Goodbyes

What an incredible experience through the Teachers for Global Classrooms! It's hard to believe that my trip is coming to an end and I am getting ready to leave.

We had a great last meal at the home of my host - Mrs. Monita Dash.  She served an amazing, mouth-watering meal of chicken, paneer, chapatis (breads), prawns, noodles, creamy desserts, and ice cream.  We also had samosas as an appetizer - one of my favorites!  I ate the meal with my hands, as is the Indian way to eat food.   It was so enjoyable to be invited to her home and have dinner with her, her husband, and her son.  I could not have asked for a better host during this international field experience!

Maureen, Monita (host), and Jennice



Our host (a.k.a. lady liberty) opens her departing gifts.

Overall, this was an amazing experience.  While there were so many incredible things to see and do in this country, I had my moments of ups and downs (which I was told might happen).  There were miscommunications, tests of patience, and things did not always go according to plan.  At the end, I did long for some of the comforts of home but I also felt like I would be missing Indian culture when I got back to New York.  At the same time, I had great experiences.  I never thought anyone would want my autograph or want to take a picture with me.  Some people had never seen an American before, and it felt strange to be the center of attention.  I loved seeing students' faces when they heard I was going to play a learning game with them in their classroom.  Many students gifted me small hand-crafted items.  There are too many wonderful moments to list here.

It's hard to generalize about the Indian education system.  I saw different types of schools (public and private) and then spent 10 days getting to know one school very well.  In the end, there is so much diversity and a range of outcomes depending on the school itself. I enjoyed learning from teachers and interacting with students while visiting Delhi Public School.  The students set high goals for themselves and work very hard.  They aim to please their teachers and make good choices in life.  I will miss my visits to DPS!    There is really no place like India!

 

Teaching in India... & other fun things!

I am really enjoying the teaching experience in India.  The students at Delhi Public School (DPS) are so hard working and the staff here are very dedicated. It is clear that the school values giving students a quality education while also developing their moral values.

I had fun working with students in grades 5 through 10. I was able to share my presentation on what a typical day of school is like for students in Brooklyn, NY.  We played games and activities and had lots of question and answer time. 

Students in grade 6

A listening game with students

I was really impressed with Indian students' math skills during my visits to classrooms.  Their computation was very fast and their mental math and overall fluency skills were impressive.  Everyone seemed to be on grade level with math facts.  This is the result of constant studying.  I also saw great examples of hands-on math activities.  One 6th grade class was constructing their own study books for polygons and circles.  It had kinesthetic (touch) elements to it such as string and matchsticks, and vocabulary words for reference. 

Students during a math activity

Today, I got the chance to teach a 7th grade French class...in French.  My colleague, Jennice and I, were interested in just observing a foreign language class, so when the teacher turned out to be absent we were so excited to jump right in and help out.  We had no lesson planned and no prior knowledge of what students already knew, but together we improvised and came up with a great activity on French adjectives.  I think it was one of the highlights of my week.  It's a good thing we both speak a little French!  Ouah!!

One other fun thing was getting a henna tattoo.  Here, they refer to it as "mehndi".  It is so detailed and elaborate - very beautiful.  Another student also had mehndi done and we were comparing our designs:

Mehndi

I have also enjoyed all the amazing animal sightings.  We saw and fed an elephant during a city walking tour, kept our eyes open for the daily camel sighting (he pulls a cart and passes our hotel every evening), and witnessed a momma and baby monkey moment.  These animals may be every day sightings for Indians, but for me it was a real treat. 

 

 

Food in India

Now let's talk about something important...food!  This one's for all you foodies out there.  I've been waiting to write this post for a while because I knew I would be traveling to different parts of the country.  There are different types of food depending on the region you visit in India.  But one thing is clear...I really LOVE the food here.

Here are a few of the things I've really enjoyed eating:

Dosas: Fermented crepe that is made from rice batter and lentils.  It is filled with anything you want - potatoes, vegetables, etc.  You can eat it for breakfast or lunch or dinner.  This is a southern Indian dish.

Masala Dosa...yummm!

Poha: A snack of the Gujarat region.  It's made of spiced rice, mustard seeds, nuts, carrots, green beans...you can put anything you want in it.  My host, Monita, made the best poha and gave it to us as a snack one day at school.  It was delicious!

Homemade Poha...yumm!

Khaman: Another traditional snack made with besan (ground chickpea flour).

Khaman...yumm.

Sandwich Dhokla: A small sandwich snack made with pieces of dhokla (fermented batter from rice and chickpeas), chutney, and mustard and sesame seeds.  It is very light and refreshing.

Sandwich dhokla...mmm.

Idli: A southern style snack made of rice and pulses, shaped into a rice cake shape.  It can be served with chutney or dipping sauce.

Idli

Chana Masala: Chickpeas in a masala sauce (onion, tomatoes, spices).  Popular in the northern regions like Gujarat.

Chana Masala

Thali: A meal made up of tiny little bowls of things.  It is the ultimate in taste testing.  Things are served on a round steel tray made of multiple compartments.  I didn't bother asking what was in my 15 little dishes because it didn't matter - it was ALL good!

Thali...yumm 15 times!

India also has places where you can dine out.  Can you recognize the restaurant in the picture below?

Guess this dining establishment...

I'll bet you've guessed by now!

 

Delhi Public School, Bopal

 

 

Whose famous head is this??

My colleague, Jennice Wright, and I have been visiting the Delhi Public School, Bopal, for the past 4 days.  We received a warm welcome from the students, staff, and administration at their morning assembly.  There are roughly 5,000 students at this combined primary and secondary private school.  The primary school serves students in grades 1-5, the secondary school is for grades 6-10, and the senior secondary school is for grades 11-12. 

A warm welcome by the Principal and students.

Snack time!

A student diligently doing his work.

Here are a few key things we have learned about the school so far:

• The school uses modern technology such as Smartboards and projectors
• All classes are taught in English
• Teachers circulate to the classrooms (the students don't move)
• Each class is 30 minutes long
• There are about 40 students in each class
• Students learn through lecture-style instruction and some activity-based learning
• There are a wide variety of sports that students can play: cricket, speed skating, a rock-climbing wall, traditional dance, football, and volleyball.
• Students work hard and study often! There is an atmosphere of achievement and excellence here. Some students get coaches to help them prepare for their college entrance exams.  They take their work very seriously but it seems they really enjoy learning here.
• The teachers have a set curriculum and some lessons have already been created for them to present through the Smartboard.  The teachers very hard working.

We were lucky enough to sit in on a traditional dance class.  I have to say - it was so thrilling to see the students performing with such expression!  Check out this video:

Here are some other photos of students and classrooms so far...

A young student wins many trophies for sports.

A 6th grade Social Studies class learning latitude and longitude.

The library.

 

Students in biology lab.  They chose to work through their break.  Look, they are smiling!!

 

 

A girl shows off her beautiful henna design.

Speed skating - how cool is this school?

This week, we were also invited to visit the Calorx IB School (International Baccalaureate).  It is a sister school to Delhi Public School, but it uses the IB curriculum, which follows an international education model.  The school had such pretty grounds with a temple in the background.  The students were highly engaged in their learning and were clearly used to working on independent projects and in teams.

The Calorx IB school grounds - what a background!



Obvious work around global competencies.

Director Bruce works with a student.
 

Students sharing their snacks!

Every time we drive back and forth from school, I'm always so amazed by all the things I see.  There are so many extremes in this country.  One minute you will see sheep and a camel, and then the next minute you will see something very modern.  There are so many contrasts like this everywhere!



Camel and cart.



Shepherd and sheep near the school.

Amazing Ahmedabad!

I finally arrived in Ahmedabad!  Our gracious host, Mrs. Monita Dash, picked us up from the airport and brought us to our very nice hotel.  Monita teaches high school biology at the Delhi Public School, Bopal.  It is an elite private school that serves grades 1-12.  This will be my home for the next 10 days.

View of city from hotel

Ahmedabad is an interesting city!  It is hot and humid but does not rain predictably every day.  Here, you will find cars, auto rickshaws, bicycles, buses, tractors, cows, sheep, dogs, and camels all in the street together.  The camels are a rarer sighting but I still get excited every time I see one!  Crossing the street is interesting...I think I am getting much better at it.  There is traffic and noise but the people here are very friendly and it is a bustling, cosmopolitan town.



Father and son on moped.

Busy street.

Roadside attraction!

There are some interesting cultural things to do here.  We visited the Jain Hatheesingh temple, which has amazing marble work and intricate carvings.  Did you know that people of the Jain religion do not eat animals or anything that grows below the ground? (no garlic, onions, carrots, etc.) A visit to Akshardham temple was quite an experience!  This cultural center belongs to the Hindu Swaminarayan group.  It is carved out of pink sandstone and has beautiful gardens. 

Me, our wonderful host Monita, and Jennice at Hatheesingh temple.

Close up of carvings

Akshardham Temple.  This picture is from the internet (no pictures allowed inside the temple's gates).

At night, we went to the law garden night market - stalls were packed with glittering fabrics and handicrafts of the region.  The cholis (backless mirrored blouses) chaniyas (long local skirts) and embroidered work were amazing - talk about bling!

Locally made mirrored clothing. 

Law garden night market.

 

Bangalore School Tours

It was so exciting to finally visit some local schools!  First, we went to a primary school (grades 1 through 4).  As we walked in the front gate, we heard a lovely musical performance by the school band.  The students began their day with a morning routine in the school yard that included warm-ups, marching, singing, praying, and reading the newspaper headlines in English and Kannada (their local language).  In the Principal's office, a young boy placed roses on the tops of all the pictures of India's important leaders.  They also had a shrine dedicated to Saraswati - the Hindu goddess of learning.  She stands for wisdom, fortune, intelligence, nourishment, brilliance, and contentment.  So in case you are ever looking for a brilliant idea...now you know who can help!

   

 

Saraswati and other Hindu Gods

Honoring India's past leaders

Morning Prayer

Since this is considered a government school, students are provided with free uniforms, textbooks and all writing tools and school resources.  This is all provided by the local government.  Some classes were taught in English and also in Kannada.  The kids were so engaged and eager to learn!

 


3rd Grade Language Study

1st Grade Block Building

  

 We then spent the second half of our day at a high school, which was also a government school.  I had the chance to check out a 10th grade geometry lesson.  Even though the lesson was taught in another language, it was clear that the students were learning.  They took detailed notes and answered correctly when called upon.  Also, the whole class stood up when I walked in the door.  There is a lot of respect shown to teachers by the students.

Girls doing math - yay!

Later, our group discussed the four main issues facing the Indian education system today. They are: 1) Outdated and rigid curriculum 2) Test fixation 3) Lack of vocational training set-up 4) Challenges with finding quality teachers and good teaching practices.  Number 2 sounds very familiar!

On our second day of school tours, we visited Citizens High School - a low-fee private school for grades Pre-K - 4 and then its sister high school of grades 5-10.  Their principal, Mr. Khan, was able to share with us his philosophy and desire to shift his school to a more student-centered approach to learning.  He also hoped to see more inquiry and student participation.  I was able to participate in a science and math lesson.  Students were all eager, motivated to learn, and expressed that they really liked their teachers!!


Citizens High School

 

Principal Khan and our group

  

Science lesson

Happy faces!



Project Work

 
 It was so amazing to see all the great learning going on and I got the sense that the students really enjoyed being in school.  As I was watching students take notes and as I was glancing at their poster work, I wondered about "rigor" and what it means for students in these schools.  I'm not a big fan of educational buzz words, but my essential question for this trip has to do with the levels of rigor needed to prepare students to be the best citizens and be ready for 21st century careers.  So I'd love to explore the idea more and see what that looks like for other Indian schools by observing and talking with more teachers, administrators, and students.

Now I am off to Ahmedabad tomorrow for Part 2 of the trip!  I can't wait to get to Delhi High School where I will spend 10 days being a part of their school community.