Teaching Quality Award, 2023

Humbled and honored to be recognized as one of the top 10% of the teachers at the UPES.

Teaching Quality Award, 2023

Best present on a Teacher's Day! Humbled and honored to be recognized as one of the top 10% of the teachers at the UPES.

Today on Teacher's Day, I am filled with immense gratitude as I have been honored with the Teaching Quality Award (TQ Award, 2023), and I am excited to dedicate this recognition to my incredible colleagues at the School for Life. 

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all my students, colleagues, and mentors for their constant support and inspiration. This achievement wouldn't have been possible without each and every one of you.

It's awe-inspiring to witness the impact we've had on our students' lives, and it wouldn't have been possible without your collective support and collaborative spirit. 

At the School for Life, our mission is to inspire our students with essential life skills, nurturing them to become the best versions of themselves. 

Let us continue to motivate and empower our students, shaping their futures and helping them become resilient, compassionate, and informed individuals. Once again, thank you for being incredible colleagues and friends. 

I look forward to celebrating this achievement with you all, and I am excited about the incredible journey that lies ahead. 

Here's to the power of education and the incredible journey of learning and growth! 

With heartfelt gratitude and warm regards,
Gaurav

Here's to the power of education and the incredible journey of learning and growth!

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Exciting Beginnings at PSLE!

🎓 Exciting Beginnings at PSLE! 🚀 

Together, we'll explore, learn, and grow, shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.

I am thrilled to share the incredible experience the School for Life team and I had during the Pre-Semester Learning Orientation Program (PSLE). ✨ 

As part of PSLE, we had the privilege of organizing a series of engaging sessions on life skills for the incoming cohorts of undergraduate and postgraduate students across various schools: School of Computer Science, UPES, The School of Business, UPES, UPES School of Law, School of Modern Media, UPES, School of Design UPES University, UPES School Of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES School of Advanced Engineering (SoAE), and School of Liberal Studies UPES. 

Our mission was to welcome these bright minds into the world of higher education with valuable insights and practical knowledge. 🎉 

Throughout the sessions, we conducted a wide range of insightful exercises, and ice-breaker games, and fostered meaningful interactions. 🌈 

It was incredible to witness the enthusiasm and energy these students brought to the sessions. Their eagerness to learn and grow was truly inspiring. 

🙌 The best part? The feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive! 🌟 It warms our hearts to know that our efforts made a difference in their PSLE experience. 

A big shoutout to the program committee and the schools for inviting us to be a part of this journey. 🙏 

Now, as we transition into the next phase, we're eagerly looking forward to having purposeful classroom experiences with these bright minds. 📚 

Together, we'll explore, learn, and grow, shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.🌱

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My Teaching Approach

My Teaching Approach

To follow the Andragogy model of teaching for effective facilitation of life skills education, here are 3 prime strategies as an essential part of my ‘Living Conversations’ project and they can be applied by any teacher to make the overall learning environment motivating and fun.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. 

- Confucius 

To effectively teach life skills to my students and assist them in acquiring the skills necessary to effectively navigate the challenges of life beyond the classroom, I apply the ‘Andragogy’ model of teaching that focuses on their unique learning requirements. 

Andragogy, which was developed by Malcolm Knowles in the 1960s, asserts that learning should be directed towards self-actualization, gaining experience, and problem-solving. 

To follow the Andragogy model of teaching for effective facilitation of life skills education, here are 3 prime strategies as an essential part of my ‘Living Conversations’ project and they can be applied by any teacher to make the overall learning environment motivating and fun: 

(1) Self-actualization through Reflections and Self-assessments: Students can learn more about their strengths and areas of improvement in several life skill domains by reflecting and self-evaluating. 

Weekly self-assessment exercises, reflective journaling, and one-on-one talks with the teacher or mentor are part of the ‘Living Conversations’ project to achieve this. 

(2) Gaining Experience through Team Projects: It involves engaging students in interdisciplinary projects that require them to work together to achieve common goals and apply multiple life skills such as critical thinking, communication, teamwork, leadership, and time management. 

To achieve this, my ‘Living Conversations’ project has a 50% weightage of meaningful group projects in its overall evaluation scheme. 

(3) Problem-solving through Community Outreach and Service: It involves getting students engaged in some form of problem-solving through volunteer work that helps them gain crucial soft skills like empathy, compassion, and cultural understanding. 

To achieve this, my "Living Conversations" project has a specific module on ‘Community Outreach’, allowing students to apply what they have learned to current events and develop an appreciation for social responsibility.

To paraphrase Abigail Adams, 

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence". 

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Catalyst Award Winner, 2023

Catalyst Award Winner, 2023 

We are inspired to continue pushing boundaries, embracing innovation, and striving for excellence to ensure that every student receives the best education possible.

🏆🌟 Proud Announcement: Our Team 'School for Life' Wins the Catalyst Award 2023 in Teaching & Learning! 🌍🎉

I am thrilled to share some incredible news with our LinkedIn community! Our 'School for Life' team at UPES has been honored with the prestigious Catalyst Award 2023 in the Teaching & Learning category, presented by Anthology Inc, USA. 

This recognition places us among a select group of individuals and organizations worldwide whose dedication and innovative efforts have significantly contributed to the field of education. 

Winning this esteemed award is a testament to the unwavering commitment and hard work of every member of our team. It's a true honor to be recognized for our collective efforts in improving teaching and learning practices. 

We would like to express our gratitude to Anthology Inc USA, for this incredible recognition and for providing a platform that celebrates excellence in education.

Award recipients will be celebrated during the 'Anthology Together' conference at the
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

We are excited to share that the award recipients will be celebrated at an upcoming awards ceremony during the 'Anthology Together' conference.This prestigious event will take place from July 17 to 20, 2023, at the beautiful Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 

None of this would have been possible without the unyielding support of our students, parents, and the entire 'School for Life' community. Your trust, encouragement, and collaboration have played an instrumental role in our success. 

We are immensely grateful for your belief in our vision and your ongoing commitment to providing quality education. This Catalyst Award is not just an accolade for our team (specially Atri Nautiyal, Ravindra Singh Rawat, Rekha Verma, Monika Jugran, Swati Sharma, Debadrita Chakraborty) but a recognition of the collective effort and impact we have made in the education landscape. 

What makes this recognition super-special is the fact that 2023 Catalyst Awards Nominees (in Teaching and Learning category) were from 24 different global institutions from all across the world. Here is a comprehensive list of nominees:

Bangor University North Wales	United Kingdom
Beacon Red	UAE
Dar Al-Hekma University	Saudi Arabia
Edge Hill University	United Kingdom
George Mason University and University of Florida	United States
Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University	Saudi Arabia
Jefferson State Community College	United States
Lebanese American University	Lebanon
Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna	Philippines
MCPHS University	United States
Najran University	Saudi Arabia
Nipissing University	Canada
North East Scotland College	United Kingdom
Sam Houston State University	United States
Saudi Electronic University	Saudi Arabia
Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC)	Saudi Arabia
The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)	South Africa
The University of Texas at El Paso	United States
University of Alabama	United States
University of Mississippi	United States
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES)	India
University of Phoenix	United States
University of Tabuk	Saudi Arabia
Western Kentucky University	United States

We are inspired to continue pushing boundaries, embracing innovation, and striving for excellence to ensure that every student receives the best education possible.

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“Transformation for Future - Proof Education”

The future of education is likely to involve a greater emphasis on online and distance learning.

"Transformation for
Future - Proof Education”

Recently, I had the privilege of moderating a fascinating session at the recent GUS Academic Summit on “Transformation for Future - Proof Education”. 

The future of education is likely to involve a greater emphasis on online and distance learning, as well as the integration of technology and virtual reality into the learning experience. 

Additionally, there may be a shift towards more flexible and self-paced learning, as well as a focus on providing students with practical, hands-on experience in their chosen fields. 

This could include increased use of internships, apprenticeships, and other forms of experiential learning. Overall, the goal of education in the future will be to provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in a rapidly changing and increasingly digital workforce.

Recently, I had the privilege of moderating a fascinating session at the recent GUS Academic Summit on “Transformation for Future - Proof Education”. 

I want to express my gratitude to the entire organizing team for inviting me to be a part of this event and giving me the opportunity to moderate the session. 

I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to our two excellent speakers Sheetal Khanka (PhD) and Michelle John. Their insights and contributions made the session informative and engaging for everyone in attendance. 

Thank you for sharing your experiences and expertise with us! 

Thank you Janki Shah from University Canada West, for the felicitations.

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I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to share my insights on life skills education.

My First Book Chapter

If you're interested in reading the book or my chapter specifically, it's available for purchase on Amazon. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback!

Excited to share that one of my book chapters has just been published and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to share my insights on life skills education.

The chapter, titled "Impact of Life Skills Trainings and Experiences Enables One to Deal Effectively with Challenges", focuses on the merits of life skills education for young people. I hope it will be a valuable resource for readers who are interested in life skills and training and development.

Special thanks to Dr. Divya Ahluwalia and Dr. Rashmi Gupta for their hard work in bringing this book to fruition. It was a pleasure to collaborate with them and I'm grateful for the opportunity to showcase our collective expertise.

If you're interested in reading the book or my chapter specifically, it's available for purchase on Amazon. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback!

 I'm grateful for the opportunity to showcase our collective expertise.

Book Title: Life Skills - A Gateway to Happiness

ISBN: 978-93-5605-088-4

Publisher: My Authors Hub

Find below the link for the book here:

https://amzn.to/3jzqKu8

Share with your connections if worth a read!

#bookchapter #publication #academia #research #author #lifeskills #traininganddevelopment #highereducation 

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#ThankfulGratefulBlessed

My heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout my journey and helped me achieve this wonderful milestone.

#ThankfulGratefulBlessed

My heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout my journey and helped me achieve this wonderful milestone: UPES Annual Award for Academic Excellence 🏆

I feel honored to be a part of an awesome School of Liberal Studies team that inspires me to be better and give my best every day. 💫

I would like to express my gratitude to Ram Sharma and Dr. Shubhashis Gangopadhyay for all the encouragement and guidance 🙏🏻 

Dear Atri Nautiyal, your unwavering support and positive leadership have been a source of motivation since the very beginning. Thanks for everything, Captain Cool 🌟 

Dear Aswani Dravid, your trust in me and in my abilities has made me do things which I could have never imagined in the past. Congratulations to you too 💐 

Thank you Pooja Khanna, Ritam Dutta, Ravindra Singh Rawat, Yamini Negi, Dr. Shalini Vohra, Dr. Annapurna Parige Nippani Dr. Sunita Bhola, Bharti Singh, Nishant Mishra, Shatavisha Mustafi, Mariyam Ilyas Siddiqui, Dr Richa Chilana, Bitopi Dutta, and Raghavan S for always being there 💙

Thank You very much for all your lovely wishes 🌸

Best regards to everyone
Gaurav

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