We cannot deprive our children of that. I would rather challenge the child, stretch her imagination and then let her find a place to settle on a ground higher than she thought was ever possible. If we keep doing this on a regular basis we then have a learner in the making who enjoys taking on challenges.

So, coming back to the question, "Why should our children go to school?"

To Learn.

And, if our expectation is that our children should know and understand everything easily, that things should be a breeze or always accessible or that we'll do well if someone just explained everything to them step by step so that they will not have to struggle then we have got our fundamental understanding of education and learning all wrong.

Learning is messy, it involves getting frustrated, forgetting, wanting to run away and still staying the ground, feeling like you have seen the light and then hitting a dead end, finding your way out of the mess/the maze whatever you choose to see it as and gearing up to walk another joyfully enjoying the process of learning, unlearning, relearning. It is not a destination, it is not a goalpost, it is not a state, it is a journey.

When we talk about joyous learning at SM, we don't mean to create a utopia or create a space where anything goes in the name of 'we should not upset the kids'. We mean deep, connected, meaningful, purpose-driven, frustratingly beautiful, reflective, empathetic, process-driven student-owned, student-led, rigorous learning which children learn to embrace and enjoy.  This requires us to step back and reimagine continuously what we think of as limits of our children's abilities and imagination.

It may seem non-obvious to people but very young children are capable of very complex and abstract thought. A complicated vocabulary is merely the outer shell, merely the medium through which they can learn to express the rich complexity of their ideas. It is, in no way, a reflection of their ability itself which is infinite and unknowable. We are mere spaces that exist through which the child's potential can find its path and go on its learning journey - meandering, frustrated, overflowing with joy, passion, and finding its center in the process.

Let us create a journey of a lifetime for them, a journey that demands as much from them as they seek to give and of course, then some more.

Contributed by Sreeja Iyer, CEO & Co-founder, Sparkling Mindz Global School, Preschool & Afterschool

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#youngachieversacademy
#neuroscience
#21stcenturylearning
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#socialemotionallearning
#reggioemiliainspired
​

​A bunch of 2yr olds were on the school terrace when it started to rain. We all took cover and started singing a rain song. Just then-

A: Ma'am it's raining!
Me: How do you know that? Can you see it?
A (and others in chorus): We can hear it.
Me: Why can't you see it?
A: Is white, no color (perhaps indicating transparent)

Suddenly the rain pours

A: Is loud.
Me: What does that mean?
T: It means it is coming fast, fast
R: I can even see it now!

Suddenly it stops.

A: Ma'aaam, it stopped
Me: How do you know that?
T: No sound
Me: Do you think it will come back to play with all of you?

They all laugh and giggle and we continue our song.

Children feel closely connected with nature and puzzle over natural phenomena and try to make sense of it all! They feel joy in feeling like they have control over it and they can predict and understand it.

Do any of you have children's rain stories to share?

Written by Sreeja Iyer, CEO & Co-founder, Sparkling Mindz Global School & Preschool

#inspiringconfidentlearners
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#natureplay
#reggioemiliaapproach
#playbasedlearning
#21stcenturylearning
#socialemotionallearning

Have you ever wondered how we can save the world from becoming a garbage pile?
Do you think there's something we can do about it? Any ideas? 
If so, how can you implement them? How can these ideas produce an output?

Well...that is what project T.R.U.I is for!

WHAT IS PROJECT T.R.U.I, you ask?
As sparkling Mindzians, we were troubled to know that the waste, whether we separate or not as dry and wet waste, usually end up in the landfills and all that talk about companies recycling are usually fake. Now knowing that the waste produced in our school will end up in landfills any way, we wanted to do something about it. And that was how the concept of T.R.U.I. emerged -Tinker, Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Up-cycle and Innovate. A project that will help us to not only T.R.U.I. our waste but also even probably sell it. 

SO, WHAT DO WE PLAN TO DO ABOUT IT?
After the tool T.R.U.I. was given to us, we wanted to start the work right away, and so we did. As a class, we sat together and brought different ideas to the table. From coasters to lampshades, sound amplifiers to keychains, pencil holders to racks, our ideas were limitless. We then needed to pick a few from that big pile of ideas. To do this, we came up with a set of parameters that will give us an idea of how 'good' the idea is, what the product will and can be. The parameters we came up with were: effective, useful, abundantly sourceable, sturdy, and aesthetically pleasing. This came in handy as it helped us pick the most matched ideas from the lot. 

LET'S DELVE INTO OUR DISCUSSIONS FROM T.R.U.I. EMERGED FROM
Our discussions started off with the big question, 'Where does our waste go?' We wondered about it for days and days. We enquired about it to many - our maintenance heads, the people who take the garbage and many others. Even after all that the answers were either “It goes to Bannerghatta.”, or “Why do you want to know?!” None of us were satisfied with any of the answers that we received. So many of these discussions and so many questions later, we finally arrived at T.R.U.I and the ideas started pouring in.

MISSION T.R.U.I
Now that T.R.U.I has stepped in and taken a very important role in all of our lives, we were ready to start making the items we came up with. But the facilitators helped us realize that there were more learning and skill set we needed to bring to the table to make this process easier. This created the mission T.R.U.I where all our learnings were connected to T.R.U.I., along with us learning the skills that will help us to create T.R.U.I. Ied items. 


Contributed by Meenakshi, Falcons (Grade 8), Sparkling Mindz Global School.

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#21stcenturylearning
#socialemotionallearning
​#everychildcan

I heard a parent in one of our Parenting as a Skill Workshops say, "My child at Sparkling Mindz is not just a roll number".

The moment that I captured there seemed to have awakened something within me and took me to remembering the days when I was perhaps just another number in my class all through the years of my school and college years.

This led me to wonder, does our education system look at children as just another roll number, another head to count in the attendance register? Or another business number? 

I wondered some more. What about each child? What about their capabilities, curiosities, imagination, wonder, sense of belonging, identities? Are we raising children for them to be chiseled according to someone else's dreams/choices/perspectives? What about the individuality? The choices that they can make? Or truly hearing each of them out- their voice? 

What do you need to prepare a dish? Recipe duh, right? That's what our children thought too till they read 'The Art of Cooking'. 

Why is it art? Isn't there a lot of science involved? What makes it an art? Why are these instructions so different from the recipes we are used to seeing? Really - can you really make any kind of broth if you learnt this skill? Wow! 

We wondered, explored, experimented, empathized, created personas and discovered that the problem was to learn the skills in cooking that could lead to unlocking the treasure trove of recipes and the ability to work with a plethora of ingredients. Voila! We had magic in our hands. 

Children spent time interviewing, designing and curating the skills that could help different kinds of people discover their inner cooking persona as well as learn and upskill themselves to become better cooks. 

This year for the Annual Day, our Leopards (4th and 5th graders) explored 'The Art of Indian Cooking' from first principles and designed something that each of us can use and work with. Along they way they had some magical moments of bonding with their families, embracing the inner scientist in them while some of them brought out their inner chefs. And well, what got cooked? Find out for yourself by watching the video!

​But before that, let's let Ms. Poorva Agarwal take us through the cooking of this whole process.

And here, the final product!

Here we have our wonderful parents reflecting along with us, and sharing with us their sides of the story as well. Have a look!
​

Have you ever wondered about all those unread books sitting at different parts of your house, or class, or school...or just about anywhere? What might we be able to do with them?

What about those who write those books, the authors? How about the jitters authors feel about publishing new books? What can be done to ease that?

We wondered the same with our children and it goes without saying, that they bubbled with a variety of ideas. Needless to say, it was such a treat to hear and watch them ideating. Of course, we documented this process, and here is the result: a case study of an ideation process that shows children to convert problems into opportunities for innovation. 

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#youngachieversacademy
#ideationprocess
#21stcenturylearning
#socialemotionallearning
#everychildcan
​#childasanentrepreneur
#problemsasopportunities
​#learningforkeeps
​

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#youngachieversacademy
#21stcenturylearning
#socialemotionallearning
#emotionalawareness
#emotionalintelligent
#afterschoolprogram
​#learningforkeeps

P, a 4 year old, came to me to open her water bottle. It's usually a little tight for her to open by herself, so she asks for help. Yesterday, Ak, another 4 year old, helped her voluntarily. He considers himself strong and he was excited to help the moment he saw her struggling. 

Today when the same scenario happened, S got to P first. Ak also ran to her, causing a tiff. Now S and Ak were at it, wanting to open the bottle. Eventually S opened it and Ak was visibly upset. I called him to ask what had happened,

F (Facilitator): What happened?
Ak, with teary eyes: S opened the bottle. But ma'am, yesterday S opened Ad's bottle also. 
F: Okay, but yesterday you also opened P's bottle all by yourself too. 
Ak: But ma'am, he opened so many bottles. 
F:How do you feel when you saw him opening bottles?
Ak: Sad. 
F: Why? 
Ak: Because he opened Ad's bottle and so many bottles. 

I figured he was upset because he considers himself quite strong but he was failing to see that his strength could be used anywhere he wanted to and not just opening the bottle. After acknowledging what he felt was okay to be felt when he did not get a turn, we continued our conversation.

F: Hmm, Ak, you know you are super strong right?
Ak: Yes. 
F: And that helps you open bottles for others. Right? 
Ak: Yes ma'am. (Slightly smiling)
F: Are bottles the only things that you can do with your strength?
Ak seems to be thinking. 
F: What else can you do with your super strength?
Ak: Climb ladder, draw...

His options went on and on, and so did his mind. The more options he came up with, the more calm and content he seemed. 

F: Ah, see you can do so many things with your hands and strength. So next time you get upset about not being to open somebody's bottle, what can you do? 
Ak: Find something else. 
F: Awesome!

We finished out conversation with a hi five and off he went to sip water. 

When children feel stuck one way, building the skill of creative decision making could help them shift their emotional states into productive states that can help them bring in the flexibility to handle situations differently, just like how Ak started seeing how he could use his strength in multiple other areas too himself, and not just use it in opening bottles. Flexibility is a muscle that can be built overtime which can enable decision making in creative ways, also helping one to see multiple pathways when one feels stuck. 

Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.

#reggioemiliainspiredlearning
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
​#inspiringconfidentlearners
#facilitatordiaries
#21stcenturylearning
#socialemotionallearning
#problemsolving

In today's fast pacing and ever-changing world, the requirements of children are also rapidly and constantly shifting. To be able to help them access their highest potential and become the best versions of who they can be, those around them also need to adapt and evolve, and we can start from the basics - our education system.

Today's education system needs a major transformation so that children's needs can be catered to in a holistic manner. It goes without saying that educators play a huge role in this. Here is our founder, Ms. Sreeja Iyer, in conversation with The Better India about today's education system and its role in shaping today's generation and the many more to come, and why it could be an 'unconventional' career path.