Amritsar Workshops on Careers / Multiple Natures

I just returned from a two-day trip to Amritsar, where I interacted with hundreds of teachers and students to discuss career planning. There were events in 5 schools (Springdales, Senior Study, Holy Heart Presidency, DAV International, and DAV Lawrence Road).

The teachers workshops were dynamic and energized, where I urged them to look beyond grades and the syllabus--to understand the unique personalities of each student, and to get back to the real purpose of education--identifying the natures of children and guiding and helping them achieve their potential in all spheres of life. I demonstrated how to use concepts in Multiple Intelligences (MI) and Multiple Natures (MN) as a basis for doing so.

But even more charged were the student sessions--90 minute programs with eager young guys and gals from Classes X-XII who are in the thick of preparing for board exams and deciding their career paths. I know kids--the last thing they want is to listen to some preachy adult spewing out vague platitudes about life. I walk into the room with a guitar slung over my shoulder, which tips them off that this isn't going to some run-of-the-mill counseling session. I then begin telling them when I was their age, I had a dream--of being a rock star. That I was in a band, and was sure I would be on MTV one day. (By this time, they are giggling like anything and I have their full attention.) I then explain how fate had a different plan for me, because I got a part time job as a teacher to pay the bills, and realized education was my calling. I use the MI/MN model to explain how even though my strongest MI is musical, my strongest nature is educative--which outshines my entertaining nature (but that I do keep a space for music in my educational pusuits).

Within an hour, all students understand the MI/MN model, and how it applies to them individually. They find out about Career Master and about the What's My Nature site, so they can immediately identify their natures and get some extra help from Jiva in the career planning process.

And before leaving, I finish with a few songs on the guitar. In these sessions in Amritsar, I performed "Allah Ke Bande", "No Woman No Cry", and my own rock version of "Sare Jahan Se Acha"(I thought a patriotic tune was important at a time like this)--and the kids really got into it. They asked for a Punjabi song, but I told them I'll have to prepare one for my next visit...