The impact of classroom design on learning

The traditional classroom design limited the teacher’s movement. That gave rise to the concept of backbenchers where the thought was that studious students occupied the front rows where the teacher could see them and the uninterested students sat on the last rows where the teacher’s attention cannot reach. It is not that the teacher was unwilling to teach the last-row students but the classroom design limited the teacher’s scope to equally educate everyone.

Next, forward-thinking schools also noticed that shabby classrooms diminished the students’ motivation. If this was a space where the student spent most of his/her day in a week, it had to be warm and welcoming. Learning is hard work. Students have to exert effort to pay attention. A shabby design naturally makes it even more difficult to pull up positivity and motivation to pay attention and students become prone to missing classes.

Research has also shown that discomfort can hamper productivity. Wooden benches with no backrest can soon develop muscle pains as students are required to sit for long hours in that particular spot. Too crowded a classroom deteriorates air quality and lack of sunlight leads to bacterial growth. Here again, improper classroom design makes students sick. And if they are falling ill frequently, education does take a backseat.

Lastly, when the top 5 schools in Sonepat are trying to include modern learning techniques like collaborative study and personalized learning, the classroom design cannot stay as it once was. Students cannot work in groups effectively if the space for movement is limited. Teachers cannot pay attention to every student if he/she is restricted to the podium. Plus, classrooms need to make space for models and smartboards where students can, at times, take the lead in teaching with the design encouraging interaction.

Take any one of these factors out and it is clear how student productivity suffers in poorly designed classes. In an era where students are required to learn and know more than their previous generations, it is only through higher productivity can they find success. The educational philosophies and curriculums can take care of the soft side of learning but if they are not complemented by the proper infrastructure, the whole structure remains weak and baseless.

Small aspects can make massive changes

The top-ranked CBSE board school in Sonipat naturally design their classrooms to maintain student productivity at optimal levels. And an inspection will tell you that these schools do not go overboard and overdo things. The simple nuances are enough to elevate student learning. The vitals create the base while the finer details come in next.

The right classroom typically looks like the following:

• High ceilings allow proper circulation of air.
• Windows of adequate size to allow natural light to flood the classroom.
• Acoustic design to keep away unwanted noise where no two classrooms share the same wall.
• Moveable desks for students to facilitate collaborative learning.
• Ample space for the teacher to move around combined with small class sizes.
• Positive classroom color and furniture installation.
• Clipboards on walls to display students’ works.
• A mini-library in the corner to make the ambiance educational

Surely, the design varies with the grade of the students. Many schools prefer to add or eliminate a few of these mentioned attributes. The main motive should be to make the classroom as inviting as possible whilst maintaining a benchmark of academic productivity.

The Swarnprastha Public School had classroom design in mind right from the time of lying its cornerstone. The institute was progressive enough to understand that no educational philosophy will work if the ambiance was not right. SPS teaches its students in a motivating ambiance and continuously monitors productivity to adapt in real-time. Classroom configuration is certainly not an element that can be kept as an afterthought. Even the best of teachers lose their touch if the infrastructure is improper. Students deserve productive education. Their performance cannot be diminished by external factors. Classrooms are the ultimate spaces of learning and their design cannot see any compromise.

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However, the best school in Sonepat still believes in the conventional method of note-taking. Old-school pen and paper can never be replaced by gadgets with internet connectivity. Relevant note-taking is surely about creating the ultimate guide for the exams to come, but it is also about comprehending, listening, connecting, and engaging. When students carry the habit of note-taking to their future selves, they become better learners and retain the imparted knowledge for a lifetime, which is the current requirement.

Why note-taking is still important?

Students will have to listen in class. It is also difficult to write down everything the teacher says. But that struggle is the whole point of note-taking that most educators want their students to master. In a typical class, the students are expected to write down the important points that the teacher is stating. At other times, the students are to listen to the explanations. The notes taken in class has to be brief so that they act as recall mechanisms during revisions. Students really do not need to write paragraphs as in dictation. One or two lines on a specific topic are enough.

Now, during this multitasking of listening and writing, the mind is working hard to understand. The student will only be jotting down those points he/she feels necessary and that happens when the mind is comprehending what the teacher is actually saying. Mere dictation is nothing more than copying data. Ready-made notes do not place comprehension as a priority. Notes become relevant when students understand and write down in their own statements and that can truly act as the ultimate examination guide.

The art students need to learn

• Organization

Haphazard notes with only sentences and no distinctions do not help. This is why the top boarding schools in Sonepat teach the art of note-taking early so that students write down helpful notes from which they can read later. Subtopics must bifurcate the main topic, just like in textbooks, and a division must exist between two adjacent topics so that the student understands the separation. The mind repels a disorganized text. Unless properly organized, the notes are useless.

• Spacing

The notes taken in class are not absolute text. Students must learn to leave enough spaces within their notes for future additions as that incites research and comprehension. For instance, the students can expand the notes they had taken in class by reading from a book in the library or accessing a video over the internet on the same topic. They can also draw interconnecting with other subjects in that allotted space and better understand the correlation that exists among related subjects.

• Highlighting

Notes also become relevant with highlights. Either by underlining or marking with a highlighter, it draws the attention of the mind to the important points during re-reading. Students might also pick up the skill to substitute words with diagrams and flowcharts while taking notes that not only speeds up the process but enables visual comprehension. Asterisks, arrows, circles, and boxes, draw focus and dwell in the mind as cues for the time when it has to recall information during exams.

• Doodling

Not in the creative sense but in a thought-provoking way. Learning experts recommend leaving a considerable chunk of the paper for future doodling where students can write down their thoughts while reading the notes. It can be a mathematical analysis, a question that needs answering, or future research ideas that just struck the mind like lightening. The unavailability of doodle space in notebooks restricts thoughts. Even the creative caricatures take the mind into a thoughtful journey.

The top 5 school in Sonepat forms these habits of relevant note-taking among its students. Notes exist not only as references but also as academic guides. Swarnprastha Public School prioritizes the skill of note-taking for these very purposes and continues with the old-school methods with modern modifications. Learning in school is majorly about comprehending what is being taught. The physical act of writing down on paper creates a solid memory. Faring well in exams is never the goal in schools like SPS where students are learners first and then achievers. Notes are vital in students’ academic journey. And they need to learn it as an art – unique for every child.

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Myth 1: The quality of education is deteriorating in public schools

If you take every school in every lane into account, then any statistics will reveal this myth. But if you look at any of the top 10 schools in Sonipat or anywhere else, the quality of education here is nothing less than premium. These institutions recruit the best of faculties, have top-class facilities, and take every step to have education as the primary focus. Combine this with a proper government body affiliation and you will have an idea about the quality of knowledge that every student will receive there.

Myth 2: Students cannot thrive in a classroom environment

You will hear this myth from people who preach individual education. Classroom teaching has been prevalent since times unknown and most of the successful people in the world have come out from that very environment. Studying with peers instigates healthy competition that can motivate a student to push their potential. Plus, sharing knowledge increase the overall value of education which cannot happen beyond the walls of a classroom.

Myth 3: One to one attention to students goes missing

Not in any of the top schools in Sonipat or anywhere else. These institutions have changed with the evolving time and they take care to attend to the individual needs of every student. The current faculty group contains a counselor along with the educators whose sole responsibility is to monitor every student and inquire about their requirements. Even teachers take time to give individual sessions if the need arises and that era of teaching ending with the bell is really absolutely gone.

Myth 4: Public schools curb creativity

Another myth that is totally baseless. Almost all schools have extracurriculars included in their academic calendar and give students various options to find their own interests. The choice is never limited to 4-5 areas and modern schools have the facility to provide all. Music is not restricted to one instrument or sports to one game. The best schools give their students full freedom to choose from a variety of activities and, in fact, free their time in the daily routine to harness their creativity.

Myth 5: The safety and security of a public school is questionable

Be it internal or external, schools now take full measures to provide tightly knit security to their students. You will always find security guards patrolling the school boundaries and teachers taking care that no malicious activities happen within the campus. Institutions now have strict rules against bullying, carrying objectionable items, or any other nuisances that previously used to find their way into schools. That era has gone and schools now are extra careful.

Myth 6: Schools continue to hold on to age-old methods of teaching

On the contrary, if you take the time to scan the Sonipat schools list, you will find that more and more institutions are adopting modern techniques of teaching. Some have gone on to convert their classrooms into smart ones while others are getting them to step by step. Teachers take help of videos to take a subject, libraries give access to the internet. There’s a facility for eBook subscriptions, events with guest speakers, numerous workshops promoting education as a whole. It has been quite some time now that schools have moved on from the typical classroom lecture method.

Myth 7: Marks remain the only evaluating factor

And people easily fall for this myth as test scores still determine a student’s academic success. But the top schools are slowly identifying the flaw in that belief and motivating students to identify and excel in their own domains. This is the very reason that campuses are becoming bigger to accommodate more facilities and options. Students have hands-on experience with almost every subject they study and there’s the concept of selecting optional. You may even find teachers for foreign languages and other such areas that truly help a student to explore different avenues. A decent passing mark is encouraged as long as he/she is excelling somewhere else.

Make an informed judgment

And opt for reputed schools like Swarnprastha. This institute breaks all the prevalent myths by setting quality of education as a priority and giving its students every facility that will enable them to grow. Be it individual attention or encouraging creativity, this school does all. So, bust the myths that you hear so often, choose only the best, and let the students thrive.

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1. Reorganize the routine: During summer break, children enjoy the liberty of sleeping until late hours. Their stress-free routine is the very first step towards getting them ready for school. It is suggested that parents change the routine in accordance to that of school hours. This approach is extremely effective as it ensures that a child gets used to the schedule and adapts. Failure to do so may result in massive challenges to get children set themselves into the changed hours.
2. Talk to your child: No child would ever like to hear the news of getting school re-open, a night before the date. It is significant for parents to talk to their children and ask them about their feelings. An open communication initiated between parent and child will let one understand if a child is excited or going through a roller coaster of emotions. Parents must inform their children well in advance about the re-opening of their school. This process is very important for the child’s well-being.
3. Shopping: In order to ensure a kick start to the school, encourage excitement amongst children. Take them out and get them all new school essentials – Tiffin Box, Books, Bag, and so on. This approach will not only boost the energy of a child but, also, embed much-needed optimism. Hence, as a result, a child will begin with their school with a positive mindset.
4. A necessary detachment: Often, during the summer break, children get attached to watching television, playing video games, and browsing the internet. But, it becomes a massive hindrance when it is time to get back to school. Parents need to detach their child from television and video games, a few weeks prior, as this may create complexities during school days. The process can be executed by parents encouraging their children to engage themselves in activities like reading instead of getting engrossed with laptops or computers.
5. Change in Eating Habits: Summer breaks are a blend of adventure, fun, good food, and relaxation. The children can enjoy a wide variety of food during their summer break like ice-creams, etc. without the fear of falling sick. However, when in school, a child requires essential nutrition to sharpen their brain and get more focused studies. Parents must make certain that they change their children’s eating habits at a time’s notice and promote better health in their ward.

The above-mentioned points need to be taken into consideration right before the end of the summer break. Readiness is a must for a child to avoid stress and start school with a fresh mind. Also, for some parents the process may come with complexities, however, they must note that the period is temporary and it shall pass soon.

Nowadays, schools are changing their methodologies over-preparing their students for summer breaks and winter break in advance. The burden has lessened on the parents as compared to the traditional standards. The top residential schools in Sonipat are ensuring the embedment of essential knowledge within their students for handling stress and anxiety management.

Swarnprastha, one of the best schools in Sonipat, delivers the best of training to their students followed by essentials on summer break. The trend is changing with time and the school, in turn, provides holiday homework, which in turn, does not entirely make students lethargic while on their break. Continued connectivity with academics is certainly important and such relevance is well understood by Swarnprastha. Such a positive approach towards providing quality education to the students has made Swarnprastha top the list of best CBSE schools in Sonipat.

The modern education pattern is transforming to a great extent. It completely depends upon the parents to make their children’s summer vacation fun, but at the same time make sure that they remain in touch with their studies. Ensuring a learning experience throughout the summer break will reduce the stress of getting back to school and in turn, make them excited for the school year ahead!

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Most CBSE schools in Sonipat and all over India are now providing self-defense classes as a part of their curriculum. The authorities acknowledge its importance and are teaching their students self-defense. But does your child really need to learn it in school? Does learning self-defense have other benefits? Let’s find out.

They learn what’s necessary within school hours

This way, learning self-defense does not become an added burden. You may feel that your neighborhood is safe and there is no instant danger to your child and under such situations, self-defense does take a step back. The more immediate matters take the forefront like completing the assignments or going out for music lessons. And when a threat does arrive, your child remains unprepared.

Having self-defense classes within the school curriculum requires no extra effort. Your child does not have to make time for it or you have to sacrifice anything. He/she can balance their assignments perfectly well and simultaneously learn to protect himself/herself. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

Self-defense is also about being street aware

Your child learns to differentiate between what’s right and wrong. Which stranger is actually being a friend and who is trying to manipulate. Whom to ask for help and where to stay for being safe. Self-defense classes not only prepare your child physically but also give him/her the required mental awareness.

Students with training pay attention to details more than the ones who haven’t received any training or self-defense classes. They know not to trust anyone easily and observe better before taking any decision. They are trained to remain calm which not only helps them during the threatening situation but prevents them from doing anything rash.

Instils self-confidence

A child trained in self-defense has another level of personal confidence in any situation. They are taught to deal with the unexpected and hence they are ready for anything. This confidence can help them in their normal lives as well, be it dealing with exam stress or taking up something challenging. Safety-wise, they do not look timid or vulnerable and are definitely not easy targets.

Self-defense training gives a massive boost to students’ self-esteem. They have the confidence of exploring their full potential. The fact that they are trained to deal with danger acts as a morale booster and they use this to hone their other skills.

Self-defence also teaches discipline in life

Most self-defense classes are about disciplining your body and mind. The children learn about hard work, punctuality, decision-making, meditation, and so on. Any form of training teaches coordination and timing, and this almost becomes a habit. Students under regular training are never lethargic. They meet their deadlines, be it getting up from bed or reaching school on time.

They also become enthusiastic about taking on physical tasks. While any normal child may refuse to carry out any household chores, students under training are generally more enthusiastic. This kind of discipline comes only through self-defense training that any other class can seldom teach.

It is also a great form of physical activity

Just like any sport, self-defense can also be put under the category of physical activity. It does not only involve standing in one place and learning to fight. In such classes, you need to run to be agile, stretch to be flexible, and train your mind for better coordination. Training in self-defense requires students to perform an extensive amount of locomotor movements that lead to physical fitness.

Your child will be better aware of his/her body. You will notice better hand-eye coordination from him/her. And you will be astonished by their capability to multitask. Having self-defense in the curriculum does more good than you can ever think of.

It’s a lifelong lesson

Children are better learners than adults. They pick up things quickly and retain them for a long time. Teaching self-defense to your child is like a lifelong lesson. He/she can use the training as an adult and it turns somewhat into an instinct. Learning comes with little practice at a young age and this is why any top school in Sonipat like Swarnprastha includes self-defense in their curriculum.

The current times are the hardest, especially for children. Crime rates have reportedly gone up by three hundred percent against minors in recent years. There is no substitute for safety and neither can you stay with your children always. Self-defense is the right way to go and being trained for any threat is definitely a necessity.

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