3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv

Issue #272, 23rd September 2025

How does consistency enlarge our abilities? Can small actions lead to massive change? How can it play out in your life as a student, educator, or parent? What is the small consistent action can you pick up? power of momentum is great because things in motion stay in motion right? Small, consistent, actions – potent trifecta!

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Three Images of the Week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“Consistency beats intensity. Consistency beats volume. Consistency beats passion. Consistency dictates results. Consistency is what defines character.” — Rich Roll

“Two words should be committed to memory and obeyed by alternately exerting and restraining ourselves, words that will ensure we lead a mainly blameless and untroubled life: persist and resist.” — Epictetus

One Video of the Week

What if everything you have ever learnt about change and social impact was totally wrong? In grade 12 Sam Demma had a high school teacher who convinced him that change and impact was not the result of massive shifts, but instead the outcome of committing to Small Consistent Actions. Sam is a 19-year-old professional speaker, avid reader and co-founder of the social enterprise, PickWaste. Due to his work with PickWaste, he was named one of the top 25 under 25 environmentalists all throughout Canada. He strives to spread a simple but powerful message, that small consistent actions will lead to massive changes. When Sam’s not picking up trash, you can find him reading, at the gym, or spending time with his family.

Reading with Ms. Meenu: Tip of the week

Pre-Reading from ages 4 to 5 Years:

Little ones at this point can introduce themselves with first name and last, sing a song or nursery rhyme by heart and tell a story of their own. Four year olds are well aware of cause and effect and have developed a good bit of sophistication around language and books. They begin comparing and contrasting favorite characters in different books. They come to see books as sources for answers to questions about the world. 

It’s time to build some print awareness by talking to your child about how books work, how print conveys meaning, and what words are. These are vital lessons, because before a child can read print, they must notice it. Sprinkle in a few comments (max) before or during reading that direct your child’s attention to how books are organized and how print mirrors spoken language. Use your fingers to point to letters and words, which helps them connect the print on the page with the peech they hear and understand.

Sample Phrases:

1. These are the words. I need to read them from this side to this side (Trace finger from right along the text)

2. Where should we start reading? Here? (Point to the first word on the page.) Or here? (Point to the last word on the page).

3. I know this is the top of the page. Show me where the bottom of the page is.

Book Behavior, Print Awareness, Writing and Letter Recognition

• Write their own name
• Identifies their own name in print
• Names some upper and lowercase letter
• Understands cause and effect 
• Follows story sequences 
• Represents themself in drawings
• Form s letters

Happy Reading!

• Meenu Gera, Consulting home and school librarian, reading guide

Career assessment, guidance, and placement strategies:

Study in Japan

Do you know?

Japan is globally recognised for technological innovation across several sectors:

1. Robotics & Automation: Especially in industrial automation robots companies like Fanuc, Yaskawa, Kawasaki, and ABB Japan dominate the market. Japan also excels in humanoid and service robots, with notable examples as  Honda’s ASIMO and SoftBank’s Pepper.

2. Automotive Industry: Japan is a global leader in automotive engineering and production.  Toyota is the largest car manufacturer, while Honda, Nissan, Subaru, and Mazda are renowned for their reliability, innovation, and fuel efficiency.

3.  High-Speed Rail (Shinkansen): Japan set global standards with the Shinkansen (bullet trains), famous for high-speed, punctuality, and safety. Japan also advises and collaborates on high-speed rail projects worldwide.

5. Precision Engineering & Materials Science: Japan excels in producing high-precision components for aerospace, medical devices, and semiconductors, along with advanced materials and specialty chemicals.

Top universities in Japan offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the areas of Robotics & Automation, Automotive Manufacturing, Consumer Electronics & Gaming, High-Speed Transportation, and Precision Manufacturing include:

1. University of Tokyo
2. Tokyo Institute of Technology
3. Osaka University
4. Tohoku University
5. Nagoya University
6. Kyoto University
7. Kyushu University
8. Ritsumeikan University

Fermata Career Solutions inspires young individuals aged 13 to 30 to unlock their potential through focused and customised career and college counseling. With expertise in University Readiness, CareerGym, and Master Parenting, the experts empower you to pursue your dreams and shape your future with confidence. More about us on http://www.fermata.com

I Think, I Wonder, I Ask

Reminiscence of the Industrial Classroom: Are We Still Teaching in Rows and Lines? 

When I walk into classrooms, even today, I wonder: what remnants of the industrial and behavioristic era are we still holding on to? Rows of benches facing the blackboard, instruction flowing one way, students measured by compliance rather than curiosity- it feels like shadows of the old systems that refuse to lift. 

One visible change that has shaken this model is something as simple as seating arrangements. The shift may look like a mere change of furniture. But is it really? For some teachers, it was liberating- children engaging with one another, learning flowing in circles rather than lines. For others, it was unsettling- the noise, the movement, the unpredictability of collaboration felt threatening. This was not just a physical change, but a reflection of shifting belief systems. 

Still, many hesitate- fear of losing control, anxiety about finishing the syllabus, concerns over assessment, and even simple doubts like “Will this really work with my students?”. But when classrooms opened to collaboration, I have seen teachers surprised by the learning gains- students becoming more engaged, confident and independent. Changes take courage. Rows feel safe; clusters feel risky. The joy of watching children truly learn makes the leap worthwhile. 

And the leap is not just about moving desks around- it is about shifting mindsets: that pedagogy must shift from control to co-construction. Lesson plans centered on activity, movement and collaboration gradually reshape both teachers and classrooms. 

Three questions for you: 

• What practices from your own schooling are you still repeating, without questioning, in your teaching today? 

• What would it take to let go of control and give student ownership of learning? 

• If not now, then when? And what might you and your students lose by waiting?

Dr Shreelakshmi Subbaswami, Alumni and Academic Director, Vijaya School Hassan, Karnataka

Showcase: Thrive Beyond School – A unique STEAM education project for very young learners.

– Pooja Khatter, facilitator, Thrive

In this activity, children were excited to create “animal superpower cards.” They discovered that each animal has special abilities that help it survive, such as the silver ant’s speed in the desert, the oar fish’s ability to live deep in the ocean, the honey badger’s bravery and strong defense, and the echidna’s spines and digging skills. Using science, they learned about animal adaptations, and with math, they rated each trait using numbers. They practiced design and problem-solving while making their cards, expressed creativity through art by drawing and decorating, and linked their ideas to games like Pokémon, showing a connection to technology. The activity helped them see how animals are like superheroes of nature while learning through science, math, art, and creativity all together. Tara: 6 year old Tashi,Neev& Mayra: 7 years old Samyuktha: 7 year 5 months 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.