Blending intellectual dexterity and independent thinking with excellence across school curriculum is embodied by Mangal Newton School. Built on the Newtonian spirit of innovation, honing emotionally intelligent children with uncompromising character and independent thinking is essential to build a strong future for the current generation according to Yash Mangal, Director, Mangal Newton School.
Mentor shares his journey as an educator and his view on the current landscape and the challenges of education.
Journey as an Educator
Yash Mangal’s journey in education began in 2006. He has always been passionate about learning and shaping young minds, finding the role of an educator and leader deeply fulfilling, and offering the chance to inspire curiosity to build a foundation for lifelong learning. As a child, he studied in boarding schools due to the lack of quality education in his town, and that’s where the idea of kids not leaving their home at a young age also drove his initiative.
In his 18 years in education, he has witnessed significant changes. Some of them are:-
Integration of technology; From chalkboards and textbooks to interactive whiteboards, learning apps, and online platforms that engage students in dynamic ways.
A significant shift from traditional, memorization-based learning to a more student-centred approach. Today, there is an emphasis on creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. This change is reflected in project-based learning, where students apply knowledge to real-world challenges.
Another important change is the increased focus on mental health and well-being. Schools are more aware of the need to support students emotionally, offering counselling and mindfulness programs to foster a balanced learning environment.
Upgrading as an Educator
Yash Mangal mentions several key core skills that his school continually works upon:
• Leadership and Management: Running a school requires both administrative skills and the ability to motivate and support a team. Effective leadership means creating an environment where both staff and students feel valued and empowered to succeed.
Explaining a real-time situation, he emphasised that they have created an organisational chart in their school so that there is no confusion for teachers or other administrative staff about their reporting heads. And, in a way, this chart or the line of command is never breached. There’s clarity about who’s answerable to whom.
They do the same with children as well. During class and group activities, teachers delegate tasks to students, but do not add unnecessary stress authoritatively.
• Technological Literacy: Staying up-to-date with new educational technologies is essential according to Yash. From virtual learning platforms to digital classroom tools, they worked hard to integrate technology into teaching and learning processes to enhance student engagement and efficiency.
Among these skills, technology is the area that requires constant adaptation as new tools emerge. Leadership and communication evolves too, but they tend to grow steadily with experience.
Yash feels that striking a balance and managing technology is a challenge, because children are exposed to AI and other innovative methods to do their homework; at school, they’re back on the road.
But passionate educators have to find innovative ways to introduce several Life Skills and one medium that he found more effective than the value education books was School Cinema.
Yet, he strongly feels that teaching them not just about technology but its flipside is also imperative. As of today, digital scams are rampant and educators need to make children aware that they could end up on either side of the spectrum. Children can get lured by a hacker or they can get lured to become a hacker. Hence, civilising them in technology is essential.
How much AI is too much AI?
According to him, nothing is too much. Knowing how to use it and how well to use it is the key. Using AI to add information to a project may be an add-on but copy-pasting the whole project generated by AI is not beneficial for a student in the long run. Plagiarism could be identified earlier but AI gives different responses to different people, and educators need to be wary of it.
• Communication and Emotional Intelligence: Strong communication is key in managing relationships with students, parents, and staff. Clear, empathetic communication fosters a collaborative and supportive school community. As a leader, it’s vital to understand and connect with people on an emotional level. Building trust and showing empathy is important for maintaining a positive school culture.
He mentioned that for a good 10 years, they had a letter exchange program with a school in Letchworth Garden City, near London, UK. 8th graders would write letters to each other; handwritten, scanned and sent to them. And then they would reply to the same letter.
So, for a student in Bihar, interacting internationally was a big deal. And for them to understand the culture of India from the horse's mouth was another interesting story which they did for a couple of years. It was very well taken and appreciated by everyone.
The Unperturbed Changes
Yash feels that despite the many changes in education, one thing that has remained constant is its core purpose: to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and a love for learning. This will always be the heart of what they do as educators.
However, he agrees about the pressures still being a manifold in deciding career options but he believes that it is important to guide students toward discovering their passions, even if it doesn’t fit within the traditional mould. The role of an educator is to equip students with the confidence to make informed choices and follow their unique paths, whether that leads them to a career in technology, the arts, social work, or any other field.
A Leader and his Challenges
According to Yash, for any educator, thinking like a leader is essential. Leadership is about more than holding a title; it’s about inspiring others, guiding them through challenges, and creating an environment where everyone can thrive.
His school emphasises that leadership is a mindset that teachers should model for students. When teachers lead by example, they help students develop skills like decision-making, collaboration, and resilience. By encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning, make decisions, and work as a team, educators play a key role in developing future leaders.
Leadership in education isn’t just about personal success—it’s about building a collaborative environment where everyone works toward common goals. This is the kind of leadership he strives to instil in students.
He mentions that in a small town like Beawar, Rajasthan, finding the right people can become a challenge due to limited choices. They need to choose within the limited resources they have, and some of these are women who have taken career breaks. While they demonstrate subject-matter expertise, they need a boost of confidence to get back to work and assume leadership roles. It becomes imperative for the management to help them get out of their shell so that they can become better role models for children.
Mangal Newton School provides a platform to both teachers and children so that they can showcase their leadership skills through several activities and tasks. Hidden talents in both of them have emerged thanks to this initiative.
Apart from Technology
While technology plays a key role in modern education, many non-technological innovations have greatly influenced teaching and learning, as per Yash Mangal:
• Project-Based and Experiential Learning: This method involves students working on long-term projects that solve real-world problems. It develops critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Hands-on experiences, such as field trips and internships, are becoming more common. These experiences allow students to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world situations, making learning more meaningful.
While class-based projects have their own importance for him, the ones that he emphasises on more are the community services that they can engage our children in. His school has, for the last ten years, tied up with two different organisations. For the first one, they collect a lot of books and they take suggestions from their own students. They come up with a list of books that can be donated.
For the second trust that deals with toys, students gain an understanding behind the reason for their collection and decide what to donate and what wouldn’t be useful. Children bring in new toys and some old ones if they’re in good condition.
Somewhere, Yash Mangal feels that this activity has brought about a feeling of empathy and altruism early in life, because empathy can’t be defined; it can be explained through several words and actions. Situations and activities like this help them empathise with those who need it the most.
• Mindfulness and Social-Emotional Learning: These practices focus on helping students manage their emotions and build resilience. They support students in developing a positive mindset and are integral to their overall well-being.
He strongly feels that educators should let students realise the importance of being a kind human being. To demonstrate some human qualities, students at Mangal Newton perform a short skit every week, two, three times in their assemblies. And they pick up issues that sensitise them and force them to think about issues such as bullying, compassion towards the weaker sections of the society or those who are emotionally stressed, and especially children with special needs. Skits are performed for children engaging their thought process but not forcing an opinion on them.
They have to understand what is right and what is wrong.
He has found that while 50-60 percent of them start thinking about these issues, the rest observe their peers and imbibe in them some of the best positive practices from around them.
• Collaborative Learning: Group work and peer-to-peer learning encourage communication, teamwork, and shared responsibility. This approach prepares students for the collaborative nature of modern workplaces.
Students are collaborating with each other in several activities, and engaging students from other schools for a wider reach. As far as educators are concerned, they can show them the path and they’ll take it on from there. Children today have another level of thinking; where educators stop, children start.
With digital collaborations, students go places because it has become simple for them to do anything they want. All schools can want for them is to have the drive and interest.
These methods, according to Yash, show that innovation in education goes beyond just technology. These approaches foster deeper, more holistic learning experiences for students.
Role of an Educator Today
To Yash Mangal, the role of an educator today is both exciting and challenging. He says that while technology offers opportunities to enhance learning, it also brings challenges that educators must navigate.
One of the main challenges is the constant need for professional development to keep up with emerging technologies. This can be time-consuming and requires ongoing training for teachers.
Another challenge is finding the right balance between technology and personal interaction. While digital tools can engage students, it’s important to maintain human connections in the classroom. Technology should complement, not replace, face-to-face learning experiences.
Furthermore, educators now have the responsibility of teaching students how to use technology responsibly. In today’s digital world, it’s crucial to instil good digital citizenship, helping students navigate the internet safely and ethically.
In conclusion, Yash Mangal says that education continues to evolve, but its fundamental purpose remains unchanged: to inspire and nurture students. As a school, it’s their responsibility to ensure that they embrace innovation while keeping their focus on creating an environment where students are supported academically, emotionally, and socially. Through thoughtful leadership, continuous professional development, and a commitment to student well-being, they can continue to provide a high-quality education that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow.
コメント