Sunday School Reflection by Manisha Khanna
It is quite easy to judge a teacher, everyone holds an opinion on them. In fact, a lot of people have opinions on teachers in the classroom while having no experience in being in a classroom. Arthur Foot Academy's teachers come with a lot of cultural baggage on their shoulders but they bring their resilience along to the school. Teaching in a village where most women are married or about to be married off or are reaching the age soon, some of these teachers are finding their way through teaching.
This particular teacher crosses the river to go to the remotest village in Bahadarabad. She goes there because a classroom cannot be confined in four walls and her role is not defined by the curriculum she has to finish but how many lives could she touch through her knowing a little better and empathising with other members in the community. Often times, teachers resist the work given to them outside the school or classroom because it is tiring and non-rewarding. But what if all their patience, kindness, effort and will was acknowledged? They would be happy teachers and would be able to stay in the system for longer. They would be willing to go a little extra mile for children who cannot come to school or are pulled out because there are extra hands needed at home to feed everyone.
There has to be an equal portion of training, freedom and exposure for teachers. A lot of the teaching is outside the classroom. Let the teacher meet their students under an open sky and hear her children tell her things they know and they want to know. Maybe this can also be a part of the curriculum?
She will meet you all on the other side of the river to narrate all the stories of pain, joy and giving.
- Neelashi Mangal, Head Training and Development, Good Schools Alliance. Welcome to My Good School, find out more at www.MyGoodSchool.in
Three-Day Field Experience-Based Research Report & Action Plan
Intern Name: Akanksha Rai
Role: Research Intern
Project: Jabaaz Kishori
Duration: Three Days
1. Introduction
Jabaaz Kishori is a community-based project focused on understanding the challenges faced by adolescent girls in rural areas and working towards their empowerment. As a research intern, I participated in field visits across multiple villages over three days. The purpose of this report is to document the issues shared by the girls and propose an action plan based on real observations and interactions.
2. Day-wise Field Observations
Day 1: Lalwala Majbata Village
Major reasons identified:
Day 2: Village Visits
Village 1
Purpose of the center:
Village 2: Government School (Classes 7th & 8th)
Village 3 (Near Hillwood Academy)
This village faced several serious issues:
Infrastructure Problems
Day 3: Village Visits
Village 1
Village 2
3. Proposed Action Plan (Priority-wise)
Step 1: Affordable and Accessible Healthcare (Main Priority)
Focus on:
Step 2: Road and Transport Facilities
Improved access for:
Step 3: Education Till Class 12
Step 4: Motivation and Awareness
Step 5: Safety, Legal Awareness, and Child Marriage Prevention
Step 6: Community and Skill Development Centres
Activities to include:
4. Conclusion
The three-day field experience under the Jabaaz Kishori project highlighted serious challenges related to healthcare, education, infrastructure, and awareness. Addressing these issues through affordable healthcare, better roads, quality education, and motivation can help create a healthier, educated, and empowered generation of girls.
Find out more about the project at: Jaabaaz Kishori by Learning Forward India Foundation
"What is life when you are walking in the garden?" is what a teacher from Sunbeam School, Balia, and I were talking about in our recent Wisdom Mandli session on Saturday, when she used the word 'sukoon' in her response. When some cards kept appearing and disappearing on the screen, with questions that are felt but mostly not asked of each other in everyday conversation, I was asking myself: What interests me in the world now? What am I curious to find out- the chaos, the harmony and the functioning of everything around me.
Sometimes, there is an assumption that learning sessions are online, and they seem slightly disorienting until you attend them with the intention of meeting and hearing the voices of educators and people sharing their conundrums in life and school. Take what speaks to you, and don't beat yourself up for everything that's beyond your head.
Wisdom Mandli was a session that opened my curiosity about the mundane around me! I was aware of what I feel in the kitchen, in the garden, or under the stars (they are hardly visible now), but can I speak about just that to a fellow teacher? We live in different realities, but these are such universal feelings and experiences. We were just coming to a point in the discussion where we were brainstorming how we could bring wisdom to our children and still be able to teach our curriculum when it struck me- Isn't talking about it already a large part of why we would want our children to learn in the first place? We are surrounded by ecology and nature all the time, but we sometimes just bypass it and do not pause to wonder. These sessions with Wisdom Mandli by project Fuel are my gateway for this month to something larger than me, me, me. I'd like my students to tell me how they feel when they walk barefoot on the ground. I am curious about their observations. It is a peek into their inner landscapes, and these questions seem like a torch to go with.
Sunbeam Lahartara by Manisha Khanna
