Beyond Marks: Helping Students Thrive in Board Exams

 

Beyond Marks: Helping Students Thrive in Board Exams

A clarion call for parents, teachers, and learners to focus on preparation, resilience, and self-belief—not just results.

“With the boards around the corner, the real question is not whether learners are ready—but how we can improve the guidance, reassurance, and encouragement we provide, so they face the challenges ahead with self-belief and resilience.”

Every year, as the CBSE Board examinations for Grades 10 and 12 approach, tension builds in familiar ways. Classrooms grow quieter, homes more tense. Some young people seem confident, even relaxed, but many others are anxious and uncertain. They fear failing, disappointing their families, or not meeting expectations, sometimes without fully understanding them.

There is no denying it—achievements matter. They reflect the effort, preparation, and dedication learners put in, and they play a role in shaping future opportunities, including college admissions. Yet, marks should never define a pupil’s worth or overwhelm their poise.

Too often, we hear of learners becoming overwhelmed by stress, before, during, or after assessments. These stories remind us that academic pressure, if unchecked, can affect far more than grades. No examination, no outcome, is worth such a cost.

Which is why this period calls not for panic, but for perspective.

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There is Still Time to Make a Difference

The good news is that there is still time. How we use it now can make a real difference. Make every day count, but do it wisely. Pace yourself, take breaks, and rest when needed. Balanced, consistent effort now will pay off far more than frantic last-minute work ever could.

Families naturally hope for the best from their young people, and teachers foster effort and excellence. The boards are never easy, no matter how prepared learners may be. But when the tension is framed as guidance rather than criticism, it becomes a source of mentorship. Pupils need to know they are supported, that their efforts are recognized, and that asking for help or pausing to reflect strengthens their inner strength.

Looking back at classrooms over the years, I have seen the same nerves, but today there is also greater resilience and assurance. Learners who perform well do not necessarily study longer—they study smarter. They plan, revise strategically, focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing blindly, practice past papers, identify weak areas early, and ask for help when needed. Most importantly, they do not leave everything to the last minute.

Good learners also protect their routines. They sleep properly, eat well, and take short breaks. A tired mind cannot perform at its best, no matter how many hours are spent with a book open.

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Smart Study: How to Prepare Effectively

For young people, here’s how to study effectively:

• Make a realistic study plan and stick to it.
• Break subjects into manageable sections, focusing on one topic at a time.
• Revise regularly instead of cramming.
• Practice writing answers under time limits.
• Ask questions early; doubt is not weakness.
• Review mistakes and learn from them.
• Balance effort with rest.
• Focus on understanding, not just memorizing.
• Stay consistent rather than intense.
• Keep a positive mindset and avoid unhealthy comparisons.

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Understanding Your Learner: Generation Z in Focus

Families should remember that today’s learners—Generation Z—study differently. We cannot expect children to learn exactly as we once did. Some focus best in silence, others with music or background noise. Some take frequent short breaks to stay alert. Generation Z has grown up in a fast-paced, technology-rich world, and their expectations for learning, engagement, and feedback are different from ours. The key is to observe and understand your child’s learning style and help them find the rhythm that works. Flexibility encourages engagement, self-assurance, and effective preparation.

There is a perceptible shift in the mindset of teachers today, moving away from simply telling learners what to do, toward guiding, mentoring, and understanding the mental makeup of teens. Educators now pay more attention to individual needs, offering advice and reassurance instead of rigid instruction. This shift is vital and bodes well for the future of education.

For families, this is a time to be anchors, not amplifiers of anxiety. Encourage without comparing. Support without pressuring. Listen more than you speak, and let your child know your belief in them does not depend on a percentage. It’s also common for families and their children to clash over study routines or expectations during this period. Small disagreements can quickly escalate if emotions run high. The key is to stay calm, communicate openly, and focus on understanding each other. Families can set expectations gently, while learners can explain their approach and needs. Mutual respect and patience go a long way in reducing tension and keeping preparation on track.

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Schools, Families, and Teachers: Shaping Success Together

For schools, particularly in the UAE, this is a chance to celebrate progress. UAE schools are exceptionally well-structured, with strong academic support, professional guidance, mentoring, and counselling services. From well-planned curricula to learner-focused approaches and holistic development programs, the environment is designed not just for results, but for nurturing resilient, confident young people. Pupils here are fortunate to have such a foundation, and it is up to all of us—teachers, families, and schools—to make the most of it.

Boards will end. Results will come. Some learners will celebrate, others will reflect. Life moves forward—with multiple paths, second chances, and opportunities that no marksheet can fully predict.

As a senior educator, I have seen the incredible potential in our pupils—not just in academics, but in their courage, creativity, and resilience. If we guide them with calm, perspective, and reassurance, this period can become less about fear and more about growth. True achievement is not only in the marks students earn, but in the inner strength, habits, and mindset they carry forward into life.

We are all learning—teachers, families, and learners alike—but we must continue to strive to do more and do better for our pupils. Every step we take to mentor, reassure, and inspire them shapes not just their achievements, but their self-assurance, resilience, and love for learning.

This year, let’s make it different. Let’s answer the clarion call: guide, reassure, and inspire our young people—so that when the boards are over, they walk away not just with results, but with belief in themselves and their future.

Practical takeaway: Organize your time, review steadily, and let each small effort count. Take things one step at a time, and trust yourself—you are capable of more than you think. Marks matter, but so does perspective. Your resilience, curiosity, and sense of humour are what really carry you forward—so don’t forget to smile between revisions !.

Good wishes to all !

Wings and Whispers

 Wings and Whispers

I sit outside

before the city wakes.

The garden is alive.

Sparrows arrive first—

noisy, impatient,

eating fast, gone before goodbye.

Mynas slip in—

alert, watchful, claiming gaps.

Pigeons land with clumsy weight,

Eager doves hover at the edges,

neither rushes.

Some eat.

Some carry food away—

for young, for later, for somewhere else.

Crows take hard bread,

dip it in water,

don’t rush, don’t waste

Smart birds indeed!

A woodpecker taps the tree,

checks, moves on.

Butterflies drift,

landing on flowers,

colors stitched into the greenery.

Leaves sway in a gentle rhythm,

flowers nod,

the air hums with wings and life.

Jostling, fly-bys,

the quiet rule of the jungle at work.

No one stays forever.

No one takes it all.

Different needs.

Different ways.

One shared space.

By the time the feeder empties,

the lesson is gone with them.

The city wakes.

I linger,

wondering why we make living together harder than it needs to be.

We all eat too much

 NO MATTER THE FESTIVAL - WE ALL EAT TOO MUCH 

Have you ever noticed that no festival in human history has ended with the sentence:

“Good thing we cooked just the right amount.”

Irrespective of your country, family size, age, gender, time of day, mood, height, or weight—there is one universal festive law:

You will overeat.

You will feel bloated and uncomfortable.

You will complain about it.

You might take a digestive pill with deep sincerity.

And then—because restraint is seasonal—you will eat some more.

It happens everywhere: at your house, relatives’ houses, friends’ places, work parties, and even restaurants where “sharing” is optional.

> “Everyone just eats. Constantly. Enthusiastically. Without learning.”

And it’s not just Christmas.

It’s Eid, where the biryani has no finish line.

Diwali, where sweets appear from cupboards, drawers, and handbags.

Holi, where gujiyas ambush you between colours.

Thanksgiving, where gratitude is measured in helpings.

Lunar New Year, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, housewarmings—

If humans are gathering, food will not just be present; it will be assertive.

Which brings us to the mystery:

Why do we cook so much… and then buy more?

Because festive logic shuts down the rational part of the brain.

We cook like an army is arriving.

Halfway through, panic sets in:

“What if it’s not enough?”

Not because people are hungry—but because running out of food would be a social crime.

> “Everything was lovely, but the food got over very fast.”

No one remembers festivals where there was just enough food. Everyone remembers:

“They didn’t even insist properly.”

So we hedge our dignity with extra dishes, emergency sweets, backup snacks, and one mysterious item no one planned but everyone insists is essential.

There is also hope involved:

Hope cousins will drop by.

Hope neighbours will “just come for five minutes.”

Hope people will suddenly eat less rice and more salad (they won’t).

From childhood to adulthood, we’ve been saying the same things:

> “I shouldn’t have eaten so much.”

“I’m done now.”

“Just one more bite.”

Maybe it’s culture. Maybe it’s love. Maybe it’s unresolved emotional issues served with chutney.

Festivals teach one enduring truth:

Self-control is seasonal, digestion is optional, and leftovers are proof that hope—and second helpings—exist.

We eat. We groan. We pop a digestive pill. And then, inevitably… we eat again.

Because no matter the festival, overeating is the only tradition we never skip.

And then, like clockwork, most people’s New Year’s resolutions appear:

Exercise. Lose weight. Get fit.

Ah yes—the eternal cycle: eat, regret, resolve… repeat.

The Crucible of Leadership

 

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The Crucible of Leadership: Calm in the Fire

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge.”
—Martin Luther King Jr.

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When Leadership Is Tested

Think for a moment: when was the last time your leadership was truly tested—not by competence or brilliance, but by behaviour that was unreasonable, insecure, inexperienced, or unrelenting—and how did you respond when patience was stretched, judgment questioned, and composure demanded more than usual? Leadership is measured not by comfort, but by the steadiness, clarity, and maturity with which it is exercised under pressure.

True leadership shows itself under strain, among those whose habits, attitudes, or decisions clash with the standards we hold for ourselves and others. Anyone can lead when alignment is easy and competence consistent; the leadership that leaves a tangible mark arises only when skill is uneven, resistance persistent, and patience tested—especially when groupthink tempts teams to accept the easy consensus rather than confront the crux of the matter.

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Leading Through Resistance

Extremely early in my career, I faced an extremely challenging situation where a single, unprepared colleague could have derailed an entire project, and my first instinct was irritation, sharp words, and withdrawal. Over time, I realized these moments are not interruptions—they are the work itself.

Effective leadership in these situations requires:

1. Composure: Respond calmly, even when provoked.
2. Perspective: Use humour or reflection to diffuse tension and maintain clarity.
3. Boundaries: Never allow anyone to steer you off course or compel submission.

Standards are non-negotiable. Professionalism, preparation, clarity, and responsibility must guide every decision. When standards are violated, decisions fall short, or protocols ignored, frustration is plausible and inevitable. On one occasion, a critical deadline slipped, and my first instinct was sharp criticism; yet I realized leadership demanded patience and guidance rather than venting irritation—a humungous lesson in composure that shaped how I lead today. Patience may feel tantamount to endorsing mediocrity, but unchecked sharp reactions quietly erode influence, and lethargic leadership spreads, draining energy and initiative.

Unexamined irritation narrows perception, turning assessment into grievance and correction into reaction. Language sharpens unnecessarily, and empathy is dismissed as indulgent, even ridiculous; over time, rigidity can be mistaken for resolve, and control for strength. What remains may appear as leadership, but it no longer inspires, develops, or persuades.

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Authority, Mentorship, and Influence

Experienced leaders understand this instinctively: emotional discipline is not softness—it is command. Recognizing your triggers without succumbing to them allows for precision; expectations remain high, standards firm, and responses deliberate and effective. It is in this tension—between uncompromising standards and composure under pressure—that mentorship flourishes.

Mentors do not excuse insecurity, nor romanticize inexperience; they do not overlook unreasonable behaviour or feign tolerance for unpreparedness, and they refuse to ridicule, belittle, or govern through contempt. Growth occurs between correction and reflection, and people rarely develop when critique is delivered with heat rather than clarity.

In education, tone is never incidental—it is instructional. Students, staff, and colleagues learn as much from how authority is exercised as from what is said, and leaders who respond to challenge with composure and a touch of humour model reflection, restraint, maturity, and accountability—without compromising standards or diminishing expectation.

Authority, when secure, is quiet, announcing itself not through impatience or posture but through consistency, discernment, and unwavering principle; such leadership creates stability, allows difficult conversations without defensiveness, and ensures correction lands with precision—even when the challenges are humungous.

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Lessons in Composure

Difficult people are inevitable; what is optional is allowing them to make us smaller. Leadership is proven not by how we manage the agreeable, but by how we handle the unreasonable without rigidity, the insecure without condescension, and the inexperienced without derision. Leadership is revealed not in position, but in composure, influence, and restraint.

“Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”
—Peter Drucker

Leadership is tested—and defined—by how we respond to the unreasonable, the inexperienced, and the unrelenting, while maintaining maturity, perspective, and even a touch of humour.

Leadership is a continuous journey, and resilience is its measure.

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The power of humane leadership

 The Power of Humane Leadership: Touching Minds and Hearts

Over forty years in education—from classrooms to leadership roles—I have learned a simple truth: people flourish under leadership that empowers, inspires, and leaves a lasting mark. Leadership is not measured by title, authority, or control. It is measured by the environments we create, the confidence we inspire, and the potential we unlock. True leadership is humane, guided by empathy, respect, and care. This lesson has shaped my journey from teaching English Literature to leading schools and continues to guide every decision I make.

Teaching senior pupils revealed more about leadership than any title ever could. Guiding students through complex texts demanded patience, trust, and the discipline to step back and let their thinking take the lead. Leadership meant creating space—for interpretation, challenge, and bold intellectual risk. Allowing students to wrestle with ideas rather than providing every answer taught me that leadership succeeds when it nurtures growth rather than enforces compliance. Creativity and curiosity flourish where individuality is respected, and leadership thrives in conditions rooted in love and empathy.

Later, I led colleagues often older and more experienced than myself. Authority alone carried little weight. Leadership required credibility, humility, and respect, combined with careful listening, honoring experience, and earning trust through consistent action. True leaders are authentic: principled, consistent, and humane, walking the path as much as they talk. Trust is earned when words and actions align. Leadership is about inspiring belief—in people, in ideas, and in what can be achieved together. Leadership is most powerful when it fosters confidence and autonomy rather than dependence or fear. I have seen this humane leadership exemplified in the respected rulers of the UAE, whose vision, empathy, and integrity continue to inspire me deeply.

This principle remains vivid today. Former pupils, now thriving professionally across the globe, often reconnect. Some are leading teams, some shaping communities, and others pursuing creative or academic passions they once hesitated to explore. Our conversations are equal, yet tinged with quiet respect and enduring trust—a reminder that leadership rooted in care and conviction leaves footprints long after the classroom lights go out. No matter how far they have come professionally, they still greet me with the respect and warmth of a student to their teacher. They often share how encouragement, guidance, or simply the space to think independently shaped their confidence, their choices, and the leaders they have become. Leadership is measured not in immediate results but in the legacy it leaves: in the confidence instilled, the risks embraced, and the courage nurtured in others.

“Leadership is measured not in immediate results, but in the legacy it leaves.”

No one thrives under constant criticism or micromanagement. The strongest leaders know when to step forward and when to step back, when to guide and when to let others soar. Leadership provides support without smothering, direction without controlling, and challenge without diminishing confidence. Those who master this balance create environments where skill, ownership, and confidence grow naturally. Leadership is relational; it requires empathy, clarity, and humane judgment, responding thoughtfully while nurturing long-term growth.

Presence matters. The most effective leaders bring clarity, steadiness, and calm assurance. When they enter a space, the atmosphere shifts—thinking sharpens, collaboration deepens, and decisions strengthen. Organizations flourish when leadership develops others—not by directing every step but by spotting potential, encouraging growth, and creating meaningful opportunities. Great leaders do not need all the answers; they create conditions where responsibility is shared, trust is visible, and confidence thrives.

Leadership is often mistaken for authority, control, or the loudest voice in the room. In reality, it is simpler—and far more demanding. It is the daily work of shaping conditions where others succeed, listening with intent, acting with integrity, and making decisions that serve people and purpose rather than ego. Leadership is measured in the people we lift, the ideas we nurture, and the courage we ignite.

The leaders who make the deepest impact are shaped by empathy and experience, not privilege or ease. They have faced adversity, weathered uncertainty, and remember what it feels like to need encouragement rather than instruction. Compassionate, emotionally intelligent leaders listen before acting, treat others with dignity, and guide with insight as much as authority.

“The heart must lead—shaping purpose, trust, and connection—while the head guides every decision.”

True leadership lasts long after the leader has stepped aside, and it is measured not by the position one holds or the title one carries, but by the presence one leaves behind—the quiet influence that inspires, the steadfast belief that empowers, and the enduring legacy that shapes others. The most memorable leaders touch hearts as well as minds, listening with empathy, guiding with care, and acting with integrity, creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and capable of more than they ever imagined. Leadership is remembered not for what one does alone, but for the confidence, courage, and humanity one awakens in others, and for the way it transforms ordinary moments into opportunities for growth, connection, and hope.

The Quiet Art of Negotiation

 

The Quiet Art of Negotiation: How Everyday Conversations Shape a Lifetime

A reflective look at how quiet, everyday exchanges shape our decisions, relationships, and sense of agency.

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Have you ever noticed that every interaction in life is really a negotiation? From toddlers refusing broccoli to teenagers lobbying for the latest gadgets, life is one continuous exercise in give-and-take — and we rarely pause to examine it.

I see this truth the moment I wake up. Chanel, my cat and a seasoned negotiator, leaps onto me with the confidence of a creature who owns the house and merely permits my presence in it. She wants breakfast, I want peace — and she always wins. Even before my eyes are open, I’m reminded that navigating outcomes is woven into everyday life.

After more than 40 years in education, I’ve negotiated nearly every aspect of school life: responsibilities, schedules, committee assignments, parent feedback, recruitment interviews, and countless student requests. Some conversations were effortless; others required the strategic patience of a chess match. These exchanges are not casual “soft skills” — they are subtle, continuous, and essential. They shape relationships, influence outcomes, and build trust. I often remind colleagues and students that mastery isn’t about winning; it’s about navigating life with respect, insight, and understanding.

Then there is spousal negotiation — the ultimate arena. Husbands and wives bargain constantly: where to eat, how to decorate, what to buy, where to holiday. But in most households, the final decision is rarely in doubt. Certain discussions call for a graceful bow, a quiet surrender, and the acceptance of defeat — whether it concerns dinner, gifts, or travel plans. Knowing when to compromise, when to stand firm, and when to smile and yield is a masterclass in domestic diplomacy.

Life is full of conversations, but not all serve the same purpose. Some are arguments aimed at proving a point; others are exchanges seeking the best possible outcome. True skill lies in balance, compromise, and mutual satisfaction. Effective communicators also read the unspoken: tone, posture, and gestures often reveal more than words.

Even toddlers are instinctive strategists. Ask them to eat vegetables, share a toy, or go to bed, and you’ll witness their techniques. They stall, distract, plead, and appeal to “fairness” with a solemnity that suggests deep injustice. Bedtime is a masterclass: one more story, another sip of water, promises to be “super good tomorrow” — all designed to delay the inevitable.

By the teenage years, negotiation becomes more sophisticated. Whether it’s a request for a new phone, extra pocket money, or a late-night outing, teenagers approach discussions with charm and strategy. Millennials relied on persistence; Gen Z adds evidence, statistics, and social media comparisons. Many young people today have refined a skill that adults are still learning.

I consider myself a seasoned negotiator — decades in education will do that — yet my grandkids, aged four and two, remind me daily that the fiercest negotiators come in the smallest sizes. Tiny, tireless, and fearless, they are masters of persuasion, distraction, and charm. It’s humbling, hilarious, and a reminder that we begin practising these skills almost from birth.

Families continue these dances daily: where to eat, who washes the dishes, whose turn it is to drive, which movie to watch, who gets the remote. Beyond the home, the stakes rise. Carpenters, electricians, tailors, tricksters, doctors, dealers, banks, and bureaucrats each have their own rules of engagement. Even fellow travellers negotiate their way through queues, boarding gates, and overhead-bin real estate.

The practice of bargaining is ancient. Early humans traded meat for fire; tribes bartered tools, land, marriages, peace, and power. Courts, banks, governments, airports — all run on structured conversations and calibrated outcomes.

Yet despite its importance, formal lessons in negotiation are rare. Most children learn by observing family dynamics, working through school projects, or taking on leadership roles. Some schools are now creating spaces where students can practise these skills intentionally. The goal isn’t to replace traditional subjects, but to complement them — helping young people advocate for themselves, resolve differences, and balance confidence with empathy.

From birth to death, and in every space in between, we exchange ideas, make compromises, and influence outcomes — often without noticing. Negotiation is more than a practical skill; it is a fundamental art that shapes every relationship, every decision, and ultimately, our ability to succeed. Mastering its nuances doesn’t just help us navigate life — it empowers us to shape it. Life rarely hands us victories; it hands us opportunities to negotiate them.

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The Timeless Language of Prayer

 

The Timeless Language of Prayer

From whispered hopes to simple words, prayer connects us to something beyond ourselves, across time and cultures.

Prayer has always been a quiet anchor in my life, a gentle pause that steadies the mind and calms the heart. From the first words I learned as a child—short night prayers that brought comfort and focus—it has guided me through fear, uncertainty, and moments of hope. It did not belong only to bedtime; it rose before journeys, in moments of worry, beside those who were unwell, and even before tests and exams. I often watched elders pray at home—voices soft, hands folded, eyes lowered—and I realized that prayer was less about ritual and more about connection, a way to gather oneself and reach beyond the immediate.

Across history, humans have turned to prayer whenever they faced uncertainty, hope, or gratitude. Traditions from all cultures reflect the same longing: to be guided, to be understood, to find strength. Even in moments of triumph, a sportsman may lift his eyes to the sky after scoring a goal in football, strike an ace in tennis, cross the finish line in a race, clear a high bar in pole vaulting, or complete a century in cricket. These quiet gestures of thanks show that prayer can be instinctive, natural, and deeply personal. It is a practice that transcends age, faith, and circumstance.

Prayer flows both through crowds and solitude. It rises in halls filled with voices and rests in quiet corners by rivers, on mountain paths, or beneath trees. It asks for no perfection, no special words, no formal permission. It belongs to anyone who opens their heart—those who are weary, hopeful, grateful, or searching. In every case, it is a language of intention, a way of acknowledging that life is larger than ourselves.

Kahlil Gibran once wrote, “Prayer is the hidden longing of the heart.” These words capture the essence of what I have always felt: that prayer is not merely words or ceremony, but an instinctive reaching toward something beyond ourselves—a quiet, private dialogue with hope, courage, and gratitude.

There is a saying I once heard: “When you pray, coincidences happen; when you do not, they do not.” Perhaps it is mystery, or perhaps it is the shift prayer brings within—the way it steadies the mind, calms fear, and sharpens focus. Prayer teaches us to look inward even as it reaches outward, connecting the personal to the universal, the individual to the larger flow of life.

Prayer is also found in the natural world. In the flow of rivers, the rustle of leaves, the soft light of dawn, or the pause before rain, there is a quiet language that asks nothing but attention. Nature itself offers moments that feel like prayer, inviting reflection, stillness, and gratitude.

Even music, poetry, and stories carry this instinct to reach beyond ourselves. Human voices have long turned longing into song, and gratitude into rhythm. These are prayers too—not shaped by doctrine, not bound by words or form, but by the deep human impulse to express hope, thanks, or need.

Ultimately, prayer is timeless and universal. It is the quiet breath before courage, the gentle hand that steadies us in fear, the invisible thread stitching one heart to another. It is the soft hush in the middle of a busy day, the warmth that settles quietly in the chest, the gentle pause that reminds us of all that is good, all that is larger than ourselves. And in that silent space between the seen and unseen, prayer blooms quietly, fully, and endlessly—reminding us, softly, that we are never alone.