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SM's holistic approach to learning and life cannot be complete without our parents. But what is the role of parents at Sparkling Mindz? How do we continue to keep child in the centre, keeping the caregivers in mind? What are the expectations from our parents? Let's listen to our founder, Ms. Sreeja Iyer, give us a sneak peak into our culture.  We at Sparkling Mindz handle children's issues in different ways. One way is to model their behavior back to them, asking them to reflect, take perspective and empathize on how/what they are doing or how others feel as a result of their behavior. Another way is through role plays and this time, the facilitators at preschool decided to role play as children. They chose three scenarios to role play: a) taking every communication with peers as an attack and being rude in response to attack, b) self victimizing by saying they have no friends, and c) wanting to look like the others and not satisfied with how they already look (especially the skin color). Each scenario explains what the facilitators role played and what children reflected after each of the scenes. Scenario 1 Friend 1 makes fun of friend 2's drawing that leads friend 2 to be upset and get into a mode of rejecting the other's friendship and her opinion by telling herself things that are not productive. Reflections An, "The house can be drawn however we want it to be." Em, "We should not be rude at other's work." An, "Friend 1 did not care about what the other child said." An, "Yes, she cared only about herself." Sh, "She was hurt!" Aad "Friend 2 was upset and was telling herself that she wants to be on her own." Anya " Yes, she kept telling bad things to herself like, I don't like other people and they are rude to me!" At this point the facilitator asked them, "Did friend 2 telling herself bad things help her?" All, "Nooo!!!" Facilitator (F), "What could she tell herself instead?" Various responses such as, "I like mine, but I don't know why she did not like mine...", "I like mine but maybe she likes the way she draws...", "We should like what others do...", etc., came out. F, "Are we expecting others to tell good things about us?" An, without a blink, "Yes!" F, "Is it ok when somebody doesn't like what we do?" An, "It's okay I'll like it anyway." F, "Okay. You can also tell them politely , "I like the way I have painted."" F2, "So what did we learn from this?" An, "To be kind to others and ourselves." And the facilitator added, "Saying good things to ourselves and what we choose to do is not for other people's approval." Scenario 2 Facilitators role played 2 kids playing and talking about their interests. Another child who wanted to join them did not want to join them as he did not get invited, and how the child 3 feels sad. Reflections An, "We have to play with everyone and we can't leave others." , "What do you think child 3 should have done?" Ang "The child 3 should have asked them can I join you" Sh " Ask yourself what else can you do and do that" Em, "Play with myself" Scenario 3 Facilitators enacted a scene where they were comparing and complaining about their skin tone and not liking the way they look. Reflections F, "Why do you think we are telling ourselves this?" Sh, "Because we don't like ourselves." F, "Hmmm. Has anybody felt this way?" A couple of hands went up. F, "What did you do when you felt that way?" There was no answer at this point. After a couple of questions, An, "If you were dark you would want to be fair, you will always want to be like someone else!" The last scenario's discussion will be taken forward in their own individual classes as most of the children seemed to relate and did not know what to answer. This will need more time and hence children wound up for the day after this, as it was the last hour for the day. It is important to address situations like this as they start off itself so that children are equipped to handle themselves, and others if needed. They become empowered citizens who can think for themselves, empathize and grow with growth mindset. And they learn to accept themselves for who they are instead of seeking constant approval from others. Let's raise a generation of confident learners! Contributed by Grace Veronica, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. #reggioemiliainspiredlearning #joyouslearning #sparklingmindzglobalpreschool #inspiringconfidentlearners  One of the biggest crises of our times is the inability to see another's perspective, see the other as human, in fact. So, in our endeavor to teach empathy to children we used a modified ‘Step Inside’ thinking routine. We have also created a 'step out' tool such that it helps people step out of the others' shoes and use the perspective gained to creatively resolve emotionally charged situations. Inspired to implement this? Here's how... 1. Gather Facts 1. If you are an involved party then share things from your perspective as well as what the other person said, did etc. clearly (without distortion) 2. If you are a teacher/parent, then ask questions to gather as many facts as you can for you to get a clear picture of the involved parties and the situation 3. If you are an involved party or not, express how you are feeling and acknowledge your emotional state. This is to ensure this does not carry into your next step. 4. Also clearly state any beliefs or values you have about the issue/situation/behaviour you are dealing with so that it is easier for you and others to acknowledge this and ensure it does not affect your next step.  2. Step In Step In Routine Involves the following. I'm the other now (assume that is X). So, I'm X (I step into the situation as X and answer the following prompts): I see: I feel: I care about: -------------- You can ensure you are not projecting at this stage by asking yourself, "Would X say that about themselves?"  3. Step out You physically step into a different space and do this part of the routine. Knowing what I know because of my Step In what can I do differently? Was the "I see" objective and wide in perspective? If not, how might we see/show objectivity and a wider perspective? Was the "I feel" resourceful? If not, how might we bring/show awareness and help shift state to something more resourceful? Was the "I care about" expressed resourcefully? If not, how might we encourage a more resourceful way to express the care about?  4. Iterate At this stage, you check if the solutions you had found are working or not . If yes, you have just now resolved something with empathy and creativity. Time to celebrate! If not, you iterate back to the leverages in the "step out" stage and see if you have exhausted all your options. If not, use them. If you have, then you iterate through the "step in" stage. Maybe you missed something there. A different see, feel or care about that given this new information of what didn't work can reveal itself and you find yourself with multiple solutions again to work with. No two situations, the underlying intentions or the resolutions are the same. The only thing that really works is remaining creative, resourceful and empathetic.
Contributed by Sreeja Iyer, Founder & CEO of Sparkling Mindz Global School & Preschool. #sparklingmindzglobalschool #sparklingmindzglobalpreschool #inspiringconfidentlearners #21stcenturylearning #empathyroutine #socialemotionallearning In May, children at SM had created the first edition of SM Times, our student-led newsletter. The process of creating these newsletters was challenging and fun - just the way any true learning process is. And it left all of us with a feeling of growth and inspiration. The second edition of the newsletter is about just that. About how the children have continued to grow and stay inspired despite the lockdown. At the start of the lockdown, Sreeja ma'am had asked the children "No virus can stop us, can it?" They answered with a wide-eyed, open-hearted 'Yes!" The newsletters below are a compilation of some parts of their journey of learning, growth and inspiration...     Contributed by Poorva Agarwal, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global School. #sparklingmindzglobalschool #sparklingmindzglobalpreschool #youngachieversacademy #inspiringconfidentlearners #everychildcan #21stcenturylearning #buildingownershipinchildren #gamebasedlearning What are PFCs, you may ask. Perhaps if I say PTA (Parent- Teacher Association meetings), it might click?
Here at SM, our PTAs are called PFCs (Parent - Facilitator Connect). At SM, adults who interact with children are called facilitators. We believe that we facilitate learning in children and not 'teach' them, all this while going deeper in our own learning too; as we believe children are individuals who are capable of achieving just about anything in the world that they put their minds to. As it is the time of the year to wind up the current academic session, the third term, we have our third and final PFC just around the corner. All of us are busy with the preparations, digging through our notes after notes, reflections, e-mails we had sent... and that could have possibly looked like a lot of work or such a chore. But this is imperative so as to not miss even the tiniest of information about the growth of our children as we can. At one point, we realized we were lost in the nitty-gritty and needed some BIG INSPIRATION to keep chugging along. So we got together as a team and reflected on the prompt 'What does PFC mean to us?' It was an attempt to find our beliefs about PFCs and create the necessary inspiration and momentum. We each shared our beliefs and here is what we arrived at,
We, as a team, not only came out of the feeling stuck moment, we also know that if we do get stuck in the future, we can always refer back to our purpose and get going and know that we are not alone in this journey; we have this whole community cheering on with us! #sparklingmindzglobalpreschool #teamspiritstories #discoveringthepurpose Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. The 4 year olds were making a circle with all of the colourful chairs around them for their usual Monday circle time. They had just gotten back from a 3 days long holiday and had lots to share! The circle was almost complete when Paridhi was just standing in the middle of the almost circle with an upset face, refusing to talk to anybody.
"What happened Pari?", asked the facilitator (F). Paridhi, with more tears," I want Elsa's chair!" At this point, as the F seemed confused, children explained that the blue chair is Elsa's chair and the others are Aana's chairs. At this time there were no more blue chairs as children had all already occupied all of the rest, except for a green chair. F continued," Why don't you take another chair and sit? Because there's no more blue chair." Pari,"But that's Aana's chairs. I want to be Elsa!" and continues being upset. F noticed Tanmayi was sitting on a yellow chair and pointed at Tanmayi ,"See Tanmayi is sitting on a yellow one!", To which Tanmayi replied," I am sitting on yellow one because it is a bright colour chair. It is sun fairies,moon fairies, anything you want to be!" F,"Oh wow! Did you hear that Pari? You can be aaaaaanything you want to be! What would you like to be other than Elsa?" She thought for a few seconds and shouted with excitement," Butterfly!" F,"Awesome! And which chair would you like to sit on?" She pointed at the only available green chair and happily sat on it, and the problem was resolved. With the right prompts, children can figure out solutions for themselves. It's important to understand the care-abouts of children in every situation as it helps to resolve issues at a deeper level, leaving everybody calmer and happier. Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. At SM, the facilitators have something called an Inspirational Standup (ISU) every morning right before the classes commence. The purpose is to get inspired for the day, perhaps, even for life, and to find deeper connections and purposes in what we do. ISU usually includes reading a write up, watching a video, listening to a poem, playing a game, learning a new dance as a team, and such. The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating a new ISU.
As we sat today in the front space of the school thinking about what we could do for the day's ISU, we agreed to observe the three children who were playing in the mirror cave, completely engaged in their little game, and ponder on the emotions they could be feeling. We agreed on 5 minutes to observe, then discuss after. The purpose for this exercise was to make stepping into the shoes of another and empathize deeper, consciously. We chose this exercise today as we had sat for a training session yesterday and discussed on the importance of empathizing with another to solve problems deeper and create more awareness within ourselves about another person's thought patterns. So what better way to practice what we preach at SM about depth, vulnerability, connectedness...than to take perspectives?! As the minutes progressed, we stopped after what seemed like 2 minutes to share our experiences. What came out was deeper than what we planned for! Facilitator 1: I saw them experiencing curiosity, happiness, calmness, joy, sense of trust, sense of brotherhood and a family bonding, feeling at home, love. Facilitator 2 and 3 were smiling ear to ear at this point, realizing almost all of their observations were covered too. Facilitator 2 added, "Yes! I also noticed awkwardness from Ved when he noticed that we were watching them." The discussion went on for another minute or so, adding more layers to what we thought they were experiencing during those moments when were observing them. This is when we realized that a simple exercise like this added so much more value to our day as we consciously stepped in and out of children's shoes to understand how they felt and what we could do to help them move forward. Not just children, even stepping in other people's shoes help us move forward from stuck moments that involve them. We also realized how we don't need to search far and wide for inspiration; it's just around the corner! All it takes is to be mindful for a minute and look around with an open and non- judgemental mind. And the world is all ours to grab! Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. I was having a conversation with children today on putting effort and how it's not easy, yet we do it. We reflected on it during our facilitators meeting. It inspired me to write a poem. Sharing...
Everyday I choose a fight With my time On what's right I choose to grow I choose the pain I choose the joy From deep within Everyday I choose to talk With care And deep thought I choose to grow I choose the pain I choose the joy From deep within Everyday I choose to work To make an impact For what it's worth I choose to grow I choose the pain I choose the joy From deep within Most times I win Even when I don't I still choose the fight As it's worth my might If our children saw everyday as a challenge to grow and make themselves better. If they just started to see themselves as worthy of great things we would see them pushing themselves and picking battles that are worthy of everyone's time. Contributed by Sreeja Iyer, Founder, Sparkling Mindz Global School and Preschool "OWH!" cried out Sid, and he looked at me.
I kept quiet to see how this situation would progress or get resolved. After a few seconds of silence and staring at each other, Sid asks Adit," Would you like it if I took this bat and hit you?" Adit had hit Sid with the table tennis racket while playing. It was purely accidental as Adit aimed for the bat and not Sid's hand. Adit, a 5 year old Joey and Sid, a 4 year old Cub, stay at SM post their school hours for daycare. Their current game/fascination is tennis that they play with plastic table tennis rackets. "No", said Adit, feeling bad, looking at Sid. "Then why did you do it?", asked Sid, hoping for more clarity. "I thought this was the bat", replied Adit. Sid thought for a second and continued, "Let's not play this game anymore." And he walked off with Adit into the daycare room, to play with something more gentle. Children are capable of standing up for themselves and making rational decisions. Every child knows what they like and dislike. And they deserve to be respected. When they are trusted that they can stand up for themselves and make the right decisions, and given the right vocabulary, they can do anything in this world. Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool. It's Poetic Soiree time of the year again and the preschoolers are busy practising their poems. The two 4 year olds in Cubs class at SM Preschool were reciting their poem called Invention by Shel Silverstein, which goes like,
I've done it, I've done it! Guess what I've done! Invented a light that plugs into the sun. The sun is bright enough, The bulb is strong enough But, oh, there's only one thing wrong... The cord ain't long enough. Post this recital, the Cubs weren't happy with leaving the ending in a way where the invention seemed useless. So together they solved the problem, and came up with an extension to the poem with the help of the facilitator, ' So I take six ladders, Put them together as one. Then I take a few cords, Attach them together And plug it into the sun!' Children used empathy as a tool here to come up with solutions. They stepped into the shoes of the poet, became the poem and realized that they could help figure out what the poet can do to make the invention work! At first they were unhappy with the original ending, as they found it ending with a problem and not a solution. And almost immediately, with no intervention required, they started exploring various solutions for the same. They moved around the class, pretending the sun to be at a high place, having a short cord, asking each other what they can do. And in a matter of less than 5 minutes, they solved it together as a group! When children are invited to wonder, the world of curiosities open up. They step into that world and emerge out victorious with questions, solutions, answers...Perhaps that's all we need as children and adults, a safe space to wonder, be curious, ask questions and figure things out. Contributed by Sruthy Krishna, Learning Facilitator, Sparkling Mindz Global. |
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June 2020
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