Articles and tips for teachers. Profile of an innovative teacher every month and a number of links to resources

1. June 2012
Volume 6, Issue 6 Inspiring Teachers
Driving educational change through excellence in teaching
Are you ready for the new academic year?
June is here and it is time for schools and In teaching, it is also important to create and
colleges to re-open. For students and maintain a positive social environment. While
parents it is a lot of shopping – bags, shoes, one part of this is the teacher-student
uniforms and all the paraphernalia. In most relationship, the major part is also the
This month:
cases though, the books are given during or relationship that students have between them.
Transforming
before the vacation. A whole lot of dynamics is playing in the
afterschool learning
Kalidasu I remember the feverish activity of putting student group and it is vital to see that the
Vamsidhar……….2
brown cover for the books and pasting the dynamic is positive.
Ten Great Ideas to labels. In this issue we will tell you ten great ideas
start your academic As teachers, we are getting ready for the to start your academic year.
year…. ………….3
new term – teaching a new set of students, We have featured Kalidasu Vamsidhar as
Interesting links …4 and may be even a new subject. the faculty this month. He is a different type of
As a trainer, I always have some anxiety teacher – transforming the afterschool
Humour …………4
when I am meeting a new group of education through his School of Mathematics.
Role models …..5 participants. I wonder how they will receive Another education thinker and our regular
the training, whether they will ask me tough contributor, Anil Kumar Challa has sent an
questions, whether they will criticize my interesting concept to promote scientific and
ideas. But then, after the first session research culture as well as organizational skills
usually the anxiety is dissolved. I am sure all in young adults and adolescents. A group of
of you also face similar feelings. youngsters can get together to run a Junior
Students too come to the new academic year Café Sci and we will help them get speakers
with anticipation, fear and excitement. for interaction. A school or a residential colony
Some of their friends may have left the can be used to conduct these interactive
school/college, some new friends will be sessions regularly. Read more about it on page
made, new teachers, new books and new 4.
experiences. Wherever possible, we begin a We close with our regular dose of interesting
workshop with an icebreaker, something links, and just to remind you that all these
that creates a friendly environment in the articles are available on our blog
class. Usually anything new causes anxiety too..http://www.theprofessor.in/blog
– hence the need to loosen up people. --Uma Garimella

2. Inspiring Teachers Page 2 of 6
Tranforming afterschool learning – Kalidasu Vamsidhar
What kind of teaching Most of the kids rely on rote
methods do you use to learning process.
keep students interested To initiate thinking process,
in your classes? we need to address
In my class I am just a conscious learning, we need
facilitator, I use inbound (in to design certain inbound
the class) and outbound and outbound activities
(outside class) activities to which will invoke thinking
initiate the learning process. process.
Kalidasu Vamsidhar, Founder, School of Mathematics.
I don’t teach my students, I What are your future
ask few questions which will plans?
Kalidasu Vamsidhar is an drive the child into learning Transform one lakh students
educator. With a BA in process. learning process in next 3
Mathematics, Economics and I have designed a programme years, to achieve the same, I
I have trained
Statistics and then a BEd, he called Transformative need to train
thousands of
students. I have started his career twenty years Mathematics Programme 10 000 teachers and I am in
given 150 + ago, as a conventional teacher. (TMP) and trained hundreds the process. For that, I have
presentation in Somewhere along the line, he of students over a decade designed Transformative
schools across India felt an urge to engage children What do you see as the Mathematics Programme
and outside India. I
in transformative learning common lacunae in the which will help the students
work with well
known schools and using Mathematics as a vehicle. school children's to pro actively participate in
offer these classes He believes that mathematics thinking? learning process and teacher
both for teachers gives the child a kind of Most of our kids depend on will become facilitator.
and students.
thinking which can be used to informative learning, where Now I am working in
solve any problem in any thinking process is neglected. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
domain. It is necessary to love So most of the time, children Tamilnadu, Maharashtra,
and enjoy this tool to become do involuntary actions, rather Nort East, Bhutan and other
successful in any career and than conscious thinking areas also. I am building the
life. He started School of process. Here learning network of teachers to work
Mathematics. means, remembering and on this project. In the
Vamsidhar also has a strong reproducing the same (you process only, I have created
social awareness and he has show me I will do million social groups in Facebook,
been working for the welfare of times). Linkedin etc.
primitive tribals in areas of There is no concept like Read the full interview on
rural electrification, education problem solving skills and http://www.theprofessor.in/fa
and employment. mathematical or rational culty-of-the-month.shtml
thinking process in our
modern education.

3. Page 3 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
holiday or a mountain holiday? Be
Ten great energizers to start your academic term
an apple or a banana? Be invisible
minutes to find out the details.
or be able to read minds? Be hairy
Positive first impressions
all over or completely bald? Be the
If there are any new faces in your
most popular or the smartest
class, ask them to come to the front of
person you know? Be famour for
the class. All other students must tell
saving somebody's life or winning
Ice breakers or energizers are a great one positive impression about the
a Nobel Prize? Go without TV or
way to create a friendly and light new person. The impression need not
mobile for the rest of your life?
atmosphere in a classroom. Here I will be true. It is a just an opinion they
Have permanent diarrhoea or
share some of the activities that we do feel. This is a good way to make
permanent constipation? Be
in our workshops and which I have students look for positive things in
handsome/beautiful and dumb or
modified so that they can also be used strangers.
be ugly and really smart? Not hear
in your classes. My name is..
or not see?
We know what you did this Ask each student to state his/her
Eliminate hunger and disease or
summer name and attach an adjective that not
be able to bring lasting world
Create a small questionnaire about only describes a dominant
peace? Be stranded on a deserted
interesting things that students have characteristic, but also starts with the
island alone or with someone you
done during their vacation. For same letter of the name e.g. generous
don't like? See the future or
example, learnt a new hobby, travelled Gayathri, dynamic Dileep. Write them
change the past? Be three inches
to a new place, helped parents / down and refer to them by this for the
taller or three inches shorter?
grandparents, learnt a new language or rest of the class.
Word Link
game, made new friends, grew some If you had to choose…
Ask the group to sit in a circle. The
inches taller, put on some weight, Draw a line on the floor. Ask all
first person starts with any word
watched ten movies, read five books, students to gather around that line.
they wish i.e. red. The next person
etc. Let students go around and fill up Tell them that you will ask a question
repeats the first word and adds
this questionnaire with names of their and give them a choice, indicating
another word which links to the
classmates that did that activity. Make with your hand which side of the line
first i.e. tomato. The next person
sure that one person’s name is not put represents the choice. They need to
repeats the previous word and add
against more than two things. jump to either side of the line
another word link i.e. soup, and so
After 15 minutes of collecting this info, depending on which option they
on. To keep this moving, only
they should get together in small groups choose. For example, questions can
allow five seconds for each word
of 6 and find some pattern or present be – Would you rather - Have a
link. Every person must have a
their findings to the whole class. This is headache or stomachache? As you ask
sentence or phrase in mind while
far better than writing an essay on ‘how the question, show with your hand
adding the new word. When
I spent my summer holidays’! which side of the line is headache and
someone ends the phrase or
Meet my friend which side is stomachache. They have
sentence he/she loses a point. The
Let students introduce their benchmate to quickly jump. Other questions are:
longest meaningful phrase wins a
to the whole class telling all her/his Would you rather - Eat cabbage or
prize.
positive qualities. If the benchmate is carrots? Watch TV or listen to music?
new, then the student should take few Be a cat or a dog? Have a beach

4. Inspiring Teachers Page 4 of 6
Humour and Interesting Links
General
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/
http://littlefe.net/home Parallel and cluster computing
Games for learning http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/hunting-elements.html video on periodic table / elements
http://www.marcprensky.com/ Simulations
http://www.games2train.com/site/ht http://www.simcity.com/en_US
ml/learning.html http://thesims.com/en_us/home
http://www.spreegames.com/ http://www.gazillionaire.com/index.php
http://www.fas.org/gamesummit/ http://virtonomics.com/
http://everquest2.com/ http://www.civ4.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst_(s http://www.peacemakergame.com/
eries) http://www.bized.co.uk/virtual/index.htm - business, economics, factory, bank
http://www.zelda.com/ Articles
http://www.fas.org/babylon/ http://chronicle.com/article/Innovations-in-Higher/131424/
civilization http://pakagri.blogspot.in/2012/04/man-who-made-forest.html
http://www.fas.org/immuneattack/ http://www.cafescientifique.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=73&Itemid=487
biology http://www.juniorcafesci.org.uk/sites/default/files/seven_steps.pdf
http://imserious.typepad.com/ http://www.almitrapatel.com/ waste management
http://www.prism-magazine.org/apr12/tt_01.cfm back to the future, teaching design through
history
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/05/24/premier-indian-engineering-institute-wants-
open-us-office IITs want to attract expats as faculty

5. Page 5 of 6 Inspiring Teachers
Where are the role models for our youth? Help them find…
The more you watch TV or models and why? • Is artistic.
read the newspapers, the 6. What are her/his • Stirs up important
more depressed you accomplishments? human rights issues.
become. You feel where is 7. Does the person have • Wants to right the
the world coming to? The a good moral reputation? wrongs.
people in power and 8. What has he/she • Speaks up about beliefs.
limelight seem to be getting done to contribute back to • Helps other people.
into media for all the wrong society?
• Works hard.
reasons. This is not to say 9. Is your role model
• Works smart.
that good doesn’t exist. In directed toward helping
• Family life important.
fact if all the good in the others?
• Is peaceful.
world were to be given 10. Do you know of any
• Gives money to charity.
coverage all the newspapers role models that have
• Is religious.
and the TV channels will not overcome a great deal of
• Is spiritual.
be enough. adversity to become
• Is athletic.
But what we get to see is the successful? (A physical
negative role models – handicap, discrimination, • Has a sense of humor.
that’s the reality. So how a lack of money, etc.) • Helps others learn.
After this questionnaire
can we make our youngsters 11. What do you think is • Is self-sacrificing
generate a discussion among the
think of becoming leaders? the most important • Takes part in the students about their responses.
Here are some questions to quality for a role model community.
pose to your students to from this list? • Is good-looking. This article is from our June
make them think of rising • Is successful in • Is wise. 2008 issue.
above the ordinary. Have his/her career. Other characteristics:
some fun by asking them to • Makes a lot of money. 12. Do you have any role
conduct a survey and • Is famous. models in your community?
posting the results! Feel free • Gets a lot of respect. 13. What have they done to
to add more qualities. • Is well educated. be considered a role model?
1. What is a role model? 14. Do you think you could
• Is polite.
2. Does a role model have take aspects of several role
• Is honest.
to be famous to be a role models you like? Could you
• Is on a sports team.
model? use them to pattern your own
• Travels around TV
3. Do you have a role life after?
appearances and
model that is not famous? 15. Do you know what career
speeches.
Who? Why? you want to have? Do you
• Makes movies.
4. Is a role model the have a role model in that
• Writes great songs.
same as a hero? career?
5. Who are your role

6. Energisers ….. Continued from page 3
Fab Vocab Make a square shape on the whose sounds are difficult
This is a variation of the floor. The objective of the to make or are funny, Then
word link game. Instead of game is to make raw all students are blindfolded
Hyderabad
forming a phrase or a material into products and you will whisper in each
PHONE: sentence, students have to (imaginary). The team that student’s ear the name of
97011 41118 form a word, each one makes maximum number the animal he or she is.
supplying an alphabet. wins. But there are some Ensure that you are
E-MAIL:
info@inspiring-teachers.com Whoever ends it loses rules. The product is formed assigning the animals so
marks. only if it passes through the that you have 8-10 students
Line up hands of every team for each. Randomly mix or
Ask the students to line up member. Any person can move the students and then
in groups of 8-10. Challenge handle only one object at a you say ready – steady – go,
each line to complete the time. The team can think All the students will have to
task first. Ask the group to and make a strategy. The find their fellow animals
form a new line in order teams can keep their only using sounds. The
of…. Height, from smallest strategy secret from other group that first gets
to tallest. Birthdays, from teams. together is the winner.
January through to Turn it over Though it is simple, it
December. Shoe size, from You will need an old sack or evokes lot of energy and
smallest to largest. a darri for this. More than fun.
See us at:
www.theprofessor.co Alphabetical first names (A- one may be needed. Make So now that you have these
www.teachersacademy.co
Z). Alphabetical mothers students into groups of 8-10 starters, go ahead and have
first names. Alphabetical and ask them to stand on it. a great year! If you need
grandmother's first names! Using any strategy and only more games, contact us at
Anything else you think up. their feet, they must turn it info@inspiring-
Factory over. If you can have several teachers.com
Please send your
You will need some assorted sacks, you can have them --Team TA
feedback, articles and tips
to info@theprofessor.in medium sized objects like compete.
You can also submit balls, compass boxes, water Find your species
comments and interact bottles for this. Make For this game you need
on our blog
http://www.theprofessor.in/blog students into teams of 8-10. blindfolds. Pick 4-5 animals
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