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Why Is Experiencing Nature Beneficial For Children?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Why Is Experiencing Nature Beneficial For Children?
By Ahmad Amirali

It’s been four years when I first tried to explore that topic as my Mteach practice-based enquiry (PBE) module; I was not sure about how much importance ‘outdoor learning’ has in adolescents’ cognitive development and engagement with the world. We always believe that children should provide a healthy and safe learning environment and for us ‘healthy and safe’ means no outside encounter. In my research Learning Outside the Classroom –  Students Responses and Learning Outcomes, I explain how exposure to outdoor helps adolescents to engage in an experiential mode of learning. The significant outcome of my research was individuals who spent more time in natural environments as kids appeared to have better mental health outcomes in their adulthood. Continue reading “Why Is Experiencing Nature Beneficial For Children?” →

From the Heart of The Students’ Curious Mind

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

From the Heart of The Students’ Curious Mind
By Ahmad Amirali

While working on my assignment, I analysed my previous year student classwork task (I usually take snaps of my classroom activities and students’ performance to later show them to parents in PTMs). I found a student note in which he asked me a series of questions about the question I asked during the session on Crusades. I smile for a moment because suddenly, the whole school term just flashed into my eyes, reminding me how different and curious today’s generation is. I wonder, what makes them question the question or even question the reason?  Is it a student’s way to explore reasons for the reason, or is it just a time-killing strategy? Continue reading “From the Heart of The Students’ Curious Mind” →

Why Do We Lie to Ourselves Most of The Times?

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Why Do We Lie to Ourselves Most of The Times?
By Ahmad Amirali

As a teacher, I often observed that students always have their reasons ready for their incomplete homework or their bad behaviour in classrooms. We, teachers, know that almost all these reasons and excuses are nothing but small lies generated in a specific mind frame of students. Interestingly the case is similar to us adults as well. We often, or almost all the time, give excuses to our bad behaviour or bad encounters in our daily lives. However, we often find ourselves defending our lies in front of others and considering it normal behaviour. I called this a motivated false belief wrapped with a fabric of our false hopes and expectations. The question is, why we engage in a practice where we create false promises to ourselves and become part of that drama? Continue reading “Why Do We Lie to Ourselves Most of The Times?” →

Stage Fright: Why Do We Fear Public Speaking

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

Stage Fright: Why Do We Fear Public Speaking
By Ahmad Amirali

Once my teacher told me, when I was in school, to go in front of the class and describe what good and bad conductors of electricity are. As the subject of science was one of my favourite subjects, I gathered all my strength and went to the podium which was placed in the middle of our lecture room. My hands were full of sweat, heart tumbling inside-out, stomach knots and having a strong urge to cry out loud. I realised that speaking randomly to people is much different than speaking in front of the same people. Why would I afraid of talking in front of people whom I met and talked every day? Continue reading “Stage Fright: Why Do We Fear Public Speaking” →

To Protect Children’s Future, Parents Should Stop Protecting Them from Failure

Posted on by Ahmad Amirali

To Protect Children’s Future, Parents Should Stop Protecting Them from Failure

I remember my childhood when my mom always reminded me that failure was not an option in my exams. This philosophy is still running in many homes, but the competition is now getting much fiercer than before. Now, the race is not against the pass or fail but of achieving higher grades and test scores. Nowadays, students were under more pressure than students twenty years ago. Moreover, this parental desire to see their kids shine leaves little room for children to make their own mistakes and learn from them. The question is, what would be the lifelong threats for a child who is overprotected by their parent? Is overcontrolling a hazard to their mental and social growth? Continue reading “To Protect Children’s Future, Parents Should Stop Protecting Them from Failure” →