Excellent education for 2500+ students in Chennai

"When a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower," these words of Alexander Den resonate deeply with me and guide my action toward the vision "One day all children will attain an excellent education". An excellent teacher could deliver an impactful education after embarking on my Teach for India Fellowship. However, my experience was different from what I had anticipated. During my first year of fellowship, I had the privilege of developing the leadership skills of over thirty students within the classroom. Despite my efforts and commitment, I observed that some of my students needed to make the desired progress.

I realized that numerous factors that lay beyond my control exist, like the learning environment, their parents' literacy and employment status, community values, and the influence of other teachers. I felt powerless to address all these inequities. However, I soon realized that an excellent teacher, although well-intentioned, needs to handle all the complex issues affecting education. This led me to broaden my perspective and join the battle against education inequity, working with others to eliminate the root causes.

One of the root causes I am keen to address is the level of investment parents make in their children's education. To this end, I organized sessions for parents. I held parent-teacher meetings to celebrate the students' progress and achievements and foster effective communication and feedback between teachers and parents.

Having attended government and low-income private schools as a student, I was keenly aware of the disparities in education quality. When I became a teacher, I observed co-teachers inefficiency in our school. Through this experience, I learned that the critical factor determining the quality of education was the competence and expertise of the teachers. To address this challenge, I took on the role of a fellow advisor. I initiated a project to provide coaching and training to B.Ed students in rural Tamil Nadu to impart practical skills and knowledge on planning, execution, and teaching strategies to those aspiring teachers. Our efforts were rewarded as we successfully conducted sessions for 270 students, all eager to impact their future students positively. At the end of the project, I was thrilled and satisfied knowing that I had contributed to removing a minor but essential obstacle to obtaining holistic education. I felt like I had altered the surroundings in which the flower was thriving, making it flourish.

Throughout these eighteen months of fellowship journey, I increased the reading and writing level of seventy percent of students to three years of growth. I created an excellent learning environment where students will constantly learn with their peers and individually. I have designed the structures and projects to enable student leadership inside and outside the classroom. In April month, we have come up with a school safety project for the school safety while studying road safety. We have discussed, debated, and finalized safety signs for the whole school, like Walk on the left side, Don't run, etc. Students have designed the signs and presented the purpose of the projects and how to follow the signs in all the school classrooms. Within one week, The whole school started following the safety signs. The students also made sure that everyone in school followed the signs and made reminders to some students respectively.

My personal theory of change is having a strong desire to continuously learn, unlearn, and identify the most effective solutions to address the root causes of educational inequity. My belief in this mission is rooted in the idea that if not me, then who? If not now, then when?

William Pradeep
Cohort of 2021
Teach For India Chennai

We started the year with a classroom of very motivated students, excited to create an offline year of school. Grade 5 has been a massive shift for them as it brings an air of seriousness and important exams. Despite that, we have been able to combine education with the arts. Along with a mandatory art class, we have also started watching one movie weekly, after which we critique the same. This has given the students exposure to different countries, contexts, and cultures. 

Additionally, we have engaged in various projects over the past term. This included a first-aid awareness session, a medical camp, a road safety workshop, and multiple environmental awareness sessions, all conducted by external parties. We were also able to rope in the Rotary Club of Chennai Coastal, who generously donated sports uniforms and bags for all students from grades 1 to 8. 

One of the significant breakdowns we encountered was the rigor of the grade level. In addition to this, we had government-set exam papers for the first time. This led to very stressful revisions and a complete shift in priorities. Instead of making learning practical and student-friendly, we were worried about completing textbook portions and learning keywords to write in the paper. This was detrimental to the learning process and did not allow students to practice creativity and critical thinking. Ultimately, we paused and looked back at how to pace ourselves to have the best of both worlds in the upcoming terms. It was constructive to do so, as we will be better prepared to face the next term. While looking at the data, there has been a steady increase in reading levels from a class average of 1 to 1.5. The math average has increased by 20% since the last term. 

The Be the Change Project that I am conducting is on Financial Literacy for women in the community. The project will begin in the first week of November, consisting of five sessions spread over five weeks. The project aims to provide women with basic financial literacy to educate them on the fundamentals of saving, spending, and borrowing money. The community's women face challenges such as domestic abuse, child marriage, polygamy, and discrimination directly or indirectly resulting from financial dependency. By providing them a chance to learn how to manage their finances, they might gain some financial independence and secure a future for their children. The sessions will also include inspirational female guest speakers, empowering them and showing them multiple possibilities.

Post the Teach for India Fellowship, I plan on pursuing a Master's in Business Administration, preferably in the United States of America. One of the most enabling experiences that led to my decision was the Leadership Development Conversations I have had with my Program Manager at the end of every term. It gave me an insight into the various skill sets I have developed over my Fellowship journey. It has also helped me frame my next steps most effectively. Another extremely helpful support structure was the Looking Beyond Conversation (LBC). It has allowed me to structure the projects and opportunities in the most beneficial way for my post-Fellowship plans. 

Furthermore, I had the chance to attend one event in the pathway exposure series. We were introduced to J-Pal, an organization that conducts randomized evaluations, builds partnerships for evidence-informed policymaking and helps partners scale up effective programs. This was an enriching experience as it allowed me to understand how an enabler pathway looks and what role I can potentially play.

As I transition out of the fellowship, I plan on keeping the spirit of financial literacy alive. I plan on starting a Not for Profit organization focused on providing financial literacy to individuals of all ages from disadvantaged backgrounds. I believe that my MBA degree will give me leverage and opportunities to network and connect with people from all walks of life, giving my future project better reach and recognition. I would also like to venture into public policy and create better educational opportunities for the future generations of India. Having worked on-ground, I now better understand why policy changes play a vital role in education worldwide. The hope is that one day, we will have an India free of poverty and full of love.

Jahnavi

Grade 5

Cohort 2021

Chennai Middle School Begum street