THE TEACHER WITHIN

What dolearning
objectives mean anyway? Timira

very once in a while, a momentary break in hierarchy between the teacher and the student becomes
necessary. Questions that a child would never ask a teacher otherwise are posed in such moments. On one
such afternoon, while sitting on the foor eating lunch with a few students, two boys trom clasS 6 hesitantly
asked me, "Ms. Timira, do youknow what noble gases are2" lbroke into a gentle sweat (surtacing from childhond
chemistry trauma!) and with
much humility replied, "Nope,
don't think I know." The two
overjoyed boys exchanged
high-fives, picked up their
dabbas and trotted off. Taken
by surprise, Icalled out to
them and asked, "So...what
are noble gases?" "We don't
know," they replied. "We saw
it in our chemistry textbook.
You're the head of the school,
SO we wanted to check if you

Extracting vocabulary from

artistic engagements.

Photos courtesy: Timira

20ACHER PELS RLUARY 2026

know everything that we learn," the boys laughed and
ran off to the playground.
Their response left me wondering about the meaning
of learning. The boys were not curious to know
about noble gases, but wanted to know who knew
how much about it. Our education system equates
knowledge gathering to learning. It prioritizes
collection and memorization of information over
curiosity and comprehension. In addition, there
issystematized reverence given to the holder of
knowledge. The top of that hierarchy is the principal
or head of school, next the teacher, then the students Ongoing engagements with the arts is imperative for
who get good grades and at the bottom, those who teachers to be able toextract vocabulary that they can use
don't score well. The idea of learning disappears as stimulus to layer objectives.
somewhere. Why? Because education as a 'system'
needs to have measurable outcomes. Knowledge is
measurable, learning is not. Learning experiences, as the term suggests, is amore
expansive understanding of what we are expected to
Iwould like to explore how we can reintroduce learn. It includes exploration, discovery, discussion,
learning' into our classrooms, within the limitations debate, research and documentation amidst other
of our education system. In this article, Iwill be endeavours, all of which aid learning.
relooking at the 'learning objectives' we set out with
and try to work with the intention to explore instead Layering objectives
of the need to measure. Every learning engagement has an objective. In fact,
it has multifold objectives, which can be layered
Inmy previous article Teachers as Artists (October with intention by its creator, the teacher. However,
2023). Iwrote about moving away from 'dull or most learning objectives in default lesson plans are
default pedagogy' which focusses on knowledge academic innature, focused on content and syllabus.
gathering and relies on textbook-based learning, These objectives must be observable, measurable,
thinly presented material and right and wrong and specific to what the learner willbe 'doing' in that
answers. Apedagogy where there is no desire to particular class. For instance, class 1 students must be
learn more, dig deeper, and be challenged. This able to classify plants in the five categories of trees,
default approach is created from the need to have shrubs, herbs, climbers, and creepers when shown
measurable outcomes and teachers can break free actual plants or images of them is a typical learning
from this default by looking at their teaching as a objective which is specifically cognitive in nature.
creative practice, in which they design learning if there is an aspect of drawing or writing, it extends
journeys for the students. When teachers themselves topsychonmotor objectives and with group work
begin to see value in the process of learning, it will or presentations eddd, the learning objective may
find its way into the learning journeys they plan for include, ihough raeiy, aspects from social domains.
their students.
Once a z a n : e r sOmOve away from this
While ongoing trainings and workshops that offer default N£. tAke tashare an approach i have
arts-based experiences act like a reservoir of stimulus been weking or teveral groups of teachers,
for a teacher to tap into, Ihave been exploring more which offers a ba frameworK to be able to design
structured approaches to planning 'lessons' that will a learning exieience using various objectives, lls,
support educators to break the default pedagogy. kools andtechniques after careful consideratior ari
My first move towards breaking this is to replace the fait bit ofresearch, creative thinking, and play. e
word 'lesson' with the term learning engagement'.
Changing vocabulary is an important step in changing
outlook. With the advent of this term, we break The idea ofi a g disappears
the default by relooking at the teachers as creative somewtere, Because education
practitioners who engage with new ideas, search as a system tssto have measurabie
for inspiration around them and look inward to find outcomes. Knowledge is measurable,
answers and new methods of engaging with learning. learning is not.
They are not just individuals teaching a lesson!
TEACHER PLUS, FEBRUARY 2024 l21
 thinking objective
Layer 3 - The focuses on deeper thinking.
to call this the layering' approach, in which several
objectives are laid down at the start and the teacher
can objective
Thisusea Teachers
variety of tools availablefor higher order
thinkinglike Bloom's
picks and chooses various combinations of these
objectives as the learner journeys ahead.
thinking or deeperThinking Taxonomy
Routines and add it
or Project part of this learning engagement. as
Zero's
any
alayer to
With continuous use of such routines and tools, it
Layer 1 - The academic objective
We begin with the given academic objective that becomes second nature for teachers
comes from the syllabus as we cannot dismiss it. This better questions and for students to think deeper.to
eventually
ask
will typically require students to identify, label, recall,
Thinking Routine
describe, explain, define, classify, summarize... you
get the point.
Eg: Students can use the
Wonder' while looking at the images 'See-Think.
of the plants. Or
use the routine of 'Claim-Support-Question' in which
Eg: For this layering exercise, let's take the above the group makes a claim, uses evidence to support
example of class 1students classifying plants. questions that they may have.
the claim and poses
Layer 2 - Skill and socialobjective objective
Skillobjective may entail introducing various study Layer 4 - The artful drau.
This is my favourite! This is an objective that
skills and learning tools like note-making, tabular inspiration from the arts. It is vocabulary that is found
formats, mind maps, flowcharts, or simply motor skills when a teacher is immersed in an
artisticc
and life skills like cutting, drawing, pasting, creating experience.
Here is some vocabulary that was recently extracted
visual displays, diagram making, etc. Social objectives from a group of teachers who went
through an 2
would be to create opportunities to engage in groups, engagement - asense of freedom, the feeling of being
pairs, present, take interviews, conduct surveys, etc.
supported, feeling playful, challenged, motivated
confident. A teacher can layer an existing learning
Eg: Taking the example ahead, students in groups engagement with any one of these experiences to
of four, can be asked to look at 10 images of plants,
discuss which plants are similar and group them. Create an artful objective. This is where the teacher's
creative thinking and playfulness comes in!
Using a painting and a thinking routine to bring in layered objectives.

Crceof Vienpoints
2 ITEACHER PLUS, FEBRUARY 2024
 activity. A
teacher who recently watched a wonderful
documentary film can show a clip from the film to her
students and follow it up with a thinking routine to
begin discussions and ignite curiosities in the class.
Ateacher passionate about the environment can
share an article about mowing down a forest to build
ametro, as opposed to covering content from the
textbook that tells us the 'importance of trees.'
Layers 4 and 5 bring the outside world into the
classroom. They bring in the humane in learning
Using a photograph to bring in layered objectives. processes that can otherwise be very cold. It ensures
learners are provoked or inspired or 'feel' something.
Iremember Ms. C, a geography teacher, and an
Eg: Let's take "feeling challenged as the artful absolute foodie, bringing food in every geography
objective here. Students can look for at least class. She discussed crops growing in Maharashtra
two plants in each category in and around their by havíng all her students eat thaalipeeth (a flatbread
neighbourhood and try to collect leaves from these made of millets, grains, and pulses) with loncha
plants along with finding out their names. Another (pickle). She pulled out amenu cardof a typical
example, if the teacher would like their students to Maharastrian restaurant to read the names of typical
"feel playful', they can indulge in a quick game of dishes in the region and made her students research
making trees with their bodies in groups using all the what ingredients were used in making them. Her
characteristics they have learnt, while other groups students not only learnt the names of various crops
guess which trees they have made! This will push that grew there, but also understood how important
students to make appropriate choices while feeling it was for dry states like Maharashtra to go back to
playful. eating millets which grow aplenty in arid climates.
Layer 5 - The teacher objective Ms. T, another geography teacher, while exploring
This objective is nuanced and comes from the the Rann of Kutch and discussing salt, brought in
selfhood of the teacher, from the interests, deepest stories from the Dandi March to show the sheer
passions, and worldview that the teacher holds on importance of salt as a basic right but also brought
to and lives by. However,the teacher must be very in news articles on how the rights of salt workers
mindful not to bring in their personal prejudice here on the coast of Tamil Nadu were dismissed as they
but use it to foster discussions and conversations, continued working in terrible conditions with measly
always holding a position of neutrality. wages today.

Ateacher may feel strongly about the environment or Ihave hacl the priviiege of witnessing classrooms
animalrights, gender inclusivity or human rights or transtorn from cold, iniormation-laden spaces to
can feel deeply passionate about books, films, travel, rooms full of rich discussions. It is the nature of
photography, black holes, and a myriad other things. learning to make connections across space, time,
This objective encourages the teacher to bring in their and contex! in a way hat it rings the outside world
personal passion and interests into the classroom with inso the chassoor, enabiin encouraging and
a genuine intention to share their world with their PvOking tht. ÉduciaS ANO be this structure
students. ais yiav witir tayering ia oits, ind gret
Saiisíacton and autoyn en taahing pratice
Eg: Instead of taking prints of tree images, a teacher and a real sense of feeh the cosaints
who loves books or photography can use their the default. Now mafovEsNPNOS,
OWn resOurces as part of the stimulus for the class invite you to try it!
The author is an arts-ba ha, a
My first move towards breaking children's author. She i *N CAEcutiie Dicior
'default pedagogy' is to replace the of Akshara High Schoa, noa: and has been workig
word lesson' with the term 'learning in the field of educaon kot ihe past 1 years designing
engagement'. Changing vocabulary is arts-based curriculihand training eachers. She can be
an important step in changing outlook. reached at <TeachersAsArtistsCoilective@gmail.com>

TEACHER PLUS, FEBRUARY 2024 2