The age of five plus is that age where child is open for new things to explore and to learn; whether it’s language or basic concepts of math or taking part in role play. Taking advantage of this learning opportunity we took the initiative to start mind math in Senior. Although we are using conventional methods for addition and subtraction which includes signs and conventional statements, we found that children are able to perform well in mind math too.
Mental math does not only help in solving sums, it also gives a chance to children to understand pattern. They focus on listening to instructions as in mind math there are no conventional signs for subtraction and addition. Their attention span increases and new words are incorporated in their vocabulary. Children use their imagination to solve sums and problems as it gives them the opportunity to challenge themselves. They enjoy mind math activities and that helps them build strong concepts and gain confidence. Once they understand the pattern and are able to comprehend new vocabulary, there is no turning back.
This is right age for children to start new concepts and broaden their learning horizon. As teachers our job is to create more opportunities for mind math in class for our young minds which makes our job simultaneously more interesting and more challenging.
It begins with the first scribble that the child identifies as ‘me’. Gradually, as a child’s concepts grow with exposure, his vocabulary expands, and his observation becomes sharper, ‘me’ develops from a scribble to a figure with recognisable features and painstaking detail: ‘me’ might now be wearing a frilly pink frock which ‘papa brought from Dubai’ or have a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses perched on her nose or may be playing cricket with his brothers.
As the child learns to read and begins to write, ‘me’ is represented with ‘I like to wear my pink dress’, or ‘I like to play cricket with my bhai’ using invented spelling.
The more passionate writers also develop the ability to write stories with characters, problems and solutions and create suspense too!
The world of reading and writing beckons them. And it all begins with a scribble that the child identifies as ‘me’.
The girls of Class 6 of Badri High School were nearly jumping with excitement as they caught sight of the Mughal revival style palace by the sea. The façade of the local yellow Gizri and pink stone from Jodhpur brought to life the Anglo Mughal palaces of the Rajput of yore.
“Every girl dreams of palaces,” one of them retorted in glee.
The girls of class 6 visited the Mohatta Palace Museum on Friday 15th March 2019 and the boys did so on Tuesday19th March as part of their Social Studies chapter of ‘Visiting Public Places’. The field trip helped them learn about the historic world heritage site of Makli through the ‘Symphonies in Stone’ exhibit on display there.
Makli, one of six World Heritage Sites in Pakistan, is located in Thatta. Formerly a small settlement on the river Indus, it became the seat of government from the 14th to the 18th centuries for successive dynasties.
The students were enthralled by the stunning images of Makli including aerial views of the necropolis captured by photographers like Abdul Hamid Akhund and Aziz Soomro as well as the intricate delicate carvings and decoration Makli is known for across the world.
They were explained by the guide at the museum about the history of Makli and its tombstones and graves elaborately carved with geometric patterns and interlacing Arabic inscriptions. Many sculptural representations are also visible, horsemen with swords and spears, bows, arrows and daggers, foot soldiers, representation of turbans, materials of war and weapons are also distinct symbols indicating the graves of men. Ornaments or jewellery in high relief depict the graves of women.
The students sketched views of the breathtaking façade of the palace and enjoyed a light snack on the green turf. Many wrote reviews of their experience as well. Such visits to historic places are memorable escapades proving to be windows to the past and opening horizons for learning for their future as well.
The stage was set on Friday, 15th March in the BHS Astroturf ground for the little Playgroup students. The tiny glittering stars on a pitch black backdrop behind the stage looked inviting. Children were going to present a mini stage-show for their parents. They had been preparing for more than a month and they were excited in anticipation of the performance. Their teachers were just as excited as this was the first time the Playgroup students were going to perform on stage in a show which was wholly presented by them.
Two children began with tilawat and then Khadija ben led the gathering to Recite Marsiyah of Imam Hussain A.S.
Playgroup A children then came on stage resplendent in their pink and black dresses with pink star headbands and golden pom-poms. They performed to the action song ‘Wiggle your fingers, blink your eyes……shake your hands, shake, shake, shake”. Very soon they had their parents wiggling, blinking and shaking with them!
Playgroup B came on stage to perform on the all-time favourite song ‘If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands’. They displayed their joy by clapping their hands, stamping their feet, slapping their thighs and finally waving their hands to say goodbye. They were a treat to watch in their bright red and white dresses, happy-face headbands and shiny red and silver pom-poms.
The best was for the last: the immensely popular ‘Baby Shark’! Both classes came up on stage while their parents crowded around them, mobile phones in hand, taking pictures and shooting videos of their little darlings.
It was by no means a small feat to get almost 60 little ones between 2-3 years old on stage performing in front of an audience. In some cases, it took a lot of coaxing and cajoling to get the children to even wear any kind of costume, headgear or pom-poms. Kudos to the Playgroup teachers!
This year in February 2019, Badri High School has created history. It has become the first Pakistani school as well as the first Dawoodi Bohra institution to have two speakers chosen to speak at GESS DUBAI 2019 held at the World Trade Centre, Dubai.
The GESS Education Fair is a platform where academicians, researchers and educational stakeholders from the Middle East, Asia and European regions come together to share expertise, hold discussions as well as showcase products which may enrich the learning experience.
Professors, PhD’s, experts and academicians share their researches and experiences with other teachers and educationists. It’s fascinating to see qualified teachers become learners and share their academic expertise. Some enclosures where the talks are held are so packed that attendees have to sit on the ground or even stand to hear the discourse.
Ms. Tasneem Sh. Hashim Marsiawala, Head of the Preprimary Section at Badri High School, and Ms. Rashida Adnan, Head of stem education at BHS became the first Pakistanis and Dawoodi Bohras to be speakers at GESS DUBAI 2019.
On 27th and 28th February 2019, Ms. Tasneem spoke on ‘The How and Why of Getting them on Stage’ in the Furture Learning enclosure, while Ms. Rashida spoke in the exclusive Leadership Stream enclosure on ‘Teachers as Leaders’.
The event was heavily attended by educationists from over the globe as well as community members including Qasre Aali Sahebs, MSB delegations from all over the world as well as Taleem office and Idara officials.
Ms. Rashida Adnan reveals about her experience, “It was an overwhelming experience! As a teacher I always wished to represent my country and community at such a stage where so many educationists shared their teaching and learning to make the world better for the next generation and cater to their needs. I felt I was in the sky when someone came forward and asked if we were a school based in Dubai and when I told her that we were from Karachi she was shocked. This is a reaction I will remember for life.”
Ms. Tasneem Hashim shares, “From visitor to speaker at GESS Dubai, it was an exhilarating journey of learning & discovering, growth & progress. That moment for me manifest in itself all that Badri High School stands for and believes in: to uplift & upgrade, to inspire & motivate, and to encourage & support each and every being associated with it. Proud to be a part of this esteemed institution.”
Looking back, a small delegation of BHS visited GESS DUBAI two years ago where they were awestruck by the advancement educational technology has made. Here they discovered ROBOTICS and they came back and did the impossible. They made a highly expensive robotics program of STEM education through LEGO accessible to the students of Badri High School. Today we are at a point where BHS is winning Interschool robotics contests.
Last year in February 2018 our delegation became bigger and they discovered Arduino which was again incorporated in the Secondary curriculum. It was heartening to watch young teens enjoy the open source platform of Arduino programming.
May each year ahead be yet another feather in the BHS cap!
