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Here
are some tips on the qualities of
a good teacher! I recently read that
a teacher should "know when to quit.
If you start to lose your caring or
enthusiasm, it's time to graduate
from teaching. No child deserves a
burned out teacher." An apt thought
indeed! Just like how a good politician
can reach the masses, so also a good
teacher should be able to place herself
in the shoes of her students. She
should at all times remember that
students have to be taught at their
own pace. Isn't it a prerequisite
that a good teacher's classroom shouldn't
have any favourites? Alas! It doesn't
always hold true. Many teachers succumb
to this folly of having some students
who are more liked by him/her. Many
students are late-bloomers. A teacher
needs to remember that there is no
one who is a misfit in her class.
God forbid she is unable to find one
single redeeming factor, extra caution
has to be taken that the child is
unaware of her feelings! It could
be just that the child's talent is
yet to blossom. Many a time children
are left groping in the dark to find
out what mistakes they have made in
their lessons. It isn't enough if
the teacher just checks the work of
the students. She needs to find time
to point out the mistakes so that
the child realises its mistake and
attempts to correct itself. Students
remember the impromptu games time
or quiz time that replaces the mundane
learning now and then. So allow for
some fun-time in class. The learning
that takes place immediately after
that would be that much more effective!
There is no other job that allows
that much of human interaction as
that of teaching. Teachers are like
gardeners who plant seeds and watch
the flowers bloom.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, April 13, 2007
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Understanding
Adolescence
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Is
there a way out of this predicament?
Dr.
S. Yamuna
The
eighth Life Skill as recommended by
WHO is Problem Solving.
Eighteen-year-old
Malini leaves by seven every morning
to board the college bus. She observed
that for the past week, a stranger
followed her to the bus stop. She
did not tell her parents or her friends.
But she didn't feel comfortable walking
alone. She tried a different road,
but was faced with the same problem.
She thought of changing her timings
but that would mean missing the bus.
She thought if she told her parents
they would misunderstand her. She
was quite troubled, to the extent
of not going by the college bus. Her
college is 20 km away. She thought
of confronting the man but was not
too happy at the imagined consequences.
She asked her father if he could drop
her everyday at the bus stop so that
she could start ten minutes later
from home. This worked. Problem Solving
is the eighth Life Skill as recommended
by WHO. Adolescents encounter numerous
problems in their day-to-day lives.
It is essential that they identify
the problem, explore the intensity,
recognise the goal to be reached,
look at various options, workout the
consequences of choices, select a
possible solution and implement the
solution with care.
Sorting
out
Adolescents especially, during late
adolescence have good problem solving
skills. It is better they work out
all options inclusive of parental
support and guidance. Malini's father
came to her rescue, which sorted out
the issues without any untoward consequences.
Since early childhood parents should
have open discussions with their children
about the various issues that arise
in a family. Parents must be able
to discuss any scenario, explore options
and their consequences with the children
to arrive at a suitable solution.
This kind of role modelling and training
enables the children to solve problems
effectively during their adolescence
and thereafter, without creating discomfort
or displeasure to anyone. Problem
Solving is an important skill that
can be inculcated by practising the
ability to analyse the situation with
clear goal in mind without confronting
anyone and thereby achieving an agreeable,
acceptable, comfortable and satisfying
result.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, April 13, 2007
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What's
the truth about lying?
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by
Radhika Soundar
Why do children tell lies? What is
the best way to handle it?
TELLING LIES: Is it a habit?
"No, I swear I did not break the glass!
Ask Ramya."
"The
teacher does not like me. So she simply
targets me."
"I
know mom would say `no', so I lied."
Children tell lies. They do so without
encouragement or teaching. Lying may
be an indicator of a more severe problem.
Compulsive lying has often been indicated
in children suffering from social
behaviour disorders, sometimes accompanying
other problem behaviours such as stealing,
cheating, aggression, violent temper
tantrums, skipping school, constantly
losing items, and poor behaviour in
social settings or with authority
figures.
Some
reasons
Why
do children lie? Impulsivity, inability
to link consequences with behaviour,
inattentiveness, and discomfort in
social situations may be at the heart
of lying. Fear - rational or irrational,
of being chastised or punished. Children
who lie out of fear usually know that
they have done something that is wrong.
This provides an important clue for
parents responding to the lying child.
Habit - Children can "lie by reflex"
when confronted. It is often strengthened
by hostile confrontation. One can
help the child by giving him an opportunity
to retract the lie without fear of
consequences. Modelling - What parents
do in moderation; children do in excess.
Children do not appreciate the nuances
of harmless white lies necessary in
social situations. Over-prediction
- Vague boundaries enhance lying.
The bottom line again is that children
lie. We need to find out why. If it
is an indicator to a deeper problem
you need to seek professional help.
The
author is a paediatric counsellor.
Courtesy:
www.hindu.com, April 13, 2007
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Italy
helping in conservation of Ajanta
paintings
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Italy
is providing assistance for preservation
and conservation of the paintings
in Ajanta caves, the Lok Sabha was
informed yesterday. In a written reply,
Minister of Culture Ambika Soni said
Italian experts are carrying out photo
documentation, laser scanning and
condition assessment of the mural
paintings in cave 17 of Ajanta. This
step, she said, was being undertaken
under a culture exchange programme
signed on March 23, 2003 and a memorandum
of understanding signed on January
31, 2005 between the two countries.
"A experts working group has been
formulated for studies on the condition
of paintings at Ajanta. The programme
envisages research and study, cooperation
in documentation and formulation of
conservation programme," she said.
Also, the Central Institute for Restoration,
Rome, undertook conservation and restoration
training course on historical, archaeological,
ceramic and glass objects at the National
Museum in Delhi in February this year,
Soni said.
Courtesy:
www.zeeneww.com, April 27, 2007
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Rare
text of Swathi Thirunal found
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In
a major archival discovery, a rare
palmleaf manuscript written by the
19th century Travancore Maharaja and
music legend Swathi Tirunal has been
traced by researchers. The text, 'san,'
describing the unique feature of erstwhile
royal state of Travancore, was recently
traced by manuscript researchers at
Manoormadam Kottaram in Mavelikkara
in Alappuzha d out of the 57 palm
leaves of this text penned by Swathi
Thirunal in Malayalam script, 31 have
been found among a bundle of manuscripts
in a box at Manoormadam, Assistant
Co-ordinator of Manuscripts post-survey
programme, P L Shaji told a news agency.
From the inscriptions on the text,
it could be learnt that they were
WR the survey was undertaken under
the National Mission for Manuscripts
(NMM) sponsored Byitute and manuscripts
library of Kerala University. Efforts
were also on to find original texts
of the compositions of Swathi T46
and made lasting contribution especially
through his 'keerthans' praising lord
Padmanabha.
Courtesy:
www.zeenews.com, April 22, 2007
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Maharajah`s
bomber restored to glory
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A
rare first world war two-seat bomber
which was rotting in an elephant stable
of a former Maharajah's palace in
Rajasthan has now been restored to
its glory at the Imperial War Museum
here. The De Havilland DH9 biplane
is the only one in Britain and one
of the six in the world, an official
of the museum said. Its saviour, Guy
Black, an aircraft restorer, told
the daily telegraph "it was a phenomenal
find, like discovering gold". The
chance discovery was made by a British
backpacker who photographed a cannibalized
DH9 in a new museum at the palace
of Bikaner in Rajasthan 12 years ago.
On his return to Britain, he circulated
the photo and black, who runs a specialist
restoration company in Sussex, got
to hear about the discovery. Three
years later black visited the palace
in India. The aircraft, built in 1918
and the first British bomber to house
bombs in its fuselage, had vanished.
Inquiries led him to the palace's
former elephant stables. There, among
piles of elephant saddles, was the
airframe of the dh9, engineless, its
timbers partly eaten by termites and
much of its fabric covering missing.
Along one wall, black saw half a dozen
dh9 wings and several tailfins. "I
could not believe my eyes. The dh9
was the most manufactured bomber of
the first world war - they made more
than 2,000 of them - but there wasn't
a single one in a collection in Britain,"
he said. Black had found the remains
of three DH9S that were given by Britain
to the maharajah of Bikaner in the
early 1920s to help him establish
an air force under the post-war imperial
gift scheme.
Courtesy:
www.zeenews.com, April 21, 2007
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Hanuman
towers over Shiva in Delhi
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It's
the height of devotion. Towering over
the bustle and traffic of the national
capital New Delhi is this 108-feet
Hanuman idol. Why 108 feet? It is
believed to be the 'lucky number'
of Lord Ram's trusted aide. Legend
also has it that Hanuman used to eat
108 laddoos and chant Lord Ram's name
108 times a day. The city's tallest
idol, which was unveiled on April
16, took more than 12 years to construct.
Faith has definitely caught up with
modern day technology. For proof,
visit this temple, located at the
Pusa Road roundabout, on Tuesdays
and Thursdays. On these two days,
Hanuman will reveal how close to heart
Lord Ram and Sita were to him. At
the touch of a button, He would spread
his arms and open up his heart to
showcase two gold-plated idols of
Lord Ram and Sita. This is followed
by chants of Jai Shri Ram over loudspeakers.
Though Delhi is proud of the architectural
wonder, not all of its residents are
exited about it. Especially the residents
in the vicinity. According to media
reports, the inflow of tourists and
devotees eager to have a glimpse of
the imposing figure of Hanuman has
led to traffic woes. However, Hanuman,
standing tall on the severed head
of a demon, continues to draw a good
attendance. Hanuman's idol sure has
stolen the crown of the tallest religious
idol from Lord Shiva (85 feet). Jain
priest Mahavir's statue (17 feet)
in Mehrauli is the third in line.
The Hanuman statue, constructed by
industrialist B K Birla, houses a
four-storey temple dedicated to Lord
Ram, Vaishno Devi, Sai Baba and Lord
Shiva. It also has an underground
cave with a pool of water.
Courtesy:
www.rediff.com, April 18, 2007
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