in the classroom.

Maya has been in the field of education for 4 decades. Her areas of professional experience include conceptualizing, designing and implementing a wide range of school and teacher-related projects and services – including the Wipro Applying Thought in Schools Teacher Empowerment Project initiated in 2001 and Safe & Sensitive Schools initiated in 2009 and since 2012

the development of the Indian Social and Emotional Learning Framework (ISELF) – an age-banded set of standards for Social & Emotional Learning for Indian schools. ISELF is the only researched and contextualised SEL Framework existing in India. From 2021, she has led The Teacher Foundation as the Glossary Anchoring Partner of the Life Skills Collaborative, a partnership of 18 organisations with the goal of redefining the Life Skills education space in India.

Her professional interests and expertise include school effectiveness research and whole school improvement, whole school well-being, teacher development, collaborative approaches to teaching and learning, interpersonal communication in the classroom, leadership and strategic management of schools.

She has been a full-time teacher trainer since 1996, conducting professional development programmes for heads and teachers of schools across India and abroad. She has trained several thousand teachers across the past 25 years. She has presented at leading education conferences both nationally and internationally.

She is an Accredited Teacher Trainer for Jenny Mosley Consultancies (UK) for training teachers on Whole School Quality Circle Time (QCT) across schools in India. QCT is an ecosystemic model for fostering SEL amongst children and teachers alike.

Maya has written on issues concerning educational practice and management in leading publications like The Times of India, The Economic Times, Education World, Teacher Plus, Mentor etc. She has written a chapter on Addressing Teacher Quality and Training in a book titled Accelerating Access to Quality Education, a Brookings India 2015 publication. She has also been been a member of the British Council India’s Policy Think Tank for Continuing Professional Development. She was also invited to be on the National Technical Committee set up by National University for Educational Planning and Administration(NUEPA) for developing Standards for School Leaders and for several consultation meetings prior to the finalisation of the National Education Policy 2020.

Sandhya is Head of Content and Training at TTF, Bangalore.

She has been a teacher and trainer for nearly 2 decades and has an intuitive and native facility with technology for teaching and training. She began her career as an English teacher handling both national and international school curriculums. Her foray into training, began with Eng Language training, communication skills for adults and professionals from diverse backgrounds.

Monila brings in her professional experience of working with children and adults to varied areas of school well–being, which include, training teachers, providing school based support, conducting needs analysis and audits, developing tools of inquiry (questionnaires, interviews, observations etc.), analyzing data from schools and compiling reports. She trains teachers both in govt. and private schools on Whole School Quality Circle Time.

Her passion lies in studying human behavior, observing and interacting with people and critically reflecting on education – its power, influence and limitations.

Monila is proficient in speaking, reading and writing English, Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati.

Ramya has been managing finances of The Teacher Foundation (Shraddha Trust) since 2006. Her responsibilities include Accounting & Governance , Revenue Management, Financial Planning & Analysis, Management Reporting & Taxation as per accepted accounting principles and norms.

She served the organisation as the Head of Finance until June 2020 and has started her own consultancy M/s.Peaksphere Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd, since July 2020. The Teacher Foundation has outsourced its financial services to Ramya through a consultancy contract w.e.f July 2020.

“If the way you teach isn’t helping children learn well, then teach the way children learn.”   

In order to do this effectively, we need to know how children learn! In this workshop, teachers understand the principles of brain-based learning, their relevance and practical implications for classroom teaching. It also builds an awareness of the Multiple Intelligences (MI) theory and its application in the classroom, so that teachers are able to make learning meaningful for every student. The workshop is appropriate for teachers of all grades and levels.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to-

• generate ideas to incorporate the 12 principles of brain-based learning in every-day classroom transactions
• plan lessons that address the needs of all learners according to their (multiple) intelligences

“Do YOU as a teacher want to be responsible for your students’ behaviour or do you want THEM to be responsible for their own behaviour?”

In this workshop, teachers examine the factors that influence student behaviour and effective strategies to deal with behaviours that may be disruptive or inappropriate. It also enables teachers to reflect on the long term benefits of fostering a culture of self discipline, so that children develop self awareness and take accountability for their actions. The module is applicable to teachers of all grades and levels.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to –

• discuss and identify when routine behaviours should be considered disruptive and when they are not disruptive
• examine simple classroom strategies and the A-B-C approach for managing problem behaviour.
• formulate a behaviour management plan that is sustainable and long-term.

The Right to Education ensures that every child has the fundamental right to quality education regardless of their socio-economic background or their disabilities. NEP 2020 also emphasises ‘Inclusion’ as a vital approach to teaching-learning. This session helps teachers recognise the importance of inclusion, its implications, key challenges with regard to inclusion in schools and devise simple practical ways to make inclusion possible in every classroom. The workshop is applicable to teachers of all grades and levels.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to –

• explain why inclusion is vital for schools
• compare and contrast 2 classrooms in terms of their inclusivity
• identify some simple practical ways in which inclusion is possible in every class

Children with disabilities are most prone to being excluded from education. If we are to help all students learn, then it is imperative that teachers are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to tailor their classrooms and teaching for children with special needs. Only then will ‘Inclusive Education’ become a reality. This workshop provides teachers an overview of different disabilities and helps them think about making adaptations to their classrooms to include children with different kinds of disabilities. The workshop is applicable to teachers of all grades and levels.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• analyse their own beliefs and attitudes towards inclusion
• broaden their perspectives about the range of disabilities
• examine the different approaches to education of children with disabilities

All teachers would love teaching time that is free from disruption, behaviour issues or distractions. Effective classroom management is the glue that holds together meaningful learning experiences, guided by positive  teacher behaviour, norms and routines. In this workshop, teachers identify reasons for disruptive behaviour and examine simple, effective and innovative strategies for managing students. The workshop is applicable to Pre-Primary, Primary and Middle school teachers.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• get solutions to difficult situations that they face in the classroom
• examine 5 simple strategies for positive classroom communication
• self-assess their own role in managing the 10 variables that affect classroom compliance

All educators want to create effective learning environments that make learning a fun activity for the students and the teachers. This workshop helps educators understand the importance of the learning environment, and how to make both the outside and inside environment of the classroom, learning-friendly. It will help  teachers become more creative in utilizing all the space given, whether it is the blackboard, the bulletin board or the wall and doors of a classroom. The workshop is aimed at teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• plan and organise their black-board work
• design interactive and dynamic bulletin boards with scope for learner participation
• identify ways in which newspapers could be incorporated into routine lessons
• develop lesson plans that can include the outdoors, keeping in mind the curriculum

“A task well begun is half done.”

Make subject/ topic beginnings captivating so that the teacher and students strike the right magical note at the beginning of the lesson. This workshop explores ways in which teachers can lift the ‘middle’ part of their lessons when they may tend to flag. It culminates with looking at ways in which teachers can ‘end’ or recap their lesson in interesting ways. The workshop is for teachers of primary and middle school.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• experience strategies that make the beginning, middle and end of their lessons interesting and engaging
• adapt these strategies to different lessons and subjects

Teachers must be able to ‘connect’ with children and young people if they are to make a difference in their learning, health and well-being. The workshop examines ways in which all teachers would be able to use simple strategies to enhance their relationships with each other and with students. Teachers, also, explore ways in which institutional checks can be put in place for fostering positive relationships. The workshop is applicable for teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• share their thoughts and feelings about issues with ease
• listen to and understand each other better
• examine and devise simple strategies to enhance their relationships with each other and their students

A positive attitude fosters energy and enthusiasm in teachers as well as others around them. A teacher’s attitude and behaviour plays a critical role in catalysing student learning, besides ensuring the effective functioning of the school. This workshop enables teachers to examine their attitude as teaching professionals and its impact on the learning environment. It helps them reflect on their current approach and evaluate themselves on a set of professional characteristics designed for teachers. The workshop is aimed at teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• examine the link between the teacher’s attitude, classroom environment, the functioning of the school
• profile and evaluate themselves on certain key characteristics of a professional teacher
• develop a personal plan for themselves to become more effective teachers

Teaching is a relationship-oriented profession and teachers, in order to be effective, need to have the appropriate skills to communicate with and understand people, especially children. This workshop aims at equipping teachers with the basic counselling skills of active listening  that are absolutely vital for classroom and school situations. It focuses on having positive, constructive interpersonal communication. The workshop is aimed at teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• explore Self-Concept, Self-Esteem in relation to their communication.
• practise active listening Skills – Body Posture, Questions, Reflection of Content, Expression of Feeling, Reflection of Feeling.
• practise how to manage conflicts effectively.

Time management is about life management, but for a teacher it is also one of the key  factors in learning management! This workshop focuses on how teachers can use their teaching time effectively, work smart in order to get maximum learning outcomes from students. It helps them reflect on how organised they are and optimise time for meaningful teaching-learning processes and relationships. The workshop is aimed at teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• examine their routine school day through the lens of the time-activity matrix
• identify ways to maximise the time spent in the ‘important but not urgent quadrant’
• discuss ways to deal with procrastination

A reflective teacher is a lifelong learning teacher. As Bartlett (1990) points out, becoming a reflective teacher involves moving beyond a primary concern with instructional techniques and “how to” questions and asking “what” and “why” questions. The latter questions address concerns about instruction and managerial techniques not as ends in themselves, but as part of broader educational purposes.This workshop explores the need for reflection and helps teachers practise simple methods to routinely reflect on their classroom practices. The workshop is aimed at teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• recognise the importance of reflection and the reflective teaching cycle
• examine different ways of reflecting on teaching
• frame their individual teaching philosophies

 “What the child can do in cooperation today he (sic) can do alone tomorrow” Lev Vygotsky

In this module, the process is the content ! The module focuses on helping teachers learn about group work, through actually doing group work themselves. It’s universal knowledge that children learn more effectively when they are engaged with their peers in activities. This session helps teachers incorporate a range of collaborative learning formats in their classrooms. Teachers examine the importance of group work and the factors that impact group work. The workshop is applicable for teachers of primary, middle and high school.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• discuss the benefits of group work for teachers and students
• formulate ground rules for effective group work
• experience the various formats of group work – pair work, snowballing, rainbowing, jigsaw, fishbowl and carousel

When students ask questions, formulate and solve problems, investigate and inquire, learning is more effective. This module helps teachers understand the difference between conventional passive learning and active learning. It equips teachers with strategies to convert seemingly passive activities like reading, listening or viewing into thought provoking and deep learning opportunities. The workshop is for teachers of primary, middle and high school.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• experience active learning strategies to construct meaning and organise it
• discuss the use of different active learning tools
• plan for 2 topics using some of the learned strategies

The aim of this module is to equip teachers to use Marzano et al’s popular Dimensions of Learning (DOL) model as a practical teaching framework to enhance five dimensions of learning and five types of thinking.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• list the 5 dimensions and each of its facets
• create a classroom climate and design classroom tasks that promote positive attitudes and perceptions about learning among all students
• practise strategies to help students acquire and integrate essential knowledge successfully
• explain how teachers can help students to develop a deep understanding of essential knowledge using 8 essential skills
• evaluate how students can use knowledge independently in real – world settings
• suggest ways to develop productive habits of mind

In this module, participants explore the principles of formative assessment and its powerful ability to improve learning outcomes. Teachers practise various formative assessment strategies including self and peer assessment, use of portfolios and success criteria.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• define Formative Assessment
• list the 5 principles of Formative Assessment
• examine the 5 principles of Formative Assessment
• discuss strategies for effective Formative Assessment
• reflect on the benefits of Formative Assessment

Most summative assessments are limited to question papers with objective and a few subjective questions. In many cases, the manner of according marks to subjective questions is reduced to looking for key words rather than looking looking at the reasoning behind the answer itself. The NEP 2020 recommends competency based assessment and encourages self-assessment and project based assessments. This means that teachers need to be equipped to create and deploy tools like checklists and rubrics and to measure learning through performances, products and such. The workshop is aimed at teachers of primary, middle and high school. There is an exclusive module for pre-primary teachers.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• examine the difference between formative and summative assessments
• use Bloom’s Taxonomy to design a range of lower and high order questions in summative assessments
• design rubrics as alternative assessment tools.
• analyse typical question papers that teachers set

This crucial module focuses on lesson planning to make sure that what students learn is an outcome of careful design rather than a random act. This module helps teachers not only to comprehend the significance of a well structured lesson plan but also attain a mastery in the ‘art’ of Lesson Planning. The workshop is applicable for teachers of all grades and levels.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• discuss the importance of planning for teachers
• differentiate between goals and objectives
• identify the ABC of writing an objective
• reflect on the importance of writing accurate objectives for lessons
• design a topic plan for a lesson they are going to teach

Differentiation is a teaching approach that attempts to ensure that all students learn well, despite their many differences. It is not what is done, but the way it is done that achieves differentiation. This one day workshop will enable teachers to explore the meaning of differentiated learning in the context of their own classrooms and learn strategies which will enable all students to succeed. Teachers will also design a lesson using any one strategy of differentiation they learn and reflect on its potential impact for their learners. The workshop is for teachers of all primary, middle and high schools.

This workshop will enable participants to –

• identify vocabulary used in Differentiation Strategies
• explain why we differentiate
• explain the principles behind differentiation
• analyse how to implement the strategies and
• create differentiated activities for use in their classrooms

Everyone thinks; it is in our nature to do so. But much of our thinking, left to itself, is biased, distorted, partial, uninformed or down-right prejudiced. Yet the quality of our life and that of what we produce, make, or build depends precisely on the quality of our thought.

“Critical thinking is the complex ability to question, interpret, analyse, evaluate, infer and explain using credible evidence, conceptual knowledge, clear criteria, relevant context and/or research methods to solve problems, develop innovative solutions or make an independent judgement or decision. It is a meta-skill through which we are able to reflect on our own thinking, discern biases, ascertain credibility of the information, recognise and interpret ambiguous and conflicting information, be open-minded, flexible and fair.”

This workshop will enable participants to –

• examine the different critical thinking skills
• identify and reflect on instructional processes that allow for critical thinking
• complete a set of curated tasks that fosters their critical thinking
• self-assess their own critical thinking skills
• design tools for reflective learning
• develop questions and questioning techniques to foster critical thinking
• examine strategies that promote student questioning and analysis
• identify opportunities / strategies and tools for critical thinking from
• model lesson plans in their respective subjects
• design a lesson that fosters critical thinking among students

The National Education Policy 2020 seeks to transform the contemporary education system and envisages creation, transmission, use and dissemination of knowledge to provide high quality education to all. The NEP is ambitious and forward-looking but much of its success will depend on how it is executed. There is a need to create awareness about the NEP amongst teachers, students, officials, and other stakeholders in the education system so that we can together help India build its human capital with a sense of purpose, clarity and urgency.

(NEP) “is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive capacities ie the ‘foundational capacities’ of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem solving – but also social, ethical, and emotional capacities and dispositions.”

This workshop will enable participants to –

• examine the underlying vision and fundamental principles that guide the policy
• analyse the implications of the proposed changes in the pedagogical and curricular structure
• identify the key features of NEP and their relevance for school teachers.
• discuss the mandatory Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and career pathways for teachers based on the proposed National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST)
• identify skills and values required of teachers to make learning holistic
• examine specific strategies to enhance essential learning and critical thinking
• generate ideas for continuous and competency-based assessment that promotes learning and development in all students, and tests higher-order skills, such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity
• examine steps and measures to promote inclusive education – remove barriers and increase participation of students of all abilities and backgrounds.
• identify ways to support gifted / talented students as mentioned in the NEP
• explore cross-curricular pedagogical approaches such as ‘art and sports’ integration, as well as life-skills and social-emotional learning.

This module equips early years (pre-primary) teachers to  use various ways to develop the innate skills required by young learners to construct their knowledge and understanding of basic mathematical concepts and explore the relationship between numbers, shapes and geometrical figures. The teachers will also learn how to help the young learners handle data, and will reflect on how early numeracy skills can be further developed in the primary school years of education. The workshop is appropriate for teachers of pre-primary.

Every subject has its own intrinsic pedagogy that must be used effectively by teachers to help students acquire the relevant knowledge. In this workshop, while teachers examine how each subject should be taught, they will also learn the subject-specific pedagogical skills. This will develop in students, an appreciation of what different subjects have in common, and also how they are distinctive. With the appropriate subject enrichment workshops, teachers will be able to encourage students to think like historians, mathematicians or scientists. The workshop is appropriate for teachers of primary and middle school.

Social Studies This workshop on subject enrichment will explore a range of Thinking Skills, both in teaching of History as well as Geography, that will enable a teacher to keep students engaged and learning with meaning.

Science
Vital concepts in science are best learnt through ‘doing’. In this Subject Enrichment workshop, participants will perform brief science activities that require the use of the essential science process skills. This gives teachers a hands-on experience of identifying, discussing, and refining their understanding of the Process Skills.

Mathematics Through this Subject Enrichment Workshop, teachers will experience and explore different strategies to teach mathematics concepts in an interactive fun manner. The strategies are built around the essential mathematical skills which help learners work with concrete materials and manipulatives to understand abstract concepts better. Teachers will be able to adopt these strategies in the classroom for making mathematical concepts accessible and relevant for learners. The workshop helps teachers explore simple low cost material like toothpicks, ice cream sticks, bottle cans, counters, playing cards and paper folds to explore concepts in Numbers – computation; Geometry – patterns, symmetry; Measurement – estimation and data handling.

English Teaching English is a complex task especially for learners whose first language is a vernacular. In this Subject Enrichment workshop, teachers examine how to build a strong foundation in English. Using a range of stimulating activities and games to teach vocabulary, creative writing, grammar, and reading, the workshop will enable teachers to build all the essential language skills in a seamless and integrated fashion. They are also empowered to teach language with greater levels of confidence, conviction and ease.

Embedding language fluency in students is a shared responsibility within the school. The Skills of English Language (listening, speaking, reading, writing), must not be limited to just the English Language classroom. Instead, they must be honed while teaching a wide range of subjects. It is now being recognized that all teachers play a vital role in language development for better acquisition of learning in other subjects – Maths, Science and Social Studies. This workshop helps teachers who teach subjects, other than English Language, get ideas on how they too can help language development while teaching their respective subject content. The workshop is for teachers of primary and middle school classes

This gentle whole school ecosystemic model enables honest and authentic conversations between students and their teacher. It has been used by several leading schools across India for over 21 years. The Teacher Foundation (TTF) is the sole accredited training provider for Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK. TTF has trained thousands of teachers across India on QCT.

Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic are the traditional 3 Rs of education. A fourth equally important R is Relationships and Circle Times fosters this R by enhancing self-esteem, emotional intelligence and team or group work skills of students and teachers in schools.

The world becomes what we teach…… (Zoe Weill)
The world will not become what we don’t teach!

Through Quality Circle Time we can explicitly model and teach the social and emotional learning facets – self awareness, self-management, social awareness, responsible decision-making and relationship skills.

Quality Circle Time entails:

• the whole class sitting in a circle – non-hierarchical and inclusive
• children taking turns in speaking and listening, sharing ideas, contributing to a group situation, observing, thinking, concentrating
• learning relationship skills, assertive communication
• cooperative games, rounds, drama techniques, puppet play and discussions designed to promote trust, respect, empathy and understanding.
• exploring issues relating to personal, social, moral and health education.
• enhanced self-esteem, emotional intelligence and team or group work skills of students and teachers in schools.
• emotional ‘safety’ for the whole class produced by firm but gentle ground rules.
• equality of and respect for all participants.

Programme Overview*:

• Introduction to the Whole School Ecosystemic Model of QCT, Focussing on Adult Morale & Self Esteem – Personal Values & Well-being.
• Experiencing the 5 Stages of QCT, Discussion and debrief, the 6 Golden Rules and actioning them in daily life.
• Demo session with students, addressing questions & concerns, reflecting on Personal Behaviours in different situations.

Follow-up Support

• reviewing sample QCT plans.
• planning in groups for QCT sessions and presenting them
• additional demo session with a grade that has not participated in the earlier session.
• TTF facilitators will observe teachers conducting QCT independently with their students, followed by a group debrief

*The school needs to organise to bring in 30 students for a demo session on the 2nd day in the first half for an hour for the offline mode of workshop. Please note that the students must be from the same grade and division and should know each other.

The premise schools must work from is that both teachers and children work and respond better when they feel happy and cared for! Therefore schools must play a vital role in actively nurturing the social and emotional aspects of students’ learning. Only caring, enthusiastic and skilled teachers can help students gain the confidence and the competence to learn and grow!

As part of its enduring work in SEL, The Teacher Foundation (TTF) developed The Indian Social & Emotional Learning Framework (ISELF), a product of 7 years of research. It is an educational resource to foster social-emotional development of Indian children, using a carefully age-banded approach, from 6 years to 18 years.

ISELF will help teachers, mental health professionals, organisations working in the SEL space to develop 5 vital social-emotional competencies in children: Self Awareness, Self Management, Relationship Management, Social Awareness and Decision Making.

Some key objectives include enabling participants to:

• examine their own perceptions and beliefs on SEL
• look at implications of SEL on teachers and students
• navigate through the different components of ISELF and its Companion Handbook
• design lesson plans using ISELF
• explore specific ways to focus on teachers’ own well-being

Child safety needs to be of paramount importance to all schools. Today it is mandatory for all schools to have a functioning Child Safeguarding Policy. The Teacher Foundation’s Child Safeguarding initiative in adherence to best international practices and Indian legal mandates. The Child Safeguarding Policy (CSP) Programme offered by TTF aims to support schools in protecting their students from intentional as well as unintentional harm. TTF draws upon over 20 years of experience enabling and inspiring teachers, fostering safe and sensitive schools and whole school improvement efforts,

TTF’s Child Safeguarding Programme Includes:

I. Child Safety Baseline Audit by TTF – 1 Day The programme begins with a one-day audit carried out by TTF to help the school gather an external perspective on the existing strengths and needs with respect to child safeguarding initiatives in the school. It would examine the school’s existing policies, spaces, and interactions amongst the different stakeholders using the lenses of Social, Emotional Physical & Legal aspects of School Safety. This will include in-school observations, a set of self administered questionnaires to a sample of heads, teachers and students. The overall report will be immediately shared with the school with the assurance of complete confidentiality.

ii. Session on Need for Child Safeguarding Policy – 1 Day An interactive one day session for teachers would be conducted to create an awareness on the educational need and the legal imperative of a Child Safeguarding Policy for the school.

iii. Familiarising the School with the CSP Policy Document – 1⁄2 Day The Child Safeguarding Policy document (CSP) would be introduced where all the teachers will spend time deconstructing the policy and work out an implementation plan. The school will also be guided with the process of setting up a Child Protection Committee

iv. Self Audit by School – to be done after 3 months
A few months later, an online self audit would be carried out to help the school assess the implementation of the Child Safeguarding Programme.

Teaching is rewarding but also extremely demanding! Teachers and students are increasingly grappling with various levels of stress, anxiety, and trauma brought about by syllabus, time, physical and emotional constraints. Therefore, practising mindfulness in schools is becoming more important than ever before!

This module helps teachers understand the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of mindfulness and its implication on our personal and professional lives. Teachers get a taste of experiential mindfulness practices and tools to get in touch with themselves, make peace with their present as they embark on their journey as mindful practitioners.

By the end of this one-day workshop, teachers will:

• become aware of mindfulness practice and its significance
• explore the three states of mind – emotional, logical and wise and ways to develop the wise mind
• use tools from the ‘mindfulness kit’ to let go of things that are holding them from moving on and causing hindrances on a daily basis
• deploy tools to self-reflect and address negative thoughts and emotions
• generate ideas to inculcate mindfulness in the classroom

An Economics Hons graduate, from Delhi University, Mr Nedungadi has done an MBA from IIM, Kolkata and the Stanford Executive Programme from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He has held several senior leadership positions in Unilever, Gillette and the Aditya Birla Group.

He was also Group Head, Consumer Insights and Brand Development at Aditya Birla Group until recently. He is currently Managing Director of RedVent Strategy & Design Ltd. He specialises in leadership, strategy, customer centricity and innovation.

Maya began her career 40 years ago as a high school teacher in New Delhi. Her areas of professional interest and expertise include school effectiveness research, teacher development, leadership and strategic management of schools. She has a B.Ed from Delhi University and a MBA Education Management with distinction from University of Leicester, UK

Since 1996, she has trained thousands of teachers and heads of schools across the country.

She has presented papers on teacher development and school improvement at numerous national and international seminars. She has also written on issues concerning educational practice and management in leading publications like The Times of India, The Economic Times, Education World, Teacher Plus, Mentor.
She is the Founder Director of The Teacher Foundation.