Approach To Learning & Teaching

Brilliant Stars School’s (BSS) approach to learning and teaching, as framed by its teaching staff, includes:

Students are mines rich in gems, they are not ‘empty buckets’ or ‘blank sheets’ of paper to be filled in by the teacher’s knowledge.

BSS believes that students construct their own understanding of the world through interaction with the environment and other individuals. Keeping this in mind, teachers function primarily as ‘facilitators’ rather than instructors, focusing on organizing an environment, experiences and opportunities rich in learning for students. Furthermore, efforts are made to ensure that these learning experiences are student-centered and reasonably sensitive towards each individual’s unique interests, strengths and developmental needs. Learning Centers in BSS classrooms are an example of such efforts, amongst many others at the school. More on Learning Centers…

Learning takes place through the application of knowledge and understanding in the real world.

BSS has placed Service-Learning projects at the heart of its educational programming. Through the year, students are engaged in research, planning and executing self-directed service projects that help connect classroom learning to real-life problem solving. More on Service Projects...

Learning should be for understanding, not for performance on tests.

Testing is considered only as a small component of assessments at BSS. Students are engaged in the learning/inquiry of various disciplines and topics with the aim of developing a fuller understanding of themselves and the world around them. Marks, percentages and percentiles on tests are not, and should never be treated as, the prime motivating factor in a student’s desire to learn. 

Learning is better achieved through cooperation, not competition.

From the conscious decision to not assign students marks/percentages/percentiles in their term report cards, to engaging children in extensive small-group classroom and project work throughout each day, BSS maintains a working environment with virtually no room for competition to exist.

Academics, arts, physical, social and moral/spiritual education should be given equal importance by the curriculum, clearly establishing and exploiting the inherent connections between these critical areas in a child’s holistic development. BSS maintains daily class time-tables where appropriate proportions of time are devoted to the study of different academic subjects, arts, physical education, moral/spiritual education and social action.

Class size directly impacts the learning that takes place in a classroom.

Smaller classes are more manageable and effective. BSS has a strict ceiling of 30 students per class for all its grades. Furthermore, the Pre-Primary section follows a ratio of 15:1 or 30 students with 2 teachers in each class, compared to student-teacher ratios of up to 70:1 seen in some of the most respected schools in Tripura.

Parents and family are the child’s primary educators and hence the school must work in close collaboration with them.

BSS organizes regular monthly parent workshops and interactive parent-teacher meetings, in addition to the standard term-end gatherings during the school year. Parents are also involved in the planning and execution of service projects that are conducted by the students for their community at large.

Learning is a lifelong, creative and joyful process.

Schooling is not merely preparation for life, but it is in fact a part of life itself.