Best Practice
(1)Title of the Practice:
“Vani Chirantani” (“Eternal Sayings”)— displaying of quotations of eminent men of letters and noble men on fortnightly basis.
Objectives of the Practice:
- Quotes give insight and wisdom
Quotations contain insight and wisdom condensed into a few words. This wisdom and insight make the path of life easier for a person to tread on. - Quotations offer hope and optimism
When in a difficult situation one is lacking in courage and confidence, remembering a quotation may give hope. It is really like a beacon of light in darkness. - Quotations teach moral values.
- A good quotation has the power to awaken happiness and to brighten the day for a person.
- Reading of enlightening quotations open the mind to see life in a wider perspective.
- Positive quotes inspire one to adopt positive thinking and take positive action.
- Motivational quotes are mood changers.
- Motivational quotes energize and rejuvenate one to take action.
The context:
Life is not a bed of roses. Our primrose way of life sometimes leads to everlasting bonfire. Then we lack confidence. Then we fail to find out a way out. Then we need the milk of human kindness. Then we need a greater teacher to guide us, so that we can play towards the hurdles of life easily. Quotations of great men of letters and of noble men can easily play the role of a teacher. Mahitosh Nandy Mahavidyalaya has felt the need of motivating, energizing and enlightening its students mostly in their trying times. Moreover, quotations of great men of letters and of noble men serve as a fountain of infinite knowledge and wisdom. For the inclusive development of a student, what the curriculum offers a student is not all. Our teachers, ransacking a definite way of implementing this desire, found out this one. We think it is a sure way of imparting insight, wisdom, hope, optimism and moral values. Not only the students, but all stakeholders are benefitted from this endeavour.
The Practice
Our faculty members and students regularly engage themselves in collecting and sorting of great quotations of eminent men of letters and noble men. Some of our students are involved frequently in writing, colouring and designing the signboard. We have sorted out them who are supposed to be experts in this work out of hundreds. Everyone engaged in this job remains enthusiastic because these quotations have an impact on our everyday life. It is now all in a day’s work for them.
Evidence of Success
Our students have learnt about the philosophies of life and teachings of so many noble men around the globe, of which they knew very little earlier. Family members, relatives and neighboring people of each of our students are being enlightened in turn from this practice. Finally, this practice has been able to make our students more disciplined, devoted and dedicated to their duties of life thereby implementing the ‘Vision’ of our college-- Discipline, Devotion and Dedication.
Problems Encountered and Resources Required
One of the major obstacles in any exercise is always time. Semester examinations, evaluation of university answer scripts, administrative duties etc sometimes hardly allow time implementing this task. Still we are doing our best to run this practice. We have no want of resources presently.
(2)Title of the Practice:
“Manan” (“Contemplation”)— a series of lectures delivered once in a month by our teachers.
Objectives of the Practice:
- To bring about a change in the personality of students.
- To inculcate knowledge, insight and wisdom in the students.
- To motivate students to gain additional information about a topic of lecture that is beyond the curriculum.
- To make value addition in the knowledge of students.
- To raise the students’ spirits to work towards their goals.
- To offer positivity, hope and optimism.
- To impart students the ability to ignite a fire within, propel them towards success and to inspire them to embrace their full potential.
- To motivate students to take action, to overcome challenges and to achieve personal and professional growth.
The context:
We believe everything we do—all successes and achievements—can be reduced to a process. There’s a process. We have discovered this process of delivering a series of lectures before our students who basically belong to lower middle class strata of the society. Most of them are destined to have limited economic, academic and technological resources. They have minimal opportunity to understand the vast world, various activities and movements that are going on in the farthest corners of the earth, and also achievements of some gifted individuals of India and overseas. This lecture series has been designed on various subjects—motivational themes, necessity of good habits, different social movements, moral values etc. With a view to enhance skills of our students to be able to apply their knowledge to face and resolve real time challenges; to develop their character; to make them more disciplined, each of our lectures is prepared. We try to relate the topics to the students' personal and professional lives, incorporate real-life scenarios, emphasizing the practical applications of the knowledge and skills being taught. In a word, this ‘best practice’ is aimed at dragging out the best in each of our students.
The Practice
Our faculty members study and contemplate on different issues throughout the year to present themselves as successful speakers before our students. They cherish the hope of dragging out the originality hidden in their students. They feel honoured to speak on such topics they love to speak, though these being beyond the syllabus. Each speaker tries their best to capture the imagination of those gathered in the hall. He does not see it as a speech to deliver at the students, but as an experience to be created with them. It is all about contributing authentic messages and stimulating holistic development. It is all about tapping into the human experience. Each lecture is followed by a question-answer session. This gives much scope to the teachers to peep into students’ minds to know about their likes and dislikes, hopes and frustrations, abilities and limitations. Students eagerly wait for a new topic, i.e., a new window to be opened before them.
Evidence of Success
This lecture series “Manan” have inspired most of our students to rethink their approach to life and actions. It has made them reshape their activities and experiences. It has poured into their mind a confidence to look back at their own abilities. It has stimulated an authentic desire in them for positive change in their life and works, with the latest benefit being a more cordial student-teacher relationship.
Problems Encountered and Resources Required
Our pressing administrative and academic duties, semester examinations etc sometimes hinder a proper execution of the task. A few of our students are still lethargic to attend these lectures. In addition, we always feel the need of a well-equipped seminar hall.