“The happiness of our life depends upon the quality of our thoughts.”- Marcus Aurelius
In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive world, the well-being of our students is a growing concern. As educators, it is our foremost responsibility to recognize the importance of fostering not only academic excellence but also emotional strength. The happiness quotient in every student needs paramount precedence as it directly affects their overall well-being, academic performance, and future success.
At Uttam School for Girls, we believe that true education is imbibing the right values to bring out the goodness in every child! In this regard, we have a well-structured Happiness Quest Programme that keeps up the happiness quotient of young minds.
Keeping up with this ethos we are a pilot school for The Awakening Program by Ramakrishna Mission. The value classes conducted in the primary wing aim at awakening the values and forming the character of little minds which builds Atmashraddha and empowers every individual to make responsible choices. These classes are aimed at providing the right orientation to young minds to adopt values such as Sharing and Caring, Being Respectful, Facing Challenges and Doing their Best to enable them to respond to life’s challenges better when they grow up. Emphasis is on imbibing the values and adopting them voluntarily which activate personal growth and builds stronger characters.
Embracing these values voluntarily helps them prioritize their mental health, manage their emotions, and develop healthy habits to overcome challenging situations.
The values in these happiness classes create an atmosphere of positivity, promote kindness and empathy and celebrate diversity. Each value/class gets triggered by a grade-appropriate character facing real-time scenarios in a story form and applying the values to overcome the challenges.
These stories help evoke emotions and definitely create a strong emotional connection with the students. The engaging narration by the teachers, real-time characters and challenging situations elicit empathy, compassion, and a range of emotions. Many case studies also trigger personal reflection and self-discovery. They invite students to reflect on their own experiences and make personal connections. Characters’ struggles, growth, dilemma and triumphs resonate with students, leading to self-reflection and introspection. By identifying with characters and their journeys, students gain insights into their own emotions, challenges, and aspirations, fostering personal growth and self-awareness. When the characters overcome their struggles and evolve as positive and stronger human beings by adopting the values, students draw inspiration from the characters’ determination and use these stories as a source of encouragement during their own challenges, academically and in their personal lives.
Every story is followed by dynamic hands-on activities like – story maps, web charts, role plays, case studies, and interviewing people around us – that help us understand these values and relate them to the real world.
Along with creating a valuable environment, these classes also encourage and promote 21st century skills among our students.
It encourages emotional intelligence as students learn to identify and manage their emotions and of others. It enhances self and social awareness which are vital for 21st century workplace. The follow-up activities and discussions promote effective communication, collaborations skills, problem solving and critical thinking. Developing these skills prepares the student to navigate complex challenges, make informed decisions, and think critically in the rapidly changing world.
It has been observed that happy students are emotionally stable. They are more likely to have positive self-esteem, feel confident in their abilities, and have a positive outlook on life. When students are happy, they are more engaged, motivated, and focused in their learning. Positive emotions enhance cognitive functioning, memory retention, and information processing, making it easier for students to grasp and retain knowledge. Moreover, happiness stimulates creativity and problem-solving skills, leading to more innovative thinking and academic success. Happy students foster positive relations between students and teachers. Happiness in students sets the foundation for long-term success and fulfilment.
Ms. Deepshika Saraf
Department of Social Science
