"Ma! I'm going to play," said Pari.

"But you haven't finished your take home yet," said her mom.

"I'll do it after I play," shouted Pari as she breezed out of her front room door.

Her mother could only watch furious, knowing very well that "the doing homework after play part" was never going to happen. She braced herself for another evening of shouting, screaming, blaming and clawing through the dreaded homework finishing chore.

This was their everyday story.  She would go down to play and not come back until late. It turned into extreme rude behaviour towards the mother and when the father tried to step in, the situation turned into a mayhem with a lot more aggression and violence.

The parent decided to take an appointment with me to tell me about the situation at home. Before that happened I decided to have a chat with the child.

Me: I heard about the situation at home, what do you think is happening?
P: I like playing and learning. Just because I go to play doesn't mean I don't like learning.

Me: Okay, so given a choice between learning and playing - what would you choose?
P: Playing
Me: Why?
P: Because it is running, catching and all my favourite games. I really like playing those games which are same as what we play at school too with my friends
Me: Ok and you don't like to learn because it is not as much fun as playing
P: Yes
Me: Have you thought about why?
P: I don't know
Me: Here at school when we make learning fun ,you enjoy right?
P: Yes, I do
Me: So, what is different at home?
P: I might make a mistake when I'm doing something at home
Me: Oh! And…
P: I don't think I can do it well also and sometimes I don't know what to do or how to do it
Me: Ok, I understand. So, you are telling me that you are not good at learning yet and that's why you like to play more than learn
P: Uh…yes
Me: Ok, so do you think you will get good at learning by going off to play constantly?
P: No
Me: So, what do you think you should do? How can you make learning your friend?
P: By sitting next to someone who will not distract me, by listening in class, by asking if I don't understand
Me: What happens if you don't think you make learning your friend?
P: I should tell myself I think I can
Me: But, do you think you can?
P (after a long pause): No. I think I can't. I think others are better than me
Me: Who says so?
P: My lazy brain
Me: What can your smart brain tell it?
P: That you can do it?
Me: Okay, what will make your smart brain believe that you can?
P: I've to show that I can. That I can't go under it, I can't go over it, I can't go around it. I've to go through it! I've to keep going through tough challenges then my smart brain will believe and it can tell lazy brain that, "I can do it". 

A child's confidence in learning can determine how they feel about it and hence, what kind of stories and attitudes they develop which in turn drives their behaviours of running away or towards learning. The way to a child's learning lies in that confidence and each of us plays a key role in building that.

Contributed by Sreeja Iyer, CEO & Founder, Sparkling Mindz Global School, Preschool, & Afterschool

#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#everychildcan

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

 While in the midst of chasing after things we want to achieve or acquire, how often are we approaching life or rather, really experiencing life? How often do we choose to live our life the way we truly feel inspired? What are we learning from our lives? 

Here is Esha giving a perspective on life through her eyes, and how choosing to see life as a chef has helped her see things in many interesting ways, and a lot to take away. 

Let us know in the comments what the flavours of your life are. 

​#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#youngachieversacademy
#21stcenturylearners
#socialemotionallearning
#reggioemiliainspiredlearningphilosophy
​

​At Sparkling Mindz Global, it's not just the children who have fun learning and creating, but the facilitators too; making mistakes, learning through them, co-creating a safe, happy and creative environment for each other and growing  together as a community!

#reggioemiliainspiredlearning
#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
​#inspiringconfidentlearners
#facilitatorlearningdiaries
#learningneverstops

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

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. 

It was a serene evening when the sun was setting and it was time to wind down and leave school for the day. I was intrigued by a couple of kids busy making a cauldron of mud and water mixed together, cheerful as their hands, clothes and feet were covered with mud. 

It took me back to my childhood memory of playing hours in the sun and led me to wonder what they were up to. So I went closer and asked, looking at them busily toiling and moulding the mud, "What are we making here?" 

N looking at me says without a blink, "I'm making chapatis and lollipops!"

Being pulled into his imagination, I continued, "Oh, I wonder how it taste like?"

"It is brown chapatis because it is made of chocolate and it tastes chocolaty", was the response I received without a second further spent in the imagination.

I was struck by the thought of how play goes beyond what it seems like outwardly, to a process that involves imagination, thinking, connections and logic, innovation, reasoning, motor skills and a lot, lot more. 

​Here at SM we believe that play is just not an act but a deep learning process that a child involves in with all their senses and enriches with learning.

Contributed by Grace Veronica, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.
​

Children at Sparkling Mindz Global School have been having conversations on what freedom means, since the beginning of this academic year.

In the context of India's freedom, they explored cultural colonisation and what it means for cultures and choices to be free. 

Against the backdrop of exploring India's relationship with the world and our own local and global identities, Archita Anish, our 7th grader created this Republic Day greeting. Archita has been inspired to write her own poems since the dawn of the Poetic Soiree (our annual celebration on Children’s Day; many children choose to write their own poems which they receive feedback on and iterate). Archita co-wrote a poem along with her classmate early on this year and  the seed that was sown at  that time grew on. Since then, Archita has been writing more poems and also started attempting to write poems impromptu. She even wrote her reflections at the end of our Open House (space where SMzians (our Founder, facilitators, children and parents) and prospective parents and their children share for them to have a peak into what our SM culture is all about) in the form of a poem! Archita has been learning to use the very many of the poetic devices and iterate her poems in the process. 
In this poem, she uses symbolism to represent various nations and their relationship with India. She has also used a ‘refrain’ - the purpose and use of which she learned during her journey of writing poems over the last few months. Most importantly, she has also taken feedback and tried to empathize with the reader to decide how much to explain and how much to leave to interpretation…

As you, our reader, read the poem, we invite you to wonder, interpret, connect and explore with us.

We, the Sparkling Mindz Global family, wishes each and everyone of you a very 72nd Happy Republic Day!
​

PART 2/4
"Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words." - Robert Frost.'

We have all read/ learned/ wrote poems as kids, in our teens...a lot of which followed well into our adulthood. Poetry to some is an inflow/ outflow of expressionism while to some it is an appreciation of art. Well, you get the idea.

Our children, at SM, found themselves living, breathing, consuming poems and the process of poetry, creating their own, channelling the ones they connected with; pretty sure that this inspiration and love will be life-long. And during our annual Poetic Soiree event, they came together in their houses (Griffins, Pegasus, Phoenix, Sphinx) to express themselves through poems. As our pandemic motto, 'No-Virus Can Stop Our Learning!', they marched through with might and grit, fun and laughter, love and play, and a little bit of 'Learning Never Stops!'. So here they are, showcasing their poems to you.
​
Sit back and enjoy the show!
​
#sparklingmindzglobalschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#deeplearning
#poetryshowcase
#covid19
#socialemotionallearning
#21stcenturylearning
#everychildcan
​

Working at Sparkling Mindz has a facilitator has been an amazing journey of self-growth and self discovery  for me.  Thanks to the passion and dedication of my mentors, Sreeja ma'am and Minesh who motivate  and drive each one of us - at times, encouraging me to tread in paths which are beyond my comfort zone, trusting in my potential more than me, and being there to constantly support and pick me up when I fall. One such instance was when they came to know that I suffered from migraine headaches and reached out to help me.  And lo, the story unfolds... 

I have been suffering from migraines for several years now, and have tried all kinds of medications from allopathy, ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy and what not, but to no avail.  And then I pacified myself that this is hereditary and since my mother also has it, I will eventually have it ( after careful analysis of how my triggers and symptoms match hers).  Now that I have accepted migraines to be part of me, I tried to shift my focus  to prevent the triggers like constipation, going out in the sun, untimely meals, travelling etc.    Still it was not possible to prevent the triggers all the time, and when something had gone off, I found myself waiting for my symptoms to start, dreading the intensity and pain.  And along with it, suffering from guilt that I am not able to do my work well or fulfil my responsibilities, or being a burden for others at home. 

When I discussed all of this with my mentor, Minesh, he suggested two things.  Identifying and working on what is bothering me at the moment and working on my emotions which may also be a trigger and then using Creative Visualisation to deal with the physical symptoms.  The suggestions did seem easy to work on, but it required lot of courage to look into myself, identify the emotional contribution to the problem and accept the fact that 'yes, that is affecting me'.  It was easier to mask my feelings and say 'I'm okay',  'I'm not that kind of a person who would take all this seriously', 'Ya, this happened .  But still it's fine'.  

Once, I identified the disturbing situation, I was taught how to change my reaction to the problem, by accepting it, acknowledging my thoughts and feelings, and bringing in more awareness to the whole schema of things - this awareness helped to reduce the intensity of the trigger and sometimes nullify it too.  And then came the second step where I spoke to my body, saying that 'I understand that through this headache you are trying to bring something to my awareness and letting me know that something is wrong.  Thank you.  Now I have understood. So it's okay for the pain to fade away.  Ta ta.  Bye Bye.'   And lo behold the pain was gone.  I was left in awe at this magical redemption from so many years of suffering.  Is this really possible that I could just talk to my body and it would just listen to me?  But yes, it actually did!!!   Oh what a miracle!!!  And all this while, to know that my body was actually trying to tell me something through the headache, and I was not listening to the underlying fact; instead I was trying to treat the physical symptoms on a superficial level.  

I went back to happily share this experience with my mentors and express my gratitude to them.  Now that I found success in managing my migraine once, I started applying it every time.  The headaches do come back, but I am able to resolve the issue before the pain aggravates. I first start looking for things that are affecting me at the moment and start working on them.   And also having managed it once, twice, gives me the confidence that I can handle it anytime.  Oh what a relief !!  And the most beautiful fact is that I found the " POWER WITHIN ME' to manage my emotions and the physical problems triggered by those emotions.  

The journey was painful, but worth the effort -because I have become a more confident ME and  bear this torch of self discovery to light many more lives along the way - as a facilitator, as a teammate, as a friend, as a neighbour, as a family member.  

Now that I have resolved one issue, I have embarked on the next journey of working on my self-confidence, identifying areas which need work, identifying and working on my limiting beliefs, fighting the resistance to dig deeper and deeper.  I already hear you wishing me 'All the best'.  Thank you!

#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
​#inspiringconfidentlearners
#facilitatorselfgrowth
#powerwithinme
#learningforkeeps
​
Contributed by Jennifer Christy, Learning Facilitator at Sparkling Mindz Global Preschool.

It's been a very different year for all of us collectively, this year. But that has not stopped us from exploring, especially during this Independence Day!

Explore what? You may ask.

​Well, we explored our culture, identities, and much more. And we would like to share it with all of you through this video.

#sparklingmindzglobalpreschool
#inspiringconfidentlearners
#everychildcan
#21stcenturyleanrning
#reggioemiliainspired
#socialemotionallearning
​#independenceday