Reader Submission

Our latest reader submission comes from Dr Neha Sharma, Principal of GD Goenka Public School Ghaziabad. In 2019 Dr Sharma initiated and launched a project called YANA – which stands for You Are Not Alone – to provide 24/7 emotional support to school students. Here, she explains the thinking behind the creation of YANA, and the how the model works.

‘I saw a lovely display of extended skills like teamwork, empathy, decision-making and creativity, along with reflection, all through the learning.’ In our latest reader submission, Principal of Gnan Srishti School of Excellence Priya Ramakrishnan shares her experience of using Drama-Based Pedagogy to help students explore and understand Chemistry concepts.

Assessment is an important part of school education – it helps teachers establish where students are in their learning and make informed decisions about suitable next steps. In this reader submission, Shilpi Banerjee and Ronita Sharma from Azim Premji University discuss key principles in designing and using authentic assessments.

In our latest reader submission, Meesha Arora – a teacher at The British School, New Delhi – shares how giving students the task of creating their own rap to showcase their knowledge and understanding has proved to be a great learning resource in her own classroom.

‘As educators, it is our responsibility to create learning environments that support student achievement, engagement, and wellbeing.’ In a new article for Teacher, Head of Pragyan School Divya Kapoor explores the key characteristics of effective learning environments and how these have informed the creation of model classrooms at her own school.

‘My experience as a teacher and researcher in Japan has allowed me to observe and study classrooms in depth. The first thing that caught my attention was the use of chalkboards.’ Dr Shirley Tan shares how the traditional Japanese technique of bansho board writing can enhance teaching and learning in your own classroom.

'Closely crafting questions, reviewing data, making changes, engaging with open-ended questions were already all part of my daily work in the classroom.’ Dr Jason DeHart discusses the importance of teacher voices in research, and reflects on his own study journey.

‘My children’s story writing changed – it brought out their identities through struggles and motivations that were close to their heart.’ Supriya Prakash recalls the impact on her young students of introducing Indian literature to the classroom bookshelves.

In this reader submission, Meesha Arora – a teacher at The British School, New Delhi – discusses how schools can better connect their vision and mission statements to day-to-day learning activities and collect evidence and feedback to further guide teacher planning.

What do you do with copies of old textbooks, battered novels and random pages? While recycling for the benefit of the environment is always a go-to option, Dr Jason DeHart offers some creative ideas for what you can do with old book copies and other ephemera that are lying in classrooms and back rooms.