Exploring Myself through Teaching

Two months ago, I had this mental satisfaction in the way things were working out. I had this feeling of immense pleasure and gratitude to complete my 6 months at ISDI WPP School of Communications. I reflected on the past six months and I felt grateful for being a student of this prestigious institution and one fine day we had our Chairperson Dr. Indu Shahani addressing us. I was overwhelmed when she shared so many stories and experiences and asked all of us to now take ownership of our careers and focus on building our profiles. That day is cherished in my memories and I am so thankful to Dr. Shahani for her words of wisdom. That day she also shared about social impact and School Social Responsibility and it all began.

The next week with the help of our Faculty Miss Arva, on the basis of my interest I chose to work with Mumbai Mobile Creches. I wanted to work on the ground and teach. Soon, I began my Community Connect Journey. MMC promotes " child-friendly sites " where every child living on a construction site is safe, healthy and educated, and able to enjoy their childhood. To my mind, MMC is truly a second parent to all these kids.

On my first day, I was nervous until I reached MMC Lower Parel center. The warm welcome of the center coordinator and these lovely kids was overwhelming and I sat beside them, I didn't know what to converse, I didn't want to ask questions and be an interviewer. I immediately recalled and tried to figure and I realized that in past six months the class I enjoyed the most was by Miss Anuja, in her every class there was a new discovery because she would always make all of us think she would make learning fun and continues to do that. Drawing inspiration from Miss Anuja's Class I took a blank sheet and asked these lovely kids to draw or write whatever they liked. I was nervous as they began I didn't know how would it turn out. After 15 minutes they started asking me How do we draw this or how do I write or how is this word spelled and gradually it turned into a discussion. As they drew the things they liked I could get an insight into their interests, the way they think, their creativity, curiosity, their eagerness to learn was commendable. I recorded my observations. It was a learning for me that they would be interested in something that helps them to discover themselves, something that engages them.

Now, that I had begun to understand these kids. I spent that entire week thinking and doing my research as to how can I teach them something in 8 sessions that can be very useful. It was a challenge. Initially, I thought about teaching the basics of English Grammar which I eventually ended up teaching as a part of the larger module however I was looking for something more valuable. I contemplated, wrote my ideas and finally did a SWOT analysis on the basis of my first session. I realized these kids already go to school and English is one of their subjects so they would eventually end up learning it. So, I reflected and went back to my class notes. I wanted them to enjoy whatever I would conduct and enjoy learning a message my Mentor Miss Madhu always told me so on the basis of all my learnings at ISDI WPP I came up with a model of teaching. We had just begun new subject Experiential Marketing and I realized how Brands engage consumers through experiences. I was so inspired that I tried to implement it my teaching model. I have written in my previous posts on education and the importance of incorporating skills development with secondary education. So, I chose to come up with a model a teaching plan for 8 sessions with these bright minds.

I began with reading and writing. Each session the first 15 minutes I would try to understand how much they know so I would engage them in conversations and I was impressed with their spontaneity and intelligence and observations. I realized they tried hard to read and reading textbooks of their choice became an integral part of my every session to inculcate the habit of reading. As I realized these kids are enjoying the session, I moved to Time Management. I thought it was important for them to be organized and understand the value of time and planning. I asked them to tell me about their timetable and we had interesting conversations in understanding their routine. Soon, in the third session, they had a timetable for themselves by themselves. I was trying to teach them to be more organized and systematic in terms of the way they write which they could implement in presenting their project work at school. I would my session with meditation and end with reflections. I developed a rapport with them.

I then thought of conducting an experiment while we were sitting and while taking their feedback about the way they were implementing their plans. I suddenly asked each one of them to stand up and speak and I didn’t expect them to be shy or nervous in front of their own friends. But, I sensed that they were nervous I also thought because of me. So, I asked them to speak again and again and they only emerged confident. I believe communication is crucial. I conducted a reading session and we watched speech delivered by great leaders on Youtube and I finally managed to make them realize the importance of communications. Gradually I had a better understanding and we created best out of waste boxes of Amul milk. I taught them concepts of responsible citizenship by making them understand to keep their surroundings clean, inculcating the habit of reading newspapers and empowering them with knowledge and few soft skills that I could impart in that period of time. Finally, the 8 sessions came to an end and I am so glad to see the smile on their faces, their confidence and their unflinching determination and unshakable conviction and their eagerness to learn and grow are commendable.

At the end of these 8 sessions, I feel fulfilled to provide fodder to these bright young minds craving for more. This experience has been an eye-opening experience for me in understanding their lifestyle, their mindsets. I feel enriched with this experience and I am grateful to ISDI WPP School of Communications for providing me this golden opportunity to contribute and to give back to society as compassion is one of our values at WPP. To my mind, teaching them was exploring myself, I explored the sides of me I never knew before. I didn’t know I could teach so well or deal with kids so well. I became a better person and rich in experiences.

TO WRAP UP

What I learned from these lovely kids is creativity. Their willingness to experiment with paints, colors and flow their creative juices. Their observations, their strong friendships, their boldness to try again and again, their sincerity, curiosity, tenacity and certainly to laugh more.

All though this has been an enriching experience. However, as a student with Humanities Background. I was eager to know about their lives so I would often engage in informal conversations and I realized these workers go out work, they work so hard physically and there are times their wages are delayed, they have to move from one site to another, failing again and again. But still, they managed to smile, to laugh and enjoy every moment they spent with me.

 I recalled Arundhati Roy’s lines from her book "The Algebra of Infinite Justice."

“There are other worlds, other kinds of dreams. Dreams, in which failure is feasible, honorable and sometimes even worth striving for. Worlds, in which recognition is not the only barometer of brilliance or human worth. There are plenty of warriors, I know in love far more valuable than myself, who go to war each new day knowing in advance that they will fail. True, they are less successful in the most vulgar sense of the word, but by no means less fulfilled. Hence, the only dream worth having is to live when you are alive and die only when you are dead.”