Induction Programme 2026
At Shikshantar, children are at the heart of our philosophy. A strong teacher development programme empowers our facilitators to create a space for expression and attain a better understanding of every child’s unique social, emotional and physical development.
As team members join the Shikshantar family, our Induction Programme gently ushers them into a progressive system of education that motivates children to question the world around them while connecting classroom experiences to their own.
This year, too, team members explored the differences between progressive and conventional approaches in education to deepen their understanding, helping them meaningfully connect the threads of discovery and learning with the children.
In a discussion weighing their impact on the classroom space, the opposing themes of free expression and rigidity came up often. Minoti Didi directed the thought towards the importance of learning the role of fear in classroom spaces and minimising it empathetically. As the discussion progressed, the team understood that fear can arrive within facilitators or students from any number of external forces which can create conflict between the facilitator and student when struggling for dynamic change.
Going through the three principles of true learning and how to effectively foster social-emotional development in children, the facilitators were able to analyse and draw linkages between different philosophies and their application in classrooms. In their familiar interactions with the children, they could identify the changes children go through as they move through different developmental stages and how to enable a sensitive and inclusive learning environment through the curriculum.
As they absorbed the educational philosophies of Aurobindo and the Mother as well as the psychological works of Vygotsky and Piaget, the team members created unique lesson plans specific to the multisensory needs and dynamics in a group. The team enjoyed the unique experience of planning lessons that integrated large motor skills and creative movements with the development of cognitive skills. To become more acquainted with these activities, the facilitators expressed their inner emotions through brush strokes, meditated to calming instrumentals, explored dance forms and outdoor physical games.
The outcome of the Induction Programme was understanding and connecting with their mental, vital and physical being and awakening of their inner worlds. It has also led to the expansion of our community of thinking and feeling individuals ready to lead the children.