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To know the difference between a teacher and an educator, we must first understand what these two words mean. To put in simple words, a teacher is a person who teaches students. An educator is a person who educates students. An example can give a clear picture of what these two roles are and how they differ from each other. Sophie is a primary school teacher. The school management hired her. She prepares her lesson plans based on the syllabus and curriculum and conducts assessments from time to time. She makes sure the children in her class pass the exams and plans her lessons according to the term timetable. Linda is Sophie’s colleague in the same school. She does teach but also mainly manages the primary school classes. After teaching every lesson, Linda checks if the students really understood the lesson taught. She goes the extra mile to help those who need more attention. Linda spends time with her students even during the recess to understand every student in her class personally. Whenever possible, she teaches them life skills, morals, values and tells them real-life stories to give them a glimpse of the real world and how they should lead their lives. She encourages them to know and practice their talents, gifts and how they should work hard and grow in their lives. She leaves a lasting impact on her students as they learn so much more than academics from her. Both Sophie and Linda are teachers. But they there every day tasks are not exactly the same. Sophie is a ‘Teacher,’ and Linda is an ‘Educator.’ We say this because: Sophie is a teacher. In addition, she focuses mainly on getting the syllabus completed on time. After that, teaching according to the set timetable, conducting exams or assessments, giving grades and helping children move to the next grade at the end of the academic year. Whereas Linda on the other hand, does teach but also does things beyond just teaching the children. She takes up things that may not be part of her job description. She takes interest in the growth of every single student. She looks out for their weaknesses and motivates them to grow in areas where they are not strong enough. She extends support through counselling if needed. And that is what makes Linda an ‘Educator.’ Another difference is that, sometimes an Educator may not be a trained to be a professional teacher but they are natural educators like e.g., parents. But teachers are formally trained to become a teacher. Schools pay teachers when they work. But educators do what they do out of genuine love, care and concern towards the growth of children around them. And these are some of the major differences between a teacher and an educator. Above all, they are definitely not the same and therefore these two words cannot be used to refer the same meaning.
To learn a new language, one must understand how a child learns the mother tongue. Most people learn mother tongue by listening to others speak. Child has to listen first, then speak and finally be able to write. Teach English like they are learning their mother tongue. Listening From the time a child is born, they listen to members at home speak their mother tongue. They hear the words, sounds, see the actions and try to imitate the same. Listening is a basic skill and acts like the first building block to learning a language. Expose the child to different kinds of audio in the language. They can be music, rhymes stories or even poems. Accustom the child to listening to the language and slowly that grabs their attention. Speaking As the child keeps listening, they gradually learn to speak as well. First they start with small words and then speak short sentences. This happens organically without any stress on using the right grammar. The child freely gets to exercise their speech using the vocabulary they hear and pick up every day. The pronunciation, the accent of their mother tongue is also learnt naturally without any emphasis being given to learning it. It is first their mother tongue which develops the child’s hearing and speaking skills. We do not teach them to read or write the mother tongue first, do we? This applies to learning any other language too. Reading After listening and speaking their mother tongue, they are then taught how to read their mother tongue. A child must first learn the alphabet or letters of the language. The grammar, and sentence structures comes next. Picture books, letter books, story books, newspapers or magazines at home help a child understand how their language. All these written forms gain an insight into how the language is being read out. A child cannot learn to read unless they first listen and learn to speak the language. To learn to read a language like English, there are different methods used in preschools to each phonetics as part of the reading readiness program. Reading therefore must be taken up only once the child gains listening and speaking skills in the language being taught.  Writing The last skill to be mastered is the writing skill. None of us would have learnt how to write without listening, speaking and being able to read a language. Preschool curriculum should focus first on teaching a child develop listening, speaking, and reading skills before writing. Writing is taught through sand tracing, sandpaper tracing and several other methods. This develops the child’s pincer grip before moving to holding a crayon or a pencil. Therefore, one must focus on listening and speaking skills before mastering reading and writing skills. Any change in this order of teaching a language will hinder the learning process. Just the way a mother tongue is taught to a child, learning any new language must be taught too. This process ensures the child gets fluent and comfortable using the language. When a child is fluent in a language like English, it automatically gives him confidence in this global world. They have the power to communicate with people across the world. This helps them succeed and excel in their careers as well. Learning a global language like English is a prominent skill as it enables us to interact and work in a highly productive manner. In the absence of this, they might struggle to reach higher professional or personal goals in the current times. One can learn a new language at any age, any time in their lives. In order to excel with competent proficiency in a language, remember to first master your listening skills through listening to others speak the language. For instance, you could listen to native speakers talking to each other. Even, watch movies in that language. Secondly, master your speaking skills by speaking to native speakers or others learning the same language. Thirdly, learn the letters/alphabet of the language and learn how to read the language. And finally, once you master all the three skills above, move to learning how to write the language. Keep listening, speaking, reading, and writing until you get fluent in the language. For instance, the same applies to your child too when they learn a second or third language like English, Hindi, or any regional language in India. An important thing to note is that practice makes them perfect over time. Above all, as a child moves from lower to higher grades, they get to perfect the language and get fluent eventually. Â
Becoming a parent for the very first time in life is the most beautiful indescribable experience. Throughout parenthood, parents face all kinds of situations as their child grows from an infant to an adult. Those are become a father and a mother for the very first time, have different expectation of what it’s going to be like once their baby arrives into the real world. But often, their expectations don’t exactly match the reality. If you are a parent, you will most certainly understand this, won’t you? Ha-ha! Out of the humungous number of facts about parenting, some of them are: 10 Facts About Parenting – 1. Inexpressible joy Witnessing the birth of a new born, holding, cuddling and feeding is all an incredible feeling for parents. It’s a joy that cannot be put into words. It’s a feeling that is never felt before. Sometimes, you wonder how incomplete your life has been without your new born baby who is now in your arms. 2. New changes Lives of parents change in an instant! Everything changes! As a parent, you cannot sleep whenever you wish or however longer you want to, your routine keeps changing depending on your child’s routine, life now revolves around feeding the baby or looking after your child, putting them to sleep, changing diapers, packing diaper bags every time you travel or you might find yourself completely avoiding travel given the pandemic situation. Your social life gets affected and the list goes on and on. 3. Unexpected visits to the hospital You might have to make sudden unexpected visits to the hospital, occasionally even in the middle of the night! New born babies must go for frequent check-ups during the first couple of weeks of birth followed by vaccination visits as well. Apart from this, even the mother needs to go for post-delivery check-ups to her gynecologist or lactation consultant depending on the need. 4. Life around baby’s nap time Parents now have to schedule all their work around baby’s nap time. As a parent, you tend to sneak into the shower or plan meals and cook or do laundry or clean up the house and so on when the baby sleeps. That’s when you get to have your ME time too, isn’t it? This keeps changing and hopefully gets better as they grow up and go to school, college and university. 5. Panic and worry Parents got into a state of panic every time the child cries or has any discomfort or falls sick. You would worry about every small thing because you just cannot see your child suffer or see them in pain. You probably keep worrying about keeping them safe away from any kind of sickness, harm or danger. You might wake up in the middle of the night to see they are sleeping well. 6. Child’s needs take priority over oneself Whether it is food, clothing, toys or anything the child needs, it’s the child’s essentials that take precedence over what you as a parent need or want for yourself. Your focus is so much on your child that often you find that your needs take a back seat and all your time, energy and money is spent on your child’s needs. 7. Friends with kids become your new best friends This is one thing that all parents can relate to. When you as a parent have friends who also are parents, they become your best friends over night! Ha-ha! That’s became you know that they may have gone through similar situations as yours and therefore be able to support you, guide you and give you suggestions or even counsel and comfort you when its much needed. You tend to be in constant touch with them to get some reassurance and encouragement to keep going despite the n number of unexpected things you encounter as new parents. 8. Laughter and tears at the same time Oh yes! This is the time when you know that you can be happy and have tears at the same time. Happy tears most often and sometimes you might also get frustrated or drained out as you struggle with the new responsibilities of being the mother or father of the child. Child’s milestones give you so much joy. And as they learn language, mimic you and others through their words and actions, you end up having a nice big laughter. All of these are memories to cherish for a lifetime! 9. Feelings of doubt, anger or emotional outburst Every time you make a decision for your child, you have a thousand second-thoughts on whether or not you made the right choice for your little one. You wonder if you have done the wrong thing and therefore doubt your decisions. And if at any instance, you make a wrong decision you might emotional meltdown too. 10. You try to be the best version of yourself Parents want to raise children with good values, morals, and provide them with all the resources they need to grow. You are the one they observe every day of their lives and mimic your behaviors, attitudes and therefore you are their role-model. As a good parent, you would want to be your best self so that your child will learn all the right things. But showing your true self is okay. These are some facts that parents, whether single parents or new parents or primary care givers face in reality.
Children are the guiding spirits who are easy to mold. The future can be uncertain, but yet small decisions have a big impact. Home is the first school for any child. The environmental crisis is reaching a pinnacle. Everywhere, there is a need to protect it. Imparting the right knowledge will sustain the planet Earth. So let us see some ways we can teach the young ones to be better individuals. Reducing waste Did you know urban India produces 1.15 lakh metric tons of municipal solid waste every day? Therefore, reducing waste is a household responsibility. For instance, do you have newspapers? Old Clothes? Lying around in your house? Then, it is time to teach children how to reduce this waste. They can use newspapers as book shelf covers or for covering their books. Donate the old clothes. Showing them how to reduce food wastage helps a great deal. In addition, show your children how to care for your home. Recycle and Reuse Plastic is a bane in today’s society. Teach children how to distinguish good plastic from bad plastic. Separate the garbage into wet and dry waste. The wet waste can work as compost for plants. After that, recycle the dry waste to the right sources. Plant a tree Having your own mini garden teaches children a great deal! Tomatoes, brinjal, potatoes, and even some fruits in your garden can be a great weekend activity for your children. In addition, doing gardening with children also increases the bond. Above all, you could explain to them about worms, composting, and even making their own manure. Use electricity sparingly Use energy-saving light bulbs. For instance, explain to the child the importance of house insulation. Try to use more energy-effective sources. Make sure to keep your motors, geysers, and house heaters in check. There is nothing wrong with being sparing about the use of electricity. Conserving water usage Teach children how to close the faucet when they are brushing or taking a shower. In addition, use biodegradable storage containers like earthen pots to keep the water cool. Encourage them by giving them small rewards. Exposing them to educational content on television What children see; they learn from it. Whether it is the content on television or the books they read, all of this matters. Make a point of showing National Geographic or Discovery Channel to your children. These channels show the reality of the world in terms of global warming and animal protection. They show how to conserve nature. Children will be more conscious when watching healthy content on television. They say a picture speaks a thousand words. This kind of exposure will definitely impact the thought process of a child. Volunteering Show children how beautiful our seas and oceans are. You could plan a weekend activity with them, like a beach cleanup. Even better, plant a tree or save a forest. The acts don’t have to be really big, but the message has to be bigger. When children volunteer for such activities, they enjoy being close to nature. Nature is a mother who teaches them the reality of life. Being a role model You, as a parent or teacher, can be an example to showcase the importance of environmental conservation. You could carpool or walk or cycle to work to save fuel. You can show children to save paper or plant trees in your community. Similarly, growing your own vegetables in the garden can be highly beneficial for the future. Opting for paper or cloth bags for daily groceries can show children the importance of biodegradable products. So, remember, the next time you are eating a bag of chips in a car, make sure to throw it in the right place. In conclusion, children will follow what they see. Nature has so much to give, so make your child acquainted with it. Â
We all know the famous proverb by Benjamin Franklin that says, ‘Honesty is the best policy.’ Honesty is a virtue that, when inculcated in our children, makes them better as humans. It is a path that leads to a fulfilling life and adds value to an individual’s character and personality. Values, and morals, when taught in childhood have an immense impact on a child’s mental and emotional development. They help mould their behaviours and stay ingrained in them for a lifetime. For this reason, parents and pre-school educators must teach about the value called ‘honesty’. Let us look at five ways one can teach honesty to a child.  Modelling: As a parent or caregiver, modelling the behaviours you want your child to learn creates a much bigger impression than simply teaching about it verbally. In this instance, never lie about anything. Be truthful to your child and soon they will understand and develop trust in you whilst learning to be truthful to themselves and others. Love unconditionally/ Acceptance: When your child does lie, do not yell or punish or be unpleasant towards them. Instead, show them compassion and speak to them about it. A hug or a kiss can make them feel accepted and loved despite their unacceptable actions. When your child feels connected to you, he/she feels more confident about being honest in all circumstances instead of lying. Lead by example: Let your child see your vulnerable state as well. If you feel angry or if you cry or even behave badly towards your child, apologize to them. Explain yourself. You do not have to be perfect. Being honest about your feelings and emotions will help them express themselves better and understand that we all have flaws. But being honest is what makes relationships stronger and well-connected. Forgiveness: When you forgive your child, he/she feels comforted and supported. This plays a crucial role in helping them be honest with themselves and the people around them. It teaches them to forgive others and respect individuals as nobody is perfect. When a child knows that they will be forgiven, they are more likely to be honest with you. Rewards: Honesty is not something that can be taught forcefully. But as a parent, you can reward your child every time they practice honesty in their everyday life. It encourages and motivates them to continue to be honest. Very soon, you will notice that honesty becomes a part of their character!
How would a young girl feel if she was cooking and her brother playing? How would a young boy feel if his sister was staying indoors and he had to go out and work? These scenarios aren’t unconventional. The question here is: why are some tasks divided as per gender? Gender bias is prominent in our society and has never been questioned. However, many have accepted gender bias and never interrogated its effects. It has been imbibed deeply in our culture. Certain errands are only for men, and others for women. Home is the first school for any child, and parents are the first teachers. How to prepare your child for gender bias? Being a role model If you are a father and not helping around at home, it sets the tone that, men are shouldn’t do house chores. Correspondingly, children believe what they see. One way of improving this is let kids be part of the work. For instance, boys can also be helping in the kitchen and girls can help out their father in machine-driven wok. This reduces stereotypical gender bias. Ask them to express their thoughts. Boys crying is a sign of weakness. Especially, there are many derogatory statements too, like “Don’t cry like a girl,” “Be strong” etc. Parents need to be conscious of this language. Suppressing emotions bursts a bubble over time. Leads to depression which could stay carried all their lives. Expression of their sorrows in not accepted for boys. This sorrow grows over them and affects their personal and professional relationships. Instead of this gender bias, asking kids to openly communicate their emotions builds a safe environment for them. You can ask them questions and share opinions that make the child feel comfortable and safe. Open discussions creates comforting environment. Reciprocating children makes them feel special. Undoubtedly, they grow to be exceptional individuals. Set the same rules and boundaries. Particularly normalize that girls play sports and boys cook. All households need positive discipline. When you don’t treat kids with the same rules, it agitates them. Fabricated minds lead to heaps of unfairness. This can cause behavioral issues. Teach children to be righteous and believe in gender equality. This way, they can maintain a healthy relationship with the opposite gender. Teach them gender equality. Bridging girls to leadership opportunities and asking normalizing fears for boys should be a commonality. Subsequently, in small villages, because of financial adversity and controlling parents, girls skip school so that their brothers can attend. Girls and boys should have same opportunities. Additionally, with the right exposure, kids can make informed decisions when the situation arises. Education imparts knowledge of exposure to a child, which encourages gender equality. Respect the differences. Toxic parenting is very dangerous. Gender bias starts at home, and it effects the society. For instance, boys frequently tease girls about the make-up they wear, while girls’ mock boys about how they dress. Phrases like “Don’t be such a girl” or “Be a man!” are racist. There is no definition of what it means to be a girl or what it means to be a man in society. When such hallucinatory bars are set in a society, respecting the differences goes haywire. In conclusion, questioning based on choices people make has to be highly discouraged. Similarly, respecting their differences should be a norm. If everyone was the same, then just like a sheep herd, there would be no growth in the mindset. Undeniably conscious parenting makes future generations accepting of the differences. Nevertheless, parenting is being able to be a friend first.
My best friend shared something about her toddler. She said, “He won’t sit and learn for school like we did.” He wants engagement, even in math and science. ” Do you also face this issue? If so have you tried including games in the learning process of your little one? Learning just through theory in school was acceptable once. Even though it was boringly monotonous, learning was a compulsion. Good grades are signs of resourcefulness. But now, kids don’t want that. Kids want to play, learn, and grow. Kids want fun learning as they have more exposure. It has to be pleasant, enjoyable, and also witty. Playing online games is their favorite activity. Children enjoy interactive games like talking pens, recording books, or even building blocks. Kids are immersive readers. Activity engagement in the game model of learning is immense. Children learn to implement the information, which is just like research. This develops their concepts. Improved analytical thinking makes them better problem solvers. A lot of research has been done on game-based learning. Fun is not far away with fast internet connectivity and low-cost devices. What kinds of games help in learning? Interactive games: Kids like devices like the smart pen. They can record and hear their own voices. This acts as a two-way communication. Children like to play online games and connect with other kids. These interactive games are also visually appealing. Giving bonus credits motivates the children. Feel and touch games: In a toy store, learning with blocks and Legos is common. This kind of learning is fun as they are building something from scratch. When they feel and touch a block, the child is happy because he/she is imagining the sensation of creating something. They can easily learn math from such games. Such games make them clear-thinkers. Role-playing games: Learning through role-playing makes the child receptive to the other kids’ needs as well. There is an intercommunication and a dependency that creates a sense of responsibility. Team-playing skills are a very important part of learning. Children learn accommodation, competitiveness, and understanding. Introducing such methods in preschools can be beneficial for the children. Both teachers and parents can include these games. Therefore, role playing games develops their emotional intelligence. Puzzles in games: Children are very intuitive and insightful. A simple block map, or even guessing the correct words, a treasure hunt excites them. In other words, puzzles help to build their logical ability and problem-solving skills. Teachers are expected to be creative as well. Children want fun while learning. They want to experience learning like how they enjoy playing. Giving live examples, using props while teaching, and learning through games is what is needed. This builds their communication skills, making them comfortable sharing their thoughts. Children also develop a competitive spirit from a young age. Even if they lose a game, they learn not to quit. This is a very crucial life lesson. Learning through games don’t need formal training. Children are quick learners, and they are usually fearless, unlike adults. In addition, games develop their language skills. Memory is improved, as they are more susceptible to learning something new. They develop stronger connections with their peers. They are able to speak their mind and also understand another child’s view. Many sensory experiences are also developed in children via interactive learning such as games. Above all, all this learning forms an emotional bond! Here is a post on some practicle ideas on Fun and interactive games for kids by Firstcry- do check them! Do share your experience on learning through games with your child. Also what games do you suggest?
In retrospection, COVID–19 has been one of the major challenges reoccurring in our lives. With some initial glitches the world is moving forward. Education, healthcare, jobs all are electronically connected now. Online learning has become a way of life due to Covid -19. Most schools, tutors, even expanded to extra-curricular subjects, through online learning methods. Online learning, even though it is convenient, has its pros and cons. Basically, change is new to many, but progress is impossible without change. Let us tune in and read about the troubles of online learning. Technology gap Not all parents are well versed in technology. Additionally , online teaching tools like connecting to advanced Zoom calls, can be a hassle for many parents. Parents have to sit with young children throughout the class. This can be a tedious task. A good internet connection is much needed for every class. For developing countries, which have minimal internet access and power outages, online classes can be a hassle. Managing the children: Offline class has a greater number of students and yet easy to track. But, in an online class, the difficulty of articulating your point is like deep waters. Children are distracted easily and hard to monitor. Students sometime chat, sometimes not at desk, playing games and many more. With all this managing children in an online class is not only about teaching, but also monitoring them. Time factor Online lessons are schedules yet, sticking to the plan can have its surprises. Managing the classroom is challenging. The urge to finish the class on time, creates more discrepancies. Sometimes it is the bad internet, or late joining which parents might not even be aware of. Even with strict rules, these mishaps tend to happen, and any precautions taken are only a temporary solution to this problem. Managing homework Most children dread homework. With online learning, homework has become a grindstone for parents as well. With rising demand, homework’s are more creative now. Common complaints you hear from most parents are: “As this is online class, we have to sit the with the children, but we have no time.” Many children skip homework do to this. For instance, in timed classes, homework can’t be a part of classwork. This makes them ignore homework altogether. Feedback for children Feedback is not personal anymore as it is online classes. Hardly students check their suggestions or feedback given to them. In offline classes, it is personalized and scope of improvement. After that teachers discuss with the parents as well. Feedback is very important as it gives a check on the learning abilities of the child. With online learning, the feedback is generic. Demotivation Above all students are yet to adjust to long online sessions. Keeping kids pinned and also able to put forth the importance of learning is irksome. It is like information dump on the child. Looking at the screen all day demotivates the children. However, most students do not even switch on their videos, or might not even sit in front of their screens. Due to the time factor and lack of true presence personal attention goes down. In conclusion the cons of online learning, even though it is a safe method, developing this system takes time. With more accurate measures and fewer students per class, there is a possibility of success. Therefore, adapting to the best possible solution and making the best out of it gives a future to online learning.
There was a time when education was not a competition. It was a commodity of privilege to attend school. Education increases self-esteem and helps them appreciate the good things in life. It is a revolution. Now it is a generality. There is primary schooling, middle school, high school, and graduation. These are the basics. Also types of parents matter. There are good, controlling, single or even uninvolved parents. However they are, education has the final monetary benefit in a child’s life. Lets see the main educational needs of today : Education takes a straightforward approach. Empowered education happens when parents and teachers are involved in the child’s needs. Making them problem solvers and improving their life skills is the goal. New concepts have to be easily adaptable. In addition, it is more fun and less bookish now. Both personal and professional development are Work spaces need thoughtful leaders. An aware individual makes right choices. This creates a healthy work space.. Education today enhances personal and profession growth. Improving their emotional and interpersonal relationships A troubled child will find education difficult. They isolate themselves in their own heads. With support of knowledge, emotional outbursts can be avoided. They can make better choices for themselves. What they need is the ability to communicate openly. As a result being problem solvers. Keeping them engaged So many modes of education are available now. Some are unschooled, online home school programs, online teaching, etc. They are interactive and fun. Quoting Albert Einstein , “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Grades are not a way to criticize a child’s knowledge. In today’s environment, providing options to choose helps them. This develops their leadership skills. Languages, the arts, visual learning, and communication skills are all important. Therefore, these are essential qualities for survival. Involvement of the teacher. Teachers today have to make lessons fun. Basically there is an information overload. In addition, teachers are like second parents. For instance, a home-like atmosphere makes children comfortable and cheerful. They can loosen themselves and open up their creativity. They are quick learners, so fun learning engages them. Thereafter their presentation and body language heightens. Hence this improves there emotional dependency. Making use of media and technology With online education, children should be given the scope to make happy choices. Technology and interactive learning methods are the best bets for this. Above all, play and learn is an optimum approach. Today’s education has options like talking pens, smart books, playing with blocks, abacuses, etc. Using these can make them effective interpreters. Education should teach to be a better human being rather than a richer human. Children lead the future generations. With technology, parents and teachers can provide children with a pioneering education. In other words, giving the right guidance will lead to a flourishing future for a child.