Fostering Critical Thinking and Collaboration
Building Voices, Ideas, and Confidence in a Village Classroom
Brahmanwade, a small village of 2,500 people just nine kilometres from Nashik city, is a place where families work tirelessly as farmhands, temple employees, or hotel workers. Children here often carry heavy responsibilities outside school, leaving little room for exploration, play, or discussion-based learning. In the Grade 4 classroom at Zilla Parishad School, many students struggled to express their ideas, listen to others, or work together meaningfully. The classroom was dominated by a few confident voices, while others remained quiet, hesitant to participate.
Enter CEQUE Coach Radha Raut, with a mission to transform the classroom into a space where every child could think critically, collaborate, and speak with confidence. During her first visit, students watched videos from CEQUE’s TeacherPages platform, sparking curiosity and providing a shared point of discussion. Radha guided the teacher, Nivant Shankar Malekar, to design interactive sessions where every student had a voice.
Students were divided into small groups to discuss topics like friendship, honesty, effort, and the value of time. Each group was tasked with creating their own “Inspirational Thoughts” (Suvichar), drawing from personal experiences. The room buzzed with conversation — ideas clashing, merging, and evolving. Some groups reflected on small daily acts, like cleaning the classroom; others considered how they could help friends or organise their time better. Finally, each group presented their Suvichar to the class, and the room erupted in applause, celebrating every voice.
By the end of the program, students had not only learned to work collaboratively but also to reflect, express themselves, and listen attentively. Confidence had grown; creativity flourished; and a previously quiet classroom now hummed with dialogue. Nivant Sir observed his students in a new light and began implementing these participatory methods in other classes.
Brahmanwade’s Grade 4 classroom is now more than a place to memorise lessons — it is a vibrant learning space where children discover their voices, develop critical thinking, and practice collaboration. CEQUE’s coaching has shown that with the right guidance, even small villages can nurture classrooms where every child participates, learns, and thrives.
