Nivedita Mukerjee
Education consultancy for parents and schools
3-2-1 Tuesdays with Ms Niv
Issue #282, 24th November 2025
Is this taking time away from things I actually care about? How do I feel immediately after doing this—energized or drained, proud or regretful? What would change in my life if I kept doing this for the next month or year?
The year is almost ending. It’s time to catch up with ourselves as educators, parents, and students. We should ponder over our existing habits.
What usually happens right before I do this (certain time, emotion, place, or person)? Am I using this behavior to avoid something uncomfortable? Do I find myself making excuses or hiding this behavior from others?
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Three Images of the Week
Two Thoughts of the Week
Whatever you want to do, if you want to be great at it, you have to love it and be able to make sacrifices for it. – Dr. Maya Angelou
“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time.”
― James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
One Video of the Week
Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction — from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they’re bad for us.
Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your next urge to smoke, snack or check a text while driving.
Reading with Ms. Meenu: Tip of the week
How Reading Aloud Fortifies Talk?
None of this emphasis on early talk with kids should dampen your enthusiasm for reading aloud. In fact, reading picture books to and with kids boosts their oral-language experience by introducing more and more diverse vocabulary. Researchers at the Ohio State University in collaboration with the Columbus Metropolitan Library estimated that kids whose parents read them five board or picture books a day would have heard 1.4 million more words during story book reading by age 5 than children who were never or seldom read.to. Other studies have found that the vocabulary within picture books is more novel, challenging, and enriching than what’s typically heard in everyday family conversation.
Reading with babies especially is a sensory, dynamic, visceral experience and an efficient vehicle for the back and forth language we’re going for. Every part of the exchange is novel for the infant – the smell of the book, the feel of the pages, and the motion as you move from cover to cover. Not to mention the look of the text and images on the page, and the words, sounds and gestures they elicit from their parent.
With so much going on, where should be a parent focus during Storytime? On the relationship, I say. For the first year of your child’s life, don’t worry about teaching. Stay in Nurture mode. Hold your baby close. Tune in to their responses. Lean in to their coos, babbles, kicks and giggles, and return it all with as much vocabulary rich talk as you can muster. You can’t go wrong when you open a book, read and follow the child’s lead.
As your little one grows into a toddler, preschooler and beyond books can help them learn all kinds of things, from sound awareness and letter knowledge to story structure and science. The possibilities for meaningful, expansive conversation are endless when a well-chosen book, enthusiastic parent and engaged child commune. Visit https://mayasmart.com/reading-for-our-lives/ for a list of recommended reads for each age and stage.
Happy Reading!
Meenu Gera
Consulting home and school librarian reading guide
I Think, I Wonder, I Ask
–Dr Shreelakshmi Subbaswami, Academic Director, Vijaya School Hassan, Karnataka
Look Back to Leap Forward
Looking back is not a mere act of nostalgia; I see it as a powerful tool to understand who we are, what we value, and how we shape the future. The intention of this reflection is simple: to pause, question, and realign ourselves as school leaders, teachers, parents, and students so we can build a more purposeful and relevant present and future.
When I looked closely at the past practices of our 25+ years old school, a place where I studied and have now returned to lead, I realized how much wisdom is there in our history. Some beautiful traditions have faded and need to be revived. Some practices remain strong and must be conserved, and a few must be let go of to make space for new and relevant ways of learning. This process is delicate. It requires sensitivity, trust, reassurance and constant communication with all stakeholders. After all, every decision we make is guided by one purpose- serving the needs of today’s learners as they grow into the world of tomorrow.
Looking back is a practice each of us can adopt. Students can reflect on their habits and ask what they need to start, stop, or continue to grow. Teachers can revisit pedagogies- revive what worked, adapt what needs rethinking, and discard what no longer serves today’s learners. Parents, too, can examine expectations and approaches that shape a child’s learning environment.
Three questions for you…
- What parts of our past are we unconsciously carrying into the future—and should we?
- What parts of our present approach reflect intentional future-thinking, and what parts are merely repetitions of the past?
- Which habits, beliefs, or practices deserve revival, and which ones must we courageously let go of?
Career assessment, guidance, and placement strategies:
Summer Programs at ATLAS SkillTech University, India
Planning for the summer school has started. We bring you the prestigious, well-known, and lesser-known summer programs for career clarity and academic development. We have been sharing the details of engaging summer programs offered by universities in India and abroad. This issue talks about the two-week residential summer programs offered by ATLAS SkillTech University for grade 9-12 students:
- ISDI Design Summer School
- Understand Design Disciplines
- Kick Start your design portfolio
- Network, collaborate, and co-create with like-minded individuals
- Enhance your skills and competencies
- ISME Business School
- Understand your management disciplines
- Articulate your statement of purpose
- Network, collaborate, and co-create with like-minded individuals
- Enhance your skills and competencies
- uGDX – Tech Summer School
- Understanding new age technologies
- Get a peek into your future at a Tech School
- Network, collaborate, and co-create with like-minded individuals
- Enhance your skills and competencies
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 www.fermataco.com
Showcase: Thrive Beyond School – A unique STEAM education project for very young learners.
– Pooja Khatter, facilitator, Thrive
The children were introduced to the concept of tessellation and watched a short video to understand how shapes fit together without leaving any gaps. They then created their own tessellation art and identified real-life examples such as giraffe skin, snake patterns, walls, and floor tiles. They also wrote their reflections in their notebooks. NEEV &MAYRA: 7years 3 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.
Nivedita Mukerjee 