Happiness levels at VDJS

This session was conducted for discussing the happiness index at our school. The vision for the year 2020 is aiming to bring about a rise in the internal currency of happiness for both, the students as well as the staff members. The reasons for shifts in the happiness index were discussed in the context of our school. This was followed by the discussion of the macro context of our country which lies at the 140^th rank as per the happiness report,2019. The discussion was followed by reflections from the teachers’ side for the tasks we all can enter into so as to bring alive the envisioned happiness in the year 2020.

Anger free zone

The workshop was conducted as a part of CBSE compliance to create its affiliated schools as Anger free zones. Our interpretation of the same has been on the idea that joy is an antidote to anger. Hence our school would not just be an anger free zone, but a joyful zone. As our life is a canvas, we keep painting on it

 with the deeds of our lives. Carrying this forward and using expressive arts as a medium to process anger, the teachers did free hand painting on a wall size canvas. The art on the canvas was there after reflected upon and parts of it were eliciting abstract meanings in its artists collectively. Various exercises to deal with anger immediately and in long term were thereafter discussed including- mindfulness, delay in reaction time, sensate focus, the power pull etc.

When Ethics met Realm

Ethics and values constitute the fundamental pillars of our lives. While we deeply acknowledge this fact, mere acknowledgement doesn’t lead for us to practice them in our lives, without fail. There arise scenarios in our lives when we cut loose on the ethical front. Teaching being a profession where such values are extremely vital, we discussed the reasons why such things happen and what shall we all do about it. So the session revolved around developing a personal intention for anything we wish to practice, which really keeps up the motivation in that regard. The session ended with personal reflections about why do we individually wish to practice happiness as an ethic.