Transform the lives of 3200 children in Hyderabad

My journey with Teach For India has transformed me like a flower grown bright, full of colours. This flower has been cared by someone and isn’t allowed to shrivel. I always had dreams to achieve but I didn’t know how to do so or where to start. I used to be under confident, I used to hate leadership and I didn’t even know who I really was. I used to be silent and didn’t like to talk. I only cared about my rank in class and didn’t really bother about how much knowledge I had. Then, my life turned around and headed towards a beautiful destination where I always wanted to see more. I never thought failure is a great thing and can be really helpful.

I entered a Teach For India classroom in the 3rd grade. I could not talk about my feelings or ask the curious questions I was full of. When my teacher Sarthak bhaiyya told me that I had to become a facilitator, I thought, why should I help people and what is in it for me? Initially, I hated the Teach For India teachers because they made us talk in English all the time and didn’t give us revision notes before exams. In 6^th grade, however, a female teacher came to our class. At first I thought she would be like Shubham and Sarthak bhaiyya and would tell us to always talk in English. I was wrong.

I was always thinking about my marks and I didn’t stop to realise how confident I was becoming, how I was participating even in sports! Aishwarya Didi changed my mindset about myself and the world. I didn’t realise that the person I am around other people is an act I put on for the world and not the real and unique Naziya. I thought I was ugly, dark and could never be cool. Aishwarya Didi told me that I should be myself, do things for myself and not for the world. She taught me that the world will try to take away my uniqueness, so how could I be different if I tried to become whatever they asked me to? She, and my bhaiyyas made me feel like my opinions are important.

I started to feel like real beauty is not in your appearance but in your uniqueness, in your heart. They taught us to love.They taught us to love everyone and everything. As a teenager, I had so many questions in my mind that I was afraid to ask my didi and bhaiyyas. I started writing letters to my didi with all my questions. She would always reply. I found a new way of expressing my feelings using a pen and paper, with these letters to didi. Today, as a TFI kid I understand that asking questions is a part of learning, refusing to understand new things is not. I understood the real meaning of teachers, they are my second parents and my TFI teachers always gave me this comfort. They taught me all the subjects but more importantly they taught me the value of life. Everyday, they teach me to live life and relax, to keep going, to try new things and to learn to say no when I must. They taught me to respect the opinions of others and to be the change I want to see in the world. They taught me to build the future I want for myself from today.

In 8^th grade, my new didi, Raeesa didi taught me that I might be trying something for the first time and it might be difficult, but I should try it anyway. She taught me to never give up. Trishima didi taught me to always be fresh and be on time. She taught me to not limit my thinking.

I have learned so much from all of them. A thank you is too small for everything they have done for me. I hope every student in the world is lucky to have a teacher who blows your mind, and not just when it comes to studying, but about life. They help us improve everyday and every moment of our life. They believe the best doesn’t have an end. They tell us what to do, but they don’t tell us how. This push us to think and help us grow.

Naziya

Grade- 8^th

Madina Mission School

My Name is Anika, I teach Secondary Science, Social and Art at Kushbow Vidyaniketan High School, a low income community school in Banjara Hills. It’s the second cycle in life with schools, and this time around I have come to love it!

I truly belief that as human beings, we seek two things, a sense of belonging and a sense of contribution.With the same value, I was looking for a line of work with a purpose ingrained in development of others and what better than teaching. On a search for an organization with shared beliefs and values, more importantly a sense of giving, I found and joined TFI and the journey has been nothing short of rewarding.

When I joined Teach For India, little did I know that this journey for me was designed in reverse, where we co create with the children the learning experience benefitting both and changing us as individuals for the better. I had to let go of what I assumed the children would require and listen closely to what they truly needed. This experience has been remarkably humbling.

One of my biggest realizations working in a classroom with children coming from tough backgrounds is that we really cannot teach them, what they go through day in and day out in life is for us to learn from instead. Though we can do one thing and that is to inspire, through our actions, words and thoughts keeping them at the centre of everything that we do.

Mariya , one of our students at Kushbow Vidyaniketan who currently studies in the 7th grade has grown so much as an individual .She was someone who was scared of her Bhaiyas and Didi’s but soon learnt that we are only here to help her achieve her goals. We have introduced our students to many things from Harry Potter to giving them the opportunity to participate in Maya, KER(etc). She and her classmates have learnt to be more focussed with one minute energizers, meditation games and jokes. Participation in sports, painting, art and craft is a common phenomenon in her class. Now all she hopes for is that the upcoming cohort gives them as many opportunities and activities to involve themselves. Children learn from our varied life stories, passion, dreams, success and failures forming their extended view of their world. For me working in the classroom and Teach for India has been a satisfying endeavour and a purposeful one.

As a fellow we live and work towards the larger Vision that “One day all children will receive an excellent education”. The fellowship is for those who understand, resonate and believe this is possible and that they can make it happen.