The Teacher Foundation of India Plans Conference to Put Children's Self-esteem at the Heart of the Curriculum
Thu, Apr 24th 2008
The Teacher Foundation of India and the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) is planning a large 2-day conference in November 2008. The conference, entitled "Schools That Care" has been designed to put children's self-esteem at the heart of the curriculum. NCERT is the government of India's organisation undertaking policy decisions on the school curriculum, textbooks and research in school education. Jenny Mosley is delighted to have been invited to attend the conference to present an orientation into the Whole School Quality Circle Time model.
Conference: Schools That Care
Does the education we impart students take into consideration their unique personhood?
- Are we building opportunities for celebrating the success of all pupils?
- How emotionally safe are we in our schools?
- How good am I as an educator at giving appreciation and encouragement?
- How can I build trust and confidence amongst the members of my staff?
Increasingly questions such as these are going to nag all of us who are in education. But not many educators in fact actually worry about these issues. And neither would they know how to address them.
The quality and language of personal interaction in our schools - teachers with students and students amongst themselves is often marked by harshness of tone, insensitivity towards others’ feelings and a sense of inadequacy in expressing thoughts , ideas and feelings. Authoritarianism and judgement pervade majority of teacher- student interactions in schools across India.
In our classrooms we are primarily concerned with teaching and learning, but many of our children are unable to speak spontaneously and listen; they are unable to take turns to share ideas or to contribute to a group situation. All these are basic requirements for being well-adjusted future citizens of this world. They are also necessary in a classroom for effective delivery of lessons and syllabi on the part of the teacher.
Schools therefore need to actively nurture the ‘human’ side of student growth and development. But it’s easier said than done - for many reasons. One reason is that we are a class-ridden society, with many biases that get perpetuated by our schools. Another reason is that teachers themselves having been subjected to such interactions while they were students. It is this reality that they replicate, wittingly or unwittingly.
TTF’s Idea
It is becoming imperative that we need to reduce the disparities and disconnects that exist between schools and within schools in India. It is also important to ‘soften’ our schools so that they are safe learning environments for all our children.
No concerted attempt has been made nationwide to actually improve the culture of interpersonal communication that takes place in our schools even though the National Curricular Framework 2005 makes detailed references to a policy of inclusion, nurturing an enabling environment and good behaviour through a policy of participatory management. However schools don’t have a clear strategy to implement these ideas and place social and emotional well-being of our pupils at the heart of all school reforms. Most educational reforms in India so far have been restricted to developing literacy, numeracy competencies or physical infrastructure development.
We need to actively nurture staff self esteem and students’ self esteem and put into place clear listening systems which can eventually contribute to a Whole School Behaviour Policy that is inclusive, positive, caring and assertive for students and staff so that all experience success in school - the gifted, the average and the special needs individuals.
Our idea is to contextualise and adapt the Whole School Quality Circle Time model developed by Jenny Mosley, the well-known teacher trainer, drama therapist and author from the UK for effective use in schools across India (both private and government, both primary and secondary levels). The model is highly flexible and can be adapted to various linguistic, socio-cultural and geographical contexts. It requires no additional expense for the school, apart from the investment on its teachers for being trained effectively for 3-5 days and thereafter being periodically supported and monitored across an academic year.
What’s Quality Circle Time ?
Circle Time as a structured group process teaches young people how to understand themselves and relate to others. The circle time method involves the teacher in a weekly half-hour meeting where all the participants including the teacher, sit in a circle and take an equal responsibility for solving issues the group members have themselves highlighted. The structures and techniques within Circle Time teach individuals to communicate more clearly, directly and honestly with each other. By learning to express their feelings in a clear way, they learn to develop positive relationships.
The strategies involved for children include cooperative games, pair work, rounds, drama techniques, puppet play - each strategy appropriate to the emotional and intellectual level of the group. Through cooperative activities and discussion, circle time ensures that each child experiences success and, used on a regular weekly basis, it promotes a feeling of equal value and group identity.
At the heart of the Circle time model for pupils (from ages 2 onwards) is a period time-tabled to take place once a week. It involves the whole class sitting in a circle – non-hierarchical and inclusive – to learn relationship skills and explore issues relating to personal, social, moral and health education. The Circle meetings aim to encourage participation, the development of self discipline, negotiation, assertive communication and democratic group process alongside the skills of attending, speaking, listening, observing, thinking and concentrating.
Teachers trained in the Circle Time approach are able toget pupils to meet in a circle to engage in games, exercises, discussions designed to promote trust, respect, empathy and understanding.
Circle Time is a sustainable and replicable idea for the following reasons:
- The Teacher Foundation has already piloted the Circle Time approach to fostering the social and emotional aspects of student development in several schools across India – and we have found the response has been always very positive, owing to its intrinsically humane person-centred approach. We have gathered feedback from a wide range of schools as testimony.
- The idea requires no additional infra-structural costs – it works equally well in a small rural school as well as an up-market urban school.
- The focus is on enhancing the personal skills and attitudes of teachers and other adults in the education system.
- It places the raising of morale and self-esteem of teachers, as a primary strategy for successful implementation in schools.
A Proposed Framework for the “Schools That Care" Conference
Day 1 : Importance of Self-esteem, Social and Emotional Development – talks by eminent professionals ( including from NCERT) – academicians, psychologists, psychiatrists and school practitioners
Showcasing the Good, Bad and the Ugly – – people’s experiences of school. What schools can do and have done to their students
Day 2 : Turn your School Around : an orientation to the Whole School Quality Circle Time approach by Jenny Mosley with a live demo with 30 students from a typical school