It is now the season of many things in Chennai, that is Madras.
First of all, it is summer and the 'Madras heat' is known all over. Everyone here wants to escape to a cooler place. But, for many who have been out of their hometown, this is the season to visit their moms, dads, sisters and brothers!
Secondly, it is the season of 'summer camps' for kids in the city. This is an 'industry' of recent origin!
Every playschool has a 'summer camp'. Every playground has a summer sports camp. Every music school has a 'thematic summer camp'.
The cyber cafe's have also joined the race. Sify along with a NGO conducts 'infotainment' camps across the city - arts & craft classes combined with hands on training on computers.
Many women, otherwise home-makers have one to offer. These include table manners and etiquette classes. Perhaps, they are trained by their own experiences with their kids at home.
Some camps include teaching kolam, help yourself sessions (like folding clothes, sandwich making, etc) and look at the variety of activities for kids!
Are the kids really interested in attending these camps? Do they like to learn something even during holidays?
The kids are hesitant to talk about this, for fear of 'reflections' from their moms!
But a mother tells me - otherwise they watch TV all the time, with a cupful of snacks! These camps keep them active for three hours and they come back home to have lunch and rest and the evenings are for outing with parents!
Good idea indeed!
I started blogging on what the kids of Chennai 'can do, dine, play and participate'. But the popular summer camps have become an important part in the life of a school-goer during the vacation and I started listing them, unconsciously. . .
But, it is demanding, I tell you! When I look at the number of google searches through the blog, it is unbelievable that so many parents are looking for one camp or the other for the kids!
And the number of summer camps listed in local editions of newspapers and the mails I receive from people hosting the camps are too many to fit in one post.
I am thinking of reorganising the post! After all summer camps are on till first week of June!
An unusual one - Summer camp for the senior citizens!
Chinmaya Mission is organising one - 'The art of graceful ageing'. Some financial planning is also taught with spiritual text reading. Good work there!
Interested senior citizens or sons and daughters of senior citizens can call 044-28360546 for details.
When you are looking for something useful for your kid, why not for your parents?
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Friday, April 07, 2006
Self assessment for career planning
The word 'career' plays an important role in everyone's day to day life.
The first question one faces after having a hand-shake with exchange of names - What are you? No matter at whatever level you are in - a fresher or in mid-career or an established business person. If you are able to say what you are with a smile and without hesitation, you are on the right track.
For the firm hand-shake and the confidence reflecting on your eyes, the career you are in, should give you pride and satisfaction. And you will have pride and satisfaction only if you have a passion for what you are doing!
Sounds boring? Yet, read on...
Do you have that passion?
Have you done any self assessment of what you can do?
Have you ever reviewed what you have been doing so far?
Just sit back and relax.. Think of a few things in the order I narrate. And tell me if I was correct!
Take a few inventories:
First is Interest inventory. Just list down what all you like doing. How much ever silly it may be. Let it be just jogging or a challenging computer programming. And end it with what you will never like to do. Look at the list and read aloud. Wow... are you interested in so many things? You never knew it!
Second is the skill inventory. Think of all that you are very good at. Write down even what you are average at. Drawing, teaching, writing even googling! At the end of the list go back to item number 1. Run your eyes down. Oh.. are you capable of doing all these things? You never realised it.
Your personality comes next. You can close your eyes and think. Are you an introvert? A bit sensitive? Like to be out going, but still wondering how to be? How do you approach issues? Think of various events that took place in your life and how you managed them. You might recollect having solved a difficult situation in school or at home, in a very innovative way!
The last one is really important. It is value inventory. Perhaps the list you have so far made, will get cut down considerably. Ask questions like, why do you want to be this? Can you be true to your conscience by doing this? What is the value of wealth in your life? Is your career worth your values - I mean does your organisation have those values which you respect?
Now strike off, one by one, which does not have an affirmative reply to your questions. Probably you are now left with two or three options. Now repeat the steps quickly.
You have the answer!
Sometimes you may have passions for many things - music, kids, languages, finance, writing, art & crafts, travel, books, culture & heritage. . .(like me!) Just choose one as career, a few as freelancing, a few more as honorary contributions and the rest as hobbies!
You should have the strength in you to do many things at a time!
Remember the Tamil poet Subramanya Bharati's definition of Shakthi - strength in one of his long poems. Among many lines this one will wake you up - Ennathirukkumeriye shakthi - The fire in your thought is what is called shakthi!!
The first question one faces after having a hand-shake with exchange of names - What are you? No matter at whatever level you are in - a fresher or in mid-career or an established business person. If you are able to say what you are with a smile and without hesitation, you are on the right track.
For the firm hand-shake and the confidence reflecting on your eyes, the career you are in, should give you pride and satisfaction. And you will have pride and satisfaction only if you have a passion for what you are doing!
Sounds boring? Yet, read on...
Do you have that passion?
Have you done any self assessment of what you can do?
Have you ever reviewed what you have been doing so far?
Just sit back and relax.. Think of a few things in the order I narrate. And tell me if I was correct!
Take a few inventories:
First is Interest inventory. Just list down what all you like doing. How much ever silly it may be. Let it be just jogging or a challenging computer programming. And end it with what you will never like to do. Look at the list and read aloud. Wow... are you interested in so many things? You never knew it!
Second is the skill inventory. Think of all that you are very good at. Write down even what you are average at. Drawing, teaching, writing even googling! At the end of the list go back to item number 1. Run your eyes down. Oh.. are you capable of doing all these things? You never realised it.
Your personality comes next. You can close your eyes and think. Are you an introvert? A bit sensitive? Like to be out going, but still wondering how to be? How do you approach issues? Think of various events that took place in your life and how you managed them. You might recollect having solved a difficult situation in school or at home, in a very innovative way!
The last one is really important. It is value inventory. Perhaps the list you have so far made, will get cut down considerably. Ask questions like, why do you want to be this? Can you be true to your conscience by doing this? What is the value of wealth in your life? Is your career worth your values - I mean does your organisation have those values which you respect?
Now strike off, one by one, which does not have an affirmative reply to your questions. Probably you are now left with two or three options. Now repeat the steps quickly.
You have the answer!
Sometimes you may have passions for many things - music, kids, languages, finance, writing, art & crafts, travel, books, culture & heritage. . .(like me!) Just choose one as career, a few as freelancing, a few more as honorary contributions and the rest as hobbies!
You should have the strength in you to do many things at a time!
Remember the Tamil poet Subramanya Bharati's definition of Shakthi - strength in one of his long poems. Among many lines this one will wake you up - Ennathirukkumeriye shakthi - The fire in your thought is what is called shakthi!!
Monday, April 03, 2006
Gravitate towards Physics
For the students in Class 11 and 12, the spate of tests, examinations does not make life miserable. But they are part of their life. Especially, the scene in Chennai is an accepted one among the parents, teachers and the children.
No one complains.
The results of these examination are a few certificates, sometimes prizes.
But the examination conducted by The Physics Society, Chennai was a different one. The kids wrote the test and later called for an 'interview'. The exchange of phone calls between friends who have been selected for the interview brought surprises to the kids.
They were called in groups and three questions were posed to the group. The kids were asked to discuss among themselves and come back to the interviewers and discuss. The discussion was the test.
There was nothing right or wrong. The course of thinking was evaluated!
On the prize distribution day, April 2, the Society asked the kids to come with their parents, teachers. And some came with grandparents. After all, grand parents bear more responsibility at home in these days of both parents working!
Much was talked about present day education system, the need to change, the craze for professional degrees and overseas education.
The 'old students' of Prof. Ananthan, President of The Physics Society spoke about his method of teaching at D.G. Vaishnav College. (The society runs with huge contributions from these old students).
Ravishankar, a young teacher with American International School and the Secretary of The Physics Society was beaming with a lot of quotes, ideas and advices to the kids and schools
Well, for those who thought the function to be yet another prize distribution ceremony, the discussions were enlightening.
Everyone agreed that there is no need to feel that pure science is in no way inferior to technical degrees, that the knowledge of the kid should not be determined by the marks he gets in any exams and entry into IITs and other reputed engg.colleges should not be construed as the ultimate capability of the kids.
But it is all till they had their 'high tea' and left the place!
No one to blame. It is the order of the way. The kids and parents flock together towards an aimless goal!
But I have another point to make. Not about the system of present day education.
But about the values towards their education, friends and the knowledge-sharing.
I remember exchanging books and notes with my classmates; going together to all the classes including Hindi and drawing classes.
But today's kids do not like to share the information with their classmates. They do not want to tell their friend, which book will be useful and from where they are learning. It is like revealing a secret to an enemy!
I used the word - enemy. Yes, because, it is not a competition anymore, but it is a war.
But the war is mainly mooted by the parents.
It is painful.
P.S: For those who want to be a part of the weekly discussions at the Physics Soceity and make their kids gravitate towards Physics - The soceity is at 2A, Golden Kingsmead, 3, TAS Enclave, Anna Nagar, Chennai - 40
No one complains.
The results of these examination are a few certificates, sometimes prizes.
But the examination conducted by The Physics Society, Chennai was a different one. The kids wrote the test and later called for an 'interview'. The exchange of phone calls between friends who have been selected for the interview brought surprises to the kids.
They were called in groups and three questions were posed to the group. The kids were asked to discuss among themselves and come back to the interviewers and discuss. The discussion was the test.
There was nothing right or wrong. The course of thinking was evaluated!
On the prize distribution day, April 2, the Society asked the kids to come with their parents, teachers. And some came with grandparents. After all, grand parents bear more responsibility at home in these days of both parents working!
Much was talked about present day education system, the need to change, the craze for professional degrees and overseas education.
The 'old students' of Prof. Ananthan, President of The Physics Society spoke about his method of teaching at D.G. Vaishnav College. (The society runs with huge contributions from these old students).
Ravishankar, a young teacher with American International School and the Secretary of The Physics Society was beaming with a lot of quotes, ideas and advices to the kids and schools
Well, for those who thought the function to be yet another prize distribution ceremony, the discussions were enlightening.
Everyone agreed that there is no need to feel that pure science is in no way inferior to technical degrees, that the knowledge of the kid should not be determined by the marks he gets in any exams and entry into IITs and other reputed engg.colleges should not be construed as the ultimate capability of the kids.
But it is all till they had their 'high tea' and left the place!
No one to blame. It is the order of the way. The kids and parents flock together towards an aimless goal!
But I have another point to make. Not about the system of present day education.
But about the values towards their education, friends and the knowledge-sharing.
I remember exchanging books and notes with my classmates; going together to all the classes including Hindi and drawing classes.
But today's kids do not like to share the information with their classmates. They do not want to tell their friend, which book will be useful and from where they are learning. It is like revealing a secret to an enemy!
I used the word - enemy. Yes, because, it is not a competition anymore, but it is a war.
But the war is mainly mooted by the parents.
It is painful.
P.S: For those who want to be a part of the weekly discussions at the Physics Soceity and make their kids gravitate towards Physics - The soceity is at 2A, Golden Kingsmead, 3, TAS Enclave, Anna Nagar, Chennai - 40
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