🌱 Learning Beyond Textbooks: My Journey with Students at Smarto Experiential School

Education, for me, has always been more than just chapters and exams. Over the past few weeks at Smarto Experiential School, I’ve been reflecting deeply on what really makes children connect with learning. And honestly, I’ve realized something important—students don’t just need lessons; they need connections.

🌀 Morning Circles – More Than Just a Routine

Every morning, we begin with what we call a morning circle. At first, I thought of it as just a warm-up, but soon I noticed how much it shaped the mood of the entire day. When students share their little stories—like “I saw a butterfly today” or “my puppy chewed my pencil”—it creates a bridge between their personal world and the classroom. Believe it or not, research actually shows that students who feel emotionally safe in classrooms perform 30–40% better in problem-solving tasks (I think I read this in an Edutopia article, though don’t quote me on the exact number 😅).

📊 Small Tools, Big Impact

Another thing that worked surprisingly well are KWL charts (Know–Want to know–Learned). At first, the kids found it a bit boring to fill boxes, but slowly, they started enjoying how they could see their own learning grow. And then there’s my favourite—“Thumbs up, thumbs down”. It sounds too simple to be effective, right? But it gives me a real-time check on whether they’re understanding without making them feel like they’re being tested. And kids love it because they feel like their opinion matters.

🚤 Paper Boats and School Maps – Why Projects Work

One of the most exciting moments was when I asked my students to build paper boats and connect it with a lesson on floating and sinking. Some boats sank immediately, and instead of being upset, the children actually laughed, discussed, and tried again. That’s when I realized—failure in these small tasks is actually fuel for curiosity.

Another project—mapping the school—was a huge hit. Kids suddenly became tiny explorers, measuring corridors, debating directions, and even arguing about whether the garden was “north” or “west.” It wasn’t just geography; it was teamwork, critical thinking, and even communication skills rolled into one.

🌟 Agency and Independence

One of my strongest beliefs now is that students must have agency—the power to solve things independently. When I stopped giving all the answers and instead asked guiding questions, I saw them pause, think, sometimes struggle, and then smile when they figured it out. That smile of “I did it myself” is worth more than any grade. And I admit, as a teacher, sometimes I’m tempted to just tell them the answer quickly (especially when the clock is ticking). But holding back is what really builds resilience.

✨ Final Reflection

Teaching at Smarto Experiential School has been a learning journey for me as much as it is for my students. Every small experiment—from morning circles to project-based tasks—reminds me that education is not about filling notebooks but about filling minds with curiosity.

If you ask me, the future of education lies not in teaching children what to think, but in helping them learn how to think. And yes, sometimes it’s messy, sometimes it feels slower than traditional rote-learning, but the outcome? Children who are independent, creative, and ready to face the challenges of tomorrow.

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👉 What do you think—should schools take more risks in moving away from traditional methods, even if it feels uncomfortable at first?