The Buzz @ TTF
July to September 2024
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Welcome to the second quarter edition of our newsletter! As we journey through this academic year, we are excited to share valuable insights, updates, and resources that enhance the learning experiences of teachers.
Here are some highlights from the events, webinars and workshops TTF has organised recently!
We hope you enjoy this snapshot of TTF from this past quarter.
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The JN Tata Auditorium in Bangalore resonated with the uplifting sounds of student choirs at our fundraiser concert on the evening of July 21, 2024. This special event brought together music lovers and education advocates to support The Teacher Foundation’s mission of enhancing educational opportunities in government schools across Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The evening featured beautiful performances of two exceptional school choirs: the Bethany School Choir and the Christel House India Choir. Their joyous voices filled the auditorium, inspiring hope for a brighter future through music.
The headline performance by Rear Admiral (Dr.) Nirmala Kannan (Retd) added to the magic of the evening. A distinguished retired naval doctor turned musician captivated the audience with her rich repertoire of songs from the 60s-90s.
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Fulbright Teacher Exchanges
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In July again (1st -14th 2024) TTF hosted the 15 school teachers from the US - India Cohort of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program.
In the past, for 6 consecutive years (between 2012 and 2017) we have hosted the India Cohort of Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program organised by IREX, a US Govt. funded organisation. IREX reconnected with us this year after a gap of 7 years to host a cohort of specially selected School Teachers.
During this enriching experience, TTF provided participants with a comprehensive overview of contemporary India and its education system.
Our team facilitated support through school visits and engaging school meetings, interactions with experts in art, history and culture that provided immersive experiences.
Highlights of the program included a talk on 'Delhi: A Palimpsest City with Glimpses of Agra and the Taj' by Sarthak Malhotra, an inspiring evening with renowned artist Raghava KK, a curated Indian cooking class, and a guided city tour of Central Bangalore led by Arun Pai. These activities offered participants a unique glimpse into the vibrant culture and rich traditions of India.
We are delighted to have contributed to this global initiative and look forward to continuing our work in fostering international collaborations in education.
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In celebration of Teachers' Day, TTF held a zany contest themed "Why Do You Teach?" Teachers were invited to submit short, innovative, and creative videos expressing their passion for teaching. We received an overwhelming response from educators across India and are excited to announce our top four entries!
Vidonia Gracias, Children's Academy, Mumbai - 1st Prize
Manish Sharma, St Mira's High School, B'lore - 2nd Prize
Dimple Soni, Delhi Public School B'lore East - 3rd Prize
Divya Singh, Birla Open Minds School, T'gana - 3rd Prize
Congratulations to the winners of the Teachers' Day Contest! You can watch their fantastic videos on our YouTube channel. Check them out here!
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Problem Solving through Maths
"Help students own the concepts they are working on!" This powerful message from Charuta Joshi, Founder of ProblemSolvers Lab, inspired us during our engaging webinar on August 29th. With her colleague Ayush Manik, Charuta took the transformative power of Math in problem-solving to the 100+ attendees.
If you missed it, you can catch the full video and more insightful content by subscribing to TTF's YouTube channel. Subscribe here to stay updated!
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We’re excited to share the latest episode of Learning Matters, where we delve into the topic of 'Promoting Global Citizenship in the Curriculum'
Join educators Kayla Corcoran from The Thaden School in Arkansas and Kritika Mahajan, Senior Coordinator for Training and Teacher Support at TTF, as they discuss effective strategies and insights for teaching students to understand and engage with global issues.
Check out our Youtube channel for such podcasts and more!
https://www.youtube.com/user/teacherfoundation
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Promoting Global Citizenship in the Curriculum
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Blogs on Continuous Professional Development
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Senior facilitators at TTF have put together a series of blogs on Continuous Professional Development. Click on the links below to listen!
Decoding the Mysteries behind effective CPD: 6 key Features by Nidhi Soni, TTF Centre Head, Mumbai
Soorya Hariharan, Sr Coordinator, Training and Teacher Support, TTF, writes on The Need for Continuous Professional Development
CPD for Teachers - What to Focus on by Sandhya Shivaprasad, Head of Training & Content, TTF
Kritika Mahajan, Sr Coordinator Training & Teacher Support, TTF writes on An Essential Guide to CPD planning for School Leaders
What & How of CPD by Reeshma Suri, Sr Coordinator, School Well-being
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Championing SEL in our schools through effective Assessments
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SAMBHAV is a set of multi-modal tests that can be used to assess the social and emotional competencies of Indian children aged between 6 and 18 years. It uses a 'vignettes-based enquiry' to gauge how children are responding to a variety of simple as well as challenging situations in school, community and neighbourhood.
SAMBHAV is a result of TTF’s decade-long research on SEL and is based on the social-emotional learning standards and outcomes articulated in the Indian Social and Emotional Learning Framework (ISELF). There are five Sambhav Tools designed for the age groups – 6 to 8 years, 9 to 10 years, 11 to 13 years, 14 to 15 years and 16 to 18 years.
Each test gives a measure of children’s skills related to the 5 SEL Competencies – Self Awareness, Self Management, Relationship Management, Social Awareness and Decision Making.
SAMBHAV tools are available in multiple Indian languages and are designed in audio-visual format, to make them inclusive and accessible for all kinds of learners.
TTF has successfully used the Sambhav tools to assess nearly 7000 students to date - 1200 students from Govt. schools in Pune, Maharashtra; 2445 students (age band of 11 to 13 years & 14 to 15 years) and 2099 students (6 - 8 years & 9 - 10 years) from Govt. Schools in Karnataka.
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TTF's Work with Private Schools
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Capacity building Interventions for Coaches & Trainers
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TTF has signed a six-month partnership with the Nettakallappa Aquatic Centre (NAC) to enhance the skills of their swimming coaches and teachers. Over this period, TTF will provide training to 23 coaches on positive relations with learners, theories of learning, effective communication amongst other essential modules.
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Whole School Quality Circle Time (QCT)
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TTF conducted QCT workshops in various parts of the country. Two schools, Kamala Niketan Montessori School (KNMS) in Trichy and Mother Divine Public School (MDPS) in New Delhi, hosted these workshops as part of their Safe & Sensitive Schools project. Additionally, Mother's Pet Kindergarten School in Nagpur organized a workshop for over 100 Early Years teachers.
Swati Sharma from MDPS says, "The most useful aspect of the workshop was the complete eco-systemic model which allowed for self-expression by enhancing communication skills and promoting positive behavior. It helps to develop interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships, encourages problem-solving abilities and promotes inclusion."
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Keswick School, Madurai and Ashram School in Bangalore took short-term workshops on contemporary teaching-learning practices, including Subject Enrichment, Learning Spectrum, Buzzing Classrooms, etc.
G. Prabha from Keswick School shared that one of her key takeaways was the importance of developing and enhancing LSRW (Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing) skills through engaging activities in language classes.
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