Spoken English class began this week to mixed results. At first, teaching the hostel boys in the morning was disastrous. There was about 40 of them, and they all live together in the hostel so I think their testosterone is above average. Whatever it was, I could not calm down the classroom, ended up punishing several and sending one kid out of the classroom.
Teaching the girls in the afternoon is like night to the boy's day. Initially, my co-teacher Kathryn and I were teaching the whole group together (about 20 girls and 20 boys). Yesterday, however, we seperated the boys and girls and attacked each group seperately. When we instructed the boys to go in a different room, a bunch of girls started cheering. I completely sympathized. The girls in spoken English are mostly girls from 9b, the "smart" girls class. Needless to say they are VERY enthusiastic, standing up and raising their hand for every question and calling out "teacher, teacher." One girl, Mili, who is very bright, tall, and confident, put her head on her desk when I passed her over and called on someone else.
"Teacher I am crying!" she said, and pretended to wipe tears from her eyes. For the rest of the class whenever I called on someone else she would fake blubber and say "Teacher I am crying! I am crying!" I couldn't help but laugh.
In class we gave the students paper and pencils and told them to draw their "favorite things." The boys had a hard time understanding this- many of them drawing the exact same thing (popular items included bicicles, flowers, elephants, and mango trees). On boy, however, drew a picture of a pretty girl. When I walked by to look at his paper, another boy said "it is you!"
The next day we had them introduce themselves and explain their drawing.
When we got to the boy, he said "I draw girl."
Kathryn then prompted him, "And why did you draw a girl?"
He paused and mumbled, "I draw girl. There is boy... They will marriage."
Everyone laughed and the boy looked very embarassed. After class, though, as I was leaving he ran up to me with a bunch of other boys crowded around.
"This is for you!" he said, handing me the picture. "It is you!"
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
New Teachers, New Classrooms
Check out the pictures of our new teachers in their classrooms, posted below:
Spoken English classes, the free before and after school classes we offer to high school students who can't afford the high priced coaching classes their urban peers attend, have begun at our partner schools: Kadod High School, Madhi High School and Bajipura High School. We cap the classes at 20 students per class so that we can maintain good teacher to student ratios that are conducive to small group work where students can practice speaking English. However, our principals have been asking us to expand our class sizes, saying that they have waiting lists for the classes that are over 50 students long! In some of our schools, we are adding extra classes to accomodate the overflow of enthusiastic students!
More pictures of our teachers at work are available here:
Spoken English classes, the free before and after school classes we offer to high school students who can't afford the high priced coaching classes their urban peers attend, have begun at our partner schools: Kadod High School, Madhi High School and Bajipura High School. We cap the classes at 20 students per class so that we can maintain good teacher to student ratios that are conducive to small group work where students can practice speaking English. However, our principals have been asking us to expand our class sizes, saying that they have waiting lists for the classes that are over 50 students long! In some of our schools, we are adding extra classes to accomodate the overflow of enthusiastic students!
More pictures of our teachers at work are available here:
 |
| Our New Teachers! |
Sunday, June 14, 2009
2009 School Year Begins!
Hello everyone!
I'm Cat Biddle, Nanubhai's Executive Director, and I am so excited to announce the beginning of our new school year and a new round of blog contributors to keep you updated on the triumphs and trials of teaching here in rural Gujarat with Nanubhai.
I'd like to introduce our stellar staff this year who'll be contributing to our blog:
AT KADOD HIGH SCHOOL!
Claire Greenwood graduated with honors in English from Wesleyan University in 2009, where she completed a poetry manuscript for her senior thesis. As a junior in college she spent four months in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, living in a Burmese monastery. During her stay in Bodh Gaya, she briefly ordained as a Buddhist nun in the Theravada tradition. Buddhist practice's emphasis on "right livelihood" (the notion that one's career should help others) is primarily what attracts her to teaching. She is excited to come back to India and share a skill that is valuable (English language), as well as polish her Hindi, take many trips to Bombay, and buy even more bangles. She plans to live in India for at least two years and then return to the states to get an MFA in creative writing.
Kathryn Sheriff joins Nanubhai as a full-time secondary English teacher at Kadod High School. She graduated in the spring of 2009 with a degree in Religious studies from Carleton College. While at Carleton, Kathryn was able to focus her studies on South Asian religion, culture, and art history through course work and a semester studying at the University of Peradeniya in Kandy, Sri Lanka. While in Sri Lanka, Kathryn was a volunteer English teacher and activity leader at Evelyn Nurseries Orphanage, where she really fell in love with the region and teaching. Kathryn is looking forward to teaching English, eating as much Indian food as she can bear, learning Hindi, and becoming a part of the Kadod community.
AT MADHI HIGH SCHOOL!
Kirsten Hill graduated from Houghton College in New York with a degree in International Relations with minors in Intercultural and Religious Studies. Her interest in cultures led her to study for a semester in Thailand at Chiang Mai University where she studied the language and Asian history and culture. While there, she taught English classes to Buddhist monks in University and volunteered working at a Montesory school with internally displaced children from Loas, Cambodia and Thailand's many hilltribes. This experienced drew her to decide to teach abroad after obtaining her degree. Kirsten is interested in women's issues, development and all things cultural. She is a self-professed bookworm and curry lover. She is looking forward to learning a new language, meeting her 8th, 9th and 11th year students and learning how to properly put on a sari!
Lyndi Milton joins Nanubhai this year as a full-time teacher and brings with her experience she gained while teaching in China. After earning her Bachelor Degree in Business Administration in 2004 Lyndi made a bold career change and moved to rural China to teach university-level English. Lyndi spent three years in China and during her time there she and her fellow teachers lead efforts to improve the confidence and self esteem of the female students on campus. This was accomplished by developing a lecture series geared towards the needs of the female population and by leading focus groups for the Annual Women's Symposium. During her free time, Lyndi ran in several major races in China, including the Great Wall Marathon, and spent time traveling around SE Asia. It was during her time in China that Lyndi's interest in non-profit groups began to grow, which ultimately lead her to the Nanubhai Education Foundation. Lyndi is dedicated to the efforts of Nanubhai and is eager to not only teach in India, but to learn from her experiences there.
Mansi Shah (Summer Intern) is a Development Studies major at Brown, interested in rural education, health care, and all things India. After working on health and education projects in the Dominican Republic and teaching ESoL to several Hispanic populations, she is excited to learn much more as a 2009 intern with NEF. While forming meaningful relationships with students this summer, Mansi is also hoping to work on issues of female participation, improve her Gujarati, and tap into the post-election frenzy for her senior thesis. Though she plans to attend medical school in a year, she loves knowing that teaching will continue to find its way into her future plans.
AT BAJIPURA HIGH SCHOOL!
Krishna Pandya graduated from Temple University in 2008 with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and minors in Asian Studies and Religion. In the summer of 2008, she participated in a Study Abroad in India program to research on the Swaminarayan faith of Hinduism. During her stay in Guajrat, India, she felt the desire to contribute to the rural public education system and provide the preparations that the children need to build a strong future. Moreover, she felt that her broad range of experiences would allow her to serve these educational needs. In the past, she has worked as a Teen Leadership Assistant at a branch of Philadelphia public library where she tutored students from grade 1-12. She has also had an opportunity to tutor high school students through Temple University's Russell Conwell Center. She is very excited to go back to Gujarat as a Nanubhai Fellow! In future, she plans to pursue a PhD in Cultural Anthropolgy and publish her ethnographic film on the Swaminarayan faith of Hinduism.
Meghan Cunningham graduated from Nazareth College in 2008 where she majored in English Literature with a concentration in Inclusive Education. In 2009, Meghan was an Americorps Teaching Fellow with Citizen Schools. She served her fellowship in Vance County, a rural area in North Carolina, that has high poverty and some of the worst performing schools in the state. Throughout college Meghan tutored in programs that served English Language Learners. These students were rewarding to work with and it became a strong desire for her to learn how to best teach these particular students. Teaching with NEF provides her with opportunities to learn more about effectively teaching English Language Learners, while also satisfying a dream to travel and to immerse herself in the rich culture of India. This experience will someday help Meghan better serve immigrants and refugees in the United States.
Milly Egawa (Summer Intern) is currently a junior at Georgetown University, double majoring in Anthropology and Spanish. She joined the NEF team through its internship program during the summer of 2009 with the encouragement of her roommate, who has sparked her interest in Indian culture. It is this interest as well as her positive experiences teaching English to immigrant children through the DC Schools program that have led her to work with NEF. Milly was born in Japan, and English is her second language; she therefore recognizes that the privilege of knowing English has opened up many new paths for her, and hopes that working with NEF will help create similar opportunities for the students of rural India. She looks forward to getting to know her students and to learning Gujarati--and to eating the local food as well!
AT KHATIWALA HIGH SCHOOL!
Pamela Colon graduated in May 2009 from Colby College with a B.A. in Human Development. She has always been interested in social justice and education, which led her to spending some time in a rural school in Kalimpong, India. Here, she not only fell in love with Indian culture, but also these trips re-energized her dedication to ensuring all students receive a proper education, regardless of their locality or class status. Additionally, she is interested in how different communities enable their youth to become successful, and hopes to find out more about this during her year in Surat. Most importantly, Pam is ecstatic to join the NEF team, as it allows her to combine all of her passions: teaching, research, and Indian culture.
Dalena Frost teaches 8th, 9th, and 11th standard English teacher as a Fellow at Khatiwala High School. She graduated from Williams College in 2009 with a BA in Asian Studies and a Concentration in International Studies. She first had the chance to go to India during the spring of 2008 through Emory University's Tibetan Studies program, and can't wait to explore more of the amazing country. Dalena has previous experience with the Indian International School in Japan, Seattle Center Academy, and the Youth Tutoring Program in Seattle, along with other teaching and tutoring experience. In the future, Dalena plans to obtain an MA in Counseling Psychology: Expressive Arts Therapy, and continue her work in education while sharing her passion for performance with those around her. During her time in India, she hopes to learn more about the rich Indian culture, study some Hindi, and perhaps learn some traditional Indian dance.
I'm Cat Biddle, Nanubhai's Executive Director, and I am so excited to announce the beginning of our new school year and a new round of blog contributors to keep you updated on the triumphs and trials of teaching here in rural Gujarat with Nanubhai.
I'd like to introduce our stellar staff this year who'll be contributing to our blog:
AT KADOD HIGH SCHOOL!
Claire Greenwood graduated with honors in English from Wesleyan University in 2009, where she completed a poetry manuscript for her senior thesis. As a junior in college she spent four months in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, living in a Burmese monastery. During her stay in Bodh Gaya, she briefly ordained as a Buddhist nun in the Theravada tradition. Buddhist practice's emphasis on "right livelihood" (the notion that one's career should help others) is primarily what attracts her to teaching. She is excited to come back to India and share a skill that is valuable (English language), as well as polish her Hindi, take many trips to Bombay, and buy even more bangles. She plans to live in India for at least two years and then return to the states to get an MFA in creative writing.
Kathryn Sheriff joins Nanubhai as a full-time secondary English teacher at Kadod High School. She graduated in the spring of 2009 with a degree in Religious studies from Carleton College. While at Carleton, Kathryn was able to focus her studies on South Asian religion, culture, and art history through course work and a semester studying at the University of Peradeniya in Kandy, Sri Lanka. While in Sri Lanka, Kathryn was a volunteer English teacher and activity leader at Evelyn Nurseries Orphanage, where she really fell in love with the region and teaching. Kathryn is looking forward to teaching English, eating as much Indian food as she can bear, learning Hindi, and becoming a part of the Kadod community.AT MADHI HIGH SCHOOL!
Kirsten Hill graduated from Houghton College in New York with a degree in International Relations with minors in Intercultural and Religious Studies. Her interest in cultures led her to study for a semester in Thailand at Chiang Mai University where she studied the language and Asian history and culture. While there, she taught English classes to Buddhist monks in University and volunteered working at a Montesory school with internally displaced children from Loas, Cambodia and Thailand's many hilltribes. This experienced drew her to decide to teach abroad after obtaining her degree. Kirsten is interested in women's issues, development and all things cultural. She is a self-professed bookworm and curry lover. She is looking forward to learning a new language, meeting her 8th, 9th and 11th year students and learning how to properly put on a sari!
Lyndi Milton joins Nanubhai this year as a full-time teacher and brings with her experience she gained while teaching in China. After earning her Bachelor Degree in Business Administration in 2004 Lyndi made a bold career change and moved to rural China to teach university-level English. Lyndi spent three years in China and during her time there she and her fellow teachers lead efforts to improve the confidence and self esteem of the female students on campus. This was accomplished by developing a lecture series geared towards the needs of the female population and by leading focus groups for the Annual Women's Symposium. During her free time, Lyndi ran in several major races in China, including the Great Wall Marathon, and spent time traveling around SE Asia. It was during her time in China that Lyndi's interest in non-profit groups began to grow, which ultimately lead her to the Nanubhai Education Foundation. Lyndi is dedicated to the efforts of Nanubhai and is eager to not only teach in India, but to learn from her experiences there. 
Mansi Shah (Summer Intern) is a Development Studies major at Brown, interested in rural education, health care, and all things India. After working on health and education projects in the Dominican Republic and teaching ESoL to several Hispanic populations, she is excited to learn much more as a 2009 intern with NEF. While forming meaningful relationships with students this summer, Mansi is also hoping to work on issues of female participation, improve her Gujarati, and tap into the post-election frenzy for her senior thesis. Though she plans to attend medical school in a year, she loves knowing that teaching will continue to find its way into her future plans.AT BAJIPURA HIGH SCHOOL!
Krishna Pandya graduated from Temple University in 2008 with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and minors in Asian Studies and Religion. In the summer of 2008, she participated in a Study Abroad in India program to research on the Swaminarayan faith of Hinduism. During her stay in Guajrat, India, she felt the desire to contribute to the rural public education system and provide the preparations that the children need to build a strong future. Moreover, she felt that her broad range of experiences would allow her to serve these educational needs. In the past, she has worked as a Teen Leadership Assistant at a branch of Philadelphia public library where she tutored students from grade 1-12. She has also had an opportunity to tutor high school students through Temple University's Russell Conwell Center. She is very excited to go back to Gujarat as a Nanubhai Fellow! In future, she plans to pursue a PhD in Cultural Anthropolgy and publish her ethnographic film on the Swaminarayan faith of Hinduism. 
Meghan Cunningham graduated from Nazareth College in 2008 where she majored in English Literature with a concentration in Inclusive Education. In 2009, Meghan was an Americorps Teaching Fellow with Citizen Schools. She served her fellowship in Vance County, a rural area in North Carolina, that has high poverty and some of the worst performing schools in the state. Throughout college Meghan tutored in programs that served English Language Learners. These students were rewarding to work with and it became a strong desire for her to learn how to best teach these particular students. Teaching with NEF provides her with opportunities to learn more about effectively teaching English Language Learners, while also satisfying a dream to travel and to immerse herself in the rich culture of India. This experience will someday help Meghan better serve immigrants and refugees in the United States.
Milly Egawa (Summer Intern) is currently a junior at Georgetown University, double majoring in Anthropology and Spanish. She joined the NEF team through its internship program during the summer of 2009 with the encouragement of her roommate, who has sparked her interest in Indian culture. It is this interest as well as her positive experiences teaching English to immigrant children through the DC Schools program that have led her to work with NEF. Milly was born in Japan, and English is her second language; she therefore recognizes that the privilege of knowing English has opened up many new paths for her, and hopes that working with NEF will help create similar opportunities for the students of rural India. She looks forward to getting to know her students and to learning Gujarati--and to eating the local food as well!AT KHATIWALA HIGH SCHOOL!
Pamela Colon graduated in May 2009 from Colby College with a B.A. in Human Development. She has always been interested in social justice and education, which led her to spending some time in a rural school in Kalimpong, India. Here, she not only fell in love with Indian culture, but also these trips re-energized her dedication to ensuring all students receive a proper education, regardless of their locality or class status. Additionally, she is interested in how different communities enable their youth to become successful, and hopes to find out more about this during her year in Surat. Most importantly, Pam is ecstatic to join the NEF team, as it allows her to combine all of her passions: teaching, research, and Indian culture.
Dalena Frost teaches 8th, 9th, and 11th standard English teacher as a Fellow at Khatiwala High School. She graduated from Williams College in 2009 with a BA in Asian Studies and a Concentration in International Studies. She first had the chance to go to India during the spring of 2008 through Emory University's Tibetan Studies program, and can't wait to explore more of the amazing country. Dalena has previous experience with the Indian International School in Japan, Seattle Center Academy, and the Youth Tutoring Program in Seattle, along with other teaching and tutoring experience. In the future, Dalena plans to obtain an MA in Counseling Psychology: Expressive Arts Therapy, and continue her work in education while sharing her passion for performance with those around her. During her time in India, she hopes to learn more about the rich Indian culture, study some Hindi, and perhaps learn some traditional Indian dance.
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