MAY 5 ,2025
True Love is heart’s find of the beautiful virtues of another person.
While physical beauty might initially draw the eye, it is the enduring qualities of affection, sacrifice, and unwavering care that truly bind souls together.
These deeper virtues weave the fine fabric of a real and lasting love, with varying shades!
January 29 ,2025
Prof. S. Ramkumar
EDUCATION
The heavy backpacks of school education cease to experience the joy of myriad of subjects that paints the Universe! The creativity of children gets dissolved in “conformity” of a class, to have the convenience of uniformity spread among all.
Every young mind is tuned into “examinations” and the “judgment- day” of results , from day one of their Schooling (from LKG). We are evolving ourselves into a society of dominant “examination system” that eclipses primary purpose of curiosity and joy of Education.
January 17 ,2025
Prof. S. Ramkumar
What Education teaches ..
Education
November 21,2021
Prof. S. Ramkumar
In the distorted life period of the pandemic, students have undertaken only Online examinations which were taken at home and had a different pattern of answering questions and now with schools and colleges reopening, it is back to the in classroom examinations. This is when the concerns of students, especially those who haven’t undergone an in-physical classroom examination for a long period, need to be genuinely and carefully addressed.
August 7, 2017
Prof. S. Ramkumar
Education, Life
Primary to PhD , the pristine element of a teacher is the same “creating and leading a learning environment”. However I feel the responsibility is more so with school teachers, especially primary and secondary schools. In fact after the family to which a child is born (the members of which are the first teachers of their life), the inquisitiveness of the child is to be kept alive and promoted by the primary teachers, the foundation builders. I remember Mother Prosperous who was more than a teacher to me when I was in my 2nd standard, whom I met after so many years after she became the Generalite, who recognized me as the child who persistently asked questions. I remember her as a patient listener lovingly trying to explain to a 7 year old on the myriads of life, quite incomprehensible at that age.
“The classrooms shape the destiny of a country”- brings out the role of teacher inside a classroom. Teachers are creating the future society, a responsible a and continuous task. This demand that there is nothing less than a role model expected from a teacher. This attributes great responsibility and sense of satisfaction for a teacher. Students learn what you do, not necessarily what you teach or say (except a subject taught). It’s not what is being taught that the children learn; its you they learn!
Every learner, ( irrespective of the varying capacities we attribute to them) should feel that (s)he is being cared by the teacher. Classrooms should not be a generic totality of “one teacher” to “collection of students”(we do not have a collectivity name of a collection of learners like the pack of hounds or murder of crows, which can remind a teacher that each learner is unique with potentials of thinking and reasoning )); rather it has to emulate the feeling of “one teacher” to “each student”. This connectedness to each student is vital to create interest and involvement of students. The method of linking to each student involves innovations on creativity of connectedness on the part of teacher. Think a situation that every student feels that the teacher is his or hers!
4.Teaching doesn’t happen in vacuum
Every student or learner (an infant child to an old person; poor or rich; literate or illiterate) have a knowledge set of his own. Teaching is a process of sharing between two sets of knowledge, which is essentially communication. This should start by understanding and respecting this knowledge.
Education
December 9, 2018
Prof. S. Ramkumar
In the distorted life period of the pandemic, students have undertaken only Online examinations which were taken at home and had a different pattern of answering questions and now with schools and colleges reopening, it is back to the in classroom examinations. This is when the concerns of students, especially those who haven’t undergone an in-physical classroom examination for a long period, need to be genuinely and carefully addressed.
17 December 2017
Prof. S. Ramkumar
Education
Being a college student is an opportunity blessed to you all. Many are there who couldn’t make it to a college. Whether by choice or by chance you are into an amazing subject of study.
You should first feel that you are fortunate and privileged to enter into the subject domain you have been offered.
Use the time of your study period, to learn about yourself and your capacities in addition to the subject you study.
Understanding you – your abilities and strengths- is impor
tant since your success in life depends on matching these abilities to the subject you are studying and delivering your service.
I consider the following 4Cs as the vital factors that will shape a student successful and useful to the Society and the Nation.
1.1 Professional skills: For eg. In Veterinary Science the student who passes out after the five and half years course should have Day-one competency skills as stipulated by the Veterinary council of India.
1.2 Social skills: Irrespective of the courses, the students should develop skills understanding, analysing and approaching social issues.
1.3 Soft skills: Abilities to improve communication-spoken and written, basic language abilities in English, in addition to the mother-tongue or other languages, facing an interview, writing a CV, building confidence.
We have a dominant examination system compared to the education system. Need to respect it. However if you get less marks please don’t think it is the end of the world. Don’t start worrying. Instead, find out why you got less marks and try to address it next time. There is always a good next time, provided you don’t get stressed and worried.
Believe in yourself and that will surely lead to confidence.
The Degree certificate that you receive is a testimony of the knowledge of the subject that you have undergone. It’s a license to enter into the real world, where real learning starts.
Be prepared for the cycle of “Learn- Unlearn- Relearn” continuously for a successful life.
March 29,2020
Prof. S. Ramkumar
Profession
One of the blessings of being a teacher over three decades is the opportunity life gives to witness and feel the success of the performance of students in different roles. It happens quite often, and the moments are so fulfilling that it also gives a clue on the purpose of life. Life has innumerable beads of such feelings (nano-feeling) to thread on. This is not on the success of so many students who have built their reputation in different fields of the profession, but on micro-moments of multi-pleasure experiencing the transitions in a student.
She was one of the many faces in 1986, sitting in the bench in a class room listening to my lectures at that time. A calm, composed, hardworking, silent, systematic student, who was keen on achieving academically, and eager in gaining good marks. Soft spoken and hesitant to complete sentences in front of a teacher (just for the politeness and respect she held for teachers).
My inquisitiveness had no boundary to find on how she performs. As she gently removed her eye glasses from the face, and held on to the temple of the reading glass, her eyes spread wide. Looking confidently at the person she started to clarify. Bold and specific, she actively sprung to a competent, communicative scientist, who never can be ignored. My observations were validated from the satisfaction and glow of gladness on the face of the delegate who asked the question.
Awestruck by the mind-reading on the performance of the student (who is a senior person now), gave me one of the fascinating feeling of satisfaction and joy.
This made me realize (like in various occasions involving former students in their success and performance) the depth of the imprint the images of classroom and teacher had in me! The radiance of competence, confidence and communication in the students’ face is the unit of love that gives an intense, and immeasurable feeling (nano-feeling!) for teachers who cared them.
Interestingly, and not surprisingly this nano-feeling for teachers is the greatest and unique gift the profession gives – not for assessments nor for any gains.
March 29,2020
Prof. S. Ramkumar
Education
Congratulations.
You are the fortunate few who could make entry into a profession that is one among the best a student can dream of. That too in Puducherry, a landscape with unparallel history and heritage, and, in one of the best Institutes, RIVER: green, serene and beautiful. What more can you ask for a starter!
We may find three categories of students in this lot today.
With around 40 years of affiliation to this professions and the field of education, and having an opportunity to serve in different positions in and out of our Nation, I am yet to find a profession that gives diversity of opportunities to aspirations of students. It is not the profession, its you who have to decide on how and what you want to do in this noble profession. Sky is the limit.
So, please keep the “bag of worries” outside the Campus. Enter with a determined and clear mind. This is a Campus meant to build great minds.
Over the next five and a half years our Campus (which includes the committed faculty/mentors and other professionals) aims at the following 4 Ds.
My learning from Life (not explained in detail here) shared with the students.
All the best to build the foundations of learning for the life and profession.
May 6, 2018
Prof. S. Ramkumar
Education
Examinations are always a hurdle that a student finds not-so-happy with, though clearing that successfully is totally dependent on the mindset set by the student. Planning for a year or semester of study (or knowledge gained) through examinations is simple if we systematically study, regularly make notes, revise, discuss and learn. However in a formal learning situation and a University/Board examination model and in my experience as a teacher for more than three decades, I find that students become serious only while nearing the examinations.
Let’s start with the availability of time for studying. One way of categorizing the approach to examination can be based on the days or the time a student to plan and study for the examination like:
Announcement of examination
Two weeks before examination
One week before examination
Day before examination
Day of examination
The students have to prepare themselves for each of these stages even if they haven’t been serious for the last (lost) year or months!
The three culprits that damage our prospects: Beware of them!
Fear, anxiety and worry are often associated with examination. Anxiety and concern are normal during examinations as far as they are under your control! Beyond that limit you are giving them a chance to affect your performance. The control is with you!
Keep the mind clear and focused. If we have to learn, think and write an answer in an examination, it’s all the more necessary to stay calm.
The cloudiness of “Fear, Anxiety and Worry” often blocks this clarity. Lack of clarity unnecessarily affects the schedule of study. Instead of planning, revising and studying during examination time, we spend time on thinking about how to worry and fear – our time is then spent on discouraging and unpleasant experiences and thoughts.
When we start with an examination season – keep these away – fear, anxiety, worry – that itself will make your thoughts clear – and you will focus on “subject & study” rather than “stress & fear”.
This builds the Confidence in you, which is vital to take control of this situation.
Be the master of the situation! Not a slave to it!
One month to a week before Examinations
Sort out or plan assignments, projects and record/manual works during this time, so that they don’t hinder your focus during preparations for examination. If pending ones are there, plan it so that you can do it in intervals without affecting much your study time for examinations.
Manage the following well while you near examinations:
Mobile Phone : use it bare minimum only to your advantage. Stay connected only to those who can appreciate and motivate you. Use it for clarifications and doubt clearing. Don’t cling onto for hours. Try not to involve yourself in worrisome or annoying issues. Don’t get carried away into unwanted thoughts. Exam is the season only for learning…like it or not!
Food : Health is primary to deal all the three culprits- fear anxiety and worry. This is important especially if you are staying in a Hostel and studying. See that adequate quality food is taken as you don’t want to run into health problems during the month before your exams. There is a tendency of students to eat less, or at odd times nearing/during examinations. Take care that you eat healthy and right.
Friends: They are always good. During examinations decide on how much you want of them, in the interests of all of you, including them. Help them but not at the cost of your studies.
Sleep/rest: Take breaks through sleep or rest; even changing subjects can be a relaxing break. Lack of rest or sleep can be tiresome.
Take care of these wisely, because they can stop you from having quality time with your first love of the examination season – the study material.
Examination is a test. We may understand a concept very well – say in Anatomy, Pathology, Medicine or Gynecology, engineering or social studies. You need to prove that you know the concept by writing a correct answer to the question asked in the examination hall.
Understanding a concept in a classroom is fine, and the starting of learning. But modifying this understanding, to be able write the correct answer which suits the question in the examination and helps us get marks is a different capacity.
This capacity of preparing for examinations varies with students. Each student has her/ his own pattern of studying. This pattern of studying also varies with the “subject”.
Find your category and then identify your learning pattern for examination.
Whatever may be the category , understand that you are unique and do not compare yourself with someone in another category. You have written enough number of examinations in your lifetime to know where you fit in or don’t.
The time required to revise / study/learn for the different categories of students vary. Realize that and pattern your study for your nature!
Plan for dividing the portions and revising it :-
Don’t worry about the “volume” of syllabus (portions) to be studied before an examination. But plan based on the content.
You should have studied systematically. However, if you haven’t then, this is not the time to regret and worry.
Instead console yourself by saying that
Now is the time to revisit these portions with a clear mind (don’t approach with fear and anxiety).
Before you take study materials to study
Just relax for few seconds – take a few deep breaths – calm down – decide to throw away worries – and tap on your inner confidence.
Then you are ready, ready to start -Reading, revising, studying, memorizing, recollecting – whatever you call it !
That’s the confidence with which you start studying for examination. Glance through all the chapters and subtitles and subheads first.
Try taking the easiest lessons or concepts and study first.
Next try studying one most difficult one. Then skip to the easier one.. Try a mix of difficult and easy portions as you perceive.
Make a gist of the subject for a semester in short words. Have the whole portion as title points in not more than two pages. Later, one day before exam, before you go to sleep (which you should!) sees how many words you are familiar, could explain or narrate.
Making points
Before few days (or study holidays) of exam – Read the notes – Find the major points – underline the points or color it or overwrite as you prefer.
It’s good to write the points onto another paper. Only the points! Later on the previous day of examination – See those points – and check how much you can expand based on the points.
Common worries before exam day
Throw the bundle of worries away especially on the previous day!
Understand you have still 12 or 24 hours left to revise.
Believe- Whatever is the situation before examination , there is way to tackle it and do well to suit best in that situation. It may not be perfect, but the performance in the given situation can be improved. The ones you have revised and studied will be with you in the examination hall. Don’t overdo intentionally testing yourselves – after all, you have been tested any number of times and have won them!