The thought balcony

Stories from the Classroom When Trouble Turns a Corner by Nidhi Guglani  “Every child has a story. Sometimes, all they need is someone willing to read between the lines.” Two months ago, my classroom felt like a storm I couldn’t calm. Among the many energies and temperaments I work with every day, one child stood out—not because of brilliance or charm, but because of the sheer disruption he caused. For over a year, this child had troubled not only his peers but several teachers. His behavior was erratic and unsettling—disrupting classes, using abusive language, forging teacher signatures in others’ notebooks, scribbling nonsense across desks and books, even tearing pages. The complaints would not stop. On one particular day, I remember being called out of the staff room five or six times, unable to sit down because yet another issue had surfaced. It wasn’t just exhausting—it was emotionally draining. But what disturbed me more was something I realized during an interaction with his...

  Beyond Rote: Listening to What Our Children Aren’t Saying by Nidhi Guglani I recently had a conversation with a parent who felt their child was suffocating under the pressure of rote learning. The curriculum didn’t seem logical or engaging, and the child had begun to withdraw, showing no willingness to take initiative or explore further. That made me pause and think — is the problem rooted in the system, the curriculum, or in us as teachers and parents? There’s no single answer to this; it’s subjective and multi-layered. Personally, I feel that even the existing content — if delivered with purpose and creativity — can become interesting for most children. The issue may not always be what is being taught, but how it’s being taught. At the same time, how will a child ever discover their interest in a subject if they aren’t first exposed to it properly? Take mathematics, for example. If a child says they dislike it, is it because they fear the subject itself, or are they scar...

  Watch Less, Live More by Nidhi Guglani  We’re surrounded by content. We create it. We consume it. We share it. Whether it’s my own blog, a student’s reel, or a stranger’s travel vlog—I see an endless stream of posts, videos, stories, tips, and “how-to”s. Beauty, parenting, travel, teaching, fitness—name a category, and you’ll find hundreds of interpretations of the same thing. It’s an overwhelming ocean, constantly refreshing. Let’s take a simple example: beauty tutorials. Suppose I want to learn how to apply eyeliner. I could watch ten different influencers showing ten slightly different styles. One uses brown liner for a soft look. Another goes bold with a wing. Some use filters and glossy edits; others go raw and real. But in the end, what matters? Not which video I watched, but whether I actually picked up the liner and tried it on myself. Now take travel. I can binge-watch Switzerland through someone else’s lens—watch them walk through Lucerne’s old town, take sce...

  Balancing Discipline and Discovery by Nidhi Guglani  Every once in a while, something simple—a short video, a passing conversation, a sudden memory—nudges us into reflection. Recently, I found myself watching a few school videos shared online by students. In them, children were laughing, scribbling messages on walls and uniforms, visiting rooftops and corners of the school that are usually off-limits. These weren’t acts of rebellion. They were farewells, quiet moments of gratitude, full of nostalgia and warmth. And as I watched, I found myself smiling—then thinking. As a teacher, discipline has always been a part of how I understand learning. It creates structure. It offers direction. It helps a child grow into a responsible adult. Over the years, I’ve believed in setting limits, upholding boundaries, and reminding students that freedom must come with accountability. And yet, there’s another side. Watching those students enjoy their last days with innocent joy remi...

  From the First Row: A Teacher’s Quiet Pride by Nidhi Guglani  There are few moments in a teacher’s life when time folds in quietly and reveals how far a student has traveled. I had one such moment recently, and it left me deeply moved. He was always spirited—restless in the best way. Back in school, I had once nudged him to edit a short film inspired by the Diary of Anne Frank. His intensity was noticeable, his creative energy unmistakable. He was drawn to storytelling, to expression, to drama. And years later, that spark has turned into something much larger. He called to invite me to the screening of his latest work. A twenty-five minute short film. A creative journey where he wore many hats—director, actor, writer. It was a proud moment, the kind that quietly humbles you. What touched me even more was his gesture—reserving front-row seats for his teachers, waiting until we arrived, calling us on stage, and acknowledging our presence not just with words but with grat...