Think Chalk

Pakistani schools are full of young people who already know how to show up for each other. We just haven’t trained them yet. I was observing a mentee’s class last term, one of those routine observation visits where you sit quietly at the back with a notepad and try not to distract anyone. The lesson was moving along well enough. But what caught my attention had nothing to do with the…

What happens to a teenager’s identity when no one, not even their technology, ever disagrees with them? I was running a session with a group of sixteen and seventeen-year-olds at a Karachi school last term. We were talking about AI, how it works, how they use it, and what they tell it. At some point, almost without thinking, I asked a question I hadn’t planned. “How many of you have ever…

Being seen online is not the same as being known at home. I remember sitting in a parent workshop in Karachi last year when a father raised his hand and said something I have not been able to forget. “Sir, mera beta ghar mein rehte hue bhi ghar mein nahin hota.” (“Sir, my son lives in our home, but he is never really there.”) He wasn’t talking about physical absence. His son was in the next…

When emotional connection moves from home to a chatbot, what are we really missing at home? A few weeks ago, a parent came to me after my class. She was not panicking. She was confused. “Sir, mene mere bete ka phone check kiya toh usne kisi se ghanton baat ki thi. Phir pata chala… koi insaan hi nahin tha.” (Sir, I checked my son’s phone and saw he had been talking to someone for hours. Then I…

From AI use to classroom practice, what teachers need to navigate changing learning realities in Pakistan A few weeks ago, during a classroom discussion, a teacher said something that has stayed with me: ‘I know my students are using AI. I just don’t know what I am supposed to do about it.’ It was not frustration. It was not excitement either. It was something in between a quiet…

From global AI shifts to data risks and digital identity, what does this mean for adolescents and classrooms in Pakistan? Teenagers today are growing up with artificial intelligence not as a future concept, but as part of their everyday learning experience. From generating homework answers to asking complex questions, many students are already interacting with AI tools in ways that were…

Why schools must teach thinking, not just information, in a world of global uncertainty Teenagers today are growing up in a world that feels more connected than ever, yet more divided than ever. A student scrolling through social media in Karachi, Gilgit, Lahore, or Hunza can instantly encounter intense debates about wars, political conflicts, cultural identity, religion, or global injustice.…

Reflective classroom perspective + practical ways forward In recent classroom visits and conversations with teachers I mentor, a pattern keeps emerging. Students in secondary classes are handing in homework that looks complete and correct. Yet when teachers try to discuss that homework in class the next day, many students struggle to explain what they actually understand. At first glance, it…

Rethinking Learning in our classrooms through Made to Stick Recently, I revisited Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, and one idea hit close to home for our classrooms in Pakistan, the Curse of Knowledge. Once we know something, we forget what it felt like not to know it. And that’s where communication often breaks down. In many of our classrooms, teachers explain concepts from an…

Reflections on Generative AI, Learning, and What Pakistani Education Must Rethink Artificial intelligence did not wait for policy approvals, curriculum updates, or teacher training workshops. It entered classrooms quietly through homework help, essay drafts, exam preparation, and late-night study sessions. Long before schools decided what to do about it, students had already figured out how to…

I’ve spent years moving between classrooms, teacher-training sessions, and mentoring conversations with school leaders. No matter where I go, a private school in Karachi, a public school workshop in South Punjab, or an online teacher circle, the same concern keeps surfacing: our children can memorise, but can they think critically? This reflection grows out of that discomfort. It is not an…

There’s a moment many teachers recognise. A student who used to raise their hand is now sitting quietly. A confident child begins asking, ‘May I go to the washroom?’ as soon as group work starts. Someone’s attendance slips from Monday to Wednesday, then a full week. When you finally ask, softly, ‘Kya masla hai?’ you often get the same answer: ‘Nothing, miss/sir. Bas… aise hi.’ In our schools…

Trigger warning: this post discusses suicide and self-harm. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or a mental health helpline immediately. In Pakistan, national helplines and crisis support services are available to offer confidential support. In recent months, we have seen a painful pattern repeating itself across Punjab: university students,…

Understanding Stress, Anxiety & Burnout in Our Pakistani Children: A Quiet Moment, Many Parents Will Recognise In many Pakistani homes, the value of strength is instilled from an early age. Rona nahin – Don’t CryStrong bano – Be StrongSab theek ho jata hai – Everything will be fine These words are usually said with love. Parents want their children to thrive in a challenging world. But…

Why teens feel lost about subject choices, fear disappointing parents, and struggle to see value beyond “doctor, engineer, CSS.” Choosing subjects after middle school is one of those small crossroads that feels enormous when you’re living it, both for the child and the parents. In Pakistan, that crossroad often looks like a short menu: Science (pre-med/pre-engineering), Commerce…

Every child deserves to learn with confidence, feel safe while travelling to school, and dream about a bright future. But for many teenagers in Pakistan, especially girls living in rural areas, staying in school becomes more challenging as they grow older. When a girl drops out, her education doesn’t just pause; her opportunities, independence, and future possibilities shrink with it. In this…

In the winding corridors of our schools, whether in Karachi, Lahore, or a remote village in Sindh or Balochistan, echoes of chalk on slate and the crack of old benches still dominate the classroom. As a teacher-mentor, I often reflect on the immense pressures our children face: cramming for board exams, rote learning, large class sizes, and limited time with overworked teachers. Now, as…