The modern-day student faces a myriad of stressors. While big hardships may indeed test their resilience, it's also important to recognize that resilience encompasses everyday struggles and minor setbacks. In my years of association with students, I strongly feel the teachers hold the future of our students. Whether these juvenile minds grow & soar, or not, is up to us. How we mould them and empower them, is totally in our hands. The teacher is there not only to nurture their factual & conceptual understandings, procedural knowledge and skills, but also their attitudes, confidence, self-esteem, to withstand pressure, to maintain a sense of balance and goodness amongst our students.

Every stage in a student’s life, be it early childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood, have their developmental milestones having a direct effect on their behaviour and social skills, thus influencing habits that extend into adulthood. Stress can arise from a variety of sources, including external pressures, societal expectations, biological factors, and personal circumstances. After spending three decades in the field of education, I have observed, academic demands, peer relationships, family expectations, and even internal pressures to excel can all contribute to stress for students.

It’s important to inculcate in them the practice of self-compassion, to challenge their negative thoughts, to focus on their strengths and set realistic goals for themselves. We need to motivate them to keep moving forward, regardless of the scale of the task. Whether it's dealing with a personal setback, a career disappointment, or a peer-peer crisis, resilience is a skill that should be cultivated and strengthened over time by the teacher.

We often talk about profile building to our students in Senior School. How to gain academic achievements, significance of extracurricular activities, taking up leadership roles, contributing productively towards community service, and other accomplishments, as these components play a crucial role in college applications. We also train them to navigate through tough times, adapting to change, and ultimately emerging stronger. Thus, resilience in this context becomes not just about bouncing back from specific hardships but also about continuously adapting to the complexity and unpredictability of the environment.

Mr. Naresh Chopra
Headmaster (XI and XII)