3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV

Issue #235, 7th January 2025

It is a brand new year and it is time to make some choices. Facing indecision? here are some key questions to consider:

For identifying goals and values: “What matters most to me/my child in education?” “What are my/their natural strengths and interests?” “What kind of learning environment works best?”

For understanding options: “What specific options are available?” “What are the requirements and commitments for each path?” “What resources and support systems exist?”

For evaluating choices: “How does each option align with long-term goals?” “What are the potential benefits and challenges?” “What are the implications for future opportunities?”

For moving forward: “What information do I still need to make this decision?” “Who can I consult for guidance or mentorship?” “What small steps can I take to test out different options?”

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Three images of the week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

– J. K. Rowling

One Video of the Week

More often than not, we find ourselves immobilized with indecision- unable to choose between two or more alternatives, whether their impact on our lives is small or large. Mary Steffel is an assistant professor of marketing at Northeastern who specializes in decisions and decision delegation. In her talk, Mary describes the importance of delegating decisions to others and how we can overcome decision paralysis.

Assistant professor of marketing at the D’Amore-McKim School of Business Dr. Mary Steffel (Ph.D. Princeton University, University of Florida) serves on the Office of Evaluation Sciences at the General Services Administration and has served on the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team, where she helps to translate and test evidence-based insights into concrete recommendations for how to improve government. Her hobbies include performing choral music and participating in half marathons. One of her favorite places to visit is New York City.

Reading with Ms. Meenu: Tip of the week

Presenting Book Choices with Book Talks:

Literature circles permit truly differentiated instruction in the classroom. Within one set of choices, books can range from easy reads to highly mature titles – something for everyone. However, for the groups to be successful and enjoy their reading, members have to make truly informed choices. One way to accomplish this is to have students rank their interest in the possible titles as you describe each one. 

To get this started as a Teacher Librarian gather sample copies of the literature circle choices, copy ballots that list the titles and instruct the students to rank their choices one through three after all of the books have been described. When previewing the books, highlight the plots and give students information that might help them make suitable choices. By doing this your classroom can be a great place for students to discuss topics like World War II, Literature, History and so on. The key to good book talks is keeping each summary brief while including some high interest details that will hook the kids.

After we’ve completed the book talks, students review their ballots and rank their choices. As we collect the ballots, we warn the kids that while we try to give them their first choice, we can only guarantee that everyone will get one of his or her top three choices. Then, after class, we sort the ballots by first choice. Lots of times a couple of books will prove enormously popular, but most classrooms have a finite number of each title, so often a second sorting is necessary. This time we take a closer look at who chose what. Our aim is always to form groups of four or five individuals who will get along and want to read the book. At this point ballots are shifted according to those criteria and the final groups.

When the chosen literature circle books are first passed out, we like to have the kids read for about twenty minutes and then write dialogue journals with a partner who is reading the same book. We ask them to write about what they remember about the initial book talk, why they ranked that book highly on the ballot, and what they’ve noticed after reading the first chapter or so. After finishing the book, it’s interesting for students to revisit that initial piece of writing and see how their initial expectations matched what the book had to offer.

Happy Reading!
Meenu Gera, Consulting home and school librarian and reading guide.

Career assessment, guidance, and placement strategies:

Aligning academic choices with long-term goals:

Ram is a bright and talented student currently completing Grade 8 at an IGCSE school in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. His parents approached us for career counseling and guidance for subject selection in grade 9, along with gaining insights into the expectations of top universities in India and abroad. The counseling sessions began with a discussion about Ram’s long-term aspiration: to establish his venture. With this goal in mind, Ram expressed his interest in pursuing the commerce stream starting from grade 9. During a detailed interaction, it was revealed that Ram is exceptionally gifted in mathematics and excels in the sciences while maintaining high scores in social sciences. In addition, he has an outstanding record of extracurricular achievements.  The career expert guided Ram in understanding the  academics and co-curricular expectations of leading universities and emphasized the importance of continuing with the sciences in Grades 9 and 10. At this stage, students, often lack a holistic perspective on development, making it our responsibility to help them leverage their strengths and create a comprehensive career roadmap to achieve their goals. 

Case study provided by: Team Fermata, www.fermataco.com

And Finally:

Dear reader,
I work with the school leadership team as an advisor. I collaborate with teachers as a pedagogical trainer. I help parents as a parenting counselor. I engage one-on-one with students as a personal guide and mentor. This weekly newsletter shares what I read, learn, and experience.

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

From the archives

Many of you have been asking for the earlier editions of this newsletter. I am delighted to note that you are enjoying the content served here. Now, with every new issue, I share a link to the newsletter from the archives. These have been published weekly since July 2016.

Here is the link for – issue#011

https://wordpress.com/post/niveditamukerjee.com/3522

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