Effective teachers: Are they born or made?

Have you ever wondered if effective teachers are born or made? Have you ever had the question: What makes an effective teacher and what do they do differently? How can teachers be made effective? Here is an attempt to bring out my reflections to answers these questions. These reflections are based on my observations in……

Early Childhood Education: Are we there yet?

– By Rahul Raina, City Programme Manager, ISLI Hyderabad On a cold winter morning in Hyderabad, while on my way for a monthly school visit to one of our ISLI schools, I happened to pass by another colourful school building. Curious, I leaned inside to see a group of Nursery school children, sitting in a……

21st Century Skills: What does it mean to our school system?

– By Saipramod Bathena, Programme Lead, ISLI Hyderabad Education systems across the world have been designed to produce certain outcomes based on socio-economic, political and cultural needs. The design of any education system should be flexible enough to be able to adapt to the changing needs of the time. Most of us would have read……

Effective Classroom Management: A key enabler of active learning

I have spent last five years observing classrooms, talking to educators about what’s hampering learning and how to maximize learning opportunities for children in schools. One factor that constantly came up during these conversations is classroom management. Teachers with effective classroom management skills and strategies were able to significantly create better learning opportunities as opposed……

An interview with Ms Matilda Fernandes, Head Teacher at St. Joseph’s school, Wadala West, Mumbai

Through the ISLI Fellowship, I have been able to identify my strengths and how I can work with what did not go well, how things have to be followed methodically and with a proper, systematic approach to learning. ISLI talks about the concrete evidences that take place in the classroom or school surroundings, looking at……

How to give constructive feedback to teachers.

No two students are the same. Each student has a different learning style, academic level, interest, behavior, culture and family background which makes him/her unique. Thus, the role of a teacher is more than teaching specific subjects to all students using the same method. Teachers are often encouraged by school management to adapt to each……

Working with the Student Counsel to create a sense of accountability in his school.

Background TSWRS- Kondapur is a boys-only residential school, with over 640 students from grade 5 to 12. Most of the students are first-generation learners from rural areas and have low academic outcomes compared to their urban peers. The current school leader, Mr. N. Balaswamy, had been part of the ISLI City fellowship program in the……

Case Study: How Ms. Geeta Lal of Mumbai realised her potential as a School Leader.

Ms. Geeta Lal has been the principal of Guru Nanak National High School for over a decade. In her time, she has balanced the act of administrative duties and academic responsibilities. However, the excitement to watch teachers teach and students learn waned after a few years as more deliverables from the government started coming in,……

Case Study: School Principal and District Coordinator, Ms Aparna Pothula’s success story of parent engagement.

Introduction TSWRS (Telangana Social Welfare Residential Society) Godavarikhani, is a girls-only residential school with around 640 students from 5th -12th grade. Many parents would come to school seeking permission for their children to skip school for attending functions. School Leader Ms Aparna Pothula saw that this was causing a major disruption in students’ learning. She……

After Teacher’s Day incident, Ms. Rajeshwari decided to turn things around for Shree Padmashree High School, Bengaluru.

On the momentous occasion of Teacher’s day, school leader Mrs. Rajeshwari received one rose and one wish from a student named Hema despite a school strength of 400. Her own kids were planning the day for their teachers to make it memorable. This day deeply upset her and triggered the urge to involve parents at……