The Importance of Confidence Building in Schools – RAVI VALLURI

The Importance of Confidence Building in Schools – RAVI VALLURI It is often said that schools are the best place for children to know and grow. But its very important to understand the environment of the school so that the upbringing of children would be done in a healthy matter. From a survey conducted by The Times Bharat team we have found out that a lot of under confidence issues in writing stem out from schools. Let us talk about this issue in Times Bharat in Collaboration with a branding agency Koala Kraft. We welcome Author Ravi Valluri for an interview. Q1) Namaste Ravi Valluri ! We are so glad to have your opinion on this important topic “Confidence Building in Schools.” Tell us a bit about your schooling and did you start writing since childhood? Ans : I was educated in Delhi and my alma mater was St Xavier’s School. My admission to this school is nothing short of a story of faith and miracles which I attribute to the immense confidence in my mother. She fought against all odds and saw to it that I was admitted to this prestigious school in Class 7 which I have penned in my autobiographical book “ A Story of Faith and Miracles” available on Amazon. Initially there were several hiccups in school as numbers and science subjects gave me nightmares which I barely managed to pass and soon become a laughing stock in my neighbourhood and school. A tyro from St Michael’s School stepping into the hallowed portals of St Xavier’s School. I was certainly at my wits end scared to show the term scores and half yearly and final mark sheets to my father fearing a hiding. However, my mother was a pillar of strength who saw to it that I received tuitions in mathematics and soon in 8th standard my marks skyrocketed from 8/80 to 78/80. Jaws of our neighbours fell as I scored more than them in the 10th standard board examination. In fact, I was coming out of a severe recurring problem related to the stomach called malabsorption (where the food consumed just could not be ingested and I had nagging pain in my abdomen) which flared up whenever I was tensed after an average performance in the examination and fearing a severe tongue lashing at home. But fortuitously by Divine grace and the prayers of my mother by standard 11th I was catapulted to become a ‘Prefect’ in the school (that is a couple of rungs above a class monitor) and also began participating in school plays, debating, writing for school magazine and sports. I was to win accolades as the best new face award in a Hindi one act play, also represented my school in the famous play “ Andher Nagri Chaupat Raja” written by Bharatendu Harishchandra which stood second in inter school play competition. But the high noon of my school days was when I was selected to participate in a musical production called Kidstuff sponsored by Max Mueller Bhavan created by Barry John and Param Vir which we performed at Kamani Auditorium Delhi, Sophia College Mumbai, Doordarshan and I understand was later staged at Gaiety Theatre, Shimla. We were to also perform at Broadway but narrowly missed the bus. But life is not all hunky dory. It is full of vicissitudes and ups and downs. My childhood was not exactly troubled, but had health problems related to the stomach, also was a witness to spats between my parents , my mother used to suffer from a peculiar heart condition called PAT which was identified much later in life. Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia is a type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat. Paroxysmal means that the episode of arrhythmia begins and ends abruptly. Atrial means that arrhythmia starts in the upper chambers of the heart (atria). Tachycardia means that the heart is beating abnormally fast. Paroxysmal atrial tachycardia (PAT) is also known as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT). Those were frightful moments in our lives apart from snide remarks of some classmates and our neighbours. I could never learn swimming as the swimming teacher for reasons best known to him took a dislike towards me. I personally feel we all should be proficient in swimming (which helps in swimming against the tide), driving and being proficient in IT. Unfortunately, I am in none. There was another Chutzpah moment in school as I topped 12th standard examination in Commerce to obtain admission in Hindu College Delhi University in BCOM(Hons). Our English teacher in 11th standard found me to be proficient in English and advised my father that I should read biographies and autobiographies, read plays, develop a robust vocabulary and write, apart from continuing with debating. This perhaps gave me the initial stimulus to write. St Xavier’s School paid attention to both academics, extracurricular activities, and sports. In my opinion the true development of one’s personality takes place when one gets exposure to all facets of life. St Xavier’s School was not a co educational school and we used to have interaction with the opposite sex only classes 11th and 12th . This was an event all Xavierian’s used to look forward to. “ In several ways schooling at Xavier’s was more than a brick in the Wall.” Q2) Do you feel that there is favouritism in schools. Have you faced any such issues or do you know someone who has come across an issue like that? Ans : In an ecosystem wherever ‘ it is pursuit of academic results/ performance and not in pursuit of knowledge ‘ there is bound to be favouritism or partiality. Academic institutions, course content and teachers are all sucked into such a cesspool with the poor children/ students becoming hapless victims. As marks obtained in schools is a deciding factor for further education. Perhaps that could be a reason that students seeking admission in Delhi University admissions to undergraduate and post graduate programs is done solely through the CUET exam and through Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS). Thus, students must register on the Delhi University CSAS portal. After qualifying for the exam, they need to fill in preferences for programs and colleges. But of late I read that students have lost faith on account of paper leakage and other corruption charges. But I cannot talk about this in a definitive manner. Admissions to various higher educational institutions, defence forces, chartered accountancy among others are now through competitive examinations. So, are Class 12 examinations a preparatory examination? And more than schools, several coaching centres have mushroomed to ‘provide best possible’ score / result. The entire pattern has become highly market driven to identify the one who scores the maximum, he/ she need not be the brightest of them all. In many ways I feel there is excessive dependency on rote/mugging and ability to recall with element of creativity and surprise being sacrificed. In the bargain. And in such an environment academic institution, teachers and the curriculum would favour those students who have higher ability to score marks, retention power and prowess of rote in order to ensure their institution survives. Certainly, we need students who can recall, remember, reproduce for certain skillsets but in my opinion a true visionary is one who is creative, a wager, thinks out of box and is a problem solver. But in the given rat race and dead heat, we are in search for instant results and thus that leads to favouritism and partiality. It is like people getting selected to the Indian cricket team on the basis of their performance in IPL and not the grinding of Ranji and Duleep Trophy matches. Performers get appreciated and a large mass of students feel demotivated in such circumstances, who feel victimised. There were several of my friends at school who were exceptionally bright but just could not secure adequate marks and felt demotivated when compared with the ones who were scoring highly. Incidentally those who felt slighted were proficient in public speaking, adept in music, writing, theatre, and very good sportsmen and in life succeeded in their areas of interest. Let us revisit the epic Mahabharata. We’re not Eklavya and Karna victims of some kind of partiality shown by Guru Dronacharya towards Pandavas in particular Arjuna? So much so Eklavya had to sacrifice his thumb and Karna was to feign to be a Brahmin to learn the craft of archery under Guru Parusharama and was cursed to utter a lie. This is something to ponder about. But the epic also reflects on the robustness of our culture and the intellectual honesty on part of the writer to pen such a sensitive subject. Essentially the academic system and evaluation procedure should be fair and just devoid of favouritism and harness creative minds and talent and not merely rote. Let academicians watch 3 Idiotsor the drama Educating Rita and listen listen to Pink Floyd’s iconic lines from ‘Brick in the Wall’ to judge for themselves what does one mean by creative challenge and igniting our thought process.  Eva Harshman We don't need no education We dont need no thought control No dark sarcasm in the classroom Teachers leave them kids alone Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone! All in all it's just another brick in the wall. All in all you're just another brick in the wall. We don't need no education We dont need no thought control No dark sarcasm in the classroom Teachers leave them kids alone Hey! Teachers! Leave us kids alone! All in all it's just another brick in the wall. All in all you're just another brick in the wall.favoritism  giving all students what they need  helping students when needed  school Q3) What should be a teacher’s role according to you; to imbibe confidence in kids? Ans Let us once again revisit the amazing lyrics of the talismanic Pink Floyd’s band. “ When we grew up and went to school There were certain teachers who would Hurt the children any way they could By pouring their derision Upon anything we did And exposing every weakness However carefully hidden by the kids But out in the middle of nowhere When they got home at night, their fat and Psycopathic wives would thrash them Within inches of their lives.” Now a non performing student or one who is aspiring to be an astounding achiever in this Macaulian system of 3R’s and examination pattern may suddenly feel insecure as his/her performance is below par. This is when we say: “say an Ashish ‘s or Anshu’s self-esteem has hit rock bottom”. We tend to blame the student. The child could have been born with either high or low self-esteem. Then they have no other choice but to accept the DNA. Or on account of environmental factors / the RNA. It could be on account of adverse family conditions, an alcoholic father, a broken house, sexual abuse of the child, constant comparisons with say well performing cousins. It is a so many factors about which only the child / student is privy too and no one else. And this where a sensible, sensitive and a skilful teacher’s role comes into play. -Building Self -Esteem This couldn’t be further from the truth. Self-esteem is a construct shaped throughout our students’ childhood and adolescence. It is strongly related to how we as parents and teachers correctly attribute their actions. Establishing realistic expectations for how it is attained is also key. If we tell Asish a student that, is he is clumsy every time he knocks something on the floor, it’s going to be very difficult for his self-esteem to be positive and healthy. The converse is also true. If Ashu a classmate of Asish is praised for everything she does and any errors are blamed on others, she might develop self-esteem that is both false and negative which can have a dangerous impact on other students in particular Ashish. - Fostering self-esteem Place objectives in the zone of proximal development the eminent Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky said that children’s attachment figures must set them goals and tasks that they can attain through effort and sacrifice. He called this type of objective the Zone of Proximal Development. Healthy self-esteem is not achieved by setting goals the child has already achieved, or by encouraging them to meet unattainable goals. Messi, Michael Phelps, Virat Kohli or say Ussain Bolt are inspiring personalities but not all can become them. Teachers should inspire and develop self-esteem but not make unrealistic comparisons. Children consider their parents and teachers to be singular people who can provide either calm their frayed nerves or do just the exact opposite. We should encourage students to be increasingly more independent and trust worthy. Remember: before they trust themselves. This should be vetted by the teachers or the Principal of the school. This is fostering trust and self-esteem in them. -Mistakes are part of learning Humans and children in particular are different from machines in countless ways, and are bound to make mistakes. Teachers should realise that if a student is making a mistake, he or she is attempting something and not whiling away their time. They should be encouraged and not punished for a fault. I recall during my 10th standard chemistry practical test; I mixed up wrong compounds and solutions which led to a mini explosion and the entire lab could have caught fire. My eyes were burning with the fumes, students were coughing, my books got scorched, but the teacher handled the situation with elan and composure. She extinguished the mini fire, led us out of the room patiently and took me to our school medical clinic. After I was declared fit, she left with a parting advise,’ Ravi be careful next time.’ My respect for her grew enormously unlike the swimming teacher who chastised me that I was good for nothing and just not fit enough to learn swimming. And till date I have not been able to learn swimming which is one of my big regrets in life. Empowerment Empowerment of our students is mandatory. Believing in them, in their possibilities and telling them what they cannot do or what is dangerous is paramount. Encouraging them, believing in their potential and helping them when they make mistakes is essential. It should be appreciated by teachers, academics and educational institutions that fostering self -esteem is a very important factor for children to operate in a healthy way. Teacher’s can be game changers and agents of change by fostering this habit among students. Q4) As we know children spend most of the time in school around 8-9 hours of the day, do you think that parents and teachers should work effectively to eradicate the problem of under confidence and lack of self-esteem in children? Ans Parents and teachers in tandem should harness the potential of a student by working on their self- confidence and power of resilience. Resilience is the capacity to adapt well when faced with adversity or stress. This innate characteristic helps students to stave off the potential adverse psychological effects of challenging experiences. Resilience goes beyond persistence despite the difficulties encountered.   • Emotional regulation (ability to remain calm and express feelings to improve the situation) • impulse control (making a conscious choice to act on a desire to act and the ability to delay gratification and perseverance) • Causal analysis (problem analysis and accurate causation) • Empathy (understanding of someone else's feelings and needs) • Realistic optimism (remain positive without negating reality) Developing self- confidence among students I am eternally grateful to my English teacher of Class 11th who in a parent teacher advised my father that I ought to read biographies, autobiographies, develop my vocabulary and watch good theatre which has paid dividends. A teacher should map the mind of a student and conduct a SWOT analysis of the child and guide the student to pursue the right combination of subjects. For instance, my wife wanted to pursue Geology, but was compelled to study Chemistry by her parents in college. I was selected for the Indian Police Service but was swayed by my father and some cousins not to opt for that particular job. This creates resentment and heart burn among children/ students / tyro professionals. Some how our pedagogy is always in pursuit of perfection and not excellence. This is not advisable for building self-esteem, realistic ground reality and self- confidence. We are merely in the rat race following the rote system not acquiring knowledge but regurgitating information which hardly helps in leading our lives. Teaching methodology should be to allow students to commit mistakes and the learn in life. Or else they become entitled and self-opinionated marionettes who lose out in the battle of life. “Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems,” writes Sun Tzu the great Chinese tactician in Art of War. If we do not bolster self- confidence among students, they will end up being losers in life. Teachers should appreciate that self-confidence is an attitude in harnessing skillsets of children/ students and building capacities. It means one accepts and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life to develop self- confidence among students. Apart from focusing on self-confidence , developing self-esteem and fostering resilience a qualified teacher should create safe and supportive learning environment, celebrate student's progress ,have them set a goal and reflect upon Them, Build a Sense of Belonging in the School Community, empowering students with responsibilities, embrace unstructured time and free play, motivate and praise Students, develop communication skill sets , make students write and discuss about, empathies with their personal problems with a human touch , educate them about being healthy and maintaining cleanliness. Girl students should be educated about topics such as menstrual cycle and for heaven’s sake Sex is not a dirty word. It is better that teacher’s talk about procreation and sexuality and related issues rather than students watching pornographic material on You Tube. Teachers should treat students as their friends. But how many even attempts to do. I would recommend psychological counselling from class 8 once a child attains puberty as it would go a long way to understand basic concepts of life. This will develop immense camaraderie among students and teachers. But if we are always in pursuit of ‘marks’ Arjuna the fabled archer would not be able to pierce the eye of the rotating fish and lose out on Draupadi Swayamvar. Arjuna is the student, Draupadi is the prize and the contest is the educational system. Q5) As a writer, what does supportive background mean to you ? Ans : We should not miss the wood for the trees. As I have already mentioned the focus should be to develop the personality of the child. However, I may be against the typical ‘rote’ system or the Macaulayan model we cannot brush it aside. Yes they are schools run by say Art of Living Foundation, Jiddu Krishnamurthy Foundation, Aurobindo Ashram and Chinmaya Mission , Satya Sai Institutes which pay focus on the over all development of a child’s personality. It is a known fact that not all students can become toppers to don the yellow metal for which they are literally coerced by parents and teachers. Some will stand second and several will fall behind or become laggards. Do all Chandrayan Mission’s make a soft landing? Why cannot parents, teachers , students , academic institutions and financers understand this simple principle in life. The support system includes a conducive atmosphere at home in school where students can study at peace and not be disturbed with several chores to perform. It is the moral duty of the parents to keep away gizmos from the reach of the students when they are preparing for examinations or studying. Children should have a nutritious diet and spend time in sporting activities, yoga, pranayama, meditation to bolster their physical and mental strength to release positive endorphins and become performers and achievers and not merely memorize lectures and bookworms. Never make comparisons with other students for who knows what lies in the womb of future. Students should be blessed with good physical and mental health. That is why I have advocated the presence of a trained and qualified psychologist who can hear out various issues and problems of children / students. Many a times students are unable to express their demonic thoughts and fears and health problems to parents, teachers and others. A psychologist can provide necessary sounding box. Next if the student’s parents are not well educated it is paramount on teachers to play a significant role in carrying them along in the team and addressing their fears and complexes. The socio -economic condition, sexuality of the child are extremely important factors which are all papered away by the factory of educational system. It is here that teacher’s ought to listen to the ‘inner voice’ of the students and assuage their fears and make them part of the class in a highly demanding atmosphere. This constant comparison in families with neighbor’s children, cousins and fellow students shatters the self-confidence of the students. As a positive support system teacher’s need to provide positive strokes to students so that they can blossom and flower. Only a teacher and a mother can spot the positive quality or the X factor in the child. Why mother? As she carries the child for nine months in her womb and has a special bonding with the child despite the snapping of the umbilical cord. In my opinion – there ought to be a mother-student-teacher triad frequently to address issues of all students whether performing well or not. Teacher’s can easily appreciate as to in which field a student is interested and capable. Thus, there is no point in making a student study science when he or she is interested in commerce or vice versa. Wrong choice wrecks the life of the child. Not all students are A++. Therefore, teachers should counsel the parents and students to do their best and also harness the potential of a child in extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Not all students can become a Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, perhaps there is a Tendulkar or an Amitabh lurking in him. And today there are so many opportunities that everyone need not become a doctor, engineer, IAS officer, Chartered accountant. The field is open, it is for the parents and teachers to guide students to discover their talent. Q6) We really thankyou for expressing your views on this topic as it would help thousands of people to know about this problem. As a writer what is your thought on this topic ? Can you express it in a form of a small quote or sentence ? Ans : As an author and a Faculty I fully empathise with this topic and feel that it is something extremely relevant for the health and wealth of all the stake holders. And all stakeholders should sit down and thrash out the issues. Let us not forget the concern of our Hon’bl President of India expressed recently about higher number of suicides and drop outs by Dalit students from IITs. This goes to say positive affirmation is still to reach the bottom most rung of our society. A quote for all stakeholders “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” —Chinese proverb The pedagogy should make us think no