Sane Ideas for Safer Schools!

Sane Ideas for Safer Schools
A School Leaders' Collective
organised by The Teacher Foundation in collaboration with Times Foundation

These past couple of months, a cacophony of voices and views have been heard in Bangalore city and on national TV Channels about schools being unsafe spaces for students. Steps have also been suggested by the Police and Education Departments, most of which are centred around vigilance against entry of strangers into schools and installation of CCTV cameras in the campus. This of course has huge cost implications for institutions. Schools therefore, have been in a state of confusion about how best to ensure that children are safe from abuse and that atrocities like the rape of a 6-year old girl within a school won't happen again. The School Leaders' Collective organised by The Teacher Foundation in collaboration with Times Foundation on 21st August 2014, provided a platform to share ideas for sustainable steps towards safe schools. Aptly called Sane Ideas for Safer Schools, the Collective had over 120 attendees from a range of schools both from Bangalore as well as other towns in Karnataka.

 

The objective of the collective was to provide voice to key stakeholders of schools who had practical and thoughtful ideas regarding the safety of schools. The invited speakers included students, a counsellor, a head teacher from the UK, a parent and all the attending heads and teachers.

 

The 3 hour session began with a welcome address by Maya Menon, Director, The Teacher Foundation. (TTF) She mentioned that while the trigger for the Collective was the criminal incident that took place within a school premises, the problem however is much bigger. It is a symptom of a deeper malaise in all our schools – indifference to children, despite being the reason why schools exist. Educators are largely indifferent to children's views, fears, worries and indeed their safety! She emphasised the need for educators, who know and understand schools, to lead the initiative towards safer schools instead of the police, parents or the public at large. She said, “ We need to regularly reach out and talk, support and draw strength from each other.”

This was followed by a panel discussion by 6 high school students from 3 city schools – Ayushman and Vallari from Army Public School, Maleeha and Hibah from Oasis International School and Parth and Manvi from Sishu Griha. They were invited to give their views on what a safe school means to them. The students' ideas of a safe school included:

 

• A place where we feel comfortable both physically and emotionally. Such a school understands
  children.
• Where there is a strong bond between every student and teacher, where students can talk to
  teachers about not only their problems but also their feelings and what makes them happy.
• A school is safe where students are free and they understand that with freedom comes responsibility
• A school is safe where teachers are understanding, affectionate and listen to us.
• Where the school understands children and the connection between teachers and students is close and there is no fear; teachers understand their feelings, problems and hardships
• Where we feel protected, where we trust the teacher and they trust us, where there is open communication

Another question posed to the student panel was “Do you think things have changed in the past few weeks?” The panel's spontaneous responses were :

• There have been drastic changes over the past few weeks, teachers are becoming more stressed and are not able to focus on teaching, it's not fair on teachers!
• There is now a difference between teachers and student relationships... such situations can be taken care of by making sure that the teacher selection procedure is stricter, and there are written norms that are followed.
• Before the schools were more open, we never thought of safety, safety was taken for granted. Now we notice that teachers are more scared of students, students get angry very
  easily. It's very difficult for teachers now, the future of our country is getting 'degraded' (sic)!
• Full knowledge of the incident is not given so that teachers and students are able to talk to each other freely. A key aspect here is approachability.
• The guidelines given by the government are silly.
• Sometimes with some teachers students are too free. Both cross borders that they are not supposed to do. Students then lose respect for such teachers. This is evident by the way
  they argue with them.
• If you are talking of a student – teacher bond, a teacher being open does not diminish our respect for her. We all have favourite teachers... When we know that that teacher will
  support us, that they will back us up, then we feel safe and we are able to share everything with them.
• Every teacher has a different way of handling students. But wouldn't you rather have a teacher who listens and understands you? Being approachable is imperative for a teacher !
• If a teacher is approachable, that teacher gets more respect than a teacher who is unapproachable.

The panel discussion by students helped lend a young person's perspective to the theme. They were spontaneous and articulate in expressing their views. The key points emerging from their session was a concern over not just physical safety of schools, but also emotional safety. They also highlighted the role of the teacher, who by being approachable and pleasant contributes to making a safe school environment.

 

This was followed by a lucid talk by the experienced Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Neena David. She spoke about the “need for understanding the multi-dimensional aspect of safety.” As an
aside, she wondered “How many people would have turned up (at the collective) if the situation did not warrant legal requirements?” She narrated an incident at a school where was conducting a workshop on safety with 6 and 7 graders. “I asked them: “How many of you feel safe in school “ – Nearly all said 'yes'. Then I asked “How many are bullied or disrespected regularly in school? Nearly 80% of hands went up. So,in reflection, the sense I got was that safety is being understood as only absence of physical danger. Statistics say that abuse happens from within, little more than half of all perpetrators are persons known to the victim.“

 

Dr. David urged the participants to consider “What is unsafe about schools?”. She said for children, being unsafe would be getting into fights, high levels of bullying orsarcasm. She went on to cite neuroscience and that children's perception of threat is very different from an adult's and that when children are constantly under perceived threat, one could be setting the stage for a life time of dysfunction. The body releases high levels of cortisone, which could damage the brain and impede learning. When children feel unsafe and not 'in control' they experience a sense of hopelessness, which could affect immunity, memory and the learning process. It could
also result in external manifestations such as vandalising or aggressive behaviour, eating disorders, low participation. She emphasised that learning does not happen in a vacuum and
safety in schools is not about CCTV cameras, vigilance officers and control. Safety is determined by the conditions that allow students to feel safe, to learn and thrive. To meet the criteria of safe schools recognition, positive school climate and culture are big requisites. Safe schools are those that celebrate being positive, treating staff and students alike with respect and sensitivity. Dr. David reiterated that respect and regard need to be built into the curriculum, so that all children are given opportunities to develop socially and emotionally. Clear boundaries and responses on behaviour, clear response plans and procedures need to be laid out for both staff and students .

 

The next speaker was Gina Menon, Deputy Headteacher of Raynham Primary School, London who shared practices and policies that are prevalent in UK schools to ensure pupil safety.

 

 

Gina listed out the following prerequisites for safe schools in the UK :

1. A calm and respectful environment, for children to learn - The implications here are for teachers and school managements to ensure clean, orderly, cheerful and conducive environments for children to learn in. There also need to be on-going precautionary daily measures not only in case of crisis. All teaching staff members as well as anyone given the care of children are duly vetted through the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) to ascertain that they are suitable for working with young children and that they have no criminal history especially in case of paedophiles.
2. Speedy and appropriate response to Child abuse : Child abuse could be physical or emotional and must be reported immediately. The child in question has to be cared for, specially if any medical attention is needed. It is the legal responsibility of teachers to report any concerns in and out school to the designated Child Protection Officer in the school. The Pastoral Care Officer ensures that children know who they are and that they can be approached if there's anything that bothers or upsets them, whether silly or serious. Children are also encouraged to speak to the class teacher, to their parent, or another child. Gina revealed that sometimes pupils go up to teachers saying that their friend has big problem and teachers are trained to always listen to them.
3. Restricted entry to visitors. Any one visiting the school is given a badge that states who they are and what their purpose is in visiting the school.
4. Rigorous and regular training of Teaching and non teaching Staff -Teachers are trained in children protection at  start of their employment. Subsequently every two years a half day refresher course is conducted on child safety in schools. These trainings ensure that all teachers and staff are aware of safety procedures.
5. Detailed reference checks of new teachers – to confirm that they are dependable enough to be working with children. One question that is asked is “Will you employ this person again?”. The answer needs to be just a yes or no.
6. Precautions to be taken by staff - All staff are alert to sudden changes in behaviour of children and they are required to fill a form to state their concerns. Staff are advised never to be alone with a student with the door shut. Teachers do not touch or hit children. No kind of familiar touch is acceptable and staff are required to be vigilant, when children change clothes for Physical Education but they may not look at them. Teachers are alert for any evidence of self harm by children, changes in behaviour, use of inappropriate  or demonstration of anger or crying.
7. Respecting a pupil's word – If children make an allegation against a teacher – teachers are required to stay away from school till the local educational authority investigates the issue and clears the teacher's name.
8. Special programmes for Pupils – to sensitise them to domestic violence, cyber-bullying, handling of stress using theatre workshops

Gina emphasised that during a crisis, everyone in the school should be aware of their respective role . Ultimately, it is the moral obligation of the School Head and the senior leadership team to
effectively manage alleviate the situation.

 

Gina's valuable and insightful session was followed by Mr. Bala, who spoke as a parent of two school-goers. He stated that the issue of children's safety is the equal responsibility of parents and teachers. He remarked that schools today tend to outsource many of their routine curricular and co-curricular activities to external people and agencies and that could make the school vulnerable in terms of its overall safety. Schools must have an open door policy to enable free expression of views. Schools and the home need to inculcate in  safety habits especially with regard to substance abuse, online abuse and the various forms of abuse that they may be susceptible to.

 

The collated responses of the groups that brainstormed on each aspect are given below:

Steps a school needs to take to be safe:

1. Establish a Student Council to discuss everything that concerns students' well-being and learning
2. Establish a clear set of rules and guidelines with inputs from the student council and parents.
3. This needs to be disseminated to the wider school community to ensure awareness.
4. Have a Child Protection Committee in school – with clear charter of roles and responsibilities – involving both female and male staff members.
5. Do a thorough background check of every adult before hiring – both teaching and nonteaching staff.
6. Train teachers in do's and don'ts with regard to interacting with students and measures to be taken by the school to ensure child safety. They need to be sensitised and receptive towards children. They also need to know how to respond in a crisis.
7. Acquaint and sensitise children to what's sexual abuse - what's a 'good touch' and what's a 'bad touch'. Children need to know whom to approach if they are upset or sad. This can be done by putting up the name of the person they could reach out to along with the designated timings and contact telephone number/s.
8. Have open discussions with students on a scheduled and regular basis. Teachers need to create space and time to listen to each child with empathy.
9. Use a variety of modes to inculcate life skills and moral values – cinema, theatre etc
10. Have ID cards for every one in the school – children and adults
11. Have CCTV cameras in closed spaces and large open spaces – however everyone needs to be alert. As one Principal put it “ our eyes need to be our cameras”.
12. Have periodic parent teacher interactions to check children's well-being and growth as learners.

Steps a school needs to take to be seen to be safe:

1. Install Suggestion/ Complaint boxes in schools – and genuinely address the concerns and complaints regularly – either weekly or monthly
2. The existence of the Student Council demonstrates the empowered role that students can take to contribute to overall school well-being. However the Student Council must regularly meet and discuss student concerns and take action which is within their purview and ask for help from teachers and school management for aspects that need adult intervention.
3. Have regular Parent-Teacher Meetings to gather parental concerns or queries regarding any aspect of the school.
4. Be proactive whenever there's a complaint or concern shared by parents or teachers or students, with the help of the Student Council and Child Protection Committee.

Steps a school needs to take when in a crisis :

 

1. Set up a Crisis Committee (which is separate from the Child Protection Committee) who know how to handle issues that get 'blown up'. Clear steps need to be taken such as - assess and comprehend the situation and try to ascertain all the facts and allegations without getting defensive; inform concerned people – including the police (if necessary), lawyer, parents, whole staff, students regarding course of action.
2. Appoint a Public Relations Officer / School Relations Coordinator who will work in tandem with the Crisis Committee to honestly, calmly and transparently communicate to the public, including parents and media. It's vital that no attempt is made to cover up the truth.
3. Mete out consequences to the guilty in a prompt and rational manner after consultation with a lawyer.
4. Scrupulously protect the identity of the ' victim'. Listen to him/her and arrive at a solution after consultation with the management. Attend to her/his emotional and physical needs immediately.
5. Have team immediately set up to manage the crisis and have a therapeutic team of trained professionals to offer counselling sessions – one-on-one or in a group to students and other relevant stakeholders
6. Be non-judgemental and respectful, especially when the parent or the child is from a lower socio-economic strata.
7. The integrity of the school and its Management must not be undermined or compromised in any communication or interaction.

Once these eminently sane ideas for safer schools were shared with the whole group, The Teacher Foundation presented the Safe and Sensitive Schools (SASS) idea using Jenny Mosley's Whole School
Ecosystemic Model of Quality Circle Time. TTF's SASS Project  encapsulates all of the above points and trains and supports schools to become more safe and caring by setting up listening systems and clear behaviour policies for all – staff and students.

Whole School Ecosystemic Model(WSE) provides the essential framework for support, clear expectations, and guidance and establishes a sound base for fostering healthy and happy student development. The core idea of the WSE model is its 3 listening systems – Quality Circle Time, Think Books and Bubble Time. A safe school is one that listens to its people – teachers listening to students, students listening to each other and head listening to the teachers. Quality Circle Time or the group listening system promotes a collaborative atmosphere which encourages the children to experience doing things together and accept others as they are. The circle format is critical, as it has always been a symbol of unity, healing and power. The circle is also a non-hierarchical structure promoting active group-work, cooperation, where in each participant has an equal opportunity to participate. The circle is deeply embedded in the history of mankind because of its problem solving, goal achieving potential (Mosley, 1999).

 

Besides Circle Time, Bubble Time (one-on-one listening) and Think Books (non-verbal listening) provide a nurturing umbrella for learning within the school. These listening systems are held in place by the 'Golden Rules' that forms the backbone of the WSE model. These rules are the moral values of gentleness, kindness, honesty, respect for each other and for property and work ethic – all necessary ingredients for a safe and sensitive school.

The vote of thanks was given by Shweta Harshwal of Times Foundation who maintained that the work needs to continue beyond the day's discussion. “We have to be more proactive and less reactive”.

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Circle Time and Cinema!

Some schools never stop innovating! Centre Point Group of Schools and Mother's Pet Kindergarten Schools, Nagpur have worked with The Teacher Foundation over the years to implement Jenny Mosley’s Whole School Quality Circle Time approach in the schools, dedicating themselves to enhancing the social and emotional learning of their staff and students alike. Their commitment to creating a safe and sensitive school environment is evident, as they conduct regular Quality Circle Time sessions with their students across grades and in all their branches. They have now blended an audio visual learning programme on life skills with Quality Circle Time and have found it quite effective!

Here is what the schools have to say:

The need of the hour is a method of communication, a language children understand and appreciate. Quality Circle Time (QCT) deals with spending time, discussing behaviour, exploring feelings, playing games, with very pleasing results. This activity was introduced in our school to provide considerable opportunity for varying the procedure in dealing with children to those, where they could find out a bit more about themselves and what they are capable of and how they relate to each other.

The children have come to realize that if they understand themselves it will help them to better understand others.  This is their opportunity to talk and to be listened to, where they will get close attention from peers and most importantly, teachers, to form and exchange ideas and opinions which are then brought back to the big group for an airing.  Their self esteem, potential, growth and moral development gets a platform through Circle Time.  It teaches respect, positivity, safety and warmth.

To add depth to the topics that are discussed during QCT,  it has been interwoven with an audio visual learning program where movies based on life skills, attitudes and values are shown to students. Based on the movie just seen, a few questions are put forth during the opening round and the children discuss it.  It is fresh in their minds and thus helps them to discuss it well.  They try to relate with the story and each one comes out with his/her opinion about the same – for eg. If a movie shown deals with the problem of 'fear', the children are asked questions pertaining to reasons for their fears and how to get over such fears,  how can one be courageous, etc.

Thus a balance between both the activities has a good impact on the children. They tend to identify themselves better with the characters in the film and empathise more effectively with their friends.

Benefits Observed

• The children have a better understanding and implementation of the life skills, values, attitudes for reasoning and believing.
• It registers well with them when the film is viewed by them and later discussed.  They relate better with it and come up with their opinions and views with deeper understanding of the issue at hand.
• If they are facing similar experiences, they get a solution  for the same via discussions and get an opportunity to express themselves and take a stand. It gives confidence to the children to give their opinions and what they have seen is understood well.

However…
During the discussion the approach of the children sometimes gets restricted to the movie viewed. They tread on the same lines and find it difficult to think and ideate beyond the film. While expressing their opinion, it is seen that the notions formed by the children after watching the movie are the ones they express during discussion in QCT. It restricts their minds from wandering along different lines and broadening their approach.

One of the many remarkable learnings of students that we encounter:

After watching one of the movies dealing with overcoming fear, the children were asked ‘What do they fear’ during QCT. Others had to offer suggestions by asking “Would it help if….”

A child answered, “I fear my father meeting with an accident as he rides his bike too fast”.  Listening to this the other one said – “Would it help if you ask your father to ride below 45 km/ph which is the right speed limit.  I saw it in a TV ad” 

If only we adults listened to our children!

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Celebrating Safe and Sensitive Schools!

The 2.5 year journey of implementing the Safe and Sensitive School (SASS) programme, in collaboration with Wipro Applying Thought in Schools aptly culminated as we organized a small but sweet event celebrating the significant changes that have been observed in the 11 schools that the SASS team at TTF worked with.

 

The evening began with a welcome note by Maya Menon and Sreekanth Sreedharan from Wipro Applying Thought in Schools.

Our guest of the evening, Dr. Shona Chattarji, an eminent neuro scientist from National Centre for Biological Sciences gave an insightful talk on the scientific aspect of how the brain learns and the impact of stress on it. He further emphasised the importance of providing a caring environment to students for effective learning.

All the 11 schools were then presented with a school certificate and a copy of the Whole School Behaviour Policy manual. The WSBP document was democratically compiled from discussions held with a cross section of students and teachers enlisting out a common mode of behaviour management with emphasis on personal and social growth.

 

 

As the evening drew to a close, each of the schools echoed their commitment to continue the journey of providing an unbiased and caring environment for each of their students and staff alike!

 

To further strengthen this commitment a SASS Forum has been initiated on TTF blog where schools can share their experiences and best practices in creating a caring school.

 

Posted by Misbah Shahid, TTF Bangalore Centre

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Safe and Sensitive Schools: 2 ½ years later

The Safe and Sensitive Schools (SASS) project was designed to make selected schools safe and sensitive through embedding policies, spaces and interactions that are positive, constructive, nurturing and collaborative for all – students and staff alike.

Maya Menon, Akhila Doraswamy, Misbah Shahid and Shipra Suneja, members of the TTF team overseeing, coordinating and implementing the intervention, presented the findings of the project at the Excellence in School Education Conclave on 13 November 2011. Following Jenny Mosley's demonstration of how Quality Circle Time works, the TTF team elaborated on the entire project, its different components and the impact in schools.

The 2 ½ year long project, with eleven schools, focused on training the school and the teachers to promote positive relationships among all the stakeholders in the school: heads of school, teachers and students, making schools more safe and sensitive. The project came out of an identified need based on the too common trend of negative language in schools marked by harshness of tone. In these situations, children have difficulty  expressing and sharing their feelings as well as developing empathy and a sense of self-confidence.

Safe and Sensitive Schools - A National Pilot Project from The Teacher Foundation on Vimeo.

A video documentary which captured the essence of the positive interactions during the SASS Project, directed and edited by Gautam Sonti, was screened. A central component, QCT, is being conducted in schools which has helped the students build positive interactions and relation among the class. Teachers discussed how they improved their interactions with students, using rewards and sanctions as opposed to sticks and criticism. They also explained how their overall way of relating to students has changed, being much more friendly and sensitive.
 
The focus was to build self esteem which translated in other areas as well. The whole school behaviour policy helps the systems and processes in schools that helps foster positive interactions and build trust.

The heads who have undergone the programme expressed that they strongly believe that QCT has helped students use their listening skills and the schools have become gentler spaces. The bubble time, in which students and teachers talk one on one, has helped the teachers and students deal with children's individual needs and concerns.

During the presentation, Sujatha Mohandas, Principal, Sishu Griha and Rema Nandakumar, Principal, Chinmaya Vidyalaya spoke about the experience of hosting the SASS Project. Both the heads of schools mentioned that change in the school environment is clearly evident. It is visible in the way students and teachers talk to each other and how the school itself functions.

One can see changes at the schools that have been a part of the project, changes that are subtle but definite - teachers innovatively using the QCT sessions to discuss common classroom concerns and help students think of creative ways to solve them; children delighted to participate and share their thoughts, the teachers in many cases also mentioned that the unity in the class has also strengthened; teachers using positive behaviour management techniques rather than punishments; regular QCT sessions has helped children, especially the quieter ones, to express themselves confidently; and most of the listening and appreciation systems in place.

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Sishu Griha tells us: “We are gentle!”

The Teacher Foundation is actively working with 15 schools in Bangalore, with the support of Wipro Applying Thoughts in Schools, training teachers to action a positive cultural change in the school community. TTF’s Safe and Sensitive Schools Project (SASS) aims at making schools “safe and sensitive through embedding policies, spaces and interactions that are positive, constructive, nurturing and collaborative for all – students and staff alike.” SASS is designed based on the Whole School Quality Circle Time Model developed by Jenny Mosley. SASS helps schools to put systems in place that make sure  teachers are confident, classrooms are cheerful, and interactions between people in the school are warm, gentle and pleasant.   

 

One of our SASS Schools, Sishu Griha, organized an assembly on one of the Golden Rules - We are Gentle; We do not hurt others! They actually observed the rule for the fortnight and at the end of which students from each class were nominated by fellow classmates for following the rule. These students were felicitated with badges during the assembly and their photographs were out on their bulleting board. The school mailed us a few photographs and a write-up about the Golden Assembly and we would like to share them with you.

 

The students of Sishu Griha Montessori& High School right from the Primary to the High School were very assiduous in following the Golden Rule for the preceding fortnight- WE ARE GENTLE, BOTH IN OUR ACTIONS AND WORDS. WE DO NOT HURT OTHERS. The teachers elucidated on the different ways in which the students could exhibit gentleness in school and the response was gratifying.

The students made conscious efforts to adhere to the golden rule of being gentle. They spoke in soft tones, were gentle in their actions and the gentleness reflected in their demeanour too. Books and furniture were handled with a lot of care. They made sure that they did not hurt others and there was a sharp drop in the number of grievances that the teachers had to lend their ears to. They appeared contrite when they erred and were painstaking in their efforts to make amends. Being bestowed with a badge that had the wordings ‘I AM GENTLE’ was the ultimate honour. Many students received the much coveted badge.

The Golden Assembly was held on the 18^th July , 2011. There was a sense of heightened excitement as the students trooped into their respective lines. What ensued certainly proved to be a golden hour for the students and staff alike. The SPARKS ensured that everything was in order .Principal Ms. Sujatha Mohandas gave a brief overview of the SASS programme and explained to the children that the marks card was not the only yardstick to measure their success in life. She stressed on the importance of imbibing good qualities. Later, Navyaa Shah of Std IV spoke about the importance of being gentle and shared her experience with the other students. The profundity of her thoughts was certainly appreciated. The names of the students who had been nominated , one each from every section of all the classes, were announced amidst applause. They assembled on the dais and seemed to revel in being the cynosure of all eyes. They took pride in the trust reposed in them as they had been nominated by their classmates . Bulletin Boards bearing their photographs delighted one and all.

The students dispersed with a renewed vigour to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of these noble qualities. Principal Ms. Sujatha Mohandas’ exhortation to be on constant vigil against flouting these golden rules will certainly be remembered by the students and staff alike.

 

Posted by Misbah, Coordinator – Teacher Training and Support, TTF Bangalore Centre

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What do children think about QCT?

TTF is working with 15 schools in Bangalore, training their teachers, as a part of our Safe and Sensitive Schools Pilot Project, supported by Wipro Applying Thoughts in Schools.  From the feedback we get, we understand that teachers from all the schools we are working with see the relevance of Jenny Mosley's Quality Circle Time Model in making their schools more caring places."Quality Circle Time sessions are very useful. Children can discuss sensitive issues. We discuss problems and also children give each other solutions." says a teacher from Chinmaya School, in Bangalore. "There is certainly a visible change since the teachers have started doing the QCTs. My daughter tells me that she enjoys it so much, they are so relieved during the Circle Time session.” says Paravathy, Headmistress, Lawrence School.

Having said that, we think it is also important for us to know what children feel about Quality Circle Time. Well, Malathy Saikumar, a teacher from Sishu Griha School, asked her students. Malathy was planning a bulletin board to showcase the impact of QCT in her school and she asked her Grade 4 students "What do you feel about Quality Circle Time? Express it any way you would like!" What follows are samples we picked from the bulletin board, put together spontaneously by Grade 4 students of Sishu Griha School in less than 30 minutes.

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That is how students respond to each other before and after QCT, through the eyes of a Grade 4 student. The student finds her classmates/schoolmates kind and considerate, after the school started implementing Quality Circle Time.  

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Now, here is a poem about QCT. Following is how a Grade 4 student looks at Quality Circle Time:

QCT

Circle Time is for everyone, not for me or you. 

It's also for adults and even youngsters.

In QCT we learn to be good and respect others.

We don't take name and don't speak out of turn.

It teaches us not to cover up the truth.

Or even not to interrupt. 

We put or hand if we want to speak.

And we also play set of games.

Being in QCT is the best, it gives you a lot of joy. 

It's a place where it teaches a lot of things.

An one thing I like to say is: 

QCT IS A PLACE WHERE "LEARNING MEETS FUN"

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Here is another poem on QCT from another Grade 4 student from Sishu Griha School: 

My QCT Poem

Circle Time helps people

like me and you.

It helps teenagers, small children 

and adults too.

I have learned many things 

from the great circle time

like never tell a lie

'cause it's an unforgivable crime.

Circle time will make me

in heart strong and bold.

Even when I grow up

and become very old. 

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[Click here, here and here to see the pictures.]
Posted by Shipra Suneja, Coordinator, Training and Teacher Support, TTF Bangalore Centre

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Celebrating Safe and Sensitive Schools!

The already present festive atmosphere made it easier for me...Armed as a Lady Santa Claus with enthusiastic ideas,balloons,bag full of goodies to easily blend into their cheerful ambience! I got to meet the primary and middle school teachers first. A quick word of assurance from me that I would not overstep the 20-25mins given to me quickly helped dissipate the general look of apprhension on their faces. It was their last working day and they had a long day scheduled ahead of them-TTF interaction,snack time,a lenghty end of term staff meeting and understandingly they wanted to leave as early as possible!

Jenny's quote “life is too short to allow us to lose our vibrancy of spirit” allowed me to drive in the need for celebrations and set in the pace for the day. After very briefly sharing with them how children are constantly making emotional onslaughts on us on a daily basis and how as teachers we need to be really courageous to brave these onslaughts and how courage can only be fuelled by GM's/Moments of fun. I introduced the game of the day and likewise divided them into 2 groups and then asked each one of them to pair up with a member of another group, each pair was then given a balloon that was placed in between their foreheads and they were asked to burst them when the 'go'signal was given.

BANG,bang,bang....burst the balloons-the teachers participated with such fiery gusto that the entire auditorium was filled with good cheer...we shook hands,took photos,clapped for the winners and it really felt great when they showered profuse thanks on me saying that they had had a great time!The photographs attached speak volumes to this end!

They filed out each one of them individually picking up little tokens of appreciation from TTF's end (a bowl containing small 5 stars and a tray well arranged with TTF bookmarks)

The second session started after a very brief break of 5 mins. Another group of 45 teachers,same look of apprehension,same words of comfort and reassurance from my end..!.Then the game-unscrambling of Christmas Carols(pair work)-competitive edge-fun moments-winner(Sujata herself and her partner)singing aloud one of the Carols of their choice-Clapping-passing around the two bowls of chocolates and book mark from either end of the circular arrangement in which they were seated were briefly the sequence of events!

It was heartening to see teachers really relish taking such apparently small tokens of goodwill-constantly thanking them for making me feel good that they are accepting them and also for being so sportive-calming complaints that they too needed a fiesty game of balloons-a heartfelt thank you speech to TTF from the Principal herself and then the first group being called in to join and form a larger group for the staff meet and a FGD with TTF (designed as part of the staff meet itself) was how events unfolded thereon.

Posted by Rajasree Sen, Coordinator - Training and Teacher Support, TTF Bangalore

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SASS Certification from TTF and Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK.

The Teacher Foundation deeply believes that schools should be actively nurturing and enabling environments for its children. Currently working with 15 schools on the 'Safe and Sensitive Schools Project', TTF is helping heads, teachers and students opt for a gentler, more positive approach to interacting with each other. The Whole School Ecosystemic Model of Quality Circle Time developed by Jenny Mosley forms the backbone of the project.

The SASS project has reflected several instances that reaffirms our belief in the need for the schools to look beyond academic achievement and actively nurture the human side of student growth and development. In a way, the following comment by a teacher expresses the same, “QCT has helped to bring about a bonding between the students and teachers. It has improved thinking and listening skills in the students. It has proved to be a platform for various issues to be discussed that do not find place in our normal curriculum”.

Our efforts to help schools prioritise and uphold what is vital for their well being remains a dynamic and enthusiastic process. It gives us great pleasure to persevere in this endeavour and institutionalise the SASS Certification awarded jointly by The Teacher Foundation, and Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK. The certificate is valid for a period of 2 years after which the school could need to request for re-accreditation – which will be a simple low-cost process.

This certification will ensure that schools in the SASS Project as well as schools who have been trained in QCT are able to :

• consolidate the benefits of the training and support they have received from TTF
• provide clear, visual evidence of enhanced practices that contribute to a safe and sensitive culture across the school.
• visualise in a tangible way the concept of a caring school

The certification will be offered at 3 levels – Gold, Silver and Bronze. While the Gold Status is of course the highest level of the Award, schools that initially satisfy the silver or bronze levels will be encouraged to aspire and work for the Gold Award. Schools that receive the Gold Status will be prominently mentioned on our websites (TTF as well as Jenny Mosley Consultancies, UK), and all other professional forums including our Official Blog, Facebook Page and T-Net E-groups. They will also be provided the opportunity to share their experiences and learnings at national-level conferences organised by TTF.

As a prerequisite to the certification the school needs to have gone through the following:

1. A basic 2 day training in the Whole School Ecosystemic Approach to Quality Circle Time for every adult member in the school.
2. School-based support for an academic session that includes for every class (Grades 1-10) a QCT demonstration by TTF facilitators, co-conducting of QCT sessions by TTF facilitator and the class teacher and observation of QCT conducted by the class teacher
3. Institutionalising and living the Golden Rules across the whole school – staff and students.
4. Active Practice of the QCT ethos in regular classes, lunch & break times, school corridors and all other school spaces, including school buses.

The Teacher Foundation will be ready for 'certification audits' of interested schools from June 2011. In order to certify as a safe and sensitive school, the school needs to satisfy the conditions and practices detailed out for Gold Standard SASS, Silver Standard SASS or Bronze Standard SASS.

TTF will offer its support and endeavour to help your school achieve the award. This award is poised to be a prestigious one very soon and we are pleased that the word has already spread to quite a few interested schools in various parts of the country.

TTF is deeply appreciative of the initiative and courage schools have demonstrated to embark on the journey to making their institutions safer and more sensitive.

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Is it a tent, a basket, a big rainbow ....no that's a Parachute !

The tiny tots at Mitra were delighted to see the bag that contained the parachute. As I slowly pulled out the colorful thing, children kept guessing what it was! Some said it was a jacket, some said it was a tent, bag, sheet, raincoat and so on. Finally as the huge parachute was out, the children all with sparkling laughters held the parachute and opened it wide. They lifted the parachute up and down like a sea wave filling it with heir smiles and shining eyes. As they let go of the parachute, it fell on the floor and subliming within it were their enthusiastic voices.

It was a great delight to be part of the Safe and Sensitive Schools project and conducting a Quality Circle Time session with the preschool kids at Mitra Academy. The children were actively involved from the very beginning till the end of the session. They comfortably voiced their opinion. In fact, I was amazed to see how these young kids so honestly and candidly articulated their thoughts. They had done QCT before and so were somewhat familiar with the circle and some of the activities. One child mentioned delightfully, “we are going to have circle time”.

We began with getting to know each other’s names. The children then wished to play a game called 'fruit salad' which they enjoyed a lot. One of the girls excitingly gave each of her friends fruit names and as they exchanged places, the room was filled with laughter and thrilling commotion. The children continued to suggest game as I happily took up their ideas and we enjoyed together. The main focus of the session was about ”Sharing” and I narrated a story with 2 puppets and the children were able to give simple solutions to the characters about “why they should share”.

The two hand puppets, a naughty elephant named Pogo and Harry the panda, who wished that Pogo would share his toys with him were a hit with the children. They were mesmerized by the puppets and wished to help Harry. They came up with several suggestions like 'only if harry shares the toy, pogo will also share', 'they are friends, so they should share toys' and so on.

 As the session proceeded a curious innocent question came up, “How do plants make food”. Since this was not part of the session and other children would have felt left out, I promised her that we will discuss it in “bubble time”. Bubble Time is a beautiful concept where the facilitator and the other person are metaphorically in a bubble with one another talking face to face.. Her string of curious questions amazed me..I also realized that once her teacher had left a topic about plant making food unexplained and it stuck with her. This fantastically reflected her presence of mind and how children observe and remember things.

I couldn’t believe that the session went on for 35 to 40 minutes with all the children engaged through out ! Finally I went around greeting the children and they responded with their captivating smiles.

Also, the teachers during the feedback session seemed to be highly motivated and one of the teacher also generously commented, “The session was very good. We hope we can do the same so that the children enjoy as much”

The session was enthralling and the children absolutely adorable. I felt that it is the warmth and the high energy that transcends between the facilitator and the children that makes the session so interesting. It only strengthens my belief that is shared by the SASS team that QCT is useful for all ages of children, the difference is how it is taken forward......

 Posted by Nirali Parikh, Preschool Coordinator, TTF Bangalore

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Training teachers to promote caring schools!

89 teachers from leading schools in Hyderabad participated in the two-day Quality Circle Time Workshop organized by The Teacher Foundation at Meridian School, Hyderabad on 15 November 2010 and 16 November 2010. The two-day session led by Jenny Mosley, the reputed UK-based education consultant and best selling author, was a thrilling as well as great learning experience.

How do we maintain a positive atmosphere in our school, based on a sense of community and shared values? How do we have a high degree of consensus about the standards of behaviour among staff, pupils and parent? How do we deal with 'bad' behaviour? How do we work as a team to develop whole school approaches to promote good behaviour in our school? How do we promote mutual respect, self-discipline and social responsibility among our students and staff? How can we effectively communicate with our parents?  Jenny Mosley's Quality Circle Time Model helps schools find answers to these and many more questions that schools have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. The Teacher Foundation trains Indian teachers to use Quality Circle Time Model and helps to make our schools caring places. The QCT workshop in Hyderabad with Jenny Mosley, who has pioneered the Whole School Quality Circle Time Model in thousands of schools in the UK and world over, was another giant leap in that direction.

The two-day session on QCT in Hyderabad began with Maya Menon, Founder Director of The Teacher Foundation briefing the participating educators about QCT and how it can bring in positive differences in teaching and learning that will influence the learner behaviour and learning styles. Jenny took over with her apt examples and practical  logic, helping teachers experience how they can enable pupils of all ages, at their own level, to reflect on aspects of their lives and how to help them learn to listen to others, to be tolerant of other viewpoints and to respect fellow learners. One of the participating teachers said, “I could never imagine that a teacher can bring in such levels of energetic enthusiasm in classrooms and technically plant positive behaviours among the learners”.

Children of Grade III and VIII joined as participants and Jenny conducted 'Circle Time' with them, exemplifying how effectively learners can gain multiple skills and multiple  values through QCT. The workshop concluded on 16 November 2010 with a presentation by Prakash Nedungadi, Director Development-The Teacher Foundation, on the 'Range of  Services' The Teacher Foundation offers to schools.  The participating educators expressed that they found a great value in the workshop and some of the schools have promised to work towards implementing QCT in their schools.  

Posted by Rama Devi Mavuri, Centre Coordinator, TTF Hyderabad

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Actioning a Positive Cultural Change in Schools

The Context: Problem of Schooling Culture in India

The schools in 21st century India are still primarily concerned with teaching and completing syllabus. Many of our children are unable to speak spontaneously and/or listen; they are unable to take turns to share ideas or to contribute effectively in a group situation. All these are basic requirements for being well-adjusted future citizens of this world.

Schools need to actively nurture the ‘human’ side of student growth and development. But it’s easier said than done - for many reasons. One reason is that we are a class-ridden society, with many biases that get perpetuated by our schools. Another reason is that teachers themselves have been subjected to such interactions while they were students. It is this reality that they replicate, wittingly or unwittingly. Unfortunately, no concerted attempt has been made nationwide to actually improve the culture of interpersonal communication that takes place in our schools even though the National Curriculam Framework 2005 makes detailed references to a policy of inclusion, nurturing an enabling environment and good behaviour through a policy of participatory management. Most educational reforms in India so far have been restricted to developing literacy, numeracy competencies or physical infrastructure development.

This clearly suggests that the the quality of personal interactions taking place in the school amongst teachers and between teachers and students needs to become gentler and more positive in order to transform the way teachers teach and transact lessons in the classrooms.

Safe and Sensitive Schools- A pilot project in collaboration with WIPRO

TTF is working with teachers and other adults in schools on the Whole School Quality Circle Time Approach, currently implemented in 15 Schools in Bangalore & Mysore in Government, Lower-rung, Middle-rung and Upper-end Private schools...

The Project supports the schools to actively nurture staff self esteem and students’ self esteem and put into place clear listening systems which can eventually contribute to a Whole School Behaviour Policy that is inclusive, positive, caring and assertive for students and staff so that all experience success in school - the gifted, the average and the special needs individuals.

The Objective
Making the selected schools safe and sensitive through embedding policies, spaces and interactions that are positive, constructive, nurturing and collaborative for all – students and staff alike.

TTF’s idea is two-fold:

• To contextualise and adapt the Whole School Quality Circle Time model developed by Jenny Mosley, the well-known teacher trainer, drama therapist and author from the UK and effectively use it in selected schools (both private and government, both primary and secondary levels). The model is highly flexible and can be adapted to various linguistic, socio-cultural and geographical contexts. It requires no additional expense for the school, apart from the investment on its teachers and school leader for being trained effectively for 3-5 days and thereafter being periodically supported and monitored across a suitable period of time. This is the intervention component. 
• TTF explores and meticulously record if and how teachers change the nature of their personal interactions with students – once they have been trained and supported to deliberately adopt an ethos of respect and warmth in their interactions with students. This is the action research component.

What’s Quality Circle Time?

Circle Time as a structured group process teaches young people how to understand themselves and relate to others. The circle time method involves the teacher in a weekly half-hour meeting where all the participants including the teacher, sit in a circle and take an equal responsibility for solving issues the group members have themselves highlighted. The structures and techniques within Circle Time teach individuals to communicate more clearly, directly and honestly with each other strengthening their skills of speaking, listening, looking, thinking and concentrating . By learning to express their feelings in a clear way, they learn to develop positive relationships.

The strategies involved for children include cooperative games, pair work, rounds, drama techniques, puppet play - each strategy appropriate to the emotional and intellectual level of the group. Through cooperative activities and discussion, circle time ensures that each child experiences success and, used on a regular weekly basis, it promotes a feeling of equal value and group identity.

The Teacher Foundation has already piloted the Circle Time approach to fostering the social and emotional aspects of student development in several schools and hundreds of teachers across India – and we have found the response has been always very positive, owing to its intrinsically humane person-centred approach. The idea requires no additional infra-structural costs – it works equally well in a small rural school as well as an up-market urban school. The focus is on enhancing the personal skills and attitudes of teachers and other adults in the education system. It places the raising of morale and self-esteem of teachers, as a primary strategy for successful implementation in schools.

Posted by Maya Menon, Director, The Teacher Foundation

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SASS in progress!

Safe and Sensitive Schools project started its New Year with a review meeting with the Heads of all the project schools. The Heads were thrilled to receive a parachute and a set of 6 ‘Golden Rules’ posters for their schools. The ‘Safe and Sensitive’ Schools have moved on to extend the concept beyond children and have encompassed teachers too. Vidya Niketan School, took a step forward by conducting their staff meeting in Quality Circle Time format for the first time. The Heads had got together to plan the sessions for primary, middle & high school teachers and the admin staff. The theme of the session was to foster empathetic and sensitive communication among staff members. It was a delight to see teachers frankly open up about the problems they faced while communicating with colleagues. At the end of the session, they collectively promised to be more of their sensitive selves when they communicated with their peers in school. One of the teachers in the group said, “ Lets determine now, not to talk ill of others, nor encourage others when they do so”. The Heads felt the session was an eye opener and felt they came up with constructive solutions on the problem of lack of sharing among staff members. They also said that with regular sessions like these, they would be able to deal with staff problems more peacefully.

Posted by Sandhya Gatti, Project Head, Safe and Sensitive Schools, TTF, Bangalore

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