Well here I am..............after a gap.
Have been reading a lot of books and making a list of things to do in the summer break. I am sure you all must be doing the same. Summer starts with a determination to accomplish a lot of things and plans,goals to achieve.
This year my list contains
Books to read
Places to visit
Yoga sessions and walks to start again after a hiatus
New dishes to cook, at least 2 new ones not done earlier ever.
wardrobe or shopping to do
Blah,blah,blah.
Intend to compare my list again at the end of summer.

Waiting for the last working day before we close, when school will suddenly feel like a silent tomb, no chattering students,no footsteps running down the corridor,no giggles on the hallways and no nothing basically.
How happily students say these two words on the last day before term break" happy holidays,ma'am". But I know I am going to miss them all and by mid-break wish for the chattering throngs once again.

Will write something interesting about how and if summer break helps students academically tomorrow; been thinking and reading about it

The act of seeing  your children fly away from home and you facing a lonely home is probably very painful.I think its more so for a single parent.Its called 'empty nest syndrome'. Some of you won't agree probably while some would say, let go, how long do you want your child attached to your apron strings?

The child wants to spread his wings while you really donot want to let go fearing so many obstacles on his behalf, his ability to deal with them,his lack of experience,etc, all the time actually knowing full well that its you who is afraid of the emptiness ahead.........

In this regard I think westerners are way ahead, children automatically move out of the family homes and this transition is taken so matter-of -factly. Even parents start a new phase of life thereafter; some entering new relationships,some starting a new way of life and so on. Too much attachment  leads to too much despair. The Gita says' keep away from Moh-Maya(desire and attachment). Not an easy job!

What happens when we do not plan?  Well, we fail.
That's the standard reply to my question.
what happens when we plan to fail? Can we call it success?Or is it also called failure? Can it be called "collective failure" then?

These and many more questions are preying on my mind. Reason being that I am about to embark on a project that seems to be just ideally planned for failure.Then I will gleefully say ......mujhe to pata tha ji or I told you so! How I detest these Know-Alls.

Collective failure is what is ailing us everywhere; we are all busy to reach that end directly or indirectly. And it is happening in every sphere of life, be it sports,education,politics,health...you name it and you see it aplenty. Sad part is, we never realize it till its too late.

Came across something very interesting today morning........how "stuffocated" can get you ill.Well stuffocated actually means stuff you keep on hoarding over years. It maybe something innocuous like greeting cards,an old dress,old gadgets to something of value to us emotionally or value wise.

It seems we all are hoarders whether man or woman and all this can clutter our house AND minds. This leads to stress and spills over as anger issues. I know how stressing it can be to reach home to find clothes strewn around,shoes scattered,half eaten plates of food piled up and to top it all sink full of dirty dishes! Being a working woman you are expected to balance both home and job but frankly all this can be too much. Single parents can only fall back on themselves and what is the result? You either spill your guts on your kids or take a deep breath and start attacking the heap, dishes and all.

Guess I am no different

                                 RELEVANCE OF ART EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

                                                                                                      

                                                                                           

  The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power is defined as art.

Art education comprises of both the visual arts as well as the performing arts. For the common man, it’s interpreted as gaana, bajaana, drawing, etc and something which can be pursued in addition to academics.

From time immemorial art has been regarded as a separate discipline but unfortunately not given its due. Careers arising out of pursuit of art are inclined to be considered a non-profiting and non-career making option for students. In a society where everyone is thinking of making his/her child an “engineer” or a “doctor” art as a career is almost sacrilege.

 With the advent of CCE in schools ‘Art’ has been  given its place in the co-scholastic domain to be taught and evaluated as part of the child’s holistic development.  CBSE contributed by developing the content and performance standards vis-a-vis western and eastern benchmarks.

Schools are now more focused towards developing the child’s latent talent in several forms of visual art, be it art brut, ceramics, paintings in different media, drawings, photography, sculpture, print media, etc. Performing arts, i.e, music (vocal & instrumental),dance forms, etc have also gained ascendancy and its rightful position in the curriculum.

It’s time for parents to educate themselves and let their wards explore different career options involving these art forms. But the leading question is- Are we ready for it????? Can we, as parents, accept it and allow and support our children to pursue careers which are not run-of-the-mill?

I think we can. All it needs is an open mind and orientation to understand the nuances.

Right from jewellery  designing, furniture designing, aerodynamics, landscaping, metalwork, architecture, Installation art to ceramics, graphic art, woodcuts, video art, computer art, print ,fashion technology, sound engineering, musicology, professional instrumentalists, dancer, performers, etc there are many options and avenues.

We must remember that Art is a panacea to many ills; it inspires, it soothes, it energizes, it consoles…………..Who can forget the lovely strains of music Lata Mangeshkar sang on Pt.Nehru’s request to inspire our soldiers after the 1962 war? The happiness we feel on reading a good book or watching a good movie is inexplicable. Don’t we feel good to see the breathtaking beauty of a Raja Ravi Verma painting or the art brut of Nek Chand’s Rock Garden?

It has been proved beyond scientific doubt that art exposure gives knowledge not only about art but also about related fields. It increases our measure of tolerance, adds historical empathy and creates diversity of ideas. It challenges our existing thoughts by challenging their existing perspectives. Besides all these it increases our cognitive ability, reading skill, critical thinking and verbal skill.

 When I think about the purposes of education, there are three. First we are preparing kids for jobs. We are preparing them to be citizens. And we are teaching them to be human beings who can enjoy deeper forms of beauty. The third is as important as the other two.