Changing trends - A must

Was going through the course content ,

http://catchingthewave.library.harvard.edu/exhibits
 it was interesting to see how little we hear about women and ever lesser of the women in action trying to create awareness. What the need is to develop An understanding of how students learn and teachers teach these sensitive issues. We , must  provide policy makers with a deeper understanding of how the changes occur in society and the way we innovate is changing, this implies for education and training policies to be relooked and worked upon.

The need of the hour is to engage with the depth of K&U. We ,as teachers need to develop our professional and personal strengths, to know the trends and to incrementally share the same at every platform one can.
http://indiaepost.com/2018/12/10/researches-should-be-focused-on-sustainable-rural-development/
 My college professor who has always been an inspiration sets a fine example to this .

Reaching out to children

It's interesting we ,as teachers rarely think that the child who comes to us at a certain level would have gained knowledge of the topics we teach . The students' approach to learning is dynamic. We  need to look at vertical and horizontal articulation. It is because we think in the rigid "teacher taught student manner" we do not look at "students learn from everywhere,and everyone " with an open mind.whereas the fact remains that children always imbibe from many many areas of Interactions and learning. We limit the scope , not the books ,the curriculum , the school systems or the lack of time . remember our times as a student ,the best teacher was the one who was able to build connections for us across years, topics,subjects , global issues and do all that just so so unobtrusively..why then is there now a need for assessing prior knowledge, is it of use to the learner and the teacher.

Ref to context :-
https://ibspeak.com/importance-of-assessing-prior-knowledge/

Self confidence

This has been my adage always... Live life king-size ...it helps to connect with the inner core. When you are focused on what you need most and you love what you do , you display the passion and enthusiasm, it spills over to everyone else ....and that brings out the best in everyone. 

Empowering Leadership... Challenging roles

I believe it takes courage to receive feedback ... It's hard to say what must be said .. it's hard to hear what's being said....then how does one evolve from being a narcissist, "ass licking promoting" institute to a democratic thinking and motivation driven space to work in...? The answer lies in being fearless in your approach as a leader and as a led, the culture of constructivism and positive reinforcement gets built only when some one takes the initiative to be truthful with out the fear of the consequences .. but who ? Who will ring the bell?? Who will first of all bell the cat?? Who will look the cat in the eye ? Does it have to top down or should it be bottoms up ?? What culture needs to be set to encourage conversations that can bring about this step forward ??
The answer lies in the style of leadership ,an effective leader will not lack the courage of conviction to establish the two way process ...and what must a leader ,then do to be effective in that fashion?
There are 5 things that a leader must be conscious of
1. Strong mind - A leader must develop a strong mind .Not get wavered by shallow inputs but stay strong in the face of dubious conversations.It is very important to have a mind of your own when everyone around you is trying to get their own ends met. A discerning mind will know the fake from the real.
2.  Decisive - leader must also always take quick, measured decisions. Quick thinking and firm ess is the key to a solution based work environment.
3. Differentiate between justice & injustice ...The sense if righteous and the point of " fighting pretty or winning" must be crystal clear in the mind of the leader. I'd always settle for justice over winning . Fighting pretty will ensure that I have my team where I want them, right by my side and not behind my back, doubting my intentions.
4. Courage of conviction-if my intent is clear and I am working for the larger good of the organisation, I will always have the courage of conviction and carry my intent through. But if I am on shaky ground, unsure of my own belief system and values I am risking the future prospects of the organization I lead.
5. Effective verbal and non verbal communication.If a leader lacks this skill ,the organization is doomed. To be on top of things ,one must be able to articulate one's ideas in a convincing manner . It takes more than intent and knowledge to win people over and that is the art of skillful communication.
When you are able to hold the attention of your subordinates or your team members, you automatically build an environment that allows  for dialogue and a growth mindset. In such a case the team  members will take the risk of speaking up and not getting into a silent zone.