Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Education and Research

Integral Workshops for Teachers of SAS School, Patiala

Past Events
Date: Jul 12–14, 2015
Place: Sri Aurobindo International School (SAIS) & Auro–Mirra Centre of Education, Patiala

Monica Kochar, an educationist and trainer of India Council for Integral Education (an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, based on the teachings of the Mother), recently conducted three workshops for the teachers of Sri Aurobindo International School & Auro–Mirra Centre of Education, Patiala, from July 12 to 14, 2015. Ms Kochar has spent many years in schools as a Math teacher, and has given numbers a heart and abstract concepts strong practical legs to stand upon. She holds workshops, conducts training sessions and writes books for both teachers and students to offer a holistic, integral approach to learning in general, and math in particular, so that the education becomes a way to deeper and wider growth, where fears are removed and fun in classes becomes official.

The Sri Aurobindo International School Maths teachers went through a rigorous session on ‘Integrated lesson planning’. They were given the thinking tool as a series:

1. What am I teaching?
2. How am I teaching?
3. How do I know it is learnt?
4. What am I connecting Maths with – other subjects, real life
5. What is the value focus?

Teachers worked on several lesson plans in their groups – primary, middle and senior. They were very enthusiastic and full of questions in order to develop lesson plans that were integrated and yet relevant to the classes.

At Auro–Mirra Centre of Education, 2 workshops were conducted:

First was with the whole staff on “Growth mindset versus Fixed mindset”, an idea brought out and practically implemented by Carol Dweck. The teachers were exposed to the idea and implementation using videos, discussions, role plays and a video-talk by Ms Dweck. The school has been already working on the idea and the workshop was to reinforce and give it another look.

The Maths teachers of primary and middle school went through a short session on “Using Jodogyan material” in the classroom. They worked not only on the material but also fine tuning it to their classroom. The focus was on using the material intelligently and not mechanically.