Session on World Mental Health day

October 10,2024

A session on Mental Well being at Workplace was conducted for Primary mentors by Ms. Abhilasha Purushotam, C2L2 dept. The engaging and informative session equipped mentors with essential knowledge and practical strategies to promote mental well being.

Ms. Tanvi Kekre Visited JBCN International School, Mumbai, Under the Teacher Exchange Programme

September 02 to 05, 2024

‘A backpack filled with memories is a treasure trove of experiences shared and learned.’

The Teacher Exchange Program, a collaborative initiative between Choithram ESU, Indore, and JBCN International School, Mumbai, marked its first successful step from September 2 to 5, 2024. Ms. Tanvi Kekre from Choithram School, Manikbagh, played a key role in this exchange, immersing herself in JBCN’s vibrant school culture and fostering mutual learning.Upon her arrival, Ms. Tanvi received a warm welcome from JBCN teachers and students with songs, dance performances, and speeches. The hospitality included an exchange of gifts, where Ms. Tanvi presented a token of appreciation to the Principal of JBCN International School.

Throughout her four-day visit, Ms. Tanvi engaged with students from Nursery to Class 2, observing a variety of teaching methods and experiencing JBCN’s commitment to holistic education. She was deeply impressed by the warmth, humility, and openness of the JBCN teachers, who generously shared their practices. The educators provided in-depth guidance, introducing her to innovative teaching techniques, activities focused on scientific thinking, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and educational apps—offering her new strategies for curriculum development. Through classroom observations, workshops, and discussions, educators from both institutions gained valuable insights into each other’s teaching approaches. This successful exchange has laid a strong foundation for future collaborations, enriching both schools through shared knowledge and experiences.

Mastering the Magic of Storytelling

November 5, 2024

Ms. Richa Saxena, teacher from Primary School attended an ‘Art of Storytelling’ workshop on October 5th, 2024, at St. Vincent Pallotti School, Indore. The event was organized by Arghya Training Academy and Puppet Theatre. Mrs. Garima Dahima, the workshop facilitator, warmly welcomed the participants and introduced Mrs. Geeta Ramanujam, a renowned storyteller and founder of the Kathalay International Institute of Storytelling. Mrs. Ramanujam highlighted storytelling as an ancient art that connects people, evokes emotions, and takes listeners to different worlds. She discussed key traits of a good storyteller and how to nurture attentive listeners. To begin, she led an imitation activity, engaging participants in character role-play. Throughout the day, she narrated three stories using facial expressions, voice modulation, and hand puppets. A Shadow Puppetry show addressing social issues followed. The workshop ended with a story-framing exercise, where participants crafted and presented short stories. It was an inspiring event that enriched the storytelling skills.

Empowering Counselors to Manage Stress: An Insightful Session on Dealing with Work Pressure

September 21, 2024

An online session for Counselors of Choithram Group of Institutions was organized on September 21, 2024 on the topic of ‘Dealing with Work Pressure.’ The session was facilitated by Ms. Fatima Shakeel, an alumna of the Choithram School, Class of 1998 and a certified Well-being Facilitator based in Missouri, USA.

The session was thoughtfully designed, beginning with an ice-breaking activity that led into a brief stress test to help participants assess their individual stress levels. Ms. Shakeel highlighted how stress can serve as a motivator for both personal and organizational success. She delved into contemporary research, offering new perspectives on how stress can be experienced and managed. She also introduced the use of technology for stress management, recommending a few apps for regular use to help manage stress. She shared a TED talk link for further insights into the topic.

The final portion of the session was a Q&A, where Ms. Shakeel addressed participants’ queries and provided practical solutions. Her engaging delivery, personal anecdotes, and witty remarks made the session both insightful and interactive.

Microsoft Excel Training for English and Science Department Teachers

September14, 2024

On September 14, 2024, a Microsoft Excel training session was conducted at Choithram School, Manik Bagh, Indore, in Senior Computer Lab 1. The participants included teachers from the English and Science departments, with Ms. Sneha Sharma and Ms. Diksha Santwani serving as mentors. The session covered a range of essential Excel features, such as Autofill for quick data entry, Freeze and Unfreeze Panes to keep specific rows or columns visible while scrolling, and Merge and Center to combine and align text. Teachers were also taught how to unmerge cells, create line breaks using ALT + Enter, and apply basic functions like SUM() and AVERAGE(). Other topics included random selection of data, basic editing commands like Undo, Copy, Cut, and Select All, as well as using the Replace function. The training concluded with techniques for filtering and sorting data, equipping teachers with skills to streamline tasks such as marks entry and KPI analysis.

Capacity Building Programme on Business Administration Held at Choithram School, Manik Bagh

September 13, 2024

The Capacity Building Programme on Business Administration was held on September13, 2024 under the auspices of CBSE(Department Of Skill Subject Education), at Choithram School Manik Bagh, to offer participants a deeper understanding of skill-based education and its advantages for students’ career growth. The workshop was conducted by resource persons Ms. Ankita Jain and Ms. Sumit Bhatia, with teachers from various schools across Madhya Pradesh in attendance.

The session began with two insightful presentations that covered key aspects of business administration, including curriculum structure, paper patterns, and lesson planning. The resource persons also highlighted how Business Administration differs from Business Studies, emphasizing the importance of this subject in today’s educational landscape.
The interactive segment of the workshop included a series of engaging activities like case study discussions, crossword puzzles, and leadership exercises, which were met with enthusiastic participation. Feedback from attendees underscored the value of the hands-on approach, reflecting the session’s positive impact.

Workshop on Art Integration at Shri Vaishnav Kanya Vidyalya

June 29, 2024

On June 29, 2024, Shri Vaishnav Kanya Vidyalya in Indore hosted a workshop on Art Integration, led by CBSE Resource Persons Mrs. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Coordinator Grade 1 & 2, Choithram School Manik Bagh and Mrs. Khyati Jain . The session emphasized the significance of incorporating art into various curricular areas to enhance teaching effectiveness and student engagement. Sixty participants from different schools actively engaged in interactive sessions, exploring dynamic teaching strategies and methodologies. Practical insights were shared through hands-on activities and handouts, transforming traditional teaching methods. The workshop concluded with an MCQ test and the distribution of certificates to all attendees.

Workshop on Happy Classroom

May 26, 2024

A PRP programmeon ‘Happy Classroom’ was organised by CBSE,COE ,Bhopal at ShardaVidyaMandir, Sehore on May 26, 2024and attended by around 50 participants from different parts of the state. Ms.DiptiTelang, HOD English Department, Senior School attended the workshop. The resource persons from CBSE were Ms.RekhaKapoor, Principal, LokmanyaVidyaNiketan and Ms.ManaviArora, VP, Sagar Public School, Bhopal.

The workshop was structured into two sessions. The first session began with a brief insight into understanding Mental Health and Emotions, followed by the three segments of Happy classroom. viz Happy Teachers Create Happy Classrooms, ExploringHappiness and Strategies for a Happy Classroom. The participants shared various definitions of happiness according to their perceptions. The movie clippings were shown to explain to the participants not to react but to Re-act under stressful situations. Teachers’ toolkit for emotional self-regulation was dealt at length to establish a professional teacher-student relationship thereby setting a code of conduct for teachers. The session witnessed interactive activities such as sketching, poster making and sharing experiences. The resource personsexplained behaviour and misbehaviour, happiness parameters, happiness scale andways to foster happiness in the classroom. The concluding session dealt with pleasure, well-being, mood meter etc. followed by a questionnaire for the participants.

Capacity Building ProgrammeFor Teachers Teaching Science Subject (Primary Classes)

May 25, 2024

A capacity building programme was organised by CBSE in Indore Public School on May 25, 2024 which was conducted by Ms.Kumud Singh, Deputy Dean Academics, The Daly Collegeand Ms.NeetuJattha.Ms. Shakti Joshi and Ms.PriyankaShuklaof the Science Department, Junior School attended the programme.
The workshop began with emphasising upon the socio- emotional well-being of students and the teachers were sensitized to be observant in their classrooms and encourage students to manage their emotions.The sessions were conducted to make teachers aware of highlights of NCF 2005 that need to be considered while teaching science subject.

Teachers were made to recapitulate different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy and Kolb’s Experiential learning Model and how they need to be incorporated in classroom transaction strategy. The need to incorporate 21st century competencies and experiential learning was emphasised. In order to summarise, teachers were divided in groups where they designed and presented their lesson plans for better understanding of designing the objectives, learning outcomes and rubrics.

Offline CBP (Capacity Building Programme) on the Theme “Science in Elementary Classes”

May 8, 2024

Offline CBP (Capacity Building Programme) on the theme “Science in Elementary Classes” was successfully conducted on May 07, 2024, at Nahar Global School in Ratlam. Ms.Shweta Gupta, PGT, St Paul Higher Secondary School, Indore and Ms.TarvinderKaurGhai, Grade 1 & 2 Co-ordinator of Choithram School ManikBagh facilitated the session. The workshop aimed to enhance the methodologies and skills of 41 elementary school teachers in Ratlam and nearby areas.

The session delved into prioritising mental health and engaging teaching methods. The resource persons emphasized modern teaching skills like 21st-century skills, Blooms Taxonomy, creating learning outcomes with SMART goals, rubric designing, and prioritizing activities to enhance learning. Throughout the session, participants actively engaged in discussions and hands-on activities, gaining insights into innovative strategies to make the teaching-learning process more effective and enjoyable.

The attendees left the workshop equipped with valuable resources and a renewed enthusiasm for implementing dynamic teaching methodologies in their classrooms, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for elementary students. The event concluded on a high note, with participants expressing their gratitude for the enriching and impactful session.

Workshop on Promoting Mental Health and Wellness Among Students

May 3, 2024

The two-day workshop on School Health and Wellness was conducted by the CBSE Centre of Excellence in Bhopal on May 2, 2024 and May 3, 2024 at Shri Devi Ahilya Shishu Vihar, Chattribagh. Ms. Meghana Kaitwade, Science faculty, Senior School and Vineeta Badlani, Science faculty, Junior School attended the workshop. The workshop aimed to raise awareness about common emotional and behavioral issues in children, as well as provide strategies and support systems for teachers to assist children in need.

Mr. Ashish Tiwari and Ms. Sameera Bhakt were the resource persons who engaged the participants in interactive activities such as case studies, role plays, discussions, and quizzes. Throughout the 11 modules covered during the workshop, the participants learned about the diversity in the classroom and how various factors can impact student performance. These factors include mental stress due to subject-specific difficulties, bullying, disabilities, illnesses, and family issues. The workshop also highlighted the changes children undergo during adolescence, a period marked by physical and socio-emotional transformations that can affect their mental and physical well-being.

In order to support healthy transitions for students, it is important for children to understand and manage changes within themselves and in the world around them. This includes developing skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. The workshop emphasized the role of teachers as wellness ambassadors in schools. While teachers may not be professional counselors, they play a crucial role in identifying issues affecting children. The resource persons emphasized the importance of the OLA approach – Observe, Ask, and Listen as a guiding mantra for teachers to provide support to their students.

Sensitization Cum Awareness Programme on National Credit Framework (NCrF)

March 14, 2024

A sensitization cum awareness programme on National Credit Framework was organized on March 14, 2024 at Choithram School, ManikBagh, Indore under the aegis of CBSE. The Resource Person for the workshop was Mr. SatishPahal, Deputy Secretary, Department of Skill Education, CBSE. 270 principals and teachers from Madhya Pradesh and others states attended the session.

Through two presentations on Skill Education and National Credit Framework respectively, the attendees were guided regarding the proposed changes. The members were made aware of the variety of skill modules, vocational and skill subjects for different levels. The proposed introduction of third language in grade 6-8 and second language in grade 11-12, inclusion of skill/vocational subject and the concept of required Notional Learning Hours for the number of credits was explained. The changes will be implemented in the coming session for grade VI onwards, and for a smooth transition with sufficient planning time to incorporate the changes, the credit system will be implemented in 2025-26 for grade 9.

The resource person encouraged the educators to be well versed with the National Curriculum Framework, and gain a thorough understanding of the NCF guidelines. The queries of the attendees were addressed in the QA session. The workshop sensitized the participants with the proposed changes to be implemented nationwide and developed their understanding of the NCrF.

Teachers’ Training Session on ‘Socio Emotional Issues’ forall Choithram School Teachers TeachingGrade 3 to 5

March 9, 2024

To address psychosocial educational aspect of teaching learning process, a one-day workshop was organised by Choithram Education Service Unit, on March 9, 2024. The workshop was attended by teachers teaching grade 3 to 5 of TirathbaiKalachand School, Choithram School ManikBagh, Choithram School North Campus, and Choithram International. The session was facilitated by CSMBSchool Counsellors, Ms. SurabhiShastri and Ms. AbhilashaPurushothaman along with Ms. VaishaliTiwariDubey, HOD & Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Choithram College of Nursing.

The session was divided into three separate segments addressing wide range of psychosocial educational aspect of teaching learning process. The first segment emphasised how early years’ education impacts life span development. With the help of case studies, it was explained how early identification of learning patterns can help in holistic development.The second segment focused on understanding causes and effects of behavioural issues among children, needs of children, range of behavioural problems and how important it is for teachers and parents to develop an understanding of the factors that result in problem behaviour.The third segmentintroduced the Socio Emotional Learning (SEL) to the participants with discussion on its major framework, how it is different from what teachers are already doing and some strategies to embed SEL into classroom.

Prospective Resource Persons Workshop on English Competency at Secondary Level Conducted at Choithram School Manik Bagh

January 29, 2024

The two-day Prospective Resource Persons Workshop on English Competency at the Secondary Level was conducted by the CBSE Center of Excellence in Bhopal in Choithram School, ManikBagh on January 27 and 28, 2024. The workshop which witnessed participation of 18 teachers aimed to enhance the English language teaching skills of educators and provide them with innovative techniques for fostering the four basic language skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing (LSRW).

Dr. Sampa Das, Principal of South Valley International School, and Mr. Sunil D. Patil, Principal, Sardar Patel International School, Dharwere the distinguished resource persons for the workshop. Their expertise and experience in the field of education brought valuable insights to the participants. Mrs. Sangeeta Gupta and Mrs. Kuldeep Kaur Chhabra of English Department, Senior School attended the workshop.

The workshop featured a comprehensive exploration of techniques related to the four basic language skills. Various interactive activities were organized to engage the participants actively. These included a guessing game to identify lesson titles, a unique approach to teaching poetry, warm-up questions for prose teaching, and a stimulating debate session.A significant portion of the workshop focused on incorporating Bloom’s Taxonomy into the design of question papers. Participants gained insights into creating assessments that align with different cognitive levels, enhancing the overall effectiveness of evaluations.
Teachers actively participated in crafting lesson plans under the guidance of the resource persons. This practical exercise allowed them to apply the newly acquired knowledge and skills to real-world scenarios. The resource persons emphasized the importance of maintaining an appropriate reading pace to enhance comprehension. Videos related to improving writing skills were well-received by all attendees, providing them with practical tools to enhance their teaching methods.

In an additional session, participants explored the crucial aspect of mental well-being and health among students. Understanding the need for a healthy mental state in learners, the session highlighted strategies to promote well-being within the academic setting.The Workshop proved to be a fruitful and enriching experience for all participants. The combination of theoretical knowledge, practical exercises, and insights into mental health issues provided a holistic approach to enhancing English language teaching skills. The workshop successfully equipped educators with innovative strategies to create a more engaging and effective learning environment for students.

Global Teachers’ Meet

December 31, 2023

Global Teachers’ Meet was organized at St. Paul’s H.S. School, Indore by NidaanSewaSamiti and Sahodaya Group for Sahodaya group of teachers on December 29, 2023 and December 30, 2023. The first session ‘Things Happen’was conducted by Mr. Rajesh Awasthi of Choithram Group wherein he discussed the importance of addressing mental scars and seeking help for one’s behaviour. Mr. Awasthi highlighted cognitive distortions like black-and-white thinking, mind reading, and personalization, and taught the teachers how to deal with their problems. The second session’Adopting to Change Landscape Opting to Transform the Educational Mindscape’ focused on adapting to change and transforming education. Mr. G. Balasubramanium emphasized the need for empowering learners to create their learning environment and educate themselves.

Ms. NavneetKaur Bhatia, HOD Science, Choithram School presented her research on using stories as an effective learning tool to help students understand and retain science concepts. Ms. GarimaDahima,President of Arghya Educational Welfare Society in her session on’Puppetry as Pedagogy’ explained the art of puppetry and how it can be used as a pedagogical tool. The panel discussion covered various topics such as social and emotional learning, education for human excellence, inclusive education, interdisciplinary education, and education for human excellence. The panelists included Ms. InderpalKaur, Ms. ReenaKhurana, Ms. ShailAgarwal, Ms. Swapna, and Ms. Isabel Swamy, with Dr. Rajesh Sharma as the moderator.

Day 2 started with a recap of the previous day’s events. Dr. A.Senthil Kumar,Director and Chief Mentor of TLC conducted a session on building resilient learning communities. Mr. VikasAgarwal,Regional Officer, CBSE Bhopal Region shared his words of wisdom. An award ceremony was held to honour teachers with 15 years of service. Ms. Neelima Gupta conducted a session on using theatre as a pedagogical tool, emphasizing the importance of engaging and happy classrooms through visuals and dramas. Ms. Kala Mohan,one of the organizers of GTMdelivered a session on learning disabilities and inclusive education. The valedictory session included gratitude awards and awards from Vidhigya, the sponsors of GTM. Ms. Isabel Swamy.Chairperson Sahodaya School Complex delivered the vote of thanks.

Reading Workshop

October 16, 2023

‘Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.’ Taking cue from this, Ms. Divya Bhatia and Ms. Aarti Vishwakarma from the English Department of Junior School and Senior School attended the workshop on ‘Breeding the Reading Skill Among the Students’ on October 16, 2023. The workshop conducted by Burlington English at Lemon Tree Hotel was organized by Indore Sahodaya Group for teachers teaching English in schools of Indore. The resource person Mr. Kalpesh in his session briefed the participants about various activities like reading week, reading apps etc. to inculcate the habit of reading.

‘Gurudakshita’ Training Workshop Facilitated by CBSE

October 15, 2023

Dr. Shoeb Adil and Mr. Suresh Daghe, Social Science and Math facilitators from the Senior School attended ‘Gurudakshita – two-day training workshop facilitated by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on October 14 & 15, 2023 in Ghonsala, Ujjain district. The workshop focused on enhancing professional development for educators by covering a range of topics, including teachers’ training methodologies, examination processes, streamlined affiliation, and harnessing the potential of digital resources in the modern educational landscape. The incorporation of MCQ-based assessments encouraged active participation, and a comprehensive feedback session allowed for reflection and improvement. The workshop provided valuable insights and a deeper understanding of the evolving education landscape while fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Training Programme on Computer Interfaced Science Experiments Using ExpEYES

October 14, 2023

Mr. Vishal Sanwatsar, PGT Physics and Convener, School Innovation Council attended Training Programme on Computer Interfaced Science Experiments Using ExpEYES at the Inter-University Accelerator Centre in New Delhi from October 9 to 14, 2023. The programme involved interaction with scientists and professors from different universities and colleges to make Physics more real and visible for students. It focused on enhancing practical activities and hands-on experiments, motivating and cultivating Physics in the upcoming generation. Mr. Sanwatsar conducted experiments in electronics, optics, and classical mechanics using ExpEYES, an open-source hardware and software platform designed for science experiments in schools and colleges. He also presented project of calculation of velocity of glider of Linear Air Tracker with the help of ECHO sensor and ExpEYES kit.

Leadership Learning

October 14, 2023

A workshop on ‘Leadership Learning’ was conducted at Choithram School on October 14, 2023, by CLLE, Centre for Leadership Learning and Excellence. The resource Person was Mr Vijai Krishna Rajagopal, Director and CLO, CLLE. Dr Nagmani Nagaraja, Associate Director, CLLE was also present as well. The workshop was structured in two sessions.

The first session was attended by School Principals in and around Indore. It was a vibrant and interactive session with various activities to build and groom the leadership skills of the school leaders. The resource person Mr. Vijai Krishna Rajagopal encouraged the leaders to embrace change and think ahead to maintain the pace of change. They must design innovative practices according to the fast-changing scenario of society.

The second session was attended by around 45 team leaders of the Choithram Education Service Unit. Mr. Vijai Krishna Rajagopal began with the changing landscapes of learning followed by cultivating learning for leadership. The speaker also stressed the leaders to have a growth mindset to incorporate various skills. The activities were conducted to explore the leadership skills of the participants. The interactive session enriched the participants with valuable knowledge and insight to help them in their professional development.

Capacity Building Workshop on Art Integration

September 30, 2023

Mrs. Nidhi Jain, HOD Visual Arts and Mrs. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Co-ordinator of grade 1 & 2 conducted the Art Integration workshop in Indore on September 30, 2023 at Garima Vidya Vihar Senior Secondary School. A total of 57 attendees from the same school participated in the workshop. They gained a comprehensive understanding of the significance of art integration in enhancing the teaching of various subjects in the curriculum. The session equipped teachers with various strategies and methodologies to make the teaching and learning process more effective and enjoyable. The participants found the activities and handouts provided during the workshop relevant and applicable to their teaching practices. An MCQ test paper was administered at the end of the session, followed by the distribution of certificates to all attendees.

Prof. Babulal Saraf National Experiment Workshop for School Teachers

September 27, 2023

Mr. Vishal Sanwatsar, Physics teacher of Senior School and Convener School Innovation Council attended Prof. Babulal Saraf National Experiment Workshop for School Teachers from September 25, 2023 to September 27, 2023. The Physics Workshop which was attended by 25 teachers and research scholars, was conducted with the aim of enhancing participants’ understanding of fundamental physics concepts and fostering an appreciation for the practical applications of physics in various fields. The teachers performed 16 experiments based on different physics concepts like electromagnetic induction, waves and oscillation, optics, mechanics enabling them to apply these principles in their daily lives.

Nutrizone Event at Choithram College of Nursing

September 23, 2023

In order to spread awareness among the people about eat right and food adulteration, Nutrizone Event on the theme ‘Nutrition-rich India’ was organized by Choithram College of Nursing on the occasion of National Nutrition Month. Ms. Aarti Yadav of Science Department, Junior School attended the event. Mr. Pratik Modi, Capacity Building Specialist, PATH discussed three major issues in terms of nutrition as well as the Eat Right Mission launched by Government of India in 2018-19 as a part of Wellness activity. During the online session, Mr. Modi emphasized on balanced diet, limiting the consumption of high fat, sugar and salt foods and food fortification. Dr. Sushma Sharma, HOD Home Science Department, Old GDC was the special guest for the Elocution Competition.

Workshop – Teacher’s Training

August 24, 2023

With the intention of empowering individuals to enhance their skills, a teachers’ training programme was conducted for the mentors of the Junior School. The focus of the programme was to provide the mentors with a comprehensive understanding of the basic features of Microsoft Word and Excel. During the programme, the mentors had the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any doubts they had, subsequently enabling them to use the technology efficiently.

‘Foundations of Citizenship’ Programme

August 12, 2023

The ‘Foundations of Citizenship’ programme initiated by the Vivekananda Institute of Values, operating under the aegis of the Ramakrishna Mission in Gurugram was conducted at Choithram School on August 11 and 12, 2023. The workshop was led by Swami Shantatmananda ji, the visionary behind the Vivekananda Institute of Values, and attended by a dedicated team of volunteers. Ms. Kamini Shukla and Ms. Sandhaya Mishra from the Senior School along with 30 educators from various CBSE schools participated in the workshop. The programme aimed to empower teachers in discovering their inner strength and virtue, and to foster care and empathy in their students. The initiative sought to provide teachers with the necessary tools to nurture compassionate and conscientious individuals. The workshop included a blend of informative sessions and interactive activities, promoting active participation and profound learning.

Adolescent Peer Educators Leadership Programme

August 4, 2023

A four-day orientation program on ‘Adolescent Peer Educators Leadership Programme for Enriching Life Skills, Holistic Health and Wellbeing’ was organized by CBSE through online mode from July 31, 2023 to August 4, 2023. The programme aimed to build the capacity of senior students (Peer Educators), school counsellor, and a nominated teacher to effectively implement Life Skills Education in schools. These trained stakeholders will serve as the school’s Master Trainer Group, responsible for organizing orientation programmes for other stakeholders in their own schools and neighbouring schools.

The orientation programme consisted of four modules and eight themes, with each theme being covered in a one-hour session. The themes included: Introduction – journey of life skill to 21st century skills; building resilience; growing up healthy – importance of nutrition and hygiene; family bonding and caring communication; healthy expression of emotions and healthy interpersonal relationships; making effective career choices and integrating key 21st century skills; and empowering oneself for the digital world. The student participants in the programme were Avisha Srivastava and Aarav Maheshwari of grade 9 as well as Priyanshi Upadhyay and Tanay Mukherji of grade 11. Ms. Pramila Dhundale, English Department, Senior School and Ms. Abhilasha Purushothaman, School Counsellor also participated in the programme.

School Innovation Ambassador Training Programme

August 3, 2023

Ms. Meghana Kaitwade of Science Department, Senior School received Certificate of Completion Innovation Ambassador Certificate under School Innovation Ambassador Training Programme of 72 Hours by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE and CBSE. New Education Policy lays huge emphasis on promoting out of the box thinking amongst students. To achieve this goal, the role of a teacher is highly significant. The teachers should become mentors and guide these young minds in their pursuit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Thus, it is equally crucial for mentors to have adequate mentoring skills. With this aim, School Innovation Ambassador programme has been conceptualised by Ministry of Education Innovation Cell and All India Council for Technical Education to train the school teachers across country who will nurture the young school students on Ideation, IPR, product development, design thinking, problem solving and critical thinking.

Workshop on Emotional Well-being and Stress Management

July 29, 2023

A workshop on ‘Emotional Well-being and Stress Management’ was held by O.P. Jindal Global University (Jindal Institute of Behaviour Sciences) at Hotel Marriott on July 29, 2023 which was attended by School Counselors, Ms. Abhilasha Purushothaman and Ms. Surabhi Shastri. Professor Dr. Sanjeev P. Sahni, Principal Director, Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences (JIBS) who has extensive experience working with students, teachers, and principals worldwide, conducted the workshop. Dr. Sahni focused on clarifying the concept of Emotional Well-being and delving into renowned psychologists’ theories to help teachers understand human behaviour throughout different life stages. The workshop covered topics such as psychoticism, neuroticism, and social desirability, as well as the Theory of Id, Ego, and Superego. These concepts were explored in depth to enrich the teachers’ knowledge and enhance their understanding of human behaviour. For the counselors in attendance, the focus was on developing more effective strategies for dealing with students and parents. During the second half of the workshop, Professor Sneh Kapoor, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Research Innovation and Outreach, Jindal Institute of Behavioural Sciences shed light on the ’10 Commandments’ of stress management and illustrated them using relatable examples from everyday life. The audience resonated with these examples and gained insight into how these commandments can serve as guiding principles for young minds, helping them learn effective stress management techniques.

National Counselors’ Summit

July 24, 2023

G D Goenka University in collaboration with Fortis Mental Health Program, James Cook University, Singapore and King’s University, Canada organized National Counselors’ Summit on July 21 & 22, 2023 at their university campus in Delhi NCR for all the counselors from across the county. School Counselor Ms. Surabhi Shastri attended the Summit. The theme of the summit ‘VARTAH: Values – Awareness – Reform – Thrive – Action – Hope’ had a clear objective of fostering a positive mental health culture within educational systems.

The event showcased presentations delivered by speakers from institutions such as King’s University Canada, James Cook University, Singapore and several experts in the field of international education. Speakers included Consulting Psychiatrist, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Associate Professor of Psychology, Career Guidance Expert, Legal Advisor for Child Sexual Abuse (Protection Against Sexual Harassment: POCSO Act) and Rehabilitation Psychologists. The sessions were centred around identifying risks and offering practical solutions to address prevailing issues and challenges in child and adolescent mental health. Moreover, the event presented real-life examples of how these issues are effectively managed across diverse geographical and cultural settings worldwide.

Life Skills and Mental Health: Rethinking Education, Psychological First Aid in Schools, Role of Beliefs and Experiences in Shaping How We Think, Role of Counselors as Agents of Change in Community, Supporting Co- and Self-Regulation of Learning during Adolescence: Role of Teachers and Families, Perceptions, Safeguarding and Duty of Care, Self Esteem in the Context of Mitigating Risk Behaviors during Adolescence and International Pathways for Students were the topics dealt by the speakers. ‘A focus on mental health and well-being as an integral part of education is critical to ensure positive overall growth,’ Dr. Samir Parikh, chairperson, Fortis National Mental Health Programme, said.

Capacity Building Workshop on Art Integration

July 8, 2023

Ms. Nidhi Jain, Head of the Department of Visual Arts, conducted a Capacity Building Workshop on Art Integration on July 8, 2023, at Vedanta: The Global School in Indore. Approximately 60 teachers from various schools in Indore participated in the workshop, which aimed to enhance their creativity and understanding of art forms. The workshop provided valuable insights for teachers on how to effectively integrate art with different subjects, enabling students to better retain their learning in a captivating manner.

Leadership Development Programme

May 26, 2023, to May 31, 2023

Day 1 – May 26, 2023

A five day Leadership Development Programme was conducted at Choithram School, Manik Bagh by Mr. Rajesh Awasthi from May 26, 2023, to May 31, 2023. The workshop witnessed the participation of 59 educators from 6 institutions of Choithram Group, namely Choithram School, Manik Bagh, Choithram School, North Campus, Choithram International, Tirathbai Kalachand School, Choithram College of Nursing and Choithram College of Paramedical Sciences. The workshop was structured into three sessions. The first session commenced with the introduction of the Learning Organization followed by the identification of Learning Disabilities based on the problems created by one’s own actions. The participants shared various prisons in the system and narrated their own imprisonment due to their own thinking. The session highlighted the need to focus on ‘I’ rather than ‘We’ and manage the consequences of decision paralysis, balancing proactiveness and reactiveness. The metaphor of ‘parable of the boiled frog’ aimed to make everyone aware of the slow gradual changes taking around before it is too late.

The next session elaborately dealt with the concept of learning organization focusing on the need and people in Learning Organization. As every organization is a product of ‘HOW its member think, learning should be driven by vision.

The post-lunch session witnessed the explanation of the core disciplines of Learning Organization – Personal Mastery, Mental Models, Team Learning, Shared Vision and Systems Thinking. The session emphasized having an intrinsic will to grow to contribute to the growth of self and the organization. The need for Personal Mastery and ‘How to Achieve it’ was dealt with at length. Holding Creative Tension and Structural Conflicts gathered the attention of the participants as it is required to balance both for the growth.

Day 2 – May 27, 2023

The first session began with the recapitulation of the previous day followed by another discipline – Mental Models which are powerful cognitive structures that shape one’s understanding of the world and influence one’s behaviour. The concept of Mental Models was explained with the help of the clippings of the movie ‘Mission Mangal’ showing that mental models can be modified by challenging the structure and influencing the mindset and values. With the help of the ‘Ladder of Inference’, Mr. Rajesh Awasthi highlighted the different stages of the inference process on the rungs of a ladder. By becoming aware of this process, one can make more informed decisions. The various tools and skills of mental models like espoused theories, leaps of abstraction, left-hand column etc. developed a more comprehensive and effective understanding of the concept.

Day-3 – May 29, 2023

The session introduced Emotional Literacy as an important skill to empower individuals to navigate emotions effectively and build strong relationships in life. The cycle of thoughts, feelings and behaviour was well explained by Mr. Rajesh Awasthi. Based on the three main emotions – Anger, Anxiety and Depression, various distortions and emotional scripts were delved into depth to gain an understanding of conflicts and challenges with balanced thinking patterns to develop healthier relationships. The sharing session showcased the examples and experiences from the personal and professional life of the participants. The engaging and enriching session witnessed the sharing of behavioural responses of the educators based on their experiences.

Day 4 – May 30, 2023

The emotion of anger and its impact on various aspects of life was explained in various situations. The ABC method explored the difference between healthy and unhealthy expressions of anger and the participants were guided to regulate their emotions, practice assertiveness, respond instead of react and identify personal triggers. The concept of the worry tree was well explained to the participants to manage emotions in a better way. The movie ‘EK Rooka Hua Faisla’ was shown to discuss emotions, decision-making, facts, opinions, distortions etc. The participants shared their views based on their understanding of the movie discussing the different traits of the characters.

Day 5 – May 31, 2023

The session commenced with the discussion of case studies based on emotions and distortions and the ways to mitigate and manage emotions effectively. The participants enthusiastically participated in the discussion after analyzing the stories from the real world and Panchatantra. This was followed by the session on the topic ‘Three Extreme Beliefs’. Mr. Rajesh Awasthi at length dealt with the components of extreme and non-extreme beliefs citing examples from the various facets of life. The meaning of Gayatri mantra -‘I am a unique, unratable, fallible human being’ worked like an elixir to develop self-esteem and confidence. The teachers were empowered with the tools and techniques to deal with the challenges and a strong commitment was seen in the teachers towards the goal to make true the concept of ‘ONE CHOITHRAM’. The speaker at the end satisfied the queries of the participants related to the topics covered in the workshop.

The post-lunch session was conducted by Mr. Sumit Nandedkar, Chief Operating Officer, Choithram Group on ‘Total Quality Leadership’. The session witnessed the explanation of the history and evolution of leadership followed by the ingredients required for quality leadership – logic and unambiguity, brutal honesty and Intrapreneurship and motivation. The insightful presentation with practical examples enhanced the participants to apply leadership concepts in working with the team in an organization.

The five day workshop was successful in imparting knowledge about different tools and techniques, concepts and processes to contribute towards the growth of self and the organization. The workshop concluded with the distribution of certificates to the participants.

Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Art Integration’

May 24, 2023

A workshop on ‘Art Integration’ was taken by Ms. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Co-ordinator of class I & II of Choithram School and Ms. Poonam Shekhawat, Principal, Vedanta the Global School, Indore on May 24, 2023 at Bal Bhavan School, Bhopal. 61 teachers of Bhopal and nearby towns attended the workshop which enabled them to understand the importance of combining and using art as a tool to improvise the teaching of different curricular areas. The teachers learnt different strategies and methodologies to make the teaching-learning process more effective and enjoyable. Art integration will make learning interesting compared to the traditional monotonous teaching style. The attendees answered an MCQ test paper at the end which was followed by distribution of certificates

CBSE PRP Programme on Career Guidance

May 14, 2023

A two-day PRP Programme on the topic ‘Career Guidance’ was organized at Choithram School under the aegis of CBSE, COE Bhopal. The resource persons for the workshop were Mrs. Lata Singh, Principal, Mount Litera School, Sendhwa, MP and Ms. Reena Agarwal, Vice-Principal, Kapil Gyanpeeth, Ajmer, Rajasthan. 19 principals and teachers from Indore and neighbouring areas attended the session.

Day one began with an ice breaking session wherein the participants had to introduce themselves adding a career option beginning with the first letter of their names. A number of career options were listed through another activity to identify the same. The resource persons encouraged the participants to bring out and understand the difference between ‘Guidance’ and ‘Counselling’ as well as ‘Work’, ‘Job’ and ‘Career’.

Through short videos and a number of activities, participants were enlightened about the need for career guidance, understanding career development, role of the teachers in identifying the strengths, skills, personality traits and interests of the students and encouraging them to pursue their dreams without any confusion. Group tasks were conducted by allotting case studies based on career stories, wherein the groups had to identify whether the person was fit for the career, advantages and disadvantages of being in the same.

Day two began with understanding of dimensions of career information, requirements to enter the specific career and relationship of subjects of study with different careers followed by the strategies and resources used in imparting Career Information. Group activities for the participants included ‘Role Play’, ‘Nukkad Natak’, ‘Mind Map’ and ‘Bulletin Board Activity’ highlighting how these strategies can be used to make the students aware of the various options and the requirements for the same. The need for setting up a Career Resource Room in a school was stressed upon.

Case studies were allotted to the participants in groups which focused on the initial consideration before securing admission in any undergraduate course of study. Thus, the role of a teacher in imparting Career Guidance, also for children with special needs, was effectively brought out.

The workshop made the participants empowered with the enhanced role of a teacher who now is not just a mentor, a well-wisher, a parent at school and a guide; but also, a career guidance provider.

Regional Workshop for Master Trainers on ‘School Health and Wellness Programme’

May 13, 2023

Mr. S. K. Mishra, Vice Principal of the school attended Regional Workshop for Master Trainers on ‘School Health and Wellness Programme’ organized by CBSE in collaboration with UNESCO held at NCERT, New Delhi from May 8-12, 2023. 100 participants from northern and western regions of India comprising principals, teachers, counsellors participated in the workshop. Senior officials and dignitaries from NCERT and CBSE, including Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director NCERT; Prof. Sridhar Srivastava, Joint Director NCERT; Dr Zoya Rizvi, Deputy Commissioner, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; and Prof. Saroj Yadav, Former Dean (Academic) NCERT, were also present at the inaugural training session.

The School Health and Wellness Programme (SHWP) was launched by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under the aegis of Ayushman Bharat. To implement the programme, a resource package which includes a 24-hour curriculum, training modules and guides for teachers and facilitators have been prepared by NCERT in consultation with domain experts. Investment in the health of children is an important priority and the school health programme will provide children with knowledge and life skills to help them to cope with the process of growing up and to develop a positive attitude in life. The programme also promotes informed, responsible and healthy behaviour among school-going children. The initiative is aligned to the UNESCO Strategy on Education for Health and Well-Being, which emphasizes the need to support national education UNESCO committed to strengthening the links between education and health, reflecting growing national and international recognition that a more comprehensive approach to school health and coordinated action across sectors is needed.

Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Art Integration’

May 3, 2023

A workshop on ‘Art Integration’ was taken by Ms. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Co-ordinator of class I & II of Choithram School and Ms. Ritisha Gupta, Vice Principal, Sagar Public School, Bhopal on May 3, 2023 at International Public School, Bhopal. 62 teachers of Bhopal and nearby towns attended the workshop which enabled them to understand the importance of combining and using art as a tool to improvise the teaching of different curricular areas. The teachers learnt different strategies and methodologies to make the teaching-learning process more effective and enjoyable. Art integration will make learning interesting compared to the traditional monotonous teaching style. The attendees answered an MCQ test paper at the end which was followed by distribution of certificates

Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Art Integration’

February 11, 2023

A workshop on ‘Art Integration’ was taken by Ms. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Co-ordinator of class I and Ms. Nidhi Jain, HOD Visual Arts of Choithram School on February 11, 2023 at Kailashpat Singhania High School Vijaygram, Lodhikheda (Chhindwara district). 51 teachers of Chhindwara district attended the workshop which enabled them to understand the importance of combining and using art as a tool to improvise the teaching of different curricular areas. The teachers learnt different strategies and methodologies to make the teaching-learning process more effective and enjoyable. Art integration will make learning interesting compared to the traditional monotonous teaching style. The attendees answered an MCQ test paper at the end which was followed by distribution of certificates

Capacity Building Programme on School Health and Wellness

February 7, 2023

A ‘Capacity Building Programme’ on School Health and Wellness, was organized at Choithram School on February 5 and 6, 2023. The Programme was conducted by CBSE, Centre of Excellence, Bhopal under the aegis of Ayushman Bharat. Ms. Sampa Das, Vice Principal, Ekayanaa School and Mr. Aashish Tiwari, Principal, Podar International School were the resource persons of the workshop. Ms. Kamini Shukla from English Department, Senior School and Ms. Shakti Joshi from Science Department, Junior School, Choithram School along with 31 teachers of CBSE schools attended the programme. The resource persons promoted culturally sensitive prevention activities to improve the health and well-being of school going children.

Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Art Integration’

January 21, 2023

A workshop on ‘Art Integration’ was taken by Ms. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Co-ordinator of class I Choithram School and Mrs. Lata Singh, Principal of Mount Litera School, Sendhwaon January 21, 2023 at Vivekananda Vidya Vihar Maral School at Khalghat (Khargone district). 66 teachers of Khargone district attended the workshop which enabled them to understand the importance of using art with the teaching of different curricular areas. The teachers learnt different strategies and methodologies to make the teaching-learning process more effective and enjoyable. They answered an MCQ test paper at the end which was followed by distribution of certificates.

Workshop on DNA Sequencing & Personal Genomic Profiling Applied Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics

January 7,2023

A workshop for Biology Stream teachers was organised on DNA Sequencing & Personal Genomic Profiling Applied Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics bySoftvision Research Institute, GSB Campus, Nipania Bypass, Indore on January 7, 2023 and was attended by Ms.Anshu Chopra, HOD Science Department. Dr Ravi Kumar Head R&D , Softvision Research Institute, and Dr.AnurajNayarisseri, Scientist at Eminent Biosciences were the resource persons .Training was given on whole-genome analysis gene finding gene sequence alignment identification of snp / snv / indel mutation identification of gene involved in cancer bioinformatics tools >> emboss / blast clustal w t coffee. This furnished new knowledge about next generation genome sequencing amongst the attendees.

Report

Workshop on ‘Enhancing LSRW Skills’

January 7, 2023

A workshop on ‘Enhancing LSRW Skills’organized by Orient Black Swan at Choithram School, North Campus, Indore was attended by 80 teachers of 18 schools of the city. Ms. Swati Manjrekar, Ms. MeenuPanditfrom the English Department, Senior School as well as Ms. PayelChatterji, Ms. ArtiManghani from the Junior School attended the workshop. Mr. DeepeshChandrashekharan, associated with Shiv Nadar University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu was the resource person for the workshop. He explained about sounds of the letters and how they should be pronounced to put more focus on fluency in speaking rather than accuracy.To improve the listening skills, he suggested that children should be made to listen to audio clips / English songs and later on asked to comprehend it. To enhance the writing skills of students, he asked to follow the formula of CODER: Collect,Organise, Draft, Edit and Revise. He also discussed about various reading strategies to be incorporated in the class.

Workshop on ‘Provision Art in NEP 2020’

January 4, 2023

A workshop on ‘Provision of Art in NEP 2020’ organized by District Administration and Department of Education, District Indore in collaboration with Sanskar Bharati at University Auditorium, Khandwa Road, Indore on January 4, 2023 was attended by Ms. Chitralekha Kulkarni, HOD, English Department (Senior School) and Ms. Nidhi Jain, HOD, Visual Arts. Mr. Shankar Lalwani, Member, Lok Sabha lit the lamp and inaugurated the programme. Education Minister, M.P. Dr. Mohan Yadav, Vice Chancellor, DAVV, Ms. Renu Jain, Mr. Somkant Sharma, Ms. Shobha Paithankar, Mr. Sanjay Taranekar and other members of Sanskar Bharati were also present on the occasion.

The workshop was organized in three sessions. The first session focused on the similarity between the traditional method of teaching in India and NEP 2020, also the importance of mother tongue and the necessity for every child to learn to speak, write and read his/ her mother tongue. Second session threw light on the technical aspect of NEP.

The role of Art teachers in the new venture was discussed in the third session. Ms. Shobha Choudhary, vocal artist stressed on the importance of music teacher in every school; Sanskar Bharati would provide a faculty if a school is unable to find one. Ms. Shobha Vaidya from Lalit Kala Academy suggested that children should be allowed to display their creativity freely. The third speaker Pooja Saxena from the field of Literature sang a song which depicted that God visits artists. Mr. Shashikant Tambe, Sangeet Guru, encouraged the artists to always remain cheerful as it impresses the children. Mr. Rajan Deshmukh, the dramatist stressed on the importance of removing hesitation from the minds of the children so that they rule the stage. Additional Collector Mr. Abhay Bedekar, threw light on the need of inclusion of Art in NEP; how it is helpful in enhancing coordination, cooperation and bonding between the children. Ms. Manjusha Johri, Kathak artist suggested to introduce an Art Lab in every school. Padmashri, Dr. Puru Dadheech in his address said that all forms of art are inter-related; without painting, sculpting is not possible; for dance, music is required; for lyrics, you need poetry, instruments go with singing and so on. He also emphasized that art should be considered as important as the other subjects and should not be considered secondary.

All speakers accentuated the need to preserve our heritage and culture; the best way to do the same is pass on the learning to the next generation.

Global Teachers’ Meet 6.0

December 30, 2022

Ms. Yashashri Lole, Ms. Palak Mehta, Ms. Mithilesh Shukla from the Junior School and Ms. Varsha Khamgoankar, Ms. Sugandha Nannore, Ms. KiranVyas from the Senior School attended the Global Teachers’ Meet organized on December 29 and 30, 2022, by Nidaan and Oriental Group of Institutes, Bhopal. The Meet was attended by 300 teachers from different schools of the state.

On December 29, 2022, Ms. Chitra Ravi, Founder & CEO, Chrysalis in her session based on ‘Resilience’ explained the need for being a resilient teacher and highlighted the five pillars of resilience namely, self-awareness, purpose, relationships, adaptability and communication. In the second session Ms. Sapna Agrawal, Founder I Big Wonder on You Tube, National Head T & D Saarthi Pedagogy discussed the main inclusions of NEP likeearly childhood care, teaching through play way method, storytelling vocational training and competency-based learning.Ms.Suvarna from Nidaan Foundation in the third session explained how to make the process of teaching-learning enjoyable with minimum resources in the classroom.

On December 30, 2022 the first session was taken by Mr. G. Bala subramanian, Former Director (Academics), CBSE on ‘Transition to Transformation’. While talking about NEP implementation and the need of teacher to be equipped according to present scenario he deliberated about three factors challenging learning like skills, scale and speed, machine learning Vshuman learning. During the second session, Choithram School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi elucidated the importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy, its inclusion in lesson plans as well as different learning skills and their sub-skills. He reiterated that teaching should be intentional and reasoned; the teacher must know about the learning outcomes while teaching a topic in class and should focus on the learning of a child and not syllabus completion. At the end, Ms. Kala Mohan, Director, Nidaan enlightened about good teaching practices, mindfulness, avoiding judging and tagging a child and instead lending support to the child wherever required.

CBSE Session on Financial Literacy and Use of Digital Tools

November 22, 2022

CBSE has taken an initiative to sensitize teachers across the country on the basics of Financial Literacy and use of Digital Tools. In this context, CBSE organized session in the offline mode for eight schools of Indore wherein Choithram School, Indore was the HUB for the same. The eight members of Hubs of learning – MP 0168 are:Choithram School, ShriAgrasenVidyalaya, Indore Public School (Eastern Campus), ShriBalVinayMandir, Ryan Interational, Sharon International School,St. Mary Champion Higher Secondary School and Anusuiya School, Sanwer.

Mr. Swarnim Gupta,Chartered Accountant and Chairman of Indore branch of ICAI was the resource person.The session was useful for teachers as they learnt about the following aspects:
• Importance of SIPs/ shares/ mutual funds
• Investment and importance of life insurance and term plans
• How to deal with funds and finances
• Where and where not to invest
• Cyber Fraud and phishing

Webinar on Employability Skills by CBSE

June 2022 – November 2022

Ms. Ankita Jain and Ms. Shashi Upadhyay of Commerce Department attended CBSE webinarson ‘Employability Skills’. The webinars were conducted for teachers taking vocational subjects. The resource persons shared the information regarding the registration on PSSCIVE (PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education). They provided the information regarding the teachers and students login on PSSCIVE so that they can access the e-material uploaded on the CBSE website. Wadhwani Foundation under the guidance of PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education facilitates the digital study material to deliver learning experience through a blended approach of text and video-based interactive e-learning lessons.

Workshop on Art Integration

December 4, 2022

Ms. Nidhi Jain, HOD Visual Arts, Ms.TarvinderKaurGhai, Co-ordinator Class 1 along with Ms. Shakti Joshi and Ms.Alisha Navlani of the Junior School and Ms. AbedaRaotiwala of the Senior School attended CBSE workshop on ‘Art Integration’by resource persons Ms.Anu Bhatia and Ms. Anjali Rajdev.The workshop helped the 48 attendees from different schools of Indore and nearby towns understand the importance of combining and applying art with teaching of different curricular areas.Art makes learning alive and interesting, from the traditional monotonous teaching style. It unlocks the door to learning and engages learners in new ways. Keeping this in mind, the resource persons involved all the attendees in various activities and conducted an MCQ test at the end of the session.

Skill Expo cum Awareness Workshop

October 22, 2022

To develop awareness for skills along with recognizing the importance of skills in one’s daily life, a workshop on Skill Expo cum awareness was organized for the Principals and teachers on Skill Courses by CBSE on October 21, 2022 at G. D. Goenka Public School, Agra.

Mr. Santosh Mishra, Vice Principal of the school attended the workshop.The resource person Dr. Biswajit Saha Director, Trainings & Skill Education, CBSE briefed about the goals of NEP 2020 to be envisaged by 2025 and emphasized that every child should learn one vocation and be exposed to several more based on NEP 2020 statement of ‘no hard separation’ between the ‘vocational and academic streams.’ The first-of-its-kind workshop laid special emphasis on Beauty and Wellness, Apparel, Fashion Studies, Computer applications and Typography. The skill education fair stalls displayed exhibits based on concepts and processes of skills prepared by different schools. The workshop benefitted the participants to gain knowledge for implementing skill education in schools to make children better informed and productive members of society.

Exposure to Coding Curriculum

September 14, 2022

Ms. Madhurima Puranik, Mr. Mayank Godbole, Ms. Pardeep Arora, Ms. Priyanka Narela and Ms. Diksha Santwani of Computer Department attended webinars on ‘Exposure to Coding Curriculum for Teachers’ by CBSE and MICROSOFT from September 6 to 14, 2022. The webinars covered Introduction to Coding & Minecraft & Make Code, Algorithms and Variables using Block Coding, Loops using Block Coding; Get Creative with Loops, Sequencing with Block Coding and Advanced Sequencing. Practical activities were also conducted for these topics.

Exposure On Data Science Curriculum

September 13, 2022

The webinar on ‘Exposure to Coding Curriculum for Teachers’ conducted by CBSE and MICROSOFT was attended by Ms. Madhurima Puranik, Head of Computer Department from September 6 to 13, 2022. The webinar covered introduction to Data and Data Science; Ethics in Data Science and Data Governance, Arranging and Collecting Data; Data Visualisation; Use of Statistics in Data Science; Distributions in Data Science, Identify Patterns; Data Merging; Assessing Data; Forecasting on Data; Data Randomisation, Introduction to R Studio and all algorithms related to AI such as Classification, Clustering, Regression and dimensionality Reduction. Projects in Data Sciences for students were also discussed.

School Innovation Ambassador Training Program

August 6, 2022

New Education Policy lays huge emphasis on promoting out of the box thinking amongst students. To achieve this goal, the role of a teacher is highly significant. The teachers should become mentors and guide these young minds in their pursuit of innovation and entrepreneurship. Thus, it is equally crucial for mentors to have adequate mentoring skills. With this aim, School Innovation Ambassador programme has been conceptualised by Ministry of Education Innovation Cell and All India Council for Technical Education to train the school teachers across country who will nurture the young school students on Ideation, IPR, product development, design thinking, problem solving and critical thinking. Mr. Vishal Sanwatsar of Physics Department and Convener of School Innovation Council received Certificate of Completion Innovation Ambassador Certificate under School Innovation Ambassador Training Program of 72 Hours by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, AICTE and CBSE. He completed a total of five courses viz. Design Thinking & Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Prototype/ Product Development, Finance/Sales/HR, Idea Generation & Idea Hand-Holding and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Prospective Resource Person Programme on the topic ‘Joyful Mathematics’

June 19, 2022

Mr. S. K. Mishra, Vice Principal attended the Prospective Resource Person Programme on the topic ‘Joyful Mathematics’ conducted by CBSE, Central of Excellence Bhopal at Sagar Public School, Bhopal from June 17, 2022 to June 18, 2022. The training programme was attended by Principals/Vice Principals/HODs from different states of India. The resource persons of the workshop were Ms. Rashmi Kathuria, Supervisory Head 7-8, Kalachi Hansraj Model School, New Delhi and Dr. Priyadarshini, Director Academics and Principal, Achievers School, Nagpur. The resource persons through interesting activities made the attendees learn various strategies to make teaching of Mathematics joyful in classes I to 8.

School Leaders’ Conclave – Madhya Pradesh

April 2, 2022

Matific, Math platform of India honoured Ms. Smita Bhargava, Primary Incharge for Progressive School leadership in an event for School Leaders’ Conclave – Madhya Pradesh, at Indore on April 2, 2022. Esteemed speakers for the event and the topics covered by them are given below:

• Importance of Cyber Security in the Education Sector
Dr. Varun Kapoor, IPS, Additional Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh
• Reinventing Educational Leadership in Digital Era
Prof. M. M. Pant, Former Pro Vice Chancellor, IGNOU & Evangelist, AI in Education
• Using Mobile Devices to Transform Early Age Education
Mr. Rajeev Krishnan, VP Matific India
• Panel Discussion Digital Mathematics Vs Traditional Classroom Mathematics
Moderated by Ms. Sapna Sukul, Founder Edustart Solutions
• Panel Discussion Scrutinizing Hybrid Education and its Future
Moderated by Ms. Sapna Sukul, Founder Edustart Solutions
• Importance of Leadership in the Education Sector
Mr. Prabal Sepaha, IAS, Secretary, Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission

Technology for Blended Learning

March 24, 2022

To equip the teachers to face the challenges of virtual mode of learning, CBSE organized a five day online training programme on Educational Technology and Learning in collaboration with Google from March 19 to 24, 2022. Ms. Deepti Sawhney, CEO, Founder, Mahattattva was the resource person for the workshops. The session was attended by teachers of the school who learnt about various online tools and strategies to improve the involvement of the students in the learning process and develop their interest in the subject.

Workshop on Hybrid Learning Curriculum and Content

March 14, 2022

ICSL (International Council for School Leadership) conducted an online workshop on Hybrid Learning Curriculum and Content on March 12 and March 13, 2022. The resource persons of the workshop were Dr. Atul Nischal, Founder-Director, ICSL and Mr. G. Balasubramaniam, Former Director Academic, CBSE. The workshop was attended by Mr. Santosh Mishra, Vice Principal, Ms. Smita Bhargava, Primary Incharge, Ms. Deepali Ahirrao, HOD Social Science Department, Senior School, Ms. Navneet Kaur Bhatia, HOD Science Department, Junior School, Ms. Tarvinder Kaur Ghai, Co-ordinator Class II, Ms. Ravindra Chouhan as well as Ms. Dipti Telang, Mr. Neeraj Motwani, Mr. Vishal Sanwatsar Ms. Abhilasha Purusshothaman of the Senior School.

The session aimed at the contextualization of curriculum and designing of hybrid learning curriculum thereby defining curriculum as the plan to implement the aims of education. The speakers focused on the NEP aims and CBSE aims, learning outcomes and kind of content. As hybrid learning is the tool for the future, the resource persons stressed on the inclusion of social consciousness and human values in the content. They emphasized on designing own curriculum based on the needs and the interest of the students. Hybrid classrooms, experiential learning and multidisciplinary approach were elaborately explained by them. The question answer session helped the teachers to understand the varied views and the ideas of the other participants.

Training of Trainers Program by BOSCH Group and CBSE – Bridge Course of Soft Skills and Life Skills

February 5, 2022

Mr. Mayank Godbole of Computer Department of Senior School and Mrs. Heena Sharma of English Department of Senior School attended the virtual Training of Trainers Program aorganised by BOSCH Group and CBSE from January 31, 2022 to February 4, 2022. Mr. Hiren Panchal, founder of ‘MAHABODHI’ was the master trainer of this program. As vocationalization is important for the current education system, the main motto of this Skill Development Program was development of teachers and trainers for the society that will add value to the nation by adding value to the students. The main focus was on the Bridge course which is a short term Job Oriented Vocational Training Program through Bosch Vocational Training Expertise for drop out students, adult learners and youth to bring them back to the main stream. The teachers attending the Bridge course of Soft Skills and Life Skills were trained to help and guide these people in enhancing their employability skills as well as developing a competent skilled workforce for various jobs available in the country. The training included life skills, communication skills, counselling skills, interviewing skills, customer service, interviews, difference between responsibility, accountability and ownership, invest, productivity, punctuality and attitude of gratitude. The sessions would begin with ice breaking activities, motivational songs and videos. Virtual rooms were created for the groups formed by the trainer to discuss before the presentation. An Online Assessment for the teachers was conducted on February 5, 2022.

Workshop on Environmental Sustainability

December 12, 2021

To develop eco-sensitivity among the students and residents of Indore, a workshop was organized by the Indore Municipal Corporation for EVS and Social Science teachers on December 12, 2021. The chief guests of the event were Mr. Shankar Lalwani, Member of Parliament and Ms. Pratibha Pal, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation. Ms. Richa Saxena and Ms. Abhilasha Malviya of Junior School attended the workshop. The workshop focused on how to reuse single use plastic bottles and wrappers to save the environment by filling the wrappers tightly inside the bottles. Further such bottles can be processed to become hard which are known as ‘Eco Bricks’. These Eco Bricks can be used to make beautiful things like sofas and tables.

Hybrid Learning Education 3.0 Workshop Initiated by CBSE

November 19, 2021

Central Board of Secondary Education, Microsoft Education and Tech Avant-Garde, Global Training Partner of Microsoft, took the initiative to educate schools on how to manage teaching learning transaction in post Covid era by training teachers on ‘Hybrid Learning’. Mrs. Kuldeep Kaur Chhabra, of English Department, Senior School and Mrs. Meghna Kaitwade of Science Department, Senior School got the opportunity to be the part of the workshop conducted online from November 15, 2021 to November 19, 2021. The course included training on Introduction to Hybrid Learning Education 3.0, Hybrid Learning Concept and Tool Kit, Implementation of Hybrid Learning in the Live Classroom, Elements of Hybrid Learning & Workflow and Hybrid Learning Setup – Hardware and Software components. The teachers successfully completed the course and received certificates for the same.

Cyber Security Awareness Traning Programme (CYCOPS)

October 23, 2021

A cyber security training programme was organized at RAPTC, MOG lines Indore on October 22 and 23, 2021 which was attended by Ms. Madhurima Puranik and Ms. Amita Lalwani of the Computer Department and Mr. Neeraj Motwani of the Math Department. 42 teachers from 10 schools were trained for creating awareness for students related to cyber safety, security and various applications and precautions to be used during accessing internet and social media. Ms. Madhurima Puranik was presented the ‘GOLDEN BATCH of PROJECT CYCOPS’ for active participation.

Technology Use in Mathematics and Resources for Online Teaching

March 13, 2021

Ms. Annie Resin of Maths Department, Senior School attended online workshops on ‘Technology Use in Mathematics and Integrational Settings and Teaching and Learning’ as well as ‘Resources for Online Teaching’ organised by TD Educational & Charitable Trust, Bangalore on February 20, 2021 and March 13, 2021 respectively. The moderator, Dr. G. Thangadurai, renowned educationist and director, Presidency group of schools, Bangalore along with other eminent speakers shared their experience of integrating technology in teaching Mathematics. They focused on bringing conceptual change in subject teaching and learning. They also discussed about various tools and apps for teaching mathematics.

Session on Gender Sensitive Pedagogy – Mathematics

September 14, 2020

Ms. Raji Pillai, Activities Incharge, Junior School attended an online training session on ‘Gender Sensitive Pedagogy – Mathematics’ organised by CBSE, Centre of Excellence Bhopal on September 14, 2020. About 80 participants from the country attended the session taken by Mr. Aashish Tiwari, Principal, Poddar International School. Mr. Tiwari emphasized on the fact that Mathematics is no longer a male dominant subject; it simply needs logical thinking which anyone can be blessed with. In order to incorporate gender sensitiveness in the teaching practices, the teachers need to first prepare lesson plans including activities, learning styles and learning opportunities. The resource person also gave examples of Mathematicians and shared a gender sensitive lesson plan on Volume and Capacity.

Principles of Item Writing

July 31, 2020

Ms. Smita Bhargava, Primary Incharge attended an online workshop on ‘Principles of Item Writing’ conducted by The Australian Council for Educational Research (India) and Indore Sahodaya Schools Complex (ISSC) on July 31, 2020. The workshop focused on advanced assessment methods and instruments that can help teachers to measure learning achievements of students accurately. Robust assessment data can be used to target teaching and learning with the ultimate goal of improving the learning levels of pupils. The workshop helped teachers to understand the key principles and good practices that underpin assessment questions. It covered topics such as formative and summative assessment, learning progression, validity, reliability, and fairness in assessment and test item writing. It provided hands-on experience in the construction of test items based on the scientific principles of test item writing.

Session on Enhancing Life Skills – Effective Communication

September 10, 2020

Ms Yashashri Lole of Junior School attended a workshop on Enhancing Life Skills – Effective Communication organized by CBSE, Centre of Excellence, Bhopal on September 10, 2020 of which Mr. G. K. Udgata was the resource person. The session encompassed various topics viz. what are life skills and their types (social, emotional and thinking), role of effective communication – the way to communicate to the students for better understanding, techniques to improve effective communication and communication model, barriers of effective communication and how to overcome them as well as 7 C’s of effective communication.

Online Orientation Program on (Code optimization using Python)

September 3, 2020

Ms. Madhurima Puranik, Head of Computer Department attended a webinar organized by CBSE, Centre of Excellence Bhopal regarding code optimization using Python on September 3, 2020. The webinar dealt with various methods and sorting methods for optimizing the code of python and different methods for increasing the efficiency of the code.

Session on Concept of Inclusive Education

August 11, 2020

Ms. Smita Bhargava, Primary Incharge attended an online session on ‘Concept of Inclusive Education’ conducted by CBSE, Centre of Excellence Bhopal on August 11, 2020. The resource person Ms. Seema Dubey, Principal D.P.S. Katni was the resource person of this session which was attended by more than 60 participants. Importance of Inclusive Education was shared, mentioning that all young learners, who have any kind of disability, have the right to learn with regular pre-schools and schools with an appropriate network of support services. Principles of Inclusive Education were emphasized stating that as per the guidelines none of the differently able children should be rejected by the schools. All the disabled children have the equal right to learn and benefit from academic and co-curricular activities. Aims and objectives of Inclusive Education were also discussed viz. education for all,protection of rights, identification of skills, development of social consciousness, to prepare for new challenges, development of brotherhood and to improve quality of education.

Online Orientation Webinar on Introduction to Cyber Security and Safety

August 8, 2020

Ms. Madhurima Puranik and Ms. Amita Lalwani of the Computer Department attended a webinar organized by CBSE, Centre of Excellence Bhopal regarding cyber security and safety on August 8, 2020. Safety tips regarding social media and mailing systems as well as different precautions to be taken by people while using internet were discussed during the webinar.

Sessions Taken by Mr. Anand Ingle of A. V. M Infotech (India) Pvt. Ltd. For School Teachers

June 8 & 9, 2020

Sessions were conducted by Mr. Anand Ingle of A. V. M Infotech (India) Pvt. Ltd. to explain the working of G-suite for conduction of online classes. He began with the introduction of the new platform followed by the demonstration of Google Classroom, Google Meet. The demonstration also included creating Google forms, assignments and assessments. He also apprised teachers about Jamboard, Onboard, how to set up a Google Meet. There were innumerable queries of the teachers related to the conduction of virtual classes on the new platform. The expert in a simple way satisfied the queries of the teachers.

Webinar on Capacity Building For Artificial Intelligence – Class X

May 13, 2020

Ms. Madhurima Puranik and Ms. Priyanka Narela of Computer Department attended a webinar on Artificial Intelligence from May 6 to 13, 2020. The webinar was organized by CBSE in collaboration with INTEL for AI readiness of class X students. The content introduced in class X was discussed topic- wise along with its applications and delivery of content. It included theory topics and Python programming introduced in class X.

Session on ‘Psychology of Colours’

June 5, 2020

The first session focusing on ‘Psychology of Colours to Transform our Life’ was conducted by Ms. Nidhi Jain, Head of Visual Arts Department. Colours reflect one’s personality and define the character trait of a person. She explained four colour personality types – red, yellow, green, blue and elaborately discussed and described the characteristics of every colour with the market brands, social sites and temperament of a person. She also talked about the blending of colours and unhealthy emotions. The session also witnessed the scientific and spiritual views of colours put forth by other teachers. The queries pertaining to the psychology of colours were well dealt by her.

The second session was conducted by School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi on the schedule of orientation for parents and the schedule for reopening of online school from Montessori to class XII. He also discussed the role and responsibility of the stakeholders along with the assessment, assignment, resource material in online and offline classes. The teachers were informed about the Google Classroom, new official email address and the feedback system for the parents. To lend the technical support to the parents for communication with the teachers, computer department was assigned the responsibility. He suggested few measures to deal with the pitfalls, criticisms cropping up due to situational issues during online classes. He emphasized to ensure effective communication with the parents and to focus on the qualitative content for the smooth transaction.

Sessions on Synchronization of Mind, Body and Spirit

June 4, 2020

Mr. Vinay Sharma, Physics teacher of Senior School conducted a session on ‘Meditation, Yoga and Pranayam’ to develop a connection between mind and body which in turn leads to a peaceful and stable life. He explained the importance of all three practices and their effects on mind and body. He also demonstrated the exercises ‘anulom-vilom’ and ‘kapalbhati’ along with the technique and the required time period. The demonstration was followed by the practice session of both the exercises by the teachers. The queries related to breathing techniques were clarified by him.

The second session by Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi witnessed the discussion on synchronization of mind, body and spirit. Citing examples from Mahabharata, he distinctly defined the thought process in terms of Science, Philosophy and Mythology. To understand the teaching learning process, one needs to train brain by strengthening neuropathways. Connecting to neuropathways, he referred to Bloom’s Taxonomy, PBL, Vision Statement of school and many more. One needs to identify his weaknesses, share knowledge to be productive and enhance abilities to become a better person. The session ended on a positive note of self-awareness and self-realisation.

Who Kidnapped Excellence? Session Taken by Head of English Department

June 3, 2020

Ms. Chitralekha Kulkarni, Head of English Department conducted the session based on the book ‘Who Kidnapped Excellence?’ by Harry Paul, John Britt and Ed Jent. She briefed all the teachers about the characters of the book stating two important questions for everyone to ponder about – What stops us from giving our best? What stops us from being our best?

Contrasting and comparing the five core team members or qualities of Excellence with the team members or qualities of Average, she step by step explained the importance and the role of every member of the team. The presentation was thorough, clear and actionable. The device of Personification for Excellence and Average added weight and relevance to the story as these kinds of characters exist in the society. The unskilled rules and the skilled ones suffer due to the callous attitude of the top authorities. The realization dawns in when the company gets a major setback because of these unskilled and poser people. The enriching session ended with a question answer session as the questions are the most effective method of eliciting knowledge.

What is the New Normal? Session by School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi

June 2, 2020

The session commenced with the discussion on the role of a teacher in context with the psychological side of the pandemic. With the help of a power point presentation, School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi explained at length the ‘New Normal’ addressing the concerns and the problems during the pandemic period. He stressed on identification of the emotional and academic needs of the students and consequently developing the connectedness with the students. To strengthen relationships and well-being of the students, he suggested conducting activities like asking students about tough moment and hopeful moment, new learning during lockdown etc. Further elaborating the role of a teacher as a facilitator, he urged to create readiness for learning by fostering sense of connectedness, sense of safety and encouraging sense of hope in students. As teachers are the best predictors, the way they are going to model will be followed by the students. So teachers should work with mindfulness to overcome various issues pertaining to different situations. The session ended with clarification of queries put forward by some teachers.

New Session 2020-2021 Begins for Teachers

June 1, 2020

The new session 2020-2021 commenced with the welcoming of the entire staff by Principal Mr Rajesh Awasthi on the virtual Zoom platform due to COVID-19 followed by the schedule for nine days. On an inspiring note, the Principal appreciated the efforts of the teachers for the smooth conduction of online classes of X, XI & XII for two months. As there is uncertainty regarding reopening of schools due to COVID-19, he discussed about the challenges teachers will have to face during online teaching and urged the teachers to equip themselves mentally for the challenges. The online time table would soon be shared with the teachers. He also appreciated the online attendance of students of classes X, XI & XII and parents on online PTM.

As the role of the teacher is very important and calls for accountability and commitment towards teaching learning process, the teacher should act as a facilitator for students on online mode to create independent learners so as to reach the top level of the Bloom’s Taxonomy. The Principal also informed that the school is going to have G-Suite platform of Google for teaching learning process and for the entire communication with parents, students and teachers. He suggested to send the resource material to the students two days in advance and to prepare audio/video /ppt with explanation addressing the learning of the students. To apprise the parents about the online classes, the introductory online PTM and Orientation programme for junior school parents would be conducted in a short period of time. He also informed about the Art Integration, AI and ICL to be incorporated into the syllabus as instructed by CBSE in the coming session. The session also witnessed the discussion on the planning of including school club activities, parents’ email in Google classroom and Business version of Whatsapp.

Thereafter the teachers had departmental meetings with their Department Heads to continue their planning for the forthcoming session.

‘UNBOX TINKERING – Atal Tinkering Lab Teachers’ Training Programme

December 14, 2019

A training programme for ATL teachers under the aegis of AIM, NITI AYOG and with collaboration of VASCSC was organised at Choithram School Manik Bagh, Indore from December 11 to 14, 2019. It was attended by 50 teachers of various private and government schools. The resource persons were Mr. Sudhir Kumar Sharma (Project officer), Harsh Bhatt (Programme officer Scientist ‘B’), Mohit Ahuja (Innovation Lab & Fablab incharge) from Vikram A Sarabhai Community Science Centre, Ahmedabad.

The focus was on awareness of philosophy of ATL and latest technology tools. The training programme included a series of discussions and hands on sessions which allow interactive and open learning, and exchange of new ideas.

On day one, ‘Introduction to ATL program, Ideation activity and Design Thinking Activity’ was conducted in which teachers designed models with innovative ideas for solving various problems identified by them in their regions. Discussion on ATL safety and ATL calendar was also conducted. Day two started with a recap of previous day and was continued with introduction to algorithms, flowcharts and programming methods. Sensors and actuators were introduced. Operating system and hardware of Arduino was introduced using which teachers designed programs for LED blinking using braid board and circuits. Working of 3D printer was taught and 3D modelling software’s like Sketchup and Cura were introduced. Teachers designed 3D models. Various mechanical power tools were introduced with their usage.

Day three started with teachers discussing the problems they face while working with ATL and solutions were provided by mentors. Attendees were made to learn Raspberry Pi basics followed by discussion on hardware and software compatibility. Teachers were mentored for basic implementation of Raspberry Pi. Day four witnessed designing and showcasing the prototype for Hackathon using concepts taught on previous three days. ATL projects designed by students were showcased.

The four day training programme proved beneficial and enhanced the competencies of ATL lab teachers.

Workshop to Make Curriculum of Hindi Language More Interesting

December 7, 2019

Ms. Meeta Pandit , Ms. Mithlesh Shukla of Junior School along with Ms. Shilpa Khargonkar and Ms. Priyanka Shrivastava of Senior School attended a workshop at Sayaji Hotel on December 7, 2019 organised by Madhuban Publishers to make the curriculum of Hindi language more interesting. The resource person Dr. Manju Sharma, a national award recipient apprised the participants with innovative techniques to enhance Hindi language through audio-visual means and group discussion. She focused on all the language skills i.e. Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Vocabulary Enrichment through writing skills i.e. Dialogue Writing, Picture Composition and Paragraph Writing was dealt in an exceptional manner by the resource person.

Capacity Building Workshop on Artificial Intelligence (CBSE)

December 6, 2019

Mrs. Madhurima Puranik (HOD Computer Science) and Mrs. Priyanka Narela, faculty Computer Science attended Capacity Building Workshop on Artificial Intelligence organized by CBSE and Intel at Choithram School, North Campus from December 3 to 5, 2019.

Day one was a session of awareness on Artificial Intelligence which started with the Kahoot Quiz and demonstration of two games for AI domains – Mystery Animal and Emoji Scavenger Hunt as well as Rock Paper and Scissor. Letter writing to future self and dream floor plans were designed. UN Sustainable Development Goals were discussed and a board game was played by designing tokens and dice.

Day two covered the AI Project cycle pertaining to research on the given theme and designing a future job advertisement. A balloon debate was organized on AI applications and AI Ethics.

Day three covered designing of system maps using loopy and designing graphs using Sketchy software. Different modeling techniques were done with rule based approach and learning based approach. Decision Trees were designed. Neural networks and hidden layer concept was explained using a human chain game.

Capacity Building Workshop For Teachers Teaching Mathematics

August 7, 2019

A Capacity Building Workshop was organised for class X teachers teaching Mathematics on August 6 and August 7, 2019 at Prestige Public School, Indore which was attended by Ms. AbedaRaotiwala, Math teacher of the school. Around 72 teachers in and around the city participated in the workshop. The workshop was structured into 7 learning sessions and conducted by the resource persons Mr. Vijay Malviya and Ms. Seema Dubey.

In the first session, Ms. Seema Dubey discussed the skills enhanced by teaching Math. The skills like logical thinking, estimation, problem solving, arithmetic calculation, creativity, spatial thinking were elaborately explained by the expert. The second session by Mr. Vijay Malviya was on Constructivism Theory about Learning. To make students learn the concept, an activity was conducted for the participants in groups and each group was named on the topics of Math like mensuration, algebraic, number system etc. Each group performed the activity based on the topic given.

The third session by Ms. Seema Dubey focused on the Planning of Objectives for Lesson Plan. The speaker guided to plan the objectives on the basis of SMART i.e. S-Specific, M-Measurable, A-Attainable, R-Realistic, T-Time bound and suggested to include Bloom’s Taxonomy in the lesson plan. The importance of writing learning objectives, aligning objectives to assessment techniques and standards along with developing higher order thinking skills were discussed by the expert.

In the fourth session, Mr Vijay Malviya conducted a role play in groups to explain Gender Sensitivity. To gain hands-on experience, the resource person Ms. Seema Dubey conducted an activity like paper folding, model making for the participants in the fifth session. Though Math is the king of all subjects yet students have phobia for the same. In the sixth session, Ms. Seema Dubey focused on Challenge areas in Mathematics and Common Areas. The expert guided on the common errors committed by the students.

In the seventh session, Mr. Vijay Malviya enlightened on Teaching Diverse Learners in which he explained the theory of multiple intelligence, ways of getting feedback of learning-diagnostic test, vertical learning, cooperative learning and concept of mapping etc. Session eight by Mr. Vijay Malviya was based on the Assessment pattern of exam. The participants and the expert discussed the introduction of standard and basic Math level, blue prints and marks weightage for each unit.

Capacity Building Programme on Life Skills

August 5, 2019

Mrs. Anshu Chopra, HOD, Science Department of Senior School and Mrs.Kusum Wadhwa, English teacher of Junior School attended a workshop organized by CBSE, Ajmer on ‘Capacity Building Programme on Life Skills’ on August5,2019 at Vidya sagar School. The workshop aimed to hone the life skills teaching amongst the teachers. The resource persons Dr.D. C. Sharma, Principal, Vidyasagar School and Mr.Aashish Tiwari, Principal, Podar International School enlightened the participants about various ways and techniques of developing and enhancing life skills among students across all age groups. The teachers were guided to include different life skills like empathy, problem solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, interpersonal relationships, self-awareness, managing stress and emotions, coping with stress through various activities effectively. The discussion adequately had the tone set for a healthy interaction of inputs and views from the teachers.

Workshop on Innovative Pedagogy with Active Learning – English XII

August 2 and 3, 2019

A workshop for English teachers teaching class XII organized by COE Ajmer, was conducted at Choithram School North Campus, Nipania on August 2 and 3, 2019. The resource persons were Dr. Shampa Das, Principal, Ekayana Public School, Indore and Ms. Krishna Niyogi from Jabalpur. The two day workshop was attended by Ms. Chitralekha Kulkarni, HOD, English Department. The focus was on Active and Experiential Learning. Various teaching learning techniques and pedagogies were used to make the attendees aware of the right way of teaching the language skills – Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. In groups, the teachers wrote letters, articles, framed comprehension questions according to Bloom’s Taxonomy, designed posters, drafted invitations and classifieds, and discussed debatable topics. The content was then exchanged and assessed by the other group, sharing critical appreciation of the same. This gave the teachers an insight into what all points are to be kept in mind while evaluating an answer, all the same, what all points need to be told to the students to make them learn and score better.

Teaching Literature was taken up on day two with some interesting warm up activities. The handouts had crossword puzzles, rearranging the story in sequence, fill ups etc. The best part was the idea that one must explore the settings in which the story or poem had been written. That highlights the issues which were prevalent in those times and help children understand better. All the advertisements that were popular in the era when the poem ‘Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers’ was written, showed male dominance. Showing those ads before teaching the poem would surely help in ‘indepth’ study of the same. New marking scheme and different ways of conducting assessment of speaking and listening skills were also discussed. Though all the skills and activities were already known to the teachers, the workshop refreshed the teaching learning process.

‘Knowledge Sharing Meet’ for Teachers Teaching Accountancy

July 28, 2019

Sultan Chand & Sons, Delhi organised a ‘Knowledge Sharing Meet’ at Columbia Convent School, Indore on July 28, 2019.The resource persons Dr. G.S Grewal and Mr. R.K. Khosla structured the work shop into two sessions. Mr. VipinWagh and Ms. ShaliniSarafof Commerce department attended the workshop. After a brief introduction, the resource persons discussed and explained the following topics with the help of a power point presentation:
• Changes in the question paper design for 2019-2020 in Accountancy ( classes XI &XII)
• Cash Flow Statement- Treatment of proposed dividend.
• Not for Profit Organizations.
• Writing off Discount on issue of debentures
• Goodwill treatment
The experts also discussed MCQ’s and Accountancy projects for class XII with various examples. The session helped in motivating and guiding the teachers to hone their professional excellence.

Session on ‘Mysticism and Spirituality’ by Mrs. Reena Khurana, Principal, Golden International School

June 20, 2019

Mrs. Reena Khurana, Principal, Golden International School, Indore conducted an awakening session on ‘Mysticism and Spirituality’ for all staff members on June 20, 2019. The session commenced with the mythological references of ‘yagna’, ‘devas’, ‘asuras’, ‘siddhas’, ‘yogis’ followed by the 16 levels of ‘tapasya.’ The concept of kindling fire inside and outside by ‘devas’ and ‘asuras’ was well explained by her. To reach the highest level, various ways of doing ‘tapasya’ was explained in detail – Raaj yog, Kriya yog, Herbs, Tantric, Shaktipath, Mantra and Sacrifice. Mrs. Khurana also quoted instances from the lives of Ramkrishna Paramhansa and Swami Vivekanand to explain spirituality. The relation between Science and Spirituality was explained with reference to the theories of the great scientists. To handle students in school, she elaborated four major mind parts, viz., Intellect, Ego, Manas and Chitta and to understand these mind parts, one has to transform oneself in different ways. Man has an unlimited power inside but the need is to awaken that power with awareness leading to discovery and finally to creation. The enlightening session ended with the clarification of queries related to spiritual existence as ‘We all are spiritual beings having a human experience.’

Session on ‘Discipline and Behavioural Issues of Students’ by CCA Outdoor Teachers

June 19, 2019

Mr. Devendra Singh Raghuvanshi; HOD, Outdoor CCA Department along with his department faculty Mr. Durgesh Yadav and Ms. Neeta Pathak shared their observations related to discipline, behaviour and medical emergencies on ground and in the classroom. The teachers shared their experiences during Athletic Meet, Farewell, Teachers’ Day and other cultural events. The problems and solutions related to self-discipline, respect and counselling were dealt at length. They stressed on to have a collective effort in dealing with the discipline issues in school.

Session on ‘Discipline’ by Ms. Tanvi Kekre of Montessori Department

June 18, 2019

Ms. Tanvi Kekre of Montessori Department conducted a session on ‘Discipline’ for all staff members on June 18, 2019. The interactive session commenced with the differentiation between symptom and disease followed by identifying various ways to treat symptoms of discipline and avoid turning it into a disease. The speaker compared the ancient education (Gurukul system) with the present education system and shared a few activities to channelize the physical energy of the students. The emotional imbalance and behavioural problems along with the solutions were discussed in the session. The concept of ‘Dream Classroom’ was well expounded by her.

Mock Drill – Fire Safety Session For Teachers, Drivers and Conductors of the School

June 17, 2019

An informative fire awareness session was conducted by Mr. Kanchan Darkunde, fire fighter from Safety Enterprises, Indore on June 17, 2019 for teachers, drivers and conductors of the school. Defining fire as the combination of oxygen, heat and all sorts of combustible material, the resource person explained A, B, C types of fire extinguishers and their operation. He also suggested do’s and don’ts while using LPG, electric circuits and vehicles. To ensure safety and security of the students, various preventive measures like emergency exit, assembly points etc. were shared by the resource person to be followed during the fire breakout scenario. The mock drill of fire alarm, foam extinguishers and hydrant extinguishers was well explained by the fire fighter inviting teachers, drivers and conductors to demonstrate the same.

Session on ‘Effect of Meditation in Stressful Life’ by Mr. Vinay Sharma of Senior School

June 17, 2019

Mr. Vinay Sharma, Physics teacher of Senior School conducted a session on ‘Effect of Meditation in Stressful Life’ focusing on the causes and cure of stress. To live a stress-free life, the speaker suggested ignoring thoughts and establishing a mind-body connection. The session covered two types of meditation techniques viz. ‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ along with ways to achieve a calm and stable state. With the help of a video, the four stages of ‘Kundalini Meditation’ (which is very useful for working ladies) were explained by Mr. Vinay. The last leg of the session witnessed demonstration of ‘Gibberish meditation technique’ which can assist people to throw out all garbage from their mind.

Session on ‘Discipline and Student-Teacher Behaviour’ by School Vice Principal

June 11, 2019

Vice Principal Mr. S. K. Mishra conducted a session on certain issues pertaining to discipline and behaviour of students and teachers for staff members of Senior School on June 11, 2019. The session witnessed in-depth discussions on punishment, defaulters, use of language, discipline on ground and in class and PTM etc. Teachers shared their problems and suggested remedies to solve the issues.

Watching the Movie ‘Rough Book’

June 11, 2019

All staff members watched the movie ‘Rough Book’ on June 11, 2019. The story revolves around the present day education system in India with the protagonist Santoshi Kumari, a Physics teacher rebelling against the system. She tackles the system to set her own terms for her students. After watching the movie, School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi encouraged teachers to share their observations by asking thought-provoking questions. Various issues that the movie raised were discussed by the teachers. At the end, he asked teachers to relate different instances of transactional analysis; the three ego states – parent, teacher and child from the movie.

Session on Behavioural Issues of Students by School Counsellors

June 10, 2019

School Counsellors Ms. Abhilasha Purushothaman and Ms. Surbhi Shastri conducted a session with staff members of Senior School on June 10, 2019 pertaining to the problems of adolescents. Acting as facilitators, they encouraged teachers of grade IX to XII to share various behavioural problems of students of these classes with each other for common action. Teachers discussed what they deemed was ‘acceptable’ and what was ‘not acceptable’ student behaviour and urged everyone to take action at the particular instant rather than wait for someone else to intervene.

Session on ‘Technology’ by Ms. Madhurima Puranik of Senior School

June 8, 2019

Ms. Madhurima Puranik, HOD Computer Department conducted a session on ‘Technology’ for staff members of the Senior School on June 8, 2019. She explained the formatting of question paper, MS Excel sheet and google form. She clarified the queries of the teachers related to technical glitches faced by them.

Session on ‘Tongue Management’ by Brahmakumari Neela Didi

June 8, 2019

Brahmakumari Neela Didi in her session on ‘Tongue Management’ for all staff members on June 8, 2019 enumerated that if we are able to control our tongue we can control our life. Citing inspirational stories, she made everyone understand that a controlled tongue is a positive power. To manage our tongue, Didi suggested four basic paths viz. speak less, speak softly, speak in a sweet tone and speak appropriately. At the end, she advised for meditation exercise to connect with God as He is omni present to solve our problems.

Session on ‘Classroom Management’ by Mr. Vipin Wagh of Senior School

June 7, 2019

Mr. Vipin Wagh, Head of Commerce Department and part of the School Discipline Committee commenced the session on ‘Classroom Management’ for teachers of the Senior School on June 7, 2019 by showing a video. He questioned the teachers about their observations after seeing the video and what they felt the teacher in the video should have done to improve her classroom management. He set the ball rolling for the teachers to discuss openly the problems they faced in their respective classes. Through an interactive session, he explained the different strategies for better classroom control. Different kinds of behaviour-attention seeking, power seeking, off task and misbehaviour were also discussed.

Session on ‘Integrating UNSDG Within the Curriculum’ by Ms. Raminder Mac of Senior School

June 7, 2019

Ms. Raminder Mac , Dean – International Affairs conducted the session on ‘Integrating UNSDG Within the Curriculum’ for all staff members on June 7, 2019. The session began with the objective of introducing these goals by the UN followed by the need of incorporating these in the school curriculum. To integrate UNSDG within the curriculum, Ms. Mac suggested taking one goal and targeting the sub-goals with extensive research along with activities showing solutions, challenges and action. Around nine UN goals were explained at length covering different subjects. The activities like role play, street play, talk shows, panel discussion, letter writing, PPT, poems, campaigns, rallies etc. were suggested to achieve the target of UNSDG.

Session on ‘Communication Skills’ by Ms. Surya Nair of Junior School

June 6, 2019

Ms. Surya Nair of Junior School conducted the session on ‘Communication Skills’ for all the staff members on June 6, 2019. She commenced the session with pronunciation of common words pronounced wrongly followed by certain exercises like correcting errors. To improve vocabulary, she suggested reading books and magazines as well as watching cartoons, movies with subtitles, TV Shows and interviews. She emphasized on improving the accent and maintaining a diary to record happenings throughout the day. To improve speaking skills, she demonstrated two activities viz. Just a Minute (JAM Technique) wherein the teachers were called to speak continuously for 2 minutes on the topic given. The second activity pertaining to ‘Dictionary navigation’ was conducted in which teachers were called in pairs to look up for the word in dictionary addressed by her in a sentence. Various topics like punctuation, words and idioms were discussed along with the exercises based on silent letters and anagrams.

Session on ‘Teacher Effectiveness’ by School Principal

June 4, 2019

In his session on ‘Teacher Effectiveness’ on June 4, 2019 for all staff members, School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi enumerated why a teacher is regarded as a ‘knowledge giver’ and the two dimensions of a teacher’s personality viz. subjective and behavioural. The subjective domain comprises of the teaching style, teacher-student interactions, teaching outcomes while behavioural domain comprises teacher personality, behaviour, competencies, values and abilities. Subjective domain can easily be developed while Behavioural domain is intrinsic. Speaking on ‘Purposeful Communication’, Mr. Awasthi discussed on listening to learn, expressing to explore, establishing empathy and demonstrating credibility. He also stressed to enhance the quality of communication. The contents of ‘Inspired Thinking’ comprising of reasoning, problem solving, pattern recognition and decision making were also discussed. Quoting happiness as instrumental and cheerfulness as terminal, he discussed on ‘Happy Self.’ The key areas comprising of personal development, self-management, risk taking, courage, integrity, compassion, team work and many more were dealt at length. Under the ‘Work Talent’ area, he guided teachers to understand the profession with professional expertise thereby bringing unique and valued skills to job.

Session on SOLO Taxonomy by School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi

June 3, 2019

School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi commenced the session on June 3, 2019 for all staff members with discussion on Bloom’s Taxonomy wherein the various levels of taxonomy were discussed. This was followed by the introduction of John Gibbs’ SOLO Taxonomy (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes) along with comparison of Bloom’s and Solo as both aim to make students independent learners. Mr. Awasthi dealt with the five levels of SOLO Taxonomy beginning with ‘Prestructural’ followed by ‘Unistructural’, ‘Multistructural’, ‘Relational’ and ending with ‘Extended Abstract’. Student definition and icons pertaining to these Solo stages were well explained with the help of examples. Highlighting SOLO Taxonomy as being student-centric, he elucidated how this taxonomy brings out the difference between surface and deep understanding, helping students understand where they are on that spectrum and what they need to do to progress. He also suggested that teachers should include the levels of this taxonomy while redesigning the lesson plans.

Enhancing Leadership Skills – Leadership Workshop For Incharges and HODs by School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi

May 28 to May 31, 2019.

Commitment and Accountability

Mr. Awasthi stressed on the need to create a strong support system to bring in Commitment and Accountability in the teachers. The biggest enemy of commitment is fear. Leaders ought to follow a ‘No Hierarchy- Round Table’ approach and establish a rapport with the team. One should not be stingy in praising the efforts put in by anyone.

The Change Process

Discussion on John Kotter’s book ‘Our Iceberg is Melting’ highlighting the steps required to bring in a change followed by brainstorming sessions helped everyone identify himself/ herself with the different characters in the fable in different situations. The task of a leader is to identify the NoNo first and set him/her right (never avoid NoNo), and that would help in the progress of the change process. The school was taken up as a metaphor for ‘Iceberg’, and the cracks and caves for minor and major issues that the school is facing were identified. The issues related to four major areas viz. students, teachers, infrastructure and policies were listed out in groups.

Transaction Analysis

Mr. Awasthi advised the leaders to analyse the way they communicate. The five Ws and one H, the importance of expression, the three ego states were discussed. Examples were shared how a person behaved when he/she was in a particular ego state. The need to be in Adult mode while resolving a conflict is a must. The ‘Barriers in Communication’ and the ‘Thinking Errors’ were discussed, which one should be aware of, and avoid. One should be Assertive and work towards ‘Organizational Assertiveness’.

Enhancing Team Building

The leaders were divided into four teams and interesting tasks were given including games which required involvement from every member of the team. It was followed by discussion on the strategy, planning and execution of the same which could have given successful results. Mr. Awasthi also explained the importance of SWOT Analysis and Johari window, followed by a ‘Feedback Game’ where everyone had to give positive feedback to everyone. After the game was the sharing of blind spots of every member’s personality.

National Seminar on ICT Integration in Education and Learning Analytics

March 18, 2019

To encourage the mentors, scholars and practitioners to evolve strategies for the ICT-pedagogy integration as well as to analyse the learning progressions, a three day National Seminar was organised at RIE, Bhopal from March 15, 2019 to March 17, 2019. Ms. Navneet Bhatia of Junior School attended seminar. The seminar was structured into different sessions. The first day session began with the introducion of Chief Guest Prof. H. K. Senapaty, Director NCERT, New Delhi by Prof. N. Pradhan, Principal, RIE, Bhopal followed by brief about the importance of ICT. The eminent educationists from renowned institutions and universities shared their views on different learning patterns in the students.

Prof I.B. Chughtai dealt with the three levels of ICT integration involving Emerging to Applying, Applying to Infusing and Infusing to Transforming. Prof H.K. Senapaty highlighted the purpose of e-learning to identify the learning patterns in the students. Speaking on ‘Pedagogy Dominates Technology’, the speaker encouraged the teachers to shift from content mastery to competency mastery. He stressed on enhancing life skills to make children independent learners using their potential. For this, the teachers and educators need to make changes in TLP. Prof. D. N. Sansanwal addressed on ICT Integration in Education and explained at length the process of integrating ICT in admissions, teaching processes involving reasoning and thinking, diagnostics tests, remedial teaching, internal assessment and psychological testing. The resource person elaborated ICT Tutoring to simplify the concepts in Math, Physics, Chemistry, Accountancy and English. He encouraged developing Industrial Material – e content using different subjects.

The second day witnessed paper presentations by research scholars from different universities. The presentations included the following topics – Effectiveness of ICT Integration in Science Education at Secondary Level, Effectiveness of Multimedia Approach on Achievement in Science at Upper Primary Level, Use of ICT in Teaching Mathematics, Effectiveness of Mathematics Teaching Through Technology, Cloud Classroom Environment, Challenges in Teaching Science in Schools, Integrating ICT in Science Teaching and Learning, Teaching Biology in Higher Classes using ICT,Flip Classrooms etc. The e-resources like Geogebra, Logo and Robo Compass etc. were shared by the experts. To enhance learning in Science, Mathematics, Physics, Astrology and Zoology, the experts informed about the utility of PhET –Physics education Technology. PINDICS a self-assessment learning tool for teachers consisting of performance standards (PS), specific standards and performance indicators was also explained by the speakers.

Math Skill Meet

January 12, 2019

Ms. Raji Pillai and Ms. Jaya Makhija of Mathematics Department of Junior School attended Math Skill Meet organised by Macmillan Education at Hotel Sayaji on January 12, 2019. The meet was based on Singapore Approach to Mathematics Teaching which incorporates the Mastery Method allowing children to develop mathematical understanding without resorting to rote learning and solve non- routine Math problems without memorising procedures.

The resource person Mr. Syed F. Sattar, an educator with more than a decade of close involvement in school education focused on Jerome Bruner’s Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach. In the concrete step students engage in hands on learning experiences using concrete objects such as chips, dice or paper clips which is followed by drawing pictorial representations of mathematical problems and abstract way using numbers and symbols. Mr. Syed explained how Jodo cubes can be used to explain various Math topics like area and perimeter. The concept of percentage was explained through an activity using rectangular strips. Questions based on reasoning using pictorial representation were also discussed. The session concluded with the briefing of digital features of CPA Math – A Singapore Approach.

Workshop on English Language Teaching (ELT)

January 05, 2019

Orient Blackswan Publication organised a workshop on English Language Teaching (ELT) at Advanced Academy, Indore on January 5, 2019 which was attended by Ms. Santosh Joshi, Ms. Parul Agrawal, Ms. Ruchi Chaturvedi and Ms. Misha Sachdev of the English Department. The resource person Dr. Deepesh Chandrasekharan, Executive Director, CLIL, Udupi, Karnataka emphasized to focus on fluency rather than accuracy and guided on teaching of punctuation and euphemism. Certain listening and spell check related activities were conducted to emphasise on listening skills and use of correct spelling.

Global Teachers’ Meet

December 31, 2019

Global Teachers’ Meet ‘MAHAKUMBH 2018’ Chapter II was organized on the theme ‘Happy School and Safe School’ at Indore Public School on December 29 & 30, 2018. With a strong belief in the idea of creating the World of Happy Children and the World for Happy Children, the founders Dr. Rajesh Sharma, Fr. Maria Stephen and Ms. Kala Mohan invited the guest speakers from different fields to share their expertise in the field of education. Educators from various institutions across the country witnessed the event of this magnitude for two days.

DAY 1

The inaugural session was conducted by Bishop Chacko who emphasized upon imparting values as happiness in the present generation lies in listening to ‘YES’ and so values are of prime importance. Mr. Gurvinder Singh and Dr. D.S. Ahluwalia were felicitated with Late Shri Sadhu Singh awards for their selfless contribution in creating a well-educated society.

Mr. G. Balasubramaniam, former Director CBSE, Academics, addressed the gathering on ‘Happiness’ which according to him means feeling good and is born out of sorrow. He defined happiness as a path and a process and not a product. Stating cultural diversity, literacy and good governance to be the indicators of happiness index, he mentioned the key role of a teacher to bring happiness in students with self-esteem and self-acceptance. He also recommended making the school zone as ‘Positive Energy Vibe Zone’ where teachers should have unconditional love, selfless service to generate wealth in terms of knowledge and health.

The second session was dealt at length by Ms. Anuradha Sinha, Education Consultant and Curriculum Designer on Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) who suggested using emotions to create a happy environment. Referring to Bhagwad Gita’s teachings in Goleman’s book on E.I. published in 1995, the speaker cited examples to show the advantages of E.I. in building rapport with children to develop a sense of achievement and self-esteem.

In the plenary session, teachers interacted subject wise in different groups to share their teaching methodologies and strategies. The sharing of ideas helped in the enhancement in teaching learning process. Ms. Jaya Chakraborty from Queen’s College presented her paper on ‘Creating a Foundation of Moral Education’ which dealt with the beauty of forgiveness and integrity into the classroom culture. Ms. Khushboo a aper presented on the topic ‘Teacher’s Engineering in the Classroom’ and explained Johari’s Window. Ms. Kala Mohan addressed on ‘Gratification and Delayed Gratification.’

The concluding session of the first day was conducted by Padamshri Ms. Janak Palta, Director, Jimmy McGilligan, Centre for Sustainable Environmental Development wherein Ms. Palta recommended to make use of library to update knowledge and stressed on ‘Think Globally and Act Locally.’ The mentors were advised to teach boys too on ‘Good Touch and Bad Touch.’

DAY 2

In the first session, Mr. Rajesh Awasthi, Principal, Choithram School, elaborated his views on philosophy of happiness. He emphasized to create an environment for happy learning and to provide the opportunity to students to grow on their own. Differentiating happiness and cheerfulness, he encouraged to inculcate cheerfulness among children. He further explained that teachers as a facilitator, should influence students’ life and not control their life and to be happy one should be free from fear, boredom and confusion.

The second session was conducted by Dr. A. Senthil Kumaran, Chief Confluencer & Co-Founder, who addressed on ‘Try to Rediscover Yourself’, followed by a movie ‘Mawa Cake.’ A video on learning from environment was also witnessed by the educators followed by the introduction of the four mantras for happy classroom:
1. Man – We all are unique and never alone.
2. Material – Develop learning material which is worthwhile.
3. Methods – Apply strategies to settle children
4. Environment – Making learning visible with art work.

The third session witnessed the paper presentation by the following experts:
1. Ms. Inderpal Kaur, Principal, Sanskruti School, Ashok Nagar presented her paper on ‘Happy school makes happy children.’
2. Ms. Jyoti Kamle, Student Psychologist, Bhopal gave presentation on ‘Internet Addiction’

Ms Kala Mohan summed up the learning from the entire event and proclaimed with confidence ‘I’m Proud to be a Teacher.’ The informative, innovative and entertaining meet enriched the participants to create a Happy and Safe Learning Environment for the young generation.

Workshop on Teaching of Hindi Language

December 15, 2018

Madhuban Prakashan organized a Hindi workshop under the aegis of Hindi Pathyapustak and Vyakaranmala at Hotel Sayaji on December 15, 2018 which was attended by Ms. Preeti Dubey, Ms. Urmila Saroj and Ms. Aparna Chavan of Hindi Department. The resource person Dr. Mathin Ahmed, member of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Delhi introduced new dimensions of teaching with simple techniques to develop creativity in students. Assessing the IQ of students, he explained the ways to develop all four linguistic skills – reading, writing, speaking and listening skills concisely in a very interesting manner. Dr. Ahmed also introduced simple teaching methods and interesting activities in grammar.

Workshop on English Language Teaching

December 15, 2018

Indore Sahodaya Schools Complex, Indore conducted a workshop in English language at Golden International School. The resource person Ms. Indira Subramanian focused on the factors that influence the acquisition of language. The speaker conducted activities to explain various skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in language. The workshop was attended by Ms. Jinitha Chahande and Ms. Aarti Vishwakarma of English Department of Junior School and Senior School respectively.

Workshop on ‘Interactive and Activity Based Mathematics Classroom Teaching’

November 3, 2018

Ms.Varsha Pahuja and Ms.Annie Resin of Maths department attended a workshop on ‘Interactive and Activity Based Mathematics Classroom Teaching’ on November 3, 2018 at ILVA school.The resource person Mr. Arun Kumar discussed the reasons and remedies to overcome the phobia of Maths in students. Beginning with the simple concept of numbers, he stressed on the importance of backward counting in Montessori classes to gain better understanding of the concept. The teaching tools like stick, coloured strips, red and black coins to explain the concept of multiplication, fractions, factors and integers were well dealt by the speaker. The interactive session clarified the queries of the participants related to certain topics and enriched them with the usage of different teaching techniques and tools.

Workshop on Early Childhood Education and Development

September 15, 2018

A workshop on ‘Early Childhood Education and Development’ organized at Indus World School on September 15, 2018 under the ECC programme was attended by Montessori Coordinators Ms. Sapna Bhatnagar, Ms. Kanchan Kapoor and Ms. Pooja Joshi. The inaugural session conducted by chief guest Mr. Gaurav Barar, CEO of Euro Kids Schools dealt with importance of Early Childhood Education and role of educators, challenges faced by educators while dealing with early childhood literacy, professionalization in educational institutions, childhood obesity and overuse of technology by children.

While emphasizing on the use of technology for young children, Mr. Bharat Gulia in the second session enumerated on use of technology in the classroom as well as major opportunities and concerns while using technology. Mr. MuditMehrotra’s session on ‘Safety and Security in Schools’ threw light on how schools can work better for safety and security of children. The last session ‘Creativity Through Contests’ drew enthusiastic response from teachers of various schools of the city as they participated in contests related to story telling , games as well as art and craft.

National Level Workshop on ‘Managing Emotions at Work’ Conducted by School Principal

August 6, 2018

Emotions carry a significant value at work-place. Constructive emotions can motivate a person to work while intense emotions can hinder one’s ability to think. In this context, School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi conducted a two day workshop at Choithram School on August 3 and 4, 2018. The workshop was attended by 35 educators of the level of Principals, Vice Principals, HODs, Incharges, Co-ordinators, PGTs, TGTs, PRTs and Montessori teachers from various schools of the country.

Mr. Rajesh Awasthi in his interactive sessions involving real time case studies and stories from Panchatantra apprised the audience about the art of managing emotions at workplace. The difference between ‘Response’ and ‘Reaction’; the reasoning brain and the impulsive brain was well understood by the participants. He gave the talisman ‘SLOW’ in case of emotional hijack, i.e. Stop, Label or recognize your emotions, Oxygenate/ breathe deeply and Wise objectives need to be pursued. Participants learnt that that negative feedback should be taken gracefully and the CARAT approach to be followed in such cases. He also outlined the ABCDE method for disputing thoughts and challenging negativity.

Principal of Sri Venkateshwar International School, New Delhi Visits ChoithramSchool

August 2, 2018

Ms. Nita Arora, Principal of Sri Venkateshwar International School, Dwarka, New Delhi visited Choithram School on August 2, 2018 to observe the different teaching approaches being followed in the school. During her meeting with Ms. Raminder Mac, Dean – International Affairs, she learnt about the global citizenship programme of the school. She apprised Ms. Pooja Joshi, Coordinator of Nursery, Ms. Kanchan Kapoor, Co-ordinator of Junior Montessori and Ms. Sapna Bhatnagar, Co-ordinator of Senior Montessori about the Montessori way of teaching followed in her school and was glad to receive inputs from the Co-ordinators about the pedagogy followed in our school for Montessori classes. She also met School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi and Ms. Smita Bhargava, Primary Incharge during her visit.

The Awakened Citizen Programme for Beginners

July 31, 2018

The Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi conducted a workshop ‘Awakened Citizen Programme’ from July 28 to July 31, 2018 at Brilliant Convention Centre, Indore. Ms. Manjushree Jain, Ms. RituGondal , Ms. Poonam Notani and Ms. MeghnaKaitwade of Senior School attended the workshop which aimed to inculcate value education in the children to make them enlightened citizens.

The Awakened Citizen Programme Principals’ Orientation

July 14, 2018

Awakened Citizen Programme Principals’ Orientation was organized by The Ramakrishna Mission, New Delhi on July 14, 2018 at Choithram School and facilitated by Ms. Sapna Sarkar. The Orientation was attended by Ms. Pallavi Sukhtankar, CCE Co-ordinator. Focusing on the importance of value based education, guest H.H. Shantatmanandji Maharaj, Ramkrishna Mission, New Delhi emphasised on the transformation of the mind-set through positive reinforcement.The facilitators dealt in detail on the two main possibilities of ‘Awakened Citizen Programme’ i.e. universal possibilities and unique possibilities which are at disposal of every child but need to be tapped.Principals from different schools of Indore participated in the workshop which focused on the need and importance of value based education.

MIE Expert Meet

June 30, 2018

To discuss futuristic technologies and innovative practices in education and to provide professional development opportunity, an MIE Expert workshop by Microsoft was organized on June 30, 2018 at Gems Public School.It was attended by Ms. Amita Lalwani, Ms. Ankita Sharma, Ms. Pardeep Arora and Mr. Sachin Soni of the Computer Department. The MIE Master Trainer Mr. Bibhuti Sinha briefed about the latest Microsoft tools, Microsoft website and courses, productivity tools and their integration with curriculum (OneNote, Skype in the classroom, Sway-Office 365), badges, Minecraft and Kodu. The resource person also apprised the participants on the importance of cyber security and use of social media (Yammer).A digital notebook containing useful tools and resources was also shared with the participants.

Concluding Session by School Principal

June 15, 2018

The concluding session of the ten day workshop was addressed by School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi on the assessment part, designing of rubrics and subject reports along with certain issues pertaining to the code of conduct, classroom and time management including updation of class registers and diaries. Speaking on the assessment part, he emphasized the need to synchronize the assessment part to ensure learning. If any problem related to learning of concepts is there, it should be overcome in the next lesson plan. Regarding designing pointers for rubrics, he advised to make 5 or 7 pointer scale depending on the requirements using simple and short sentences. He stressed on the proper review of lesson plans when the lesson gets completed and to check teachers’ learning along with the students. The collaborative approach in the teaching learning process was well covered in the session. Speaking on the behavioural issues, Mr. Awasthi guided to develop high learning attitude and follow professional ethics. He suggested to master the way of speaking as the way creates the impact rather than words. In the end, Principal wished the teachers good luck for the new academic session 2018-19.

Session on Google Forms by Head of Computer Department

June 15, 2018

The session commenced with the brief up about the procedure to log in Google forms by Ms. Madhurima Puranik, Head of Computer Department. Ms. Puranik explained Google sheets, Google docs and slides and clarified the queries of the teachers. This updation programme would help the teachers to become technosavy.

Session on Guidance and Counselling by the School Counsellors

June 14, 2018

The School Counsellors Ms. Abhilasha Purushottaman and Ms. Surbhi Shastri recapitulated the learning of the previous session.A Ted talk on ‘Emotional Hygiene’ by the psychologist Guy Winch was shown to the teachers. Quoting example from his life, Guy Winch urged to prioritize psychological health as injuries of failures, loneliness, and rejection severely affect one’s physical health in various ways. To cure these psychological wounds, he stressed on to – Build emotional resilience and Stop emotional bleeding, Battle negative thinking, Avoid rumination and Revive self-esteem and treat self with compassion. The video on ‘The Lion Whisperer- Kevin Richardson’ showcased the companionship with wild creatures. The presentation disseminated the message that trust and compassion strengthens the relationship of the teacher and the student. The learning from both the videos was shared by the teachers. The counsellors equipped the teachers with different tools to manage the problems pertaining to discipline, conduct and academics. Teachers were also requested to approach the counsellors whenever they face problems with themselves or with the students. Ms. Abhilasha and Ms. Surbhi conducted a motivational activity to make everyone know their innate qualities.

Spiritual Awakening Session on ‘Self Esteem’ by Brahmakumari Neela Didi

June 13, 2018

A spiritual awakening session on ‘Self Esteem’ was conducted by Neela Didi from the spiritual organization Brahmakumaris. Didi listed the symptoms of low self-esteem and suggested remedies to overcome the problems occurring due to low self-esteem. As self-esteem depends on external appearance, imitation and public opinion, one should take responsibility of himself to correct his self-esteem. The four practices were discussed to develop high self-esteem which is required in this competitive world – Practice of living purposefully as purpose keeps us motivated, practice of self-acceptance which tells to accept yourself as you are, practice- God loves me as I am very important for God and He loves me unconditionally and lastly Practice- I am Light to enlighten everyone. The difference between self-esteem and ego was also well explained in the session. Values and qualities define self-esteem while possession, position and beauty define ego. The former is permanent while the latter is temporary. The activities based on accepting and understanding own self, reflected the seven qualities of the soul –peace, love, pure, happy, knowledge, bliss and power. The one minute activity of putting dots on the paper helped the teachers to realise their potential.

Self- Disclosure: Talk by Ex-students about their Expectations

June 12, 2018

The session witnessed the talk by Aastha Vijaywargiya and Vishwas Hablani of 2017-18 batch on ‘Student Thinking and Expectations’. Vishwas presented his views on ‘How to teach?’ in which he suggested to begin the lesson with examples to get students interested followed by the information about the author to learn the concept easily. He also recommended encouraging questioning skills of the students and ‘out of box thinking’ for research work.

Aastha talked about partiality, thinking and the basic word ‘Discipline.’ She clarified the marks oriented and career oriented thinking and listed the ways to maintain discipline of students in school. Citing her experiences in school as a council member, she suggested the communication tool to develop friendly relations with the students and emphasized to provide logic for certain discipline issues. To face the competitive exams, she recommended including G.K, reasoning and aptitude in the syllabus in class 11 and 12.The session witnessed a fruitful question answer session between the teachers and the students. The speakers expressed their gratitude to the teachers for their educational journey.

Session on Internationalism and Intercultural Learning by Dean – International Affairs

June 11, 2018

Ms.Raminder Mac, Dean – International Affairs addressed the teachers on Internationalism and Intercultural Learning. The session commenced with the discussion on characteristics of global citizen followed by the elaborate explanation of ‘What’, ‘Why’, and ‘How’ of Global Citizenship. The speaker focused on knowledge, core skills, attitude and values to develop global competencies in the students. Various international projects and visits fostering intercultural learning, accreditation scheme by the British Council, School Enterprise Challenge, Tedx event etc. of the previous sessions were well covered in the session. Ms. Mac also apprised about the various international projects for the next academic session. Speaking on the integration of international dimension in the curriculum, she informed about the international projects focusing on UN Sustainable Goals to be integrated within the curriculum from Montessori to class 8. The information about British Council Online Courses was also shared in the session. The teachers were also appreciated for the completion of course. The deadline of July 31, 2018 to complete at least one course was informed to the teachers.

Session by a Naturopath

June 9, 2018

Ms. Charu Singh, a Naturopath from Divyayan Nisargopchar Kendra, Indore conducted an informative session on Healthy Lifestyle and defined health as a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being. She explained health on the basis of diet, stress and life style and suggested to follow the laws of nature like time, rest, work and balance. The five elements of nature viz. air, water, fire, earth and sky in context with life processes were dealt at length by the speaker. The information on digestive fire, appetite, breathing right, and importance of shooting prayers were well assimilated by the teachers. The speaker advised to take seasonal fruits and focus on food while eating rather than being glued to the mobile or television as act of eating food is meditation. The session also clarified many myths related to food habits and diet requirements conveying that harmonising with nature makes one cheerful, healthy and happy in life.

Session on Guidance and Counselling by the School Counsellors

June 8, 2018

The School Counsellors Ms. Surbhi Shastri and Ms. Abhilasha Purushottaman conducted a session on Guidance and Counselling on June 8, 2018. Ms.Shastri defined and differentiated Guidance from Counselling and distinctly explained the need of guidance and counselling to the students. Guidance helps in growth and adjustment while Counselling is the specialized service of guidance and an enabling process designed to help through learning.Certain myths related to counselling were well expounded in personal, family, educational and career areas. The signs that show the need of counselling – drop in grades, social withdrawal, isolation, extreme behaviour were well explicated by the speaker. Ms. Abhilasha listed the qualities of a Counsellor and regarded the Counsellor as a facilitator and a teacher. The activities demonstrated the trustworthiness and confidentiality of the Counsellor. The session enriched the teachers with various techniques to guide the students in becoming a self-aware person as it takes a big heart to help shape little minds.

Process of Teaching and Learning and Redesigning of Lesson Plans Elucidated by the School Principal

June 7, 2018

The new session 2018-2019 commenced with the welcoming of the new members in the Choithram family by School Principal Mr Rajesh Awasthi. The schedule of ten day workshop was informed to the teachers. Mr. Awasthi discussed the new format of the lesson plans to be prepared for both the terms with the inclusion of UN Sustainable Goals and real learning by teacher and students. Speaking on the involvement of students in the process of teaching and learning, her apprised the teachers about the action research to be taken in each subject and introduction of Psychology subject in class XI. He also encouraged for creating a healthy environment in school with coordination and collaboration, conflict management and filling communication gaps. To make students excel in academics, he suggested using the expertise of other departments. Teachers were also apprised about the updation of email address of parents and exam records.

In the second session, Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi focused on redesigning of lesson plans along with the behavioural and specific objectives, assessment and review in the lesson plan format. He stressed on to bridge the gaps pertaining to the designing, planning, implementation and assessment in lesson plan. He revised Bloom’s Taxonomy in the process of teaching learning and guided to change the strategy for improvement after evaluation. For designing the assessment, what, why, when, who and how of the process was elaborately explained along with the assessment shift which clarified what is assessment and what to assess. The qualitative and quantitative approaches of the outcome were also discussed by him.

Orientation Programme For Leaders On ‘Internal Balance’

June 6, 2018

Through another Panchtantra story, School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi made the members realize that negative feedback should be taken gracefully. Opinion of others should not push one’s sentiments. One should follow the CARAT approach in such cases where the first three letters CAR REPRESENT Confused, Angry and Rationalization i.e. typical reaction to criticism, and the next two letters AT represent Acknowledge the part that is true and Add your own; Take what is useful and relevant. Thus negative feedback is an excellent opportunity to improvise on oneself. He also encouraged the members to learn the ART of winning people by Appreciating them, Respecting them and Tuning in with them.

Orientation Programme For Leaders On ‘Internal Balance’

June 5, 2018

School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi outlined the ABCDE method for disputing thoughts and challenging negativity. He encouraged the members to view problem as a challenge and follow ABCDE, i.e.,
A – Adversity or Activating event
B – Beliefs, which can be self-limiting
C – Consequences, which are feelings and resultant actions
D – Disputing our self – limiting beliefs by recalling past successes and strengths
E – Energizing and Encouraging ourselves with effective new thoughts

He also showed PAC to check the transaction of thoughts, where P refers to behaving like a
Controlling Parent or Nurturing Parent, A is Adult- a thoughtful state of mind leading to a mature behaviour, and C is Adaptive Child behaviour who submits, or Free Child who doesn’t. Best transactions take place in the Adult state of mind and one should encourage that.

Orientation Programme For Leaders On ‘Internal Balance’

June 4, 2018

On day two, the leaders were told to identify themselves with various characters in the case studies and provide various alternatives as to what they would have done had they been in the same situation. School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi gave the talisman ‘SLOW’ in case of emotional hijack, i.e. Stop, Label or recognize your emotions, Oxygenate/ breathe deeply and Wise objectives need to be pursued. One must regulate the emotions as FIGHT (entering into aggressive mode) or FLIGHT (avoiding/ moving away) both distract from goals.

Orientation Programme For Leaders On ‘Internal Balance’

June 2, 2018

A four day Orientation Programme was conducted by School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi for the Incharges and HODs from June 2, 2018 to June 6, 2018 focusing on managing emotions and having control over them. Through various case studies and Panchtantra stories, the difference between ‘Response’ and ‘Reaction’; the reasoning brain and the impulsive brain was well understood by the members. Mr. Awasthi encouraged the team to enhance Personal Competence by managing oneself through Self Awareness, Self-Regulation and Motivation; and Social Competence through Empathy and Social Skills. He advised the members that one should be logical instead of emotional. When one’s position, knowledge or expertise is challenged, it should be accepted with logical mind, not by impulse.

Workshop on Gender Sensitivity

April 27,2018

A workshop on ‘Gender Sensitivity’was organised at Medicaps International School,Indore on April 27,2018 and witnessed the participation of 69 teachers from different schools in and around Indore. Ms. Pallavi Sukhtankar, Ms. Bharti Pandey, Ms. Sugandha Nanore, Ms. YashashriLole and Ms. Chandni Lalwani from Choithram School attended the workshop. Mr. Anurag Gupta, Principal, Vidhya Niketan School, Gwalior discussed about gender discrimination in the first session. The activities conducted by Mr. Sangram Singh Bhadoria, Principal, Gautam International Academy, Dhar taught the learners to deal with the violence issues among children in school. The post lunch session was based on designing of gender sensitive lesson plans and to build a gender sensitive classroom environment to encourage gender equality in school. In the concluding session, teachers shared the problems and suggested measures to overcome the problems.

Workshop on Remodeled Structure of Assessment

April 24, 2018

Ms. Navneet Bhatia of Science Department Junior School attended a workshop on ‘Remodeled Structure of Assessment’ conducted by The Center of Excellence, Ajmer at Navnidh School, Bhopal on April 24, 2018. School Principal Mr. Rajesh Awasthi and Ms. Poonam Shekhawat from South Valley Public School, Betmawere the resource persons. The assessment structure was discussed as per Bloom’s Taxonomy. Mrs. Navneet Bhatia shared her views on assessment structure on flip class. She also shared designing of the learning objectives, developing of the lesson plan, classroom instruction, activities and findings about students’ learning and the assessment for learning through videos, debate, making of models, experimentation.

Workshop on Sports Psychology and Sports Injuries

March 17, 2018

Mr. Durgesh Yadav, Junior HOD, Sports Department attended three days University Grants Commission Special Assistance Programme DRS-I workshop on Research Methodology and Sports Psychology in pursuit of excellence in sports organised by School of Physical Education, Devi Ahilya VishwaVidyalaya from March 15 to 17, 2018.
He also attended one day University Grants Commission Special Assistance Programme DRS-I workshop on Sports Injuries and Anti-Doping Awareness organised by School of Physical Education, Devi Ahilya VishwaVidyalaya on February 23, 2018.

Workshop on Mathematics Lab Activities

February 9, 2018

Mr Kannan conducted a session on ‘Mathematics Lab Activities’at Choithram School on February 9, 2018 which was attended by eight teachers of the school.With the help of the Mathematics Lab Activity Kit and Manual, the resource person demonstrated various classroom activities using technologylike angles in a semicircle, angles made by an arc on a circle and centre using geoboard, finding LCM, addition/subtraction of fractions etc. The session also displayed the content of Trignometry and Statistics.

Workshop on Guidance and Counseling

February 2 and 3, 2018

To apprise the students about upcoming career fields and to open resource centres in respective schools,a workshop on Guidance and Counseling was organized under the aegis of CBSE for school Principals on February 2 and 3, 2018 at Hotel Mangal City, Indore. The resource persons Ms. Kiran Singh and Mr. Ravindar Rana from College of Engineering Pune addressed the session. Ms. Pallavi Sukhtankar attended the workshop.

Workshop on Recent Advances in Nano Particles and Material Sciences

January 27, 2018

A workshop on Recent Advances in Nano Particles and Material Sciences was conducted by Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Professor, IIT Indore at Shri Vaishnav Vidhyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore on January 27, 2018 and was attended by Physics teachers Ms. Kalpana Tiwari and Mr. Vishal Sanwatsar. Dr. K. N. Guru prasad, Director of Shri Vaishnav Vidhyapeeth Vishwavidyalaya, Indore was also present on the occasion.Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Professor, IIT Indore dealt at length on the Raman Effect and Photon- Phonon interactions sharing his research work.The quantum confinement effect,the FaNo effect, semiconductors, nano particles in bio sensors were well expounded by the resource person.

In the second session, Dr. Netram Kaurav, Professor, Govt. Holkar Science College, Indore stated the basics of Nano technology focusing on Nanoscience along with a video talk entitled ‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom’ by Physicist Richard Feynman at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech, December 29, 1959).The resource person also informed about coining of the term ‘Nanotechnology’ and described the innovations and experimentation in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. He also shared his research success in Nanoparticle and answered the queries related to quantum confinement, entanglementand phonon-photon interaction. The teachers gained insight into the miracles and innovations of Science to share with the students.

Workshop on Hindi Language Teaching

January 13, 2018

Hindi Language Teaching workshop on teaching techniques was conducted by Dr. Pradeep Kumar Jain of the Madhuban group at Hotel Sayaji, Indore on January 13, 2018. The workshop was attended by Ms. Vijaya Shrotriya, Ms. Mamta Sharma, and Ms. Amita Sharma of the Hindi Department. The workshop structured into three sessions commenced with the current status of Hindi language. The resource person emphasized on using video and power point presentation for learning of concepts and shared ways to make it comprehensible. ASL, pronunciation of words and grammar tricks were well covered in the workshop. The concluding session witnessed the clarification of queries.