Reason to Celebrate

If there was one career I had decided not to pursue it was teaching. The very idea would conjure up heaps of notebooks to be checked, a huge register where I would have to mark the presence or absence of students, classrooms full of unruly kids who would not keep quiet. All these images were enough to keep me from becoming a teacher. But there was one thing I was sure of. I needed to do some work centered around children and this I realized while training children for theatre.

So one day I decided to apply for the Teach for India fellowship thinking of this venture as an opportunity of spending more time with children.  At this time, mind you, I was on the wrong side of 40 (as I still am) and was sure I would not make it to the final call. Well, there were many stages which I had to cross and the day arrived when I got the call, “Welcome to Teach for India!!”

And so began my journey of two wonderful years with more than a hundred kids that I spent time with at a Government school in Pune.

The kids were taken aback seeing a white haired lady come in as a class teacher. All this while they were used to young men and women teaching them. So naturally the first question they asked was, “What is your age, didi?”

And didi not to be outdone said, “90 years.” I loved the various expressions on their faces. Some clearly disbelieving, some amazed and some smiling. But the first few classes told them that a 90-year-old could be a tough nut to crack and could have a sense of humour.

A majority of my students were first generation school goers. The average household had the mother working as a maid, the father an autorickshaw driver, and 2 to 3 children. In TFI we had a rule, which was to visit each and every student’s home and I am glad I did so. This was what gave me the correct perspective on each child. Knowing her/his back story led to my approach to each child becoming customized and their response towards me was unadulterated. Sharing a meal with the entire family or sipping on several cups of tea, I got to be a member of their family. The parents would call me up for any problems or consultations related to their children.

A big part of my learning at TFI was that teachers are not those who come in to monitor a classroom and complete chapters and get students ready to write their exams. They are Leaders who set out to create a classroom full of leaders. This is what drove me take a class in unconventional ways. I tried to get each child to think critically and to question what I am teaching. My joy was unbounded when I was telling them about the Indian independence struggle and after some classes, students came up to me saying they would take up history in college!! Or when I explained the nitty gritties of grammar in a fun way, they said they wanted to study only grammar!! Clearly the fault does not lie with our students, but with us, if they find a subject boring.

My most challenging situation arose from the fact that my class has students of various grades which for convenience we addressed as higher order, middle order or lower order based on proficiency in each subject. I had students in English and Math who were at a grade level of class 2 in class VII!! So what does the teacher do to reach out to each child? As the TFI cohort, three of us in the school, arranged for extra classes before school began and each day was for a different grade level group of students. We began the community centre where we held various clubs on Saturdays and the attendance was 100%.

I soon realized that whatever I do or say in class or in school is followed keenly by each of my students. So, on the downside they began to express a sharp sense of sarcasm (albeit with a smile) and on the upside came a sense of courtesy for each other. Their love for theatre grew as I began training them in street theatre. They began to speak up in the assembly and became Earth Protectors which was our class motto.

Two years flew by and all my students, about 105 of them could not understand why I had to leave Pune and go to live in J&K. Till today I get regular calls from them just to say Hi and trying their best to make me promise to visit them next month.

I have been truly blessed to have had this opportunity to spend time with these wonders who lit up my life and made me grow in so many ways. I must have done something really excellent in one of my past lives!!

Thank you, Teach for India!!!