INNOVATIVE PATHSHAALA...in 2015 by Sri Aurobindo Society () as part of its nation-wide education...

A platform for the teachers, by the teachers

Innovations Handbook (Navachar Pustika) Vol 7,Issue 1 (2018-19), English, Jammu & Kashmir Edition

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Zero Investment Innovationsfor Education Initiatives

A platform for the teachers, by the teachers

ZIIEI is a mass-scale teacher outreach initiative started in 2015 by Sri Aurobindo Society (www.aurosociety.org) as part of its nation-wide education transformation programme, Rupantar. ZIIEI believes that teachers are the pillars of this nation, and their contribution, if recognised and supported, can bring about a significant improvement in the quality and reach of education. Therefore, ZIIEI aims to find ‘the scattered, isolated and unrecognised, but effective solutions’ created by teachers at the grassroots and systematically scale them up to millions of schools. In the process, teachers are:

• Sensitised about the critical need for innovations in the Indian state-run schools;• Educated about the potential of innovations that require zero monetary investment;• Encouraged to share such best practices freely with the teaching community; and• Recognised for their contribution towards improving the quality of education.

With the support of HDFC Bank, hundreds of thousands of teachers and principals across the country are being oriented to innovation as a concept and encouraged to share their ideas with the education fraternity.

The most outstanding ideas to improve education quality at zero investment are published in this Innovations Handbook (Navachar Pustika). These ideas or best practices are then replicated in lakhs of schools every year. Schools that have been using these innovations in their c lassrooms are observing an increase in children’s attendance and enrollment, teacher's motivation, and community participation.

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FOREWORD

This is a proud moment in the history of Indian education when the teachers of this country have taken it upon themselves to transform the way we prepare our youth for the future. With their small innovative ideas taking shape in classrooms, we can once again look forward to creating an education system with strong foundations and high ideals that were once a part of the Indian heritage and glory.

The ideas that are published in ZIIEI Innovations Handbook demonstrate that a ‘new teacher’ has arisen. This new teacher understands that imparting true education does not mean merely helping students acquire knowledge, but also cultivating in them a deep understanding of how to use knowledge. This is the kind of teaching-learning that repeatedly brings teachers, students and the community in touch with India’s age old values, culture, heritage and diversity, yet with an eye on the future possibilities.

Sri Aurobindo has called such an education ‘National Education’. In one of his essays, he says, “it is an education proper to the Indian soul and need and temperament and culture that we are in quest of, not indeed something faithful merely to the past, but to the developing soul of India, to her future need, to the greatness of her coming self-creation, to her eternal spirit.”

This is why the ideas featured by ZIIEI are termed ‘innovations’, because they focus on the application of better solutions that meet new requirements requirements of the future of all of us as a Nation, which is now part of a larger

global community. They are also ‘innovations’ because they are contextually relevant in our schools. Any new way of doing things may be pathbreaking, but if it does not connect to people’s lives or if it cannot be used without changing hundred other processes, i.e. if the people are not able to use it in their existing circumstances, is it really an innovation? When the concept of Zero Investment Innovation was first introduced back in 2016, teachers used to arrive at orientation sessions expecting yet another long-drawn lecture on how to improve education delivery. But soon they realised that finally their turn to take the centre stage in education had come ZIIEI is here to learn from you! This ‘zero’ is a stage that includes all teachers, irrespective of their experience, age, professional degrees or background. When there is no cost involved, there are no transactions, no barters, no favours; only a free-flow of positive and constructive ideas to help each other as part of one mass movement to improve the quality of education.

Today, millions of teachers have joined this innovation movement. State after state, through this Innovations Handbook, new methods and means of education provided by teachers are being replicated in thousands of schools. Case studies and surveys show that in schools where zero investment innovations are being used to enhance the learning environment, students attendance and enrollment are increasing, and parents and community are participating more actively. But above all, the change we really wanted to see, is that teachers are feeling more empowered and valued. It is, after all, their work that is making a difference even in the remotest areas of the country.

We are grateful to all the teachers of Jammu & Kashmir who contributed their best ideas to ZIIEI, and we thank the officers of Jammu & Kashmir Education Department for supporting them. With the release of this edition of Innovations Handbook, we hope that many more teachers of the country will be inspired to ask ‘what can I do better at zero cost?’.

SAMBHRANT

ZIIEI Founder and Member-Executive,Sri Aurobindo Society

4 Innovations Handbook

INNOVATIVE TEACHERS OF JAMMU & KASHMIR

Archana GuptaGovernment Middle School,

Pacca Danga, Sunetar, Ramnagar, Udhampur

Bashir DarGovernment Middle School, Ichoo, Vailoo,

Anantnag

Sunanda RainaGovernment B Middle

School, Manigam, Khoripora, Anantnag

Shaheena MehrajGovernment Middle School,

Aung, Mattan,Anantnag

GH. Rasool ParrayGovernment High School,

Khiram, Srigufwara, Anantnag

Sandeep Sharma Government Middle School, Chang, Tikri,

Udhampur

Syed Ajaz Ahmad Government Middle School, Dudwagan

Shahabad, Anantnag

Reyaz Ahmad MallaGovernment Primary

School, Phorupeth, Langate, Kupwara

Shakeel AliGovernment Upper

Primary School, Chewakhund, Pulwama

5Innovations Handbook

Suresh KumariGovernment Middle

School, Jourian,Jammu

Pratibha SharmaGovernment Girls

High School, Resham Ghar Colony, Jammu

Maqsood AhmedGovernment Primary

School, Khatruee, Danral, Jammu

Pratibha SharmaGovernment High School,

Chiryai,Udhampur

Faruq AhmedGovernment Middle

School, Shoupora, Doru, Anantnag

Palak KapoorGovernment Middle School, Sohanjana,

Jammu

Mohamad Afzal Lone Government Middle

School, Panad,Anantnag

Santosh KumariGovernment Middle

School, Sahanoo Dansal,Jammu

Reena SharmaGovernment Middle

School, Jourian,Jammu

Subzar Ahmad BhatGovernment Middle

School, Durhama,Kulgam

Nikhat NazirGovernment Primary

School, Mir mohalla Naid Khai, Hajin, Bandipor

Akram Amin ButtGovernment Middle

School, Dellar,Kishtwar



Tanveer AhmedGovernment High

School, Jawahirpora, Aripal, Pulwama

Mahbooba HussainGovernment Boys Middle

School, Qazi Mohalla, Anantnag

Ankush Dev Singh Government Middle

School, Chhanni Tana, Jourian, Jammu

Bashir Ahmad GanieGovernment Girls Middle

School, Keema,Bandipora

Manzoor AhmedGovernment High

School,Thaman, Shahabad, Anantnag

Shiv Kumar SharmaGovernment High

School, Dhorsi Kalyari, Marheen, Kathua

DurakshanGovernment High School, Batamaloo,

Srinagar

Syed Muneer Hussain Government Boys High

School, Paranpillan, Jhulla, Baramulla

Bashir Ahmad LoneGovernment B.H.S,

Trehgam,Kupwara

Gh. Mohd. WaniGovernment Middle

School, Sirhama Srigufwara, Anantnag

Nazir Ahmad BhatGovernment Middle

School, Tangpathri, Gund, Ganderbal

Shveta SharmaG.G.H.S.S,Canal Road,

Jammu



INDEX

PageCOMMUNITY PARTICIPATION(INNOVATION CODE - J&K/18/01)Innovation 1 09

PageSELF LEARNING(INNOVATION CODE - J&K/18/02)Innovation 2 12

PageIMPROVING ATTENDANCE(INNOVATION CODE - J&K/18/03)Innovation 3 18

PageMORAL VALUES(INNOVATION CODE - J&K/18/04)Innovation 4 20

PageNEW AGE TEACHING TECHNIQUES(INNOVATION CODE - J&K/18/05)Innovation 5 23

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION


Schools are not just the place where students acquire knowledge for a successful life ahead but they also serve as social centres where steps are taken from time to time for the upliftment of the community and improving the learning outcomes of students. Community and schools’ joint efforts give a boost to enrolment, attendance and academic record of students as well as the school. This innovation of Community Participation equips teachers with ideas about how they can engage the community members in the education process, and how community can play a vital role in the growth of school and in expanding the reach of education. The different social campaigns launched by schools, especially in the rural areas, help people know about their roles and responsibilities and also make them aware about social issues like girl child education and child marriage. The regular supervision of parents about their child’s performance at school and regular attendance improves the student as well as the school’s performance. Hence, it is important for teachers to engage the community at all levels for better results.

NAMES OF THE INNOVATORS1. Bashir Ahmad Lone, Government B.H.S, Trehgam, Kupwara2. Gh. Mohd. Wani, Government Middle School, Sirhama Srigufwara, Anantnag3. Nazir Ahmad Bhat, Government Middle School, Tangpathri, Gund, Ganderbal4. Shveta Sharma, G.G.H.S.S, Canal Road, Jammu

BENEFITS OF THIS INNOVATION• Effective means of helping the community understand the importance of education and school. • Fostering a spirit of mutual cooperation among parents and teachers. • Community members feel valued by becoming a part of children’s education, and they are inspired to support the school’s development. • Positive changes in learning environment for students, inside and outside the school. • Increase in children's confidence as well as their attendance and enrolment.

(INNOVATION CODE - J&K/18/01)

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

INNOVATION 1



IMPACT AREASIncreases involvement of parents in their child’s education; Improves motivation levels among teachers.

SUMMARYCommunity Participation is a good way of involving the society in the education process. The disinterested parents are made aware of the importance of education in their children’s life. Also, their continuous guidance and support to their children helps in developing the latter’s interest in studies and improving their learning outcomes. This initiative also makes the parents feel valued and empowered and they become more proactive towards their children’s education.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1

LIVE CLASSROOMSIntroduction: Parents are always curious about what their children do in classrooms, how attentive they are or do they listen and follow the teacher or not. Parents are also keen to know about the teaching patterns of a teacher and how a daily activity in classroom looks like. This activity provides an opportunity to parents to witness the classroom activities and enables them to know their child’s strengths and weaknesses. It also allows them to discuss and follow up with the teacher about the child’s performance.Classroom Application: This activity is applicable for all classes. Children behave in a more disciplined way knowing the fact that their parents are present in the class to monitor their performance. It also fosters a bond between parents, teachers and students. Planning/Preparation: No specific TLM is required for this activity. Teacher fixes a day every month when this activity is conducted. The teacher also ensures that all the parents are invited to the classroom and all of them become a part of it. Therefor a pre-planning is done beforehand keeping in mind the availability of the parents and accordingly a schedule is fixed.Implementation: This activity is implemented in two parts. As per part one, teachers inform parents about the activity and takes a note of their availability and interest in the activity. In second part, parents sit in the classroom along with other students and witness the classroom activities. Detailed description is as follows:PART I• Teacher informs parents about this activity through phone call or writing a note in the students’ diaries

INNOVATION 1

asking the parents to be present to witness their children’s activities in the school.• All the parents write back or reply back to the teacher and confirms their availability.• Teacher keeping in mind the availability of the parents make a planner and once in a week a parent is invited to become a part of the activity.• If a parent cannot devote the entire time for this activity, then they can come for few hours. All these details are mutually discussed between the teacher and the parent. PART II• All the students stand-up and greet the invited set of parents.• Parents sit quietly in the class as the proceedings go on and witness their child’s behaviour and performance.• The teacher carry out the routine classroom activities and also extra- curricular activities such as painting, art and craft class. • Parents while sitting in the class take note of their children’s strengths and weaknesses and gets a chance to talk to all the children.• Parents motivate all the students to work and study hard. At this moment, parents encourage not only their own child to behave well in classroom but inspire all the students to live a disciplined and good life.• If the parents feel any issue to be discussed with the teacher, they do so once the class is over or during the lunch break.• The teacher counsel’s parents how they can improve their child’s performance if he/she is lacking in some subject or extra-curricular activities.• Seeing parents in school increases the confidence of students and they put out their best behaviour.PLEASE NOTE:• Teachers ask the parents to be present in the school on different occasions like during events organised in the school during national festivals or sports day.

INNOVATION 1

• If any case parents are unable to come for this activity, then on behalf of them grandparents or uncle/aunts can also take part.

2

SCHOOL JUSTICE COMMITTEEIntroduction: If engagement programs conducted by schools can uplift the community, then at the same time support from the community can help develop schools, its infrastructure and provide solutions to its day-to-day problems. Under this activity, a School Justice Committee is formed that includes members of the community as well as of the school. Different issues ranging from water shortage to scarcity of benches to limited school books for children are discussed in the meeting of the School Justice Committee and solutions are reached.Classroom Application: This activity can be implemented in all schools. Regular meetings make people aware about the issues faced by schools and solutions are discussed and steps are taken to solve them.Planning/Preparation: A specific day is fixed for this monthly meeting and prior information is given to parents and other community members to join the meeting.Implementation: School authorities and community members gather in the school hall or play ground for the meeting.• The teacher presents the issue/issues that need attention. The issue can vary from hygienic potable water for students to garbage management in school.• The committee members listen to the problem and offer all kind of possible solutions. The proposed solutions are the one in which community members take the lead and offer help to solve the problem. • For Example: A school was facing water shortage and school authorities were having difficulty in providing sufficient drinking water to the students and also for preparing mid-day meal. This issue was brought up before the social justice committee. It was decided that local community members will collectively provide water to the school until the problem is fixed. In this water supply was distributed among local people and parents, and each one supplied 2 to 3 litres of water on daily basis. The duty to provide water can also be done on rotational basis. • Another Example: A school was facing theft issues due to lack of security. Random incidents of theft of table, chair etc created a concern among teachers. The teachers raised this issue in front of committee, and it was decided that local people will give security at night on rotational basis. Also, community members were made aware that if school lose of any

kind of property hampers education of their children. Therefore, they should be sensitive towards school property. • This activity builds an atmosphere of mutual cooperation among the school and the community and also provides a safe environment for students to grow and thrive.

3 COUNSELLING CELL

Introduction: It is seen that students generally shy away from sharing their problems, be it study-related, exam-related or any other personal issue. Sometimes, they do not get the appropriate environment at home and school where they can share their problems. This activity provides them a platform to talk about their issues and release their stress or anxiety if they are suffering from any. This activity also helps parents provide proper counselling about their children’s education and career path. Classroom Application: This activity can be implemented in all classes, especially for the higher ones. Students of higher classes consult their teachers through this activity about possible career options.Planning/Preparation: No special preparation is required for this activity. The counselling cell remains open for all working days of the school so that parents and students can approach teachers with their problems at any time.Implementation: Child psychology is a sensitive issue. Teachers take note of the students who remain very silent in the class or whose behaviour has changed in past few weeks. • Teacher calls upon those children and talk to students in a polite manner like a mentor. • Teacher encourages students to open up and talk freely about their problem, if they have any.• The student confines in the teacher and expresses his/her problem.• The teacher counsels the students and offer all kind of possible support to them.• If required, teacher also discusses the problem with guardians/ parents of the students. However, in this process it is kept in mind that matters related to children are mostly sensitive in nature, and due attention and importance should be given to them. • This process can be done other way round too. The teachers can ask parents if their they feel that their child under exam or kind of stress then they can bring their child along and meet the teacher for counselling.• Parents approach the counselling cell with problems related to their children, their behaviour at home and education.• Teacher offers all kind of possible support to the parents and teacher, and with collective efforts it is ensured that the child gets a safe, healthy and education oriented environment at school and home. n



Making children independent and self conscious have been a priority of teachers and parents. To achieve this, it is important for children to understand, analyse and interpret given topics themselves. Keeping this in view, the innovation of Self Learning facilitates the teachers to make students explore their critical thinking and observation skills. They are given the space to understand and investigate the topics discussed in the class on their own. They become self-motivated and interest is developed in studies to increase their concentration leading to improvement in mental skills. The efforts made by the teachers in the classrooms are also doubly rewarded when students are able to learn-understand-read on their own. This innovative idea involves simple yet effective methods/activities that can be carried out among students and their quality of education increases.

NAMES OF THE INNOVATORS 1. Syed Muneer Hussain, Government Boys High School, Paranpillan, Jhulla, Baramulla2. Manzoor Ahmed, Government High School, Thaman, Shahabad, Anantnag3. Shiv Kumar Sharma, Government High School, Dhorsi Kalyari, Marheen, Kathua4. Durakshan, Government High School, Batamaloo, Srinagar5. Tanveer Ahmed, Government High School, Jawahirpora, Aripal, Pulwama6. Mahbooba Hussain, Government Boys Middle School, Qazi Mohalla, Anantnag7. Ankush Dev Singh, Government Middle School, Chhanni Tana, Jourian, Jammu8. Bashir Ahmad Ganie, Government Girls Middle School, Keema, Bandipora9. Reena Sharma, Government Middle School, Jourian, Jammu10. Subzar Ahmad Bhat, Government Middle School, Durhama, Kulgam11. Nikhat Nazir, Government Primary School, Mir mohalla Naid Khai, Hajin, Bandipor


SELF LEARNING

INNOVATION 2

BENEFITS OF THE INNOVATION• Students understand the importance of self-learning as well as class work and homework.• The concentration and mental skills of students improve. • Learning environment of the student at home also improves. • Students become far-sighted and they gain the perception to distinguish between right and wrong.

IMPACT AREASIncrease in enrolment/attendance rates; Improvement in the inspiration levels of teachers.

SUMMARY This innovation involves a range of activities where children have all the freedom to be themselves, discover and nurture their skills. When given this environment, their confidence gets a boost and their learning skills improve as they understand the concept better. Each activity gives them the knowledge to gain success in theoretical and practical situations.

ACTIVITIES FOR CLASSROOM

1

ROLE PLAY Introduction: Role play is one of the activities in the innovation that provides students insight into the lives of different famous personalities and professions like sports, medical and journalism. Students under this activity are given the opportunity to find information and enact about different famous personalities and professions mentioned in the syllabus. This generates their interest in studies and also improves their leadership skills and confidence. Classroom Application: This activity can be implemented in all schools. The teacher discusses a bit about different personalities and professions in the class and leaves it open for the students to find out more information through books or discussions at home.Planning: Not much preparation is needed for this activity. The teacher conducts this activity once or twice a month with prior information to students. Implementation: The teacher informs the students

about the activity to be conducted the next day in the class.• The teacher picks up a famous personality about whom the discussion is held. The person could be a part of the syllabus or selected randomly by the teacher.• Students are asked to enact that personality in the class. The students may or may not dress up like the famous personality.• The teacher gives a brief description about the person in question and asks students to find more about him/her to be discussed next day in the class.• For Example: Students were told briefly about the life, struggles of Mahatma Gandhi. The teacher asked the students to research and find out more about the Father of the Nation. The next day students came prepared with more information about the great personality. Some students consulted books, some talked to their family members to know more about Gandhi’s life, family and his contribution in the freedom struggle of India.• The teacher discusses the topic in the class and appreciates the students who have gathered more facts.• This activity is also conducted to teach students about different professions. The teacher gives a brief description about a profession like medical and teaching and asks the students to enact as

INNOVATION 2



INNOVATION 2

doctors or teachers.• The teacher also asks students to draw a picture of the profession they want to pursue. If a student wants to be in the army, he will draw the picture of an army man on a chart paper and the student’s photo is pasted on that chart. This inspires the student to pursue the profession of his/her liking.

2 QUIZ COMPETITION

Introduction:Active participation of children in extra-curricular activities in school is helpful in their overall development. It is imperative for the school authorities to organise different activities apart from the school curriculum for students to make the learning environment in the class more joyful and interesting. Of all the activities, quiz competitions is one such initiative that not only improves the general knowledge of students but also provides an interactive platform for students and promotes healthy competition and teamwork among them. Classroom Application: This activity is applicable for all classes. The topics in the quiz competition can range from within the school curriculum or outside providing students enough scope to research and find out more details about a topic.Planning/Preparation: Teacher fixes a day once in a week for this activity. The topics for the quiz can be related to History, Science or general. Implementation: The teacher fixes a day every week for this activity and informs about it to students.• A group of students are selected for the quiz competition. The students are selected in rotation every week.• The teacher informs the students about the topic from which question are asked.• For Example: Students of a particular class were told that the topic of the weekly quiz is History and they have to come prepared with facts and information about the Mughal Era. The next day, students taking part in the quiz were asked questions about the rule of different Mughal emperors like Babar, Humayun and Akbar.• This activity is performed by making different teams with every team consisting 2-3 students. The team which performs better is applauded by the whole class and awarded with pencils or notebooks.

3

INFORMATIVE MORNINGSIntroduction: In morning assemblies students usually follow the usual pattern of saying the prayer, the pledge and the national anthem. How interesting it would be if this everyday practice is infused with energy and made more meaningful and informative for children? This initiative of Informative Mornings makes the morning assembly lively and starts the day on a bright and cheerful note. Under this, children are encouraged to observe the happenings around them and read them in the morning in front of the whole school. This improves their observation skills and critical thinking. Also, organising the assembly in different languages i.e. for two days in English, two days in Hindi and two days in Dogri or the regional language of that particular area helps children to express themselves freely in those languages. As students are given the lead to organise the assembly, they feel enthusiastic, confident and get the opportunity to show their creativity.Classroom Application: This activity is applicable for upper primary classes as they are able to differentiate between different languages and conduct the whole assembly session themselves with little help from teachers.Planning/Preparation: The teacher issues instructions to students about how the morning assembly has to be conducted and the languages in

which it has to be done. The same pattern is followed every day. Implementation: This activity is implemented in the following ways:PART I• The teacher explains the sequence of the morning assembly to students. He/she also informs them about the days when it is to be conducted in English, Hindi or Dogri.• The teacher selects a group of students who presents the prayer, pledge, news, thought of the day and moral lesson. The group of students who presents the assembly are rotated every day.• Students write the prayer, pledge, news, thought of the day and the moral lesson in the language assigned for the assembly for the day.• While the students prepares for the morning assembly, they write the contents on a piece of paper which helps them improve their writing and speaking abilities in that particular language.PART II• Children are encouraged to observe whatever they can during their day in the school and at home. They are asked to write down the incidents that they find useful and informative to be shared with others.• The teacher selects a group of student who would collect different news and write it down on a piece of paper to be presented in the morning assembly the next and the group of students who are assigned this duty is rotated every day.• For Example: One piece of news during the morning assembly was how people near a student’s home had to suffer due to the lack of water for two days as the water pipe in their area had broken down.• Another piece of news was that how a student along with his friends helped an injured animal with medical treatment and food.• This activity helps children to differentiate between right and wrong and also improve their observation and thought process.

4

STUDENTS’ DICTIONARYIntroduction: Students’ dictionary is one of the innovative and simple methods of improving the vocabulary of students. Under this, students are

encouraged to collect new words on a daily basis, along with their meaning and use, according to their class level. If they start working towards this from a young age, they not only benefit from it for a long time, but also develop research and documentation skills through enquiry-lead learning. Classroom Application: This activity is suitable for all classes. Students not only increase their vocabulary, but are also able to understand and remember key words of any subject. It also improves learning outcomes. Planning/Preparation: This activity is planned by the teacher according to the class level. For instance: • Primary class students are given a list of words by the teacher from the syllabus topics, and they record the word meanings and use in their individual dictionaries as part of their daily homework. • Upper primary level students can choose the words from the syllabus text themselves. • In higher classes, students can also be asked to select words from a newspaper article, where they find its meaning as well as identify it as a part of speech (i.e. noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, conjunction, preposition, and interjection). Implementation: The following is done on a daily basis. • After reading a lesson, the teacher and students together select 4-5 words from the syllabus every day. It can be from any topic of any subject. If all

INNOVATION 2


subject teachers of a class are conducting this activity, each teacher should select only 1 or 2 words for students to record in their dictionaries. Otherwise, with too many words for each subject, students may feel burdened and creating a dictionary may become a tedious task. • At home, students find out the meanings of these words from their course books, or by asking family members. As part of their daily homework, they list out these words their meanings on a rough paper or paper leftover from previous years’ notebooks. • At the end of the week, students bind these papers together (in a file or with a thread). This way, every week, new pages are added to their personal dictionaries. Note: Students continue to add words to the same dictionary as they progress from one class to the next. This way, they carry this knowledge bank throughout their education and are able to refer to it as and when needed.

5

NO PUNISHMENTIntroduction: It is very important for teachers and parents to inculcate a sense of responsibility in children. Instead of punishing them for not doing their homework or class work or being disobedient or careless, students should be asked to perform certain tasks that makes them understand their responsibilities and duties towards their education, elders and the society. This initiative will also help them become better, citizens in their life.Classroom Application: The activity is applicable for all the classes. Students are not only able to bring discipline in their lives but inculcate moral values and understand their responsibilities towards their future, families and community.Planning/Preparation: The teacher plans the activity as per the class level.• For primary classes, the tasks assigned for erring students are lenient like writing a paragraph on a topic repeatedly for 5-10 pages or learning words.• For higher classes, the task is helping an elder in the community or a weak student from a junior class with studying.• Implementation: Teacher identified children

who do not complete their homework and classwork on time, are disobedient, late for school, careless or undisciplined.• Instead of reprimanding or punishing the student, the teacher asks them to perform a task for a particular period of time.• For Example: An upper primary school student was very disrespectful to elders at home and outside. On being reported this to the teacher by parents, the student was called by the teacher and asked to spend every evening for two weeks with his grandparents at home, assist them with their chores and provide them whatever help they needed. The student was asked to give the report of this work to the teacher every day. The teacher noticed that not only the child became respectful towards the elders but also started understanding their needs and wants to spend more and more time with them.• In another example, a child was continuously not doing his homework. The teacher asked him to learn 10 new words, write them down with their meanings everyday for one week. After this exercise, the student was able to improve his vocabulary and also learning ability.

INNOVATION 2


6

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITYIntroduction: Besides the usual school curriculum, it is important for teachers to make students aware about social issues plaguing the society. Weekly or monthly discussion on issues on wide variety of topics such as dowry, child marriage, substance abuse and illiteracy etc to water conservation, pollution, and deforestation etc can be discussed with students makes them aware of their surroundings and they become more farsighted with strong observation skills. These are sensitive issues, therefore teachers incorporate news items and other reference material for better understanding of the students.Classroom Application: This activity is applicable for upper primary classes where students are able to understand different social issues and their harmful impact on society.Planning/Preparation: The planning is done on the basis of the topic that teacher would discuss in the class. The activity is conducted on monthly basis, and the topic is selected as per the learning standard of the students. The teachers inform the students well in advance so that they are able to read and note down relevant material from various sources.Implementation: The activity is implemented in stages. Stage One: The teacher informs the students about the social topic that they would discuss in coming weeks. For example, the teacher picks up topic of water conservation. The teacher can map this topic with the curriculum of the students too.• The teacher schedules a discussion on the topic- Water Conservation.• The students get 2 to 3 weeks of time to prepare the topic.• They collect various information, like sources of water available to them, and mentioned in their curriculum.• They also find relevant material from newspaper, magazine or other reference books. • To promote individual participation, each child prepares on the same topic.

Stage Two: • All the students come prepared and gather in school ground. • Each student comes in front and presents his views on the topic.• He/She may also bring source material (news item, magazine article etc.) to present in front of the class.• Once, the presentations are over, the teacher sums the topic and give a brief speech.• The students with best information and presentation skills are applauded.• These discussions can be extended to hard hitting topics too, such as child marriage.• For Example: Students were given a topic on child marriage. Different groups gathered information regarding the harmful effects of child marriage on children, their health, the society and how it stops the academic growth of children, especially girls. With this discussion, children were able to understand about the issue and also make others aware of the importance of letting children grow freely and complete their education.• At the end of discussion, teacher applauds the students that perform well. n

INNOVATION 2


Improving and maintaining good attendance in government schools sometimes becomes a challenge for teachers as students generally come from a remote and poor background, where parents, generally less educated or illiterate, are more inclined towards earning their livelihood and have not much time to look after their child’s academic performance. At times, children are also subjected to do menial work as daily wagers for a small amount of money. In such a scenario, this innovation of Improving Attendance motivates students to come to school and develop interest in studies so that they are able to choose a successful career path for themselves and are not caught in the vicious circle of poverty. This innovation presents child-centric ways of not only motivating the students to attend school, but also of providing them continuous support so they are not deviated from their focus on education.

NAME OF THE INNOVATORS 1. Akram Amin Butt, Government Middle School, Dellar, Kishtwar2. Santosh Kumari, Government Middle School, Sahanoo Dansal, Jammu3. Faruq Ahmed, Government Middle School, Shoupora, Doru, Anantnag

BENEFITS OF THIS INNOVATION• Students feel more accountable towards their education, and their attendance and enrolment increases. • Positive, healthy competition fosters between students and their curriculum knowledge increases. • Students work together to improve each other’s daily attendance, and even absentee students get to catch up with the class work done on the day.


IMPROVING ATTENDANCE

INNOVATION 3


IMPROVING ATTENDANCE

INNOVATION 3

IMPACT AREASImprove student enrolment and reduce drop-out rate and absenteeism.

SUMMARYThe idea is to motivate and inspire students to attend school regularly. This is done through rewards and recognitions given by teachers to students for their punctuality. For successfully carrying out the activities given below, it is important to plan ahead and keep up the effort for at least 6 months continuously.


REWARD FOR ATTENDANCEIntroduction: Rewarding and recognizing students’ efforts for attending school is the most effective way to ensure that students remain engaged in the school and class room. The rewards are not only given for 100 per cent attendance but students are also appreciated if they show improvement in being present in school. The rewards are simple and motivate students to come to school regularly. Also, the students are informed that those who will attend the school regularly will get the chance to participate in extracurricular activities such as quiz competition, art and craft activities etc.Classroom Application: This activity is applicable in all classes. In primary classes, the rewards include extra playtime. In higher classes, the rewards includes presenting the students with notebooks and pens.Planning/ Preparation: Students are briefed on the importance of daily attendance. They are motivated to come daily to school and their attendance is marked in the register. Implementation: Children are informed that students coming to the school regularly will be awarded and recognized in front of the whole school. This activity can be implemented in following ways:PART I• Teacher keeps a track of the students’ performance in the attendance register for the whole month and identifies those who regularly attend the school and those whose attendance has improved.• For Example: Attendance of students in the first class of a school improved considerably after

they were given some extra playtime and teacher introduced different games and activities to keep the students engaged.• In another example, student who had the highest attendance in the class was given three notebooks and three pens, student who had the 2nd highest attendance in the class was given two notebooks and two pens and the student who had the 3rd highest attendance received a notebook and a pen.PART II• Teacher assigns stars of different colours to differentiate between the students who are regular and who are not. Golden star is given to the student who has 100 percent attendance, silver to the one who has 90 percent attendance and green to the one who has 80 per cent attendance for the whole month.• Students who receive the star are asked to tag them on to their uniforms for the whole month so that they are appreciated by other teachers and motivate other students to come to school regularly.• After the end of a month, teacher selects the students for regular attendance and assigns the stars to them.PART III• Teacher organises a quiz every week for students who are regular to school and those who show improvement in their attendance.• Students are informed about the quiz beforehand and teacher makes a list of regular students who will take part in the quiz.• The topics for the quiz competition range from general knowledge to science to history.• To make it more interesting, teacher can include some questions from Bollywood songs and movies and also sports.• Students who fair well in the quiz are awarded and appreciated in front of the whole school for their presence of mind and regularity. n


Our country is true example of unity in diversity. We witness this diversity in the form of cultures, languages and religions. This richness in diversity has made us rich in our principles, and ideologies. However, one thing which has bound us together is our moral values, passed on from generation to generations. These values connect us with our roots and give us the courage and wisdom to grow higher in life. In the present times where transformation in social and economic systems are visible, it has become imperative that the younger generation imbibe true values of humanity. They should understand that being morally correct is a way to live life, and it reflects in our day-to-day conduct. Though home is the first learning ground of a child, schools and education play a vital role in enhancing moral values in a student. Therefore, ‘Human Values’ as an innovative idea hold significance and relevance in many aspects.

NAME OF THE INNOVATORS1. Palak Kapoor, Government Middle School, Sohanjana, Jammu 2. Mohamad Afzal Lone, Government Middle School, Panad, Anantnag, 3. Suresh Kumari, Government Middle School, Jourian, Jammu,

BENEFITS OF THIS INNOVATION• Students imbibe values like empathy, kindness and righteousness• Develop a sense of self-learning and awareness • Fosters qualities of a good citizen • Strengthens character-building of a student and in turn contributes in nation building • Makes the students realise that morality is a part of daily life


HUMAN VALUES

INNOVATION 4


IMPACT AREASImproves self awareness and learning among students, improves attendance and learning outcomes.

SUMMARYHumans are born with humanity as a core value, however, feelings such as gratitude, empathy and care gradually wither away as a child start growing and materialistic influences grabs human mind. The activities described in this innovative idea encourage human values in young minds. These activities are simple to implement and have deeper impacts on students’ attitude, and society.


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HUMANITY HEROIntroduction: Children love the concept of being a ‘Hero’, as they believe that the ‘Hero’ is someone whom everyone look upto. ‘Hero’ is an extraordinary individual and has the potential to change the circumstances and overcome obstacles. Teachers have capitalised on this theme and have evolved an activity wherein students are encouraged to follow one moral value every week. The teachers explains the significance of one of the moral values to the students through a short story or fable and asks the students to follow it during the week. The student who are able to carry on with that particular moral value throughout the week are recognised as ‘Humanity Hero’.Classroom Application: Fosters a positive environment in the classroom.Planning/Preparation: Teachers explains the importance of various moral values to the students and tells them they all will follow one moral value for the entire week. Implementation: The activity starts with narration of a story. The story is based on a moral value,

INNOVATION 4

Long ago, there lived a woodcutter in a small village. He was sincere in his work and very honest. Every day, he set out into the nearby forest to cut trees. He brought the woods back into the village and sold them out to a merchant and earn his money. He earned just about

enough to make a living, but he was satisfied with his simple living.

One day, while cutting a tree near a river, his axe slipped out of his hand and fell into the river. The river was so deep, he could not even think to retrieve it on his own. He only had one axe which was gone into the river. He became a very worried thinking how he will be able to earn his living now! He was very sad and prayed to the God. He prayed sincerely so the God appeared in front of him and asked, “What is the problem, my son?” The woodcutter explained the problem and requested the God to get his axe back.

The God put his hand deep into the river and took out a silver axe and asked, “Is this your axe?” The Woodcutter looked at the axe and said “No”. So the God put his hand back deep into the water again and showed a golden axe and asked, “Is this your axe?” The woodcutter looked at the axe and said “No”. The God said, “Take a look again Son, this is a very valuable golden axe, are you sure this is not yours?” The woodcutter said, “No, It’s not mine. I can’t cut the trees with a golden axe. It’s not useful for me”.

The God smiled and finally put his hand into the water again and took out his iron axe and asked, “Is this your axe?” To this, the woodcutter said, “Yes! This is mine! Thank you!” The Goddess was very impressed with his honesty so she gave him his iron axe and also other two axes as a reward for his honesty.

such as honesty. The teacher narrates the as are mentioned story.


INNOVATION 4

• The students listen to the story carefully and take the pledge to imbibe honesty in their daily conduct.• The teacher also tells the students that they have to monitor themselves, nobody else will monitor them. They have to be hundred percent honest with others and themselves, and at the end of each working day during the last minutes teacher asks the each student to rate themselves or give marks out of five on the basis of their own conduct at the classroom and school.• The students, one-by-one rates themselves and also admits if he/she had not followed the moral value on that day.• This practice gives students the scope to make moral values as part of their character and day-to-day conduct.

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BE KIND, BE HAPPY!Introduction: There are small steps which lead to bigger and better outcomes. ‘Be kind, be happy’ is one such activity which promotes caring and loving

gestures among young children towards other human beings and stray animals such as dogs and cats. (The students are motivated to be kind to the people living in poor conditions and not hurt animals on roadside. ) Often we come across situations where children throw stones on stray animals and deliberately hurt them. Sometimes students also behave rudely to beggars or poors. However, this activity teaches children to be mindful of their acts towards. The teachers motivate students to be kind to poor people and stray animals, and if their parents/guardian allow they can feed the needy and give clothes to them. It is an humanitarian activity so students do not keep any formal record of it, however teachers encourages the students to write their experience in a notebook and share it with the classmates every Saturday.Classroom Application: Improves mindfulness in students, improves writing abilities and public speaking skills among students. Planning/Preparation: The students are told a small motivational story or a fable, and are explained the concept of sharing and caring. They are informed to help needy people and stray animals and write their experience in a notebook and share with fellow classmates. To ensure that each student participate in this activity, teachers give appreciation and a round of applause to all the students who describe their experience in written and verbal format.Implementation: The teachers start the conversation with a small anecdote/story/fable and explain the students the importance of being kind and caring towards living beings, especially towards needy people and stray animals.• Then the teachers tell the students to notice their surrounding carefully and observe the needy people and stray animals.• The teachers conveys to students that they should never indulge in any sort of activity which is meant to hurt or disturb stray animals or people living in poor conditions and whenever possible try to help them.• The students are asked to write their experience whenever they help someone, this enable the students to develop a sense of gratitude for the things and family support they have in their lives, and makes them open hearted and generous. • On every Saturday students share their weekly experience and tell their classmates how they helped someone in need. A small experience of a fellow friend, encourages the students too to involve in good practices. • This activity has a long term impact on the mind of young ones and helps them to become better human beings. n


For quality education and better learning outcomes in government schools, it is important to bring interesting and engaging activities as part of daily classroom routines. Introduction of experiential and experimental form of teaching can make the learning and teaching process easy, simple and joyful. It also helps in the overall development of children as they become aware of their surroundings and develop their critical and thinking abilities. The activities under the New Age Teaching Techniques make students active participants in the academic process rather merely absorbing information. Such novel approaches by teachers are resulting in significant improvement in grade-appropriate learning levels, and are fostering an enquiry-led learning environment in the schools.

NAMES OF THE INNOVATORS1. Pratibha Sharma, Government Girls High School, Resham Ghar Colony, Jammu2. Maqsood Ahmed, Government Primary School, Khatruee, Danral, Jammu3. Pratibha Sharma, Government High School, Chiryai, Udhampur4. Sandeep Sharma, Government Middle School, Chang, Tikri, Udhampur5. Syed Ajaz Ahmad, Government Middle School, Dudwagan,Shahabad, Anantnag6. Reyaz Ahmad Malla, Government Primary School, Phorupeth, Langate, Kupwara7. Shakeel Ali, Government Upper Primary School, Chewakhund, Pulwama8. GH. Rasool Parray, Government High School, Khiram, Srigufwara, Anantnag9. Archana Gupta, Government Middle School, Pacca Danga, Sunetar, Ramnagar, Udhampur10. Bashir Ahmad Dar, Government Middle School, Ichoo, Vailoo, Anantnag11. Shaheena Mehraj, Government Middle School, Aung, Mattan, Anantnag12. Sunanda Raina, Government B Middle School, Manigam, Khoripora, Anantnag


NEW AGE TEACHING TECHNIQUES

INNOVATION 5


INNOVATION 5

BENEFITS OF THIS INNOVATION• Development of experiential, relevant and joyful pedagogy in the school. • Teachers and students work together to ensure effective teaching and learning. • Learning retention in students improves, along with their confidence level. • Teachers feel more involved and motivated. • Increase in student attendance and enrolment.

IMPACT AREASImprove learning outcomes and decrease learning gaps; Inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream; Creation of enquiry-led self-learning environment.

SUMMARYNew Age teaching techniques have brought a revolution in the education system. It involves different activities which can be implemented on a daily basis making the students feel more involved and interested in the teaching learning process. TLMs may or may not be required for this innovation. The activities under this innovation can be performed inside or outside the classroom.


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LEARNING GEOMETRICAL SHAPES

Introduction: Learning geometrical shapes can be fun. Square, triangle, rectangle, hexagon or circle, children remember and recall them easily if they are taught through various activities. Teaching students different shapes by drawing them on the blackboard and making them learn can sometimes become monotonous and boring. This activity helps them identify different geometrical shapes in their surroundings making them more aware and conscious. Classroom application: This activity is applicable in primary classes in all schools. It aims at making the young minds aware of their surroundings and incorporating studies in their day-to-day activities. Planning/Preparation: Not much planning and preparation is required to carry out this activity. The teacher is taught inside or outside the class.

Implementation: This activity can be performed through different methods.Part I• The teacher first explains students about different geometrical shapes like square, rectangle or circle in the class.• The teacher then asks the students to identify any such object in their bags or in the entire classroom having geometrical shapes.• For eg: The students can identify shapes of books, geometry box, blackboard, door and windows under the explained categories.• The teacher can remove confusion of students if they identify the wrong objects and explain further.• The student who gives the maximum right answers is awarded in the class with clapping.Part II• This activity is also performed during the morning assembly.• After the initial explanation about the shapes in the class, the teacher asks the students to stand in different geometrical shapes during the morning assembly the next day.• This exercise adds a fun element to the lesson being taught and children look forward to the morning assembly.• Also, they try to learn and remember the shapes to perform well the next day.


• The teacher asks the students to write the topic of their question on the paper slip after folding it which makes it easier to segregate the slips topic-wise.• The teacher opens the curiosity box on a fixed day twice a month and tries to provide answers to each of the questions.

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LOCAL EXCURSIONSIntroduction: Children love to go out with parents and friends on fun trips. What if these trips are also utilised for imparting knowledge to children? Conducting such trips once in a month can help students understand with ease what they have read in the class and also gain knowledge other than their text books. It helps them become smart and also remember and recognise things and objects easily. Children also develop a habit of observing things closely and it also inspires them to dig deeply about a particular thing or event they have read or they are experiencing for the first time. It also motivates the students to come to school and look forward to this trip.Classroom Application: This activity is applicable for all classes. A trip to a local park, a nearby zoo or an ancient monument is organized to let the young minds know about different flowers, monuments

• Students who make the shapes properly are applauded in front of the whole school.

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CURIOSITY BOXIntroduction: Children, especially the young ones, are always curious about things and people around them. They are always eager to ask questions about anything that they find interesting or any issue that bothers them. Encouraging curiosity among children helps to express themselves more freely and inculcate a habit of observing their surroundings carefully. This activity of Curiosity Box helps teachers to communicate with students on various issues, including their family, environment, eve teasing or sexual harassment. Discussion on such important and often not brought up issues gives teachers the insights about students’ opinions and thoughts and the former can take steps in solving any pressing matter that is affecting a child’s growth and academic progress.Classroom Application: This activity can be carried out in all schools. It helps boost the confidence of students and they do not hesitate in raising issues that affect them. This box becomes a platform for them to raise questions and gain knowledge about an event, text or theory.Planning/Preparation: Decorate any cardboard box from outside with colourful paper and write 'curiosity box' on it. Students may also participate in the decoration work.Implementation: Place the nicely decorated cardboard in one corner of the classroom or hang it on one of the walls.• The teacher explains the students about its utility and how they can write questions on small paper slips, fold them and drop it in the box.• The questions can range from any topic that they observe while coming to school or at home or in the class.• For example- On their way to school, some students saw eagles flying in the sky. They were curious to know about the bird more and dropped a question on what eagles eat and their habits.• Other examples include a range of learning opportunities in and around the school, like sources of water, types of housing, traffic congestion, post office, bank, police station, and so on.

INNOVATION 5


INNOVATION 5

plants and animals.Planning/Preparation: Teacher prepares a list of places where students are taken for the excursion. Before leaving for the trip, he/she first explains the students about the reason of the trip and the significance of why it is taken.Implementation: The teacher inform parents about the impending trip through a message over phone or in their diary and seek their written permission.Students are asked to bring their food or snacks with them for the day.Students are explained about the place where they are going on the trip and remember what they have seen or experienced to be shared in the class the next day.For Eg: Primary class students were taken on an excursion trip to a zoo. They were asked to divide the animals they saw in the zoo in the categories of mammals, birds and reptiles. Students were able to learn about different animals and their categories with ease and remember them.In another example, Students were taken to a nearby farm and taught the process of cultivation. They are shown how seeds are sown. Follow up trips to the field taught the students how seeds germinate.Students discuss in the class about what they experienced during the trip.

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MAKE THE WORDSLearning alphabets from books is a common practice in schools. To make this teaching learning process more effective, students are asked to identify alphabets from old newspapers or wrappers. This helps improve their learning, observation and concentration.Classroom Application: This activity is applicable for primary classes as they learn to identify words. The teacher gradually also asks them to find out capital and small letter words from old newspapers.Planning/Preparation: The planning and preparation of the activity is done on the basis of the class standard and learning levels. The teacher arranges for old newspapers or wrappers and collect them in a box in the classroom. Implementation: The idea is implemented in two stages. • At stage one teacher asks the students to bring in

newspaper cutting or empty wrappers from home and collect them in a box kept at classroom. • On the fixed day, teacher distributes empty wrappers of biscuits and chips or newspapers among students and asks them to identify different alphabets they see.• The students note down the alphabets in their notebook and a given time period during the class.• The teacher checks whether the students have identified the alphabets right and awards stars in the notebooks of students who have performed well.• Gradually, the teacher can also use this activity to help students identify different words.• The difficulty of the activity can be increased or decreased on the basis of class standard. • When this activity is conducted for higher classes, then instead of finding out the alphabets students find out nouns, actions words or synonyms, antonyms of the given set of words.• This activity is not limited to English, other languages Hindi, Urdu can also be taught through this activity. n


© 2018 Sri Aurobindo Society

We have, every one of us,a role to fulfil, a work to do,

a place which we alone can occupy.

~The Mother~

To download a soft copy of this handbook, and for more information about zero investment innovations, log on to www.ziiei.com.

ZIIEI is one of the first and largest-ever initiatives of India to honour those teachers and government schools who are bringing about a change at the grassroots through simple yet effective innovations to improve the quality and reach of education, at zero cost. The most effective best practices chosen every year are published in this Innovations Handbook and systematically scaled up to reach thousands of schools. ZIIEI is an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society's nation-wide education transformation programme Rupantar, and is

supported by HDFC Bank.

[email protected] Aurobindo Society Rupantar Office, 1201, Sector - 5, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad

INNOVATIVE PATHSHAALA...in 2015 by Sri Aurobindo Society () as part of its nation-wide education...

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