The Seven Month Saga, The Pramadh way

 

                                             Drawing a Heart (Love symbol) emitting fire and more <3 

It has been seven months since we Pramadhs embarked on the home-schooling journey. It has been a lot of learning and preparation on our parts and constantly telling ourselves to retain the child-led exploratory nature of the process. In a blog piece in September, I had shared our learnings (https://madhurimadas.blogspot.com/2020/09/being-teachers-pramadh-way.html).

We have often been told, “This needs lot of patience and work” and also been asked, “How do you manage it with both of you working?”. Honestly, we have also been figuring it out at times as we go along. So, seven thoughts and learnings from these seven months. The thoughts oscillate between what we experienced and what we learnt.

1.       Learning on the Job: There is only so much we can prep for. Just like child birth, where we could read a lot, go through fanciful programs to prep to be parents, most of it is learnt on the job, literally. Homeschooling is this. There is no single formula. Some days we do activities that involve reading and writing, some days we explore concepts through nature and some days all we do is puzzles. And some days, we do nothing.

2.       The Collaboration, the search for Balance: Homeschooling is a collaborative task between the parents and the child, teamwork in its completeness. And with it comes the fact of accountability, where we as parents should not let the collaboration slip. Some days, the adulting takes over and that is where we need to be wary of what is happening. So, we need to pull up our socks, remind ourselves why we are in this as a family. And trust me, while we adults are doing that, the child is busy creating her own story with her toys.

3.       Let the child learn their way, you adapt how to teach- We need to be in the now, let the child learn and we adapt the way we teach. It is not our journey as a teacher, it is the journey of the child and we have to remember that. Also, the other thing that we have discovered is not to focus too much on visual or auditory or kinesthetic learning component. That can limit what we want to do. It is essential to not label and not fall prey to ‘wanting to label’.

4.       Stuck to Unstuck- Sometimes, it is ok to not know what to do, to feel stuck. So, getting to the ‘unstuck’ zone takes time. Sometimes, a few hours and sometimes a few days and lot of conversations. This is where unlearning what we know, relearning new things and the cycle continues. Also, there will be emotional upheavals, revelations and reactions. Embrace it all.

5.       Home-schooling is beyond letting the child stay home- There are various terminologies for the uninitiated- home-schooling, unschooling, microschooling. It all depends on what the family chooses to do and how. There are enough support groups on Facebook etc which can guide us. But one thing is important for us to know- homeschooling is not just letting the child stay at home and do worksheets. It requires immense involvement from the parents and for many becomes a life time journey. For us, we plan our week and each day often to the minutest details. We share our responsibilities and make this happen. With both of us working, this is hard but not impossible.

6.       Information is everywhere and it is overwhelming- There is an overdose of information. Use your mind as the filter and do not get lost in the jargons and terminologies. We continue to call the work and learning as activities. The experience can be overwhelming. So, take a break, breathe and think why are you all as a family in this. This needs to be done intermittently. While the process is organic and can be instinctual, we have to make rational decisions to understand how to process the information around us.

7.       The ‘Little Human Being’ is unique and a package deal- Parenting is fun and hard at the same time. A constant reminder to self that the little human being mirrors our every behavior. So, we have to tell ourselves that as they strive for independence and agency, we must be ready for the little push backs, the little melt downs and the vigorous vehement challenges to (so called) authority. They are learning to be their unique self, figuring out the myriad emotions and expressing them in ways they see and know. There is no perfect parent and no perfect child. We are ‘perfect for each other.’ Homeschooling is a package deal, so embark on it knowing that every moment is a discovery, the rocks and pebbles make the path what it is and each of us find a unique trail.

 

#Ira #Iraims #IraAtSix #StoriesAtSix #Happiness #Gratitude #HomeSchooling #Learning #Evolving #Parenting #LoveTeaching #homeschooling #homeschoolingmoms #homeschoolingrocks #homeschoolinggirls #homeschoolinglife #homeschoolingdads #homeschoolingparents #homeschoolingadventures #LittleHumanBeing #BeingParents #BeingTeachers #Pramadhs

Happy Teacher's Day 2019 - What I learnt from my students!

                        #MondayMotivation

We meander a path and we get lost and we find ourselves again. There are some things in life that give us immense joy. The joy that cannot be quantified and explained in tangible terms. I get that joy from teaching.

From taking short presentations in college in PUC to teaching different classes and different schools as part of NewsPaper in Education.

From doing MDPs with my guide during my PhD days or even teaching English to CLAT aspirants.

From teaching Masters students from Management, Design, Electronics, Public Policy or even Psychology to teaching new recruits, home grown managers, senior leaders or change agents.

Teaching has been a mosaic of experience for me. While everyday this year, I remember my teachers and share my gratitude and love, this year, I will share what I have learnt from my students and am eternally grateful to them. Teaching at my Alma mater is ofcourse like homecoming.

For two years now, I have been teaching in academics and also training in corporates. Each new corporate training session is a whole new world with different organization's and their niche cultures and employees. Each new academic batch is a new challenge because it is learning to teach an almost similar syllabus in a new way to keep your interest and to invigorate the young minds.

Each day, I take away something new from my students and I learn in leaps and bounds. I have met students with so much grit and determination, some finding their paths, some determined about their goal, some battling big challenges, some breaking stereotypes, some creating their own destiny. I listen to their growth stories and am in awe.


1. Always be up to date on the topic you are teaching. Use current examples.
2. Build a bank of examples, anecdotes and stories.
3. Know your books, your movies and your series. Comes extremely handy working with a young crowd. Instant connect guaranteed.
4. Contextualise the examples to the group you are speaking to.
5. Work with ground cases to understand the importance of practical solutions.
6. Respect every voice and Empathise with the narratives that are shared.
7. Encourage the listener in everyone, the talkers are often plenty.
8. Get the silent ones to speak up, they often share the deepest wisdom.
9. Think there is no box to bound your creativity or theirs.
10. Interactive teaching works across academia and industry.
11. Games work even in academic set ups (Tried and Tested)
12. Case studies are a great tool to use.
13. Story telling is a fabulous technique and a must have skill.
14. Ask questions, reflect their thoughts, ask again. Let them do the larger share of speaking at times.
15. Distractions happen. Don't make it personal. Make things relevant.
16. Attendance is only a small part of the larger picture. (I have once taught a corporate session with 6 participants where 30 were expected. I respected the time and commitment of those 6 participants).
17. Exhibit energy and enthusiasm. The participants or students will reflect and mirror the energy you show.
18. Not all beginnings are perfect. Never let a minor hitch cause a crease on your forehead.
19. Sometimes planned things fail. Let go and move on.
20. Sometimes you will have that one person who just is not there. Let it be. May be the person is having a hard day.
21. Plan a session such that it is amenable to change, to accomodate different moods, different narratives, different weathers and different days.
22. Do not enter a class or a room with pre conceived notion about the batch or the city or the organization. Be the blank slate that will absorb everything.
23. Every growth story inspires someone in the room. Encourage participants to share.
24. Retain the curiosity, retain the awe, it can only make the journey better
25. Be kind, be honest, be pragmatic, never give false hope, be optimistic. And smile because it only guarantees a smile in return.

#Gratitude #Happiness #LoveTeaching #HappyTeachersDay #DoWhatYouLove #GrowthStories

Some experiences nudge us to happiness and this was mine

Sometimes, life throws opportunities at you that you must grab without a second thought. This is exactly what I did in June when the course coordinator for MA Public Policy, MCC called me and asked if I would be able to take the Behavioral Science Course for the MAPP second year students.

Having taught this at IISc in 2015, I was ready to embark on another semester of teaching BS. However, the entire orientation and focus of the course was different from what I had taught earlier. I had earlier taught Management and design students and the concepts were primarily focusing on psychology and management. This time, there was a lot of focus on economic concepts and for me, this was a whole new learning. Prior to each session, I would sit for hours reading papers, books and prepping for the session. And was absolutely thrilled with myself for creating unconventional question paper for them, with some abstract elements. For the uninitiated, academia is so much of hard work and I have immense respect for all my friends who are full time academicians; and for my teachers.

The class composition was what made teaching this course one of my best experiences ever. The students were intelligent, dynamic young women who knew what they were striving for and also why they were pursuing this course .They were from diverse backgrounds of English literature, Journalism, Psychology, Microbiology, Engineering, Public Policy (I hope I haven't missed any!). Each of them brought with them their share of unique experiences and working at the grassroots with different organizations for their internship.

Our classes were filled with experiential anecdotes, some that made us thoughtful and some laugh so hard, that our cheeks would hurt.

I absolutely enjoyed this 'teaching stint' and they will always be a special bunch of girls for me. Today, I not only took my final class with them, but I also invigilated a Psychology Practical exam that brought back tons of memories.

Some experiences nudge us to happiness and this was mine! Wishing the girls best for all their endeavors.

#Happiness #LoveTeaching #BehavioralScience #MyAlmaMater #ExistentialExperiences

Finding the 'Teacher' in me

I love teaching. Period.

What as a child was a game comprising of a blackboard, chalk pieces and imaginary students grew to be something I innately enjoy. I love teaching. Teaching in its rawest, purest form. I discovered the love for teaching during my sociology classes at MCC when we had to present on small topics and literally, teach the class that topic. Then during the course of PhD, my Professor gave me the opportunity to do a few MDP (Management Development Program) sessions. Sir is a fabulous teacher and I have never known anyone teach HRM the way he does; I realise that a lot of techniques I use are what I learnt by observing him. I will be eternally grateful to him for that (But I have to muster up the courage to share this blog piece with him).

I walked into the world of training and coaching almost accidentally. For a few months, I trained students in English for a competitive law exam at a coaching centre. For me, it was about going back to Wren and Martin and reliving the fabulous English classes held at the rock, by my school English teacher. Then, I slowly moved on to do more trainings in various HRM topics and also my research area - Work Life Balance. Working with corporates and academic institutions have their own flavor and their own challenges and adapting to that is a new learning for me each time.

Post PhD, my first Job was with an academic institution and primarily focusing on research and MDPs. Here, I did sessions for scientists and for labor managers and sessions for people at the grass root level. Some of my best field work experiences were at Assam and Nilgiris and these sessions were an integral part of that. 

Over the years, I have now begun teaching a gamut of topics from communications to mentoring to personality, motivation and leadership; and also work life balance, gender sensitization and research methodology to name a few more!

Some teaching experiences of course remain special and my one such experience has to be taking the complete Behavioral Science course at DoMS, IISc a few years back. I thank the professor who gave me that opportunity. I loved Wednesdays and waited for my session (Imagine a teacher saying that:)). A fabulous bunch of energetic and enterprising students, some of whom were kind to mail and wish me today and for sure made my day! From using case studies to analysing a session topic using a famous movie, the course saw me explore new avenues of teaching. I learnt as much as I taught. This has to be my most favorite teaching experience to date! But wait, another outscores it.

I love the way am a teacher to Ira at some precious moments when am teaching her something. It could be how to do some craft with cotton, make book marks, paint with veggies, tell stories, ...just about anything!

Finding the 'Teacher' in me has been the most overwhelming thing because it makes me happiest when am teaching. I have been lucky to have some fabulous teachers from school, college and institute, some who have taught me and some with whom I have interacted over activities and other things. I have learnt so much from everyone , that it cannot be summed up in a few lines. I am eternally grateful to each of my teachers. They have impacted my life and helped me impact the lives of others in many many ways. 

As I write this post, am in Mumbai prepping for a session on Personality tomorrow. Am thrilled and the 'Teacher in me' is doing a happy dance!

Happy Teacher's Day world!

#teacher #teachersday #loveteaching