Guruvani: 'Obsession helps us to master a skill'

What is the biggest professional challenge that you face in your role as a principal? The biggest challenge is the gap that exists between parents and their expectations from their children and the school. All parents want their ward to excel, but are unwilling to play their part. They have forgotten that they need to invest quality time and energy and advise the child instead of just over-protecting and pampering them with technological goodies. Moral values of respect, honesty, brotherhood, basic etiquette are learnt first at homes and later improved upon at school. If parents adopt methods to imbibe these qualities, their character building becomes easy.We at DAV Pushpanjali believe that a good, robust, healthy and dependable parent-school partnership will be an asset. Teachers are second mothers to their students. Once a teacher, always a teacher. Do you agree? We as teachers or administrators live every word of this statement. I remember my time spent with students of Class 12 discussing invasions in India and the involvement of the class in the topic. It was as if all had known the reasons behind and all would know how not to let it happen again. Today if I happen to be in a class, my first instinct is to promote a discussion. This is what takes India and its youth to be most well informed in the world. Success has become an obsession with people of all ages nowadays? Comment.When we speak of obsession, we're talking about something positive: The drive to build something meaningful. Obsession isn't about working long hours just because we want to be a self-made billionaire! We are talking about putting our soul into a mission we believe in. This goes way beyond workaholism. Obsession helps us master a subject, skill, or industry like the back of our hand. What is your view on GenNext's biggest strength? Which are the key areas of improvement? Gen Next's biggest strength is exposure to information and technology. There were times when the youth got perturbed and found it difficult to manoeuvre multiple tasks but these days our younger generation does a variety of tasks well. Their strength lies in being spontaneous, cheerful and articulate. But they should be more judicious in decision making. They make hasty conjectures. In the name of spontaneity it becomes decisions taken out of personal need and peer acceptance. Also they need to trust their elders and believe in the fact that people in their family are their well wishers, therefore bonding, sense of belongingness needs to be built.Given the diverse needs of today's youngsters, what emphasis do you put on teacher training?Teacher training is the most important aspect teaching and learning. Learning is a continuous process and depending on concepts learned while getting degrees would only cause stagnation. Therefore, it is pertinent that teachers are able to update pedagogies. In DAV, teacher training is given importance and every year minimum five days of training are arranged as part of capacity building programme for each teacher organised by DAVCMC. Besides, faculty is regularly made part of workshops organised by NCERT, SCERT, CBSE and other private bodies. The school organises counselling and meditation sessions as well.What according to you is the role of media in education?Media has taken over the world by a storm. It is both good and bad. Good that nothing is hidden and everything can be brought to the knowledge of all. It is a bane that most of the time, matters are exaggerated for commercial purposes and often it has been found that the case was far-fetched and spoilt the reputation of the individual and the organisation. In all cases proper care must be taken while releasing information.Tell us about your leisure activities and how you spend time with family and friends?My leisure activity has always been and will always be reading. I read novels, newspapers, magazine articles and even readable online stuff. The quality time that I spend with my family, my staff and friends helps in unwinding. I try to find time to do meditation, yoga and pranayam, so that I can stay fit and cheerful.