3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV

Issue #209, 9th July 2024

Opportunity or Problem? How can a student prepare their mind to spot opportunities? Prepare your students/child to think and ask – Let them hone their skills to find opportunities in problems even as they grow into adults. Have them ask – Which problems do I or my fellow students face regularly? Are there gaps in services or resources on campus? What emerging trends or technologies could impact education? How can I apply my unique skills or knowledge to solve a problem? Are there internship or research opportunities in my field of interest? What networking events or conferences are relevant to my goals? Can I start a club or organization to address an unmet need? Are there competitions or challenges related to my studies? What local businesses or organizations might benefit from student input? How can I leverage my academic projects for real-world application?

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Three images of the week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“The opportunity to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. ” Sun Tzu

“Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” Seneca

One Video of the Week

“Never Miss an Opportunity” Shishu Mandir students in conversation with Nivedita.

Their motto is “Never Miss an Opportunity”. They fall only to get up, motivate each other, and challenge each other to do their best. A team of 10 students from grades 8 to 12 who are about to travel to the United States of America to participate in Unicon21, the International Unicycling Championship. This is an inspiring and impactful story of the students from Shishu Mandir https://www.shishumandir.org/, an institution set up for severely socially and economically underserved children. If you like listening to such amazing stories, please like and subscribe to this channel. Please share with me https://niveditamukerjee.com/contact/ about such inspiring people and I will try to invite them on this channel.

Reading with Ms. Meenu: Tip of the week

Leaning Heavily on Silent Reading: 

We as literacy experts want our students to become voracious readers who select books to read for pleasure. We might allow considerable time in our classrooms for them to read. However, it would be shortsighted to expect students’ oral reading fluency to improve by reading independently and silently. It’s been proven, children who struggle when reading texts aloud do not become good readers if left to read silently ; their dysfluency merely becomes inaudible. Silent reading does not provide the practice students need to develop oral reading fluency. Proficient readers tend to love independent reading time because they have established the necessary foundational skills to read well.

As such, silent reading can play an important role in improving and strengthening reading. So now what about less proficient readers? Silent reading time can be a waste of time for them. They might stare into space, pretend to read for the benefit of their peers or take part in some undesirable classroom behaviors. They might be embarrassed to be seen reading the texts that they can be successful with and instead choose a text to impress their peers. So, to improve their reading skills, give options to either read quietly or listen to audiobooks. Listening to audiobooks enables everyone to experience complex texts that build vocabulary background knowledge.

Happy Reading!

Meenu Gera

Consulting home and school librarian and reading guide.

Student career counseling: Opportunities and approaches

Exploring Career Options: Career Counseling & Mentoring, batch of 2028

Student X began with a career assessment and career counseling to decide between humanities and sciences in grade 10. His competencies and interests indicated that he should stay with sciences. He also decided to join integrated coaching to prepare for the JEE entrance exam. Regular career mentoring sessions helped him stay on track, overcome mental barriers and burnout, enabling him to achieve his short-term goals.

While preparing for his board exams and the JEE, he also engaged in college applications, aiming for institutions abroad as well as Ashoka University in India. He received offers from IE University in Spain, Penn State University, Loyola University Chicago, and several others. He scored 93% in his grade 12 board exams and achieved a decent JEE score.

Despite his interest in international trade and politics, he also felt a strong pull towards computer science. Wanting to give himself time to explore his deep interests, he decided to join Ashoka University, one of the best liberal arts universities in India.

Case study provided by: Fermata Career Solutions,  www.fermataco.com

Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.

3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms. Niv is a newsletter you can subscribe to and enjoy your learning journey with me.

And Finally…