In this episode of Chalk Talk Collective, Lakshmi Karunakaran speaks with Shivani Taneja, founder of Muskaan in Bhopal, about what it means to take these realities seriously in education.

Shivani has worked with children and marginalised communities in urban Bhopal since 1997. Muskaan works alongside Denotified and Nomadic Tribal communities, Adivasi and Dalit communities, and others experiencing social and economic marginalisation. Its educational work includes Jeevan Shiksha Pahal, a school for children who have been pushed out of or struggled within conventional schooling.

The conversation explores trauma and healing, caste and marginalisation, children's agency, teacher–child relationships, identity, dignity, language and the possibilities of creating more meaningful educational spaces that foreground love and care.

In this episode of The Chalk Talk Collective Podcast, host Lakshmi Karunakaran is joined by educator Jane Sahi to explore children, creativity, agency and alternative approaches to education.

Drawing on Jane’s decades of experience in education, the conversation examines what happens when children are expected to learn at the same pace, in the same way, and how teachers might respond differently to children who resist, withdraw or struggle to participate. They explore the role of the arts in creating spaces for experimentation, autonomy and self-expression, and consider what teachers might discover when they observe children rather than immediately judging their behaviour.

The Chalk Talk Collective Podcast is brought to you by Teacher Plus Magazine.

What You’ll Learn

• Why some classroom structures can become disruptive for children

• How children may communicate through resistance, withdrawal or unconventional behaviour

• Why observation can be more useful than immediately labelling children's behaviour

• How children's agency and choice can influence their engagement with learning

• How the arts can create spaces for experimentation, reflection and discovery

• Why creativity should not be restricted to the arts classroom

• How open-ended activities can challenge ideas of ownership, perfection and the “right” answer

• Why some children need time and trust before they are ready to participate

• How teachers can create learning environments that accommodate difference

Key Takeaways

• A child who appears disruptive may be responding to the structures and expectations of the learning environment.

• Children's behaviour can be understood as a form of communication rather than simply something that needs to be controlled.

• Observation, patience and trust can help teachers understand children more deeply.

• Giving children autonomy can create opportunities for unexpected forms of learning and engagement.

• The arts can provide children with spaces to experiment without the pressure of producing a predetermined “right” answer.

• Creativity is not limited to artistic activity; curiosity and discovery can also shape learning in subjects such as mathematics, science and language.

• Open-ended creative processes can help children and adults become more comfortable with uncertainty.

• Participation does not always look like immediate participation—sometimes children need time to watch, explore and find their own entry point.

• Teachers can learn a great deal by paying attention to what children choose to do when they are given some freedom.

• Creating space for difference may require teachers to rethink their own expectations of what learning should look like.

Resources Mentioned

• Fig Tree Learning Centre, North Bengaluru — an after-school learning centre facilitating alternative approaches to education. Around 25 students attend two sessions each week.

• Sita School — the alternative school founded by Jane Sahi, centred on holistic and child-centred education.

About the Guest

Jane Sahi has worked in education in India for several decades. She founded Sita School, an alternative school focused on holistic and child-centred education, and has been involved in alternative education, language teaching and teacher development.

Jane was also part of the team that established Fig Tree Learning Centre in north of Bengaluru. Her work has consistently explored how children learn, participate and develop agency within educational environments.

Who This Episode Is For

• Teachers and educators

• School leaders and administrators

• Arts educators

• Early childhood and primary educators

• Teacher educators

• Alternative and experiential education practitioners

• Parents and caregivers interested in children's learning

• Organisations working in education and children's development

• Anyone interested in creating more responsive and child-centred learning environments

Check out the transcript here.

How do children learn what it means to be a "boy" or a "girl"? What role do schools play in reinforcing or challenging these ideas?

In this episode of The Chalk Talk Collective, we explore why gender-sensitive education is fundamental to creating equitable classrooms.

Joining us are Tultul Biswas, Director of Eklavya Foundation, along with Isha Badkas and Sonam Kumari, who are leading the design of Eklavya's pioneering Gender in the Classroom course for teachers and educators.

Together, they unpack how gender is socially constructed, why conversations around gender should begin early, how stereotypes influence children's aspirations and identities, and what educators can do to create classrooms where every learner feels seen, respected and free to thrive.

The episode also examines:

• Why gender is learned rather than simply inherited

• Why young children are already making sense of gender

• How toys, textbooks, families and media shape gender expectations

• Gender performativity in schools and classrooms

• Creating gender-sensitive learning environments

• The role of teachers in questioning stereotypes

• What Eklavya's new Gender in the Classroom course hopes to achieve

About Eklavya Foundation

Founded in 1982, Eklavya Foundation is an educational organization based in Bhopal that works to make education more equitable, meaningful and joyful. Its work spans teacher education, science and mathematics education, children's publishing, language, social sciences and curriculum development.

Listen, Learn and Share

If this episode resonated with you, share it with fellow educators and school leaders.

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