What is it that makes Change-maker Teachers different from others ?

"Change-makers," a much-bandied term that covers a whole gamut of possibilities might in the teaching profession at least refer to teachers who despite all the unlearning they might be forced through, bring about a transformation that is evident. While most people might wonder what makes a teacher truly transformational and a driver of change, others might take umbrage at the way these teachers are more often than not surrounded by students! What makes teachers true changemakers is their readiness to unlearn obsolete routines, and embrace new ones. Changemaker teachers share through example or otherwise their best practices, they demonstrate a curiosity to learn new things and thus are not rigid subject experts. It is this honest desire to learn, to accept mistakes when pointed out by their students and colleagues, a readiness to redefine, accommodate, revisit, and entrench new and more effective strategies that make teachers truly transformational.

It is an unfortunate fact that most teachers would like to force their own teaching styles, patterns and routines on to others. The fact, however, is that each teacher has an important need to be himself or herself, to have breathing space, to feel comfortable. The freedom to experiment with teaching pedagogies, the freedom to explore more effective means for bringing about a transformation of attitudes in the learners can only happen when there is an environment for experimenting and the freedom to test outcomes. Change-maker teachers keep sharing their best practices whether it is having a court session in class to see whether or not Griffin could be blamed for the death of Mr Wicksteed in Well's The Invisible Man, or it might as well be having a mock stock exchange session for Business Studies. A successful and well-established changemaker teacher keeps sharing her successful strategies with a great deal of excitement, whether it is enactments of poems, incidents, emotions, or, for that effect how showing a video with a similar theme was able to help students understand complex issues. One of the teachers I know shared video links that were most effective in setting the context for the partition of India and Pakistan. It was only after the videos had been shared in class that the students started reading Khushwant Singh's Novel, "Train to Pakistan." It is surprising how transformational teachers are the products of the work environment and culture of the place they work in.

While no do doubt one might assume that Change-makers might have the required genes to be transformational, the fact is that they still need mentors to guide them on. A wonderful school head once taught her teachers to unlearn old things and to learn new things. She took forward the idea of crew sitting, even when there was opposition, she did a lot of buddy teaching, (even when a particular grade students were a bit too energetic) she even took pains to collect resource material which she shared with her teachers. The way she handled her students and her teachers brought about a change, a transformation in everyone. Mentoring is, therefore one of the key traits of Change-maker teachers. Trusted mentors are in themselves Change-makers and they bring about transformation in the truest sense. This is in keeping with the fact that Change-maker teachers are also mentors to other colleagues and their students.
The readiness to learn from others and the readiness to act as models before others assumes lack of inhibitions especially in allowing others to observe one's self in class and outside class and in the same sense also, be ready to observe other teachers. Change-maker teachers are thus, uninhibited in nature which, therefore, leads to a readiness to learn and teach. Transformational teachers are in a sense accessible, approachable and not intimidating in any case. This does not, however, suggest that popularity drives Changemaker teachers!
Change-maker teachers boost student engagement and they do this through a multitude of strategies. They have an emotional connect with their students, they promote curiosity, they encourage divergent thinking, they will never give their opinions at the outset, they encourage students to come up with their own solutions to the problem. They make sure that students take ownership and pride in their answers. Change-maker teachers make students celebrate learning.
It is clear that Change-maker teachers are ready to experiment, test boundaries, and ready to take risks. They are not CONTROL FREAKS and are ready to relinquish control over the class having the confidence that they can steer the lesson to the desired learning target. Change-maker teachers have tremendous knowledge of the subject and they are mature enough to let students explore options. They know when students are straying off course and have the tact to edge them back to the desired goal. They have total control of the class and yet they show as if they don't, allowing students to explore possibilities. Change-maker teachers are a curious lot, they defy expected norms, they don't stick to patterns and are often viewed with suspicion by those who stick to expected practices and teaching patterns. Change-maker teachers are often rebels, they rise above systems, and deliver results that often defy logic. Transformational teachers are a creative lot, they keep changing pedagogical practices, often defying accepted patterns. They are the odd ones, those that connect to their learners and convince them to think differently, out of the box, to be creative and original. Change-maker teachers appreciate mistakes and they use the same to drive an understanding of concepts. They are drivers of transformation through a learning of mistakes. They know that mistakes are an important aspect of learning and they encourage learners to try to solve problems even if they make mistakes. They teach their students that it is good to make mistakes as long as mistakes are an excuse for making corrections. The process of learning has to cater to failure and mistakes as a means to reach the accepted learning targets.

A Changing of the Guard at the Church of the Epiphany, Gurgaon

It was an emotional moment for the Parishioners of Gurgaon when they formally attended the final Mass of Revd. Sunil S. Ghazan on the 8th of July  2018. The day marked the farewell for Revd. Sunil Ghazan who has been transferred to Noida and a welcome to Revd. Daman Rodgers Mall, a child of this church.

Revd. Ghazan's seven years stint at The Church of The Epiphany Gurgaon has been marked by numerous achievements including the landscaping of the Church Lawns, the construction of a Sports Complex, building of the Administrative Block, running of the Alcoholic Anonymous counselling sessions, the construction of the New building of the Sadhu Sunder Singh Church in Sohna (a sister church) the running of a Play School and many other achievements.

While it was a sad moment, a send-off to Revd. Sunil S. Ghazan, it was also a joyful moments to welcome a product, a protege of this very Church in Revd. Daman. Revd. Daman was ordained even as a member of the Church of the Epiphany Gurgaon. Even as a member, Revd. Daman took active interest in all the church activities. He brought life to the Annual Conventions which became an important event for the Church of the Epiphany Gurgaon.

Also present on the occasion were special invitees, members of the parishes where Revd. Ghazan had previously served.

A line that comes to mind from the poem The Brook reads, "For men may come or men may go, but I go on forever" suggests in this case that the while people may come and go but the spirit of worship and fellowship should always go on. For the parishioners of The Church of The Epiphany, the good work done by Revd. Sunil S. Ghazan will always remain and will be taken to greater heights by Revd. Daman Rodgers. Even as we reminisce about the seven fruitful years devoted to the Church by Revd. Ghazan, we are preparing for the  Annual convention slated to be held in the month of August. We hope to see Revd. Ghazan in the church then.

The symbolic relinquishing the keys was an emotional moment for all those present and this was not less of one for both the Presbyters present. It marked the end of an era and the start of another. We wish Revd. Ghazan all the best in his continued service to the Almighty Lord, and wish Revd. Daman the very best in his coming years of service to the Almighty Lord and the Parish of The Church of The Epiphany, Gurgaon!

Data Mining-Its implications for Schools

It is surprising how Technology is making us mere hoarders and collectors of Data rather than analysts of Data! How, then, are we different from those who cram information for the very purpose of spewing it out in an exam or interview only to forget it in a week's time? Our obsession with the term Data as in Data Points or Data Mining has robbed us of the ability to go beyond what the Data means!

Research Studies show that Data Analysts spend 80 per cent of their energy, resources and time Mining Data, a euphemism for hoarding Data and a mere 20 per cent is spent on creating Models on the basis of an analysis of Data. The biggest challenge today is not just how we process data but rather what we do with the analysis of Data. Instead of really working on projections and models based on analysed data, we simply get bogged down by terms like Deep Learning or Machine learning instead of trying to really get to terms with the Data we have collected! Data that is raw and unprocessed is simply random and lacks patterns and trends!

Projecting Data crudely on graphs, pie-charts and bar-diagrams does not constitute analysis, rather it is simply a pictorial form of presenting Data. Unfortunately, many of us are satisfied with this! What matters most is what we do with Data Statistics. The analysis of Data can only come after the Data has been presented and then what follows is the creation of a Model that will attempt to iron out or remove the weaknesses existing in the previous Model. 

At the school level, simply collecting Data on poor performers without analysis and Projected trends will not help. The Data needs to be analysed and the analysis should lead to the creation of a model that addresses a specific learning disability. In cases where the Data is simply overwhelming for human minds, there is a need for Artificial Intelligence that can not only analyse Data but also to create models and make projections based on existing patterns of learning. Machine Learning as such refers to exactly this! Take for example Data Mining in Marketing, a Cell Phone company would collect large amounts of Data based on Consumer expectations for smartphones through online surveys on social networking sites so that it could analyse the Data and then make future predictions about what features would be more attractive to consumers. These features could be added in the forthcoming cell phone models to be launched thus making them attractive to customers.

Mobile phone manufacturers make use of Deep Learning strategies in order to predict words that are being typed before the user has typed them, often creating embarrassing mistakes. Alexa, a virtual assistant similar to Siri can listen to your voice commands and then get the job done, whether it is switching on the air conditioning or perhaps even giving you the scores of the cricket match that was played the previous day. All this is possible because the software is able to make predictions based on large amounts of Data that have been analysed and modelled regarding appropriate responses.

Whether we humans, might be capable of going beyond Data Mining, without the help of Machine Learning or even Deep Learning is doubtful because of an overwhelming amount of Data. At the school level, it should suffice to be able to collect Data Points that are limited to specific problems faced by students and not go too deep into an area that can be handled only through AI. It would great if one could ask a virtual personal assistant to create a tailor-made learning module for Tom who has problems with clauses in English, or perhaps Martha who has issues with word problems in Mathematics. However, it is doubtful whether Data Points provided by the sample of students weak in clauses or word problems might really be enough for Deep Learning to provide our virtual assistants with enough insight to create a remedial lesson module.

Whether or not individual schools would have the wherewithal or the resources to provide for Machine Learning or Deep Learning or even enough Data Points based on their limited samples is doubtful. To make effective predictions, models and corrective instructional modules would require Data to be gathered from all the schools in the country if not the whole world! The larger the Data, the more accurate the projections and models. It would, however, be very wrong to compare students learning in schools to consumers of Smartphones, or consumers of Laptops because students are ever changing, ever evolving and they have more fluid intelligence than adults with crystallised intelligence!

Lessons for Life - A Poem

The corridors echo not with footsteps but

With whispers, faint-ephemeral, tenuous,

People long gone, not dead but gone out 

Of time, detractors, mockers and schemers.

One that played a game of intrigue and

Laughed behind backs, in turn tasting his

Own defeat, a farewell ending in ignominy

Told to get out of what was once his office!

Another had a throne and kingdom, but

Was greedy for favours & commissions 

 Toppled after the  inquisition forced him

To flee  lest  shame be heaped on him

A doctor he was, not a healer of wounded

Souls, but a scourge, to strike terror into

Kindred men, reduced into a sprite, pride

Long gone, holding on to life with medicines.

She was full of art, to make fun of others was

Her strength clever schemer, mistress of

Malice . Toxic doses she fed, to remove all

Opposition was her forte e'en as she smiled.

But, alas, all that remains are empty echoes,faint

 In the corridor, of those that once were, but exist

No longer, alive, but gone out of time, dim shadows,

Faded tendrils of memory, ephemeral and tenuous!

It saddens to wake, remember those that longer exist.

Surely they made life so more exciting even as they

Plotted and schemed to achieve their goals. I once

Knew them, wonder how they might be if they were.

All that remains of them are echoes in the corridors

Of time, whispers that echo, faint, ephemeral, toxicity

Dulled by time, long past, faded memories, of those

That plotted and planned, schemers and detractors!

Herein lies a tribute to all the detractors, toxic people,

Those that made one strong, teachers of the best kind,

Who In their enthusiasm built up character, grit,and 

Patience,  lessons for life that built character for all!

Sarus Cranes at The Basai Wetland

This Saturday, the 7th of July was an eye-opener for me when I visited the Basai Wetland in the wee hours of the morning. The first thing that I noticed was Sarus Cranes strolling through piles of plastic garbage dumped in the area. The second thing was to observe with horror, a couple, wildlife photographers taking photographs while one of them was throwing stones at birds apparently to make the birds take wing so that one of them could take a flying shot. My take on this habit is that people who throw stones at nesting birds are highly irresponsible in nature, more so because the stone might hit a nest and break the eggs lying in the nest. Wildlife enthusiasts need to be responsible citizens who have the moral responsibility of preserving and protecting nature in all its forms. 

I was most lucky to take photographs of a pheasant tailed Jacana in its breeding plumage. While I was photographing a pair of Sarus Cranes, a bird landed just beyond me flashing a golden neck even as it moved around in the grass. My sensed were alerted and I switched attention towards this singularly distinct bird.

What drew my attention, however, was the ritual of grooming that the Sarus cranes went into. An entire fifteen minutes were devoted to a dry-cleaning ritual which was perhaps meant to extract fleas from their rich plumage. They did it all together!

The behaviour of these human beings drew my ire, no doubt, for I believe that every responsible human being has the duty of protecting nature and throwing stones at birds for the sake of a photograph is not done!

The Swatch Bharat Mission seems to have been ignored by this little boy who peed into the water with the least of worries! Also to be seen were people who made noise apparently to drive away the birds from their morning breakfast.

But then, good sense prevailed, and I got to see a couple of bee-eaters going through their morning rigmarole of cleaning themselves!

I was also able to spot a bird that seemed to me most similar to the Chat Bird one finds all over the country.

It is clear that the Basai Wetland continues to be an important ecological treasure trove for Gurgaon that we need to preserve. While the authorities continue to dither on its status, I hope that common sense prevails and the Government of Haryana declares it to be an important ecological zone.