3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV

Issue #247, 1st April 2025

What is character, according to you? Personality? Values? Morals? Behaviour? Purpose? Grit? Mindset?Attitude?

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Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” – Anne Frank

“A man’s character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation.” Mark Twain

One Video of the Week

Character Lab Research Director Andrew Sokatch has a sobering yet attainable message regarding the education of today’s youth. While test scores and the reading, writing, math, science behind them are important, we are not properly and wholly educating our children if we aren’t alsoteaching character. Andrew argues character can and should be taught in schools, noting grit, persistence, self-control, courage, and humor, are all critical life skills for successful employment, marriages, and citizenship.

Having taught elementary, middle school, college, and graduate school students, and spending over a decade leading teacher quality research at Teach For America and The New Teacher Project, Andrew Sokatch is currently being humbled and inspired daily as a parent of two young children. All of which is to say he has spent a lot time thinking about what it means to be an effective educator, and has become singularly dissatisfied by the narrow current conversation over teacher quality. In his desire to broaden and deepen the definition of what it means to provide high quality education for all children, Andrew has recently joined the new nonprofit, Character Lab, as the founding director of research.

The “Game Changer” Andrew most admires is Robert Moses (the civil rights icon, not the destroyer of NYC), because he had a singular vision and plan and the courage to make it happen. In a field of giants he is one of the (mostly) unacknowledged truly great ones. Also, Joey Ramone.

Reading with Ms. Meenu: Tip of the week

Looking at Characterization:

When reading a novel, the biggest turn on (or turn-off) is the characters. If an author creates vibrant characters, we’ll want to finish the book. The characters don’t necessarily have to be people we want to be best friends with, but they at least need to be genuine, surprising, or captivating. Since characterization plays such an integral role in the reader’s experience, how the author crafts the characters is a valuable topic for literature circles.

Ways Authors Create Character:

·         How they look

·         The way they talk – Slang, accent

·         The way they walk, eat or do things

·         What they think

·         What they say to other characters

·         What other characters say or think about them 

·         The choices they make 

·         How they get along with other characters.

Various activities can be done around discussing Character’s Resume where you can pull out a character and discuss it in detail. While reading small passages from different books discuss what has been revealed about the character and how that affects the reader’s feelings. When students begin to discuss characterization, remind them to always question the reliability of information that comes from another character. Also, how does each character have a unique perspective of the story events? Do reflect on these questions:

·         How has your character changed since the beginning of the novel?

·         What strategies has the author used to create the character? 

·         Why do you think the author made that decision as she wrote?

Keep discussing various characters while reading a variety of texts this will help your class to build up curiosity throughout your reading.

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

Career assessment, guidance, and placement strategies:

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

Showcase:

Thrive Beyond School – A unique project for very young children in STEAM education, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh

The Holi Colours Tie and Dye activity helped children learn important concepts in a fun and hands-on way. They discovered how colors mix and spread on fabric and saw how different materials soak up liquids. By choosing their own colors and creating patterns, they expressed their creativity and made unique designs. Tying the cloth and adding color also supported their fine motor development and hand-eye coordination. This activity connected them to the joyful festival of Holi and its celebration of colors.
Neev,Mayra,Samyuktha, Tashi & Havishka:6.7 years old
Arnav & Tara:5.7 years old.

Dear reader,
I work with the school leadership team as an advisor and collaborate with teachers as a pedagogical trainer. I also help parents as a parenting counselor and regularly 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.