It's an unfair World

    The rattling of the vessels and the vibration of the floor seemed like an earthquake.  An uncomfortable premonition of fear pervaded my senses. My adrenaline rush made me to look for the exit door. In the next second, it dawned to me that it was a passing by train and I was seated in a home, that's next to a railway track. 

     I could not fathom how one of my adoring students and his three siblings lived under that roof.  How about the basic necessity to have sound sleep?     I wondered if adorable kiddo didn't get to have good sleep, How could he even "dream"?  

    I brushed away his thought for a moment and focused  our one-one conversation on how education helped me,why I am here at Teach For India and how quality education can make a changeover to one's life.  

     An hour at my student's place completely overwhelmed me.I felt guilty of living in a cozy palace-like home. I felt guilty of being a little harsh on this kiddo for his unruly behavior in the class. I felt guilty for being an inefficient teacher in the classroom. Apologies!  Nevertheless,  I was equally proud and happy to be part of movement at Teach For India ,to bridge the education inequity. I realized, we have a long way to go!  

      The one-one discussions charged up the kiddo. He was not the only one who charged up. I walked in to their home with the idea of  knowing the student better and make the student understand the importance of education . Ironically, when I walked-out ,it was me who got to know myself better and deeply understood the importance of education in transforming someone's life.


     Literally and figuratively , all these while, in the journey of my life, I have been on the other comfortable end and today when I am at a student's home and perceive the harsh realities from this bitter end - I realize it's an unfair world. 

Please check http://www.giveindia.org/iGive-Racingchamps for contributions to my classroom resources.

Courtesy: http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/vol16/no4/teachingfairlyinanunfairworld.jpg

       

Joy of Giving - Please contribute to my classroom resources @ Teach For India ,Pune

   It has been three months, I took the road less taken and started teaching at Teach For India Class and I am loving it! . I am highly convinced I made the right decision to chose to walk this path :- ) It's highly rewarding and fun to be around energetic kids.

    Each day, I am working to bridge the education inequity. The challenges are strong, so am I . Currently, I am facing a setback with the classroom resources. It will be really helpful if you can contribute to purchase classroom resources. Please check out the link for detailed information on my classroom http://www.giveindia.org/iGive-Racingchamps

Steps to donate money:-

1. Go to http://www.giveindia.org/

2. Create your User Account

3. Click on http://www.giveindia.org/iGive-Racingchamps

4. Click on Donate Now button

5. You will get 80-G receipt of your transaction

6. A BIG thanks from me and my talented students.

Payment methods

Currently, Teach For India can accept donations made only from India. 

You can use your Credit/Debit Card and it takes really less than 5mins. Please check the link for more info http://www.giveindia.org/t-giveindia.aspx#bottom1

Also,I would be grateful if you can spread the word to your friends,family and other people who want to donate for the noble cause.

The last date for the targeted Rs 1,00,000 fund raising campaign is 18th Oct,2012.
Every penny counts!

The choice of a school girl to walk 3 Kms (Everyday!)

What will you have choose? -  Chance or choice? The "chance' of  an auto-wallah to pick up and drop you at the school or the choice of walking 3 kms (one way) to attend the school?  Without a second thought,I would opt for an easy way (literally).

   Aishwarya is one of the enthusiastic,cheerful,high potential student of my class (Grade 4th). Apparently, Aishwarya's father drops her to the school but she has to walk 3 kms ( 1.86 miles) from school to her home.

By all means, 3 kms is a lot for a ten year old to walk. I was concerned about it and decided to walk her home with her. The idea was to get into her shoes and understand what makes her walk 3 kms everyday and  help her out.The answers that unfolded baffled me.

Ambitious Aishwarya 

                                            Courtesy: Nithya Ramachandran (My impressive co-teacher)

It isn't that Aishwarya's parents couldn't  afford to hire an auto-wallah. The auto-wallah they last hired had the reputation to ditch at 11th hour and if Aishwarya couldn't make alternate arrangements,this implied she couldn't attend the school on that particular day. Bang! She was tired of waiting for someone else to decide if she can attend school or not.  The easier thing was to stay back home and enjoy the day-off. But she took the choice  to attend school everyday, even if it means to walk 3 kms. Hell. Sometimes 6 kms.

A greater part of the world that I come from, argue that I shouldn't have given up my cozy,lucrative career to work for Teach For India (TFI).  Among others, students like Aishwarya inspire and reinforce my decision to be here at Teach for India and take up what I am passionate about.

They call me a teacher but thank you Aishwarya for teaching me what it really means to have 'a genuine hunger to learn'.

Pretty soon, I hope to figure out an amiable solution and find out an reliable auto-wallah ji to drop/pick-up Aishwarya to the school.   Will greatly appreciate if you can offer any assistance, in cash or kind : - )

Please check out Giveinida Page
http://www.giveindia.org/iGive-Racingchamps

Kindly check out Nithya's Giveindia page

http://www.giveindia.org/iGive-nithyateachforindia

You may also  reach out to me at  rahul.bhosekar@gmail.com

                              ------------------------------------------------------

Teaching As Leadership (TAL)

 Teaching as Leadership is a book by Steven Farr. Farr and Teach For America share what the organization has learned about effective teachers over the last 20 years working to close the achievement gap (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaching_As_Leadership(


Teach For India (TFI) is centred around the idea that excellent teachers become excellent leaders. I did not buy this idea until yesterday, where at TFI I learnt the similarities between a transformational teachers and transformational leaders. It’s so amazing to know that!!

 Who else but from Shaheen (CEO of TFI) , can we get to learn about TAL model . Shaheen taught students from low-income communities and then went ahead to start Akanksha foundation. Later, Shaheen ignited the movement the of providing excellent education to every child by establishing Teach For India (TFI) in 2008. 

Teach For India (TFI) in turn creates future leaders.

It’s hardly a week in TFI, I believe my decision to join TFI is the best decision I ever made in my life. It will make me a transformational teacher and a transformation leader. World waiting for me!!

  If you out there and in a dilemma whether to make that little sacrifice to join TFI, take my word.  Teach For India (TFI) is the place for you. You will receive more than you give!!

What's not possible?

The other day, after the visit to the lesser economically privileged community, I was overwhelmed, saddened and pained. As I walked-in to the community, I could not imagine people living in pathetic living conditions. It was dirty and stinky, there were people living in cramped spaces, open drains everywhere and women washing were clothes or bathing children at their doorsteps. I did not understand who was to be blamed! Is it the government? Or the people living there who resigned to fate or gave up on the government?  But the silver lining is, there are government schools which most children in this community attend and also use the school premises for playing cricket.  Secondly, I found the community in perfect harmony. People are warm and helpful, there are Temples, Mosque, Gurudwara located in stone throw away distance from each other.  A little later I left the community with the "hope" of changing the living conditions.

                Later in the evening, the impressive Teach For India (TFI) - 2012 opening ceremony or spectacular performance by Akanksha kids failed to lift my spirits. The thoughts of “life in lesser privileged community” kept bothering me. I wondered if it’s quality education that will free them from clutches of poverty or if I need to consider running for elections?

                 Yesterday, I was at peace with myself. My questions were answered after the TFI 2012 cohorts were introduced to amazing bunch of  kids from Akanksha. These students, most of them in their teens or early twenties, belonged to lesser privileged communities, went through lots of struggles, yet managed to attend Akanksha school. That’s not the end of the story. These kids are highly confident, exceptional in academics, spoke flawless English, had an opinion about everything, knew why there are doing what they are doing, studying in one of the best colleges in Mumbai and worked part-time.   It made me think that I am a under achiever, I could have done much better at academics & other stuff !  Nevertheless, I got my answers. I understood how quality education can transform someone’s life.  More than ever, I am much convinced and proud of my decision to join Teach For India (TFI). Two years from now, it will make me feel proud when all the 40 students in my classroom do exceptional in academics, speak flawless English, have a opinion on everything and act independent. Bingo! Way better than students from more economically privileged communities.

    Any lingering doubts if my ‘big goal’ can be really made possible, was cleared in the yellow-hat activity. Imagine a group of 16 people, creating a beautiful design out of trash! Wait a second , the group ought not to be using their hands!! Sounds impossible,isn't? You got it wrong! We made it possible!! and will continue to make things seem impossible, possible ;- ) 

The journey Begins...

    Today,I took the second and most important step towards TFI.  I reported to the the summer institute at Teach For India (TFI), Pune.  I am so excited,proud and happy to be here!!!

   This is the day I been waiting for. It seemed liked eternity!! It's exciting to meet people from diversified places and varied experiences,yet knitted together with the common cause of fight against educational inequity.
What's your name,where are you from, what's your placement city is the mantra for today :-p

  It's honor and pleasure to walk up to Shaheen Mistry (founder of TFI) and introduce myself. Secondly, on the eve of joining TFI, it was nice to know Anu Aga has been nominated to Rajya Sabha,Way to go!!

  It's gonna be hectic for next 5 weeks where they TFI gonna make Teachers & Leaders out of us, I look forward to an exciting and memorable time at the institute.

Stay Tuned.Will keep you posted!

I am loving it!

Accepted to Teach For India(TFI) Fellowship Program – 2012

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

       And that has made all the difference  – Robert Frost

          In India, education is a commodity. The haves manage to afford it while the have-nots are left to the mercy of the government-run school which are under resourced. They fail to motivate or impart necessary skills to the students. Blame it on ineffective educational reforms or lack of political will, the lackadaisical way of functioning of the government-run schools produces a generation of passouts who aren’t armed to climb the rungs of higher education and, therefore, lag behind in the race of life. Unsurprisingly, the half-baked skills acquired by the hapless victims of government-run-schools land them in low-paying jobs. The wheel of misfortune keeps spinning with the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. It does not take Amartya Sen to predict a catastrophic damage to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

          Teach for India (TFI) has been working relentlessly to bridge the education disparity in the society by providing excellent education to the one who need it the most. TFI is a nationwide movement of outstanding college graduates and young professionals who will commit two-years to teach full-time in under resourced schools.

           It was in Oct 2011(Cycle-2),I applied to TFI Fellowship- 2012 by registering for TFI and wrote two essays on the following:-

                    1. Why do you want to work in India's education sector? Why do you want to join the Fellowship as opposed to working in a different education-focused organization?

                        2. Tell us about a time in the past three years when you were working towards a professional, academic or extra-curricular goal and had to deal with a difficult situation or challenge

           I am thankful to my friends Ashwin and Sirisha who took the pain to review my essays and helped me to improvise it. Guys, if not for your help, the essays wouldn’t been so impressive! No wonder, I got through initial selection process and bypassed telephonic interview.
       The day at Assessment day (Stage-3/Stage-4) was amazing! TFI made life easier by providing exhaustive instructions and suggestions for the events on the Assessment day.Stage-3 consisted of Demo Class, Group Activity and Individual assessment.Stage-4 consisted of Personal Inteview. 

           Hours of planning and loads of preparation for the Stage-3 and Stage-4 helped me. The preparation mostly comprised introspection of my reasons to join TFI movement. Personal Interview mostly revolved on this question “Why TFI?”, “Why now?”

        TFI Fellowship is a step ahead from volunteering at Make a Difference (MAD) . I must say that volunteering for Make A Difference (MAD) discovered my passion to teach & paved the foundation to apply for TFI. The MADness made me realize my potential. Yes! it made a difference in my life. . 

          Fellowship at TFI implies giving up my cozy and lucrative career as a programmer. After 3 years of stint with IBM and more than a year experience at Mphasis – An HP company, I am a little apprehensive,yet enormously excited about my new career choice. I am about to embark on a beautiful journey.I am very Happy that I will be actively involved to abolish education inequality in the society.I am expected to join TFI Fellowship-2012 in May 2012 in Pune.

"When your hobby becomes your profession, the passion becomes your profession",- 3 Idiots