If you give thought to diversity in American classrooms, the problems seem to centre on women and persons of color. May be bias affects all groups, but they get worse when targeted at these two groups. If you have grown up in diversity-rich areas you might have got a hang on moving in a diverse campus. You might view cultural diversity with a sense of wonder. You may see what is initially confusing with growing res

If our aim is to open higher education for all those who want it, then diversity in classrooms becomes an inevitable consequence. In a country whose historical milestones have been marked by the arrival of immigrants, diversity is something you recognize and embrace. Then there are women. Diversity had to be a natural happening at some point in history. Here it is not a question of why are they here, it is simply h

Eiden’s sister, a grade IV student came up with interesting news the other day. Her California school was celebrating “Diversity Day” she said. And she had to talk about her Indian festivals. “Great!” I said. “A lot of your white American classmates will enjoy knowing about Diwali and Holi.” “Not really,” she pursed her lips. “In my classroom only the teacher is white American. Students are most

We saw the first three points in the instant check-list for essay writing. Let’s find out the rest. (4) Have you checked the tense of the verbs used? Throughout the essay, is your analysis done in the literary-present tense? Ex: The author prepares his setting with facts from history and places his characters in suitable spots. (5) Does the essay sound like a string of quotations with nothing of your thinking? [T

A request came for a checklist for the final drafting of an essay. “What should I be looking for in the essay to get good grades?” was the question. Here is the answer. It is in no way complete, but how many can you remember for a quick check-up? Before you run through the check-list, there are two things you need to do: [1] Revise. Never be lazy about this. I complete my stories at night, and revise them in th

After a long time, I’ve decided to take up a specific question in writing. It’s about the length of a sentence. Oh, yes, we know a sentence – not the ones awarded in a courtroom – can be just one word: “Stop!” It could have two words and so on. But that is not the bug-bite here. It is the other end of the limit. How long is too long? When do we pause while punching in to say, 

Howdy, did you manage to crack it? Here are the answers. Compare! The answers are in bold. Did you notice that the prepositions given stand for time, place, and motion? [1] Mundra stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. [2] As Mundra stood silently in the elevator, the woman beside him began to sing. [3] The woman was wearing a paper crown on her head. [4] Mundra was scheduled for an a

Isn’t it time for a quiz? This time it is on prepositions. I’m choosing this because of an article I read on the decline in the use of correct propositions. We are all preposition-challenged, [or is it “prepositionally-challenged”?] said the story. Check out! Choose the most appropriate preposition from those given between the brackets and complete the sentences. When you’re done, compare your respons

What next? [1] What I do. Read through the writing several times. Does it read easy? Can your reader follow your thought through each sentence? Cut down the length of the sentences. Mix long and short ones judiciously. Use simple words. Put them in direct sentences. Why do you write – to reach your readers or to show off your vocabulary list? “Pomposity and long-windedness tend to obscure meaning, or reveal the

Last week I was invited to speak to a group of people who had paid to learn about the basics of writing well. I faced a heterogeneous group aged 10 to 60 so my advice had to be very general. Some were journalism students, others were bloggers, a couple of them were students who wanted better grades, some others were home-makers who wanted to write better letters…, well, it was a mixed group. These are the tips th