Beyond Walls, Building Bonds: School Rooted in Community

In this episode of Pratibimba, we welcome Ms. Shashikala G.R. from Hunsur Taluk's Devagalli Government High School. A dedicated educator with 16 years of experience, Shashikala speaks about her role as both an assistant teacher and a member of the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC).

Shashikala goes beyond academics at her rural school, fostering holistic development and confidence in children. By immersing herself in the community - visiting homes, and attending festivals - she understands their culture and uses relatable examples like organic farming and animal husbandry to build trust and explain concepts effectively.

The school embraces environmental responsibility. Each child planted a sapling, culminating in flourishing gardens with fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The collective effort of students, teachers, and community members earned the school the well-deserved title of "Hasiru Kashi” (Green Palace), showcasing their dedication to a greener future.

She highlights the utilisation of government recommendations that have significantly contributed to the school's development - initiatives like "Shala Vana" leading to the successful establishment of Hasiru Kashi, and alumni involvement through weekend labour. Community participation extends to celebrations and events, often organized in collaboration with the Gram Panchayat. These gatherings, like the Vijnana Habba (Science fair), provide parents with insights into their children's skills, the school's resources, and ways they can contribute to a more engaging learning experience. Additionally, rangoli competitions and other activities break the ice between parents and teachers, fostering mutual understanding.

Shashikala stresses the significance of adapting education to each community's specific context by understanding their environment, culture, and upbringing. Establishing meaningful connections with the community is crucial for comprehending their needs and offering improved support to their children.

Finally, she underscores the importance of transparent fundraising, emphasizing clear communication about needs and progress reports to build trust. This openness encourages frequent donor visits. The story paints a beautiful picture of a school deeply connected to its community, fostering holistic development while respecting the environment and embracing cultural diversity. Shashikala's dedication and innovative approach inspire educators and communities alike.

Welcome to Akshara Foundation’s podcast - Pratibimba. In today's episode, we have K. N. Harsha, a seasoned associate teacher with 29 years of experience, specializing in teaching mathematics and science. Currently at GHPS, Bodyguard Line, Kurubarahalli, South Zone, Mysore, Mr. Harsha is deeply involved in developing Teaching Learning Materials (TLM) and serves as the President of the Karnataka State Primary School Teachers Association, South Zone, Mysore. 

Mr. Harsha emphasizes the crucial role of mathematics in a child's elementary education, moving beyond mere problem-solving proficiency. He highlights the decline in essential skills such as logical thinking and practical application of knowledge by the time a child reaches grade 10. This gap, he notes, puts students behind by two years in their learning capacity. The trend of Government school students favoring arts and commerce over science can be attributed to language barriers and a lack of exposure to mathematics. 

He underscores the urgency of improving teaching methodologies to ensure a brighter future for children. While recognizing the importance of Foundational Literacy and numeracy, Mr. Harsha points out a neglect of in-depth learning. He identifies a challenge in teaching the importance of place value in basic mathematical operations, advocating for teachers to go beyond methods and ensure students understand the reasoning behind them. 

Cooperation and coordination among teachers, along with teaching using the Concrete, Representational, Abstract (CRA) method and Ganita Kalika Andolana (GKA) Kits as valuable tools for primary school teachers. Mr. Harsha acknowledges the significance of textbooks and TLMs, emphasizing their role in providing a structured framework for learning. Despite these challenges, he appreciates the cultural richness brought by students from diverse backgrounds, particularly those who have migrated for employment. Harsha remains optimistic about educators making a positive impact within the system, stressing the need for dedicated teachers who ensure students not only grasp mathematical concepts but also understand their rationale.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. This podcast tries to bring out such unique stories that are motivating, inspiring, and interesting.  If you have an interesting story, please share it with 98450 79590.

Welcome to Akshara Foundation’s Pratibimba Podcast. In this episode, we delve into the Gram Panchayat Level Mathematics Contest (GP Contests), held across Karnataka, for students of classes 4 to 6. The primary aim is to elevate the quality of maths education in the state. Our guest today is Mr. Shankar Hadagali, an educator at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) in Gadag, and Nodal Officer for Akshara Foundation’s Ganitha Kalika Andolan (GKA).

DIET and Akshara Foundation collaborated to provide GKA Maths Kits, simplifying maths concepts and making the subject more engaging. Teachers are encouraged to innovate their teaching methods to foster a love for maths in young learners.

GP Contests have successfully introduced healthy competition among students, offering a refreshing break from the routine of regular classes. Education Volunteers educate school Headmasters about the significance of these contests and identify dedicated educational volunteers who facilitate the contests and create a comfortable environment for students.

The overarching goal of GP Contests is to make maths accessible and enjoyable, dispelling fears that students may have about the subject. These contests also empower parents to gauge their child's comprehension levels. By tracking monthly progress, we can plan targeted support for each child.

 Mr. Shankar believes that by involving more individuals and reaching out to more schools, we can have a profound and lasting impact on these children's futures, instilling a lasting love for maths that will serve them well throughout their lives. Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of these young learners.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. This podcast tries to bring out such unique stories that are motivating, inspiring, and interesting.  If you have an interesting story, please share it with 98450 79590.

Welcome to this episode of ‘Pratibimba’, where we are in conversation with Smt. Jahnavi S. Siddhi.

Smt. Jahnavi is a teacher who hails from a small village in Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district. She has a 39-year old career and of those 39 years, she served for 22 long years as a teacher in the same place. She then went on to work at the government primary school in the Taluk of Kumta for another 17 years as a senior teacher and additional principal and is currently working as the headmistress of the Government School of Kadagal.

She has participated in and led many cultural and social extra-curricular activities all these years. She stands excelled and recognized for creating Teachers’ Learning Materials (TLMs) for the children, that facilitate the students in learning various subjects by working/learning with them.

She has personally devised unique models of Gulliver’s device that are constructed from everyday staples. She also used her personal hobby as a stamp collector to benefit the learning of her students by spicing it up with her crafty hands that can see a simple matchbox as an aid to learning some scientific methods and principles.

She has written a book called Akshara Kalika that serves as a learning aid for students, and her creativity has led to the creation of a whopping 947 TLMs. All this only goes to show the extent of her enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment toward better learning in her children. In recognition for her efforts, she has been conferred with many awards.

Jahnavi's other interest is folklore. It pains her to see the decline of original folklore. Her immense knowledge about the art form is thoroughly reflected in her narration while she quotes from various songs and dance traditions of the past. She has used various folklore to train and teach students about various subjects.

A workshop that she attended 35 years ago motivated her to learn about and document various folklore of Karnataka. She also penned a book called Janapada Kalakshetra, with the intention of introducing old and rich folklore to the future generation. 

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. This podcast tries to bring out such unique stories that are motivating, inspiring, and interesting.  If you have an interesting story, please share it with 98450 79590.

Welcome to this episode of ‘Pratibimba’, where we are in conversation with Naveen. 

Naveen is a teacher from Chittapura Taluk of Kalburgi who teaches Science and Mathematics. He has also been awarded the Best Teacher award for 2022-23. When he joined the school, there was no dedicated playground. Naveen has worked in the capacity of a physical education teacher as well which helped his school participate in the state-level running competition. For the question on how he got interested in sports and how it is important in the education of children, he says he always had an interest in sports and in order to curb the absenteeism in children, he turned to sports. 

Once he started cleaning up the surroundings in order to make the place suitable for sports, other children also got interested in it. According to Naveen, sports instills trust, cooperation, love, and trust in children. Not only that, it helps to secure government jobs under the sports quota. He explains the challenge involved in achieving this feat has been to win over the indifferent parents of the remote village of Chamanuru. In 2008, when Naveen joined as a teacher in the village, there was no road access to it. He used tractors to take children to find places suitable for sports. He had to face the wrath of land owners and parents alike who advised him to concentrate on what he is supposed to do and not get involved in sports etc.,

To illustrate the examples, he explains the achievements of his students namely Mahesh, Suryakanth, Mehabub, and Sujatha who were very much interested and invested in sports. Suryakanth even got selected for a 200-meter running competition at the state level. They also got selected a couple of times to state levels. He also remembers a couple of incidents of minute accidents that happened during sports activities. Naveen had to face the consequences of all of it. As a tip to fellow teachers, he says that if teachers can invest themselves in sports, it helps to better the student’s motivation. If the concepts of physics and maths are introduced and adopted in sports, it can help to make the students understand better. The concepts of time, heights, and distances can be better thought through sports as well. The English words that are used during sports can help students to learn. He sums up that sports can be the best way to bring awareness to students about health and fitness.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. This podcast tries to bring out such unique stories that are motivating, inspiring, and interesting.  If you have an interesting story, please share it with 98450 79590.

Please welcome Ms. Prabhavati J Immanni in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Ms. Prabhavati works in a government school in Shahapur Taluk of Yadagiri district as a teacher. She has an experience of 19 years in the domain and she has taught 4th to 7th-grade students over a period of 18 years. During the year 2022-23, she was deputed to the Nali-Kali classes. She has also taught Kannada for some time. 

In her opinion, the approach of one-way lecturing has no or very less impact on the students. So, she adopted various techniques of teaching history via stories and poetry. She would also use videos/teaching materials from YouTube in order to make subjects easy for her pupils. One such song is still remembered by her former students as well. Such a method of teaching has proven to be effective and she says, "I adopt similar techniques while teaching geography and other subjects." Students themselves gather information about the people, produce, and plants of the region thanks to the methodology of teaching adopted by Ms. Prabhavati.

Ms. Prabhavati was deputed, for various reasons to Nali-Kali from the higher classes. She took it as a challenge and an opportunity even though she was not trained for this. She was helped and guided by various experienced resource persons, including the Azim Premji Institute. She gradually understood the requirements of the Nali-Kali section and adopted it. 

She opines that she has also learned a lot from her students. She has understood from her training that the brains of children below the age of 8 are fertile for learning various things – ranging from morals to maths and from writing to communication. She thinks that Nali-Kali is the best opportunity to develop and nurture healthy minds in children. Nali-Kali is also an opportunity for teachers to be more creative.

In Ms. Prabhavati’s view, teachers of higher grades should consider teaching Nali-Kali pupils. Because it is a great opportunity on learning how to teach some students who directly join higher grades such as 4th or 5th. They have challenges in coping with numbers and writing. "The experience or the methodology that we acquire from teaching the Nali-Kali pupils will come in handy while tutoring the higher graders as well."

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. This podcast tries to bring out such unique stories that are motivating, inspiring, and interesting.  If you have an interesting story, please share it with 98450 79590.

Ranganath hails from the Ballari district and serves as a resource person for educators in a cluster of Kurugodu taluk. He has 15 years of experience in the field of education. He also has 8 to 10 years of experience as a resource person, where he interacted with and coached many teachers across the district.

Please welcome Ms. Thanujakshi in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Ms. Thanujakshi works as a  teacher at Shidlaghatta, Chikballapur. She has been a teacher of ‘Nali kali’ classes, which is for children in grades 1-3. Her school has won the State award for ‘Nali kali’. She has been the winner of ‘Anupama Seva Award’ for the year 2020. 

She follows the guidelines of the NEP to the tee. They have specific corners for maths, toys, science, reading etc. Children get ‘me time’ where they can go to their favourite corner and learn on their own. She has seen many children participating happily in these activities. As part of ‘Vidyapravesh’ she is able to engage the students in a positive way. 

Thanujakshi uses flashcards for narrating and re-creating stories. She notices that children enjoy introducing one another in the morning. It builds a bond among them. Children talk about their families and about their surroundings. She encourages them to converse in English in real-life situations such as ‘In the shop’ etc. 

She feels it is possible to use the materials and objects around us and develop number skills among the children. She has used the leaves of plants to show ‘big’ and ‘small’ and also to show increasing and decreasing order. Language sessions are helpful in developing writing skills. She uses this session to build word power. 

Handicraft sessions enhance learning in the students, as they are physically involved in creating things. She particularly mentions some of the artwork by some of her students. Thanujakshi has noticed a remarkable improvement in the confidence of her students with ‘Nali Kali’ activities. 

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.

Please welcome Ms. Sudha Bhandari in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Ms. Sudha Bhandari works as a  teacher at Gundabala, Uttara Kannada. She has been a teacher for 25 years. She has written 5 books and over 500 articles. She has won many prizes in several literary contests. She has also won five State-level awards. She has been a resource person for the cluster schools. 

Sudha was a bright student and looks up to her teachers as her role models. She had a very good education in English, at the high school level. She remembers her teacher I.S. Naik who encouraged her to speak in English. When she joined her own school as a teacher and started teaching English to class 5 students, her seniors recognised her talent and allowed her to teach class 6 and 7 students as well. Most of her students say English is their favourite subject. 

Though she did not get a convent education, she has been able to engage the children in meaningful, effective teaching of English through games, rhymes, etc. The Education department has given her an opportunity to be a resource person in her cluster schools. It was then she had to challenge herself to be able to train the teachers. 

She conducts a special class on weekends for students of classes 5, 6 and 7 on spoken English. She lays emphasis on learning grammar well. Her list of learning items is famous among her students. When she was transferred, some of the parents even tried to reverse it. That's how popular she and her classes are. 

Sudha has undergone training in 'English Empowerment' at DIET. And she has gone ahead and implemented the suggestion given there: celebrate one day of the week as English Day. On that day, all students and teachers must speak in English. All activities including the prayer are done in English. One day in December is dedicated to English activities by the students, to be displayed to the guardians. The whole day is dedicated to entertainment and learning - in English. 

Sudha recalls a group of tribal students she engaged with during the lunch break and how she helped build their English competence from scratch. They had to be literally taught from A, B, C. But by the time they finished 7th grade, they were able to read English fluently. One girl was even able to recite tongue twisters on the Annual Day celebrations! And that girl was given a cash reward of Rs.100 by one of the onlookers.

Sudha is convinced that if the teachers are dedicated, they can build the confidence of students, thereby building their skills. 

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.

Please welcome Mr. Suneel Eshwar Khot to this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Suneel started working as a Maths teacher in 2010. He currently works at Arjunavadi, Hukkeri. He has been a resource person at the Taluk, District, and State levels. He has participated in the ‘Jnana Taranga’ programme of AIR for Grade 10 students. In 2015, Suneel participated in the National-level Maths exhibition. 

Suneel trains students for NMMS (National Means, Merit Scholarship). Passing this test makes a student eligible for a scholarship. This test successfully identifies talented students in the Aided and Local schools of the State. The test is conducted by DSERT and the KSEB. If a student clears this test in Grade 8, he/she will get a sum of Rs.12000/- per year, all the way to Grade 12. In addition, the State government awards him/her a one-time cash prize worth Rs. 2000/-

Suneel, who himself is a product of competitive exams, has dedicated himself to helping children with these exams. This has helped many underprivileged students in getting a scholarship of up to Rs. 50,000/- in four years. 

Since students need about 4 months of intensive training, he first screens the students and identifies potential candidates. He then takes their parents/guardians into confidence. If one clears the test, there is financial help. Otherwise, what you learn during training will remain with you for the rest of your life! He engages the students for 2 extra hours every day. 

He even has a WhatsApp group with the students and involves them in an online quiz. He has also used technology to take online classes whenever needed. He has his own YouTube channel where he shares videos with his students. He draws a special timetable for candidates writing this test since this is an intensive course. He feels it is very important for one member of the family to dedicate 4 months to the care of their wards.

Successful students in higher classes help their juniors during weekends. It helps both the seniors to revise, and the young ones to gather insights. It also builds a strong bond between students.

In the past 12 years, 51 students have cleared the test from his school and have earned a whopping Rs.24,50,000/- in scholarships. 

Suneel is inspired by the story of a village in North India which accounts for 45 IAS officers. He wants to see his school and his village earn a similar reputation. He thanks his school colleagues for their co-operation. He has a dream of his students clearing competitive exams such as NEET. 

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.

Please welcome Mr. Lokesh in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Mr. Lokesh works as a  teacher in Tiptur Taluk. He has been a teacher for 26 years. 

He is intensely aware of different styles of ‘learning’. Some are ‘visual’ learners, and some others learn by ‘touch’ etc. Visual learners take ‘visual’ cues such as words on the board, underlined words etc. Such students usually do not need an explanation of a visual cue. They would learn better if we ask them to draw a sketch or a diagram. 

‘Auditory’ students take cues from sounds. They learn by listening and by watching the lip movements of the reader. Such students need Q&A method, group discussion etc. to learn effectively. Interactive sessions are important for such students. They are less motivated by ‘visual’ cues. ‘Brainstorming’ works effectively with such students.

Mr. Lokesh has found ‘kinaesthetic’ learners as well. Such students show a clear interest in physical activities. Such students respond less to ‘visual’ cues or ‘auditory’ cues. But they are better when they ‘do’ something and learn. They learn better with ‘role play’ and such activities. 

Another style of learning is ‘tactile’. Such students love working in the labs. Their approach is to ‘touch and do something'. They can handle or even build models and work with them. Such students need to be given an object or taken out on a field trip for better learning. Lokesh feels teachers need to mentally identify such students. Their learning becomes more meaningful and effective if they are given the appropriate learning ‘cues’. He has also understood that it is only by observation that a teacher can identify the learning style of a student.

Mr. Lokesh has observed that it is possible to have a ‘universal’ teaching plan, keeping all styles of learning in mind. He gives examples of lessons that he has taught using different methods. His methods have seen increased participation from his students in class. 

He remembers a particular student who was hesitant to enter the class. But eventually, with the right teaching cues, the same student was able to read from the English textbook rather well. And he was so immersed that he was not ready to let Mr. Lokesh go home when it was time to leave! 

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Please welcome Ms. Pooja Devi to this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Ms. Pooja Devi is a  teacher at N. R. Pura, Chikkamagalur District. She has been teaching Science for the past two and half years. She has a total of 17 years of experience in teaching. She has been the winner of many State and National Awards for her excellence in teaching. She even has her own YouTube channel and blog spot for teachers. 

Pooja Devi is also inspired by her primary school teachers. She feels Science is as interesting as it can be difficult. She is convinced that, in order to make science learning effective, teachers have to make the students curious and ask 'Why? and How?' 

She advocates learning by observation of natural phenomena. She emphasizes the importance of science in our daily life. Her teachers were helpful in getting rid of her superstitions through science. Hence she draws the attention of students toward everything that affects life on earth. 

She then goes on to quote a very interesting incident. Students had to use a toilet located next to a crematorium adjacent to the school. They were found falling or getting injured particularly on a new moon day or on a full moon day. Superstition drove the children away from the school. After a bit of digging around, Pooja Devi found out that students would run back to school after using the toilet on those days. It was all due to the fear they had already built up in their minds, after hearing random stories. And that fear, coupled with haste, led to them tripping and falling, and injuring themselves. She then helped them get over their superstition by explaining her observations to them. 

Poojadevi narrates another story of a boy who would dance like a snake and declare that the snake god had possessed him. He would light a piece of camphor in his mouth and close his mouth and show the flame going out. On closer observation, Pooja revealed that he was doing all this to command the respect of his classmates, who would otherwise make fun of his poverty. 

She has arranged many mock sessions to demonstrate that many people fool others for a reason and give it the colour of religious belief. This has also led her to teach ‘knowledge is wealth’. 

Pooja Devi has had to take the parents into confidence to achieve a few desired results. The monthly magazine ‘Ayush’ is one such result. Students are thrilled to see themselves on her YouTube channel – talking about what they did to get rid of their superstition. She created a ‘Science Room’ in some students’ homes. All households tend to have many chemicals – unknowingly. She used this fact to encourage students to conduct their own experiments at home so that they understood the concept of an acid and base by taking extracts of different flowers. 

Pooja aims to build a scientific outlook among children. That would be the biggest reward to her from her students.  

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.

Please welcome Mr. Manohar to this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Mr. Manohar teaches at Shantapura of Surpur Taluk, Yadgir district. He likes to be identified as a teacher first. He feels teaching as a profession has given him freedom of thought and expression. He believes just as ‘play and learn’, ‘do and learn’ concepts, ‘Sing and learn’ is also an effective teaching method. 

When Mr. Manohar goes into the class, the children request him for a song. He goes to the class with a song that he has prepared for that day’s lesson. He uses the tune of a popular song to attract the attention of the students. When the subject is taught with the tune of a popular song, children actually sing their response back!

He has taught ‘Indus valley civilisation’, and ‘The Life of Basavanna’ entirely through very popular songs. When he received feedback that he could use folk songs and tunes as well and not just tunes used in movies, he took it seriously and went on to compose a song on the life of ‘Budha’ and set it to a popular folk lullaby. 

He is convinced that children are entertained and engaged in the process of learning. This approach makes teaching more effective. 

Students have started humming his songs on the streets instead of the original songs! Some children were found singing his school song in a ‘cradle ceremony’ of a newborn child :) Incidences such as these motivate Manohar to use this method even more. 

He has a collection of about 45 songs that he has written. He has written poems about the life of Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and others. He has even sung some of these songs with his students and uploaded them on his YouTube channel. He has demonstrated his method of teaching while working as a resource person. He even has a song about the writers who have won the Jnanapeetha Award, in Kannada. 

When Manohar asks a question in a sing-song tune, children respond with answers in a tune! He has used this method to teach language and also basic maths concepts. 

Many of his students keep in touch with him since they remember the lessons they learned through his songs.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.

Link to Mr. Manohar's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/channel/UCYlX8iX2sSb-8-QTTrqaBtQ

Please welcome Mr. Sharanappa Pujar in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Mr. Sharanappa Pujar has been working as an assistant teacher from 2007. He is happy working at a lower primary school in rural area. He has taught ‘Kamsaale’ folk dance to his students who won prizes for 5 consecutive years at the Taluk level and went up to the district level! They have also participated in the ‘Kolata’ event. 

He showed a video on YouTube to one of his students about learning tables and the boy has learned up to 5,000 !!! The school has been identified as the best ‘Nali Kali’ school in 2019. It was the second school in the state to arrange furniture and execute this multi grades concept. He remembers the co-operation of his HM in getting the funds for the furniture. It made the school an attractive spot and increased the number of students.

He has worked extensively on ‘Kamsale’ folk dance. He knows it is done in the worship of Malemahadeshwara of Chamarajanagar. He is inspired by a film song. 

The Annual School Day is celebrated at the town fair. People contribute money which is used for many developmental activities in the school. Unfortunately the school had to be shifted because of the floods last year. However, old students and the public came together and rebuilt it. With the help of the Panchayat members, proper arrangement has been made for the outflow of water. 

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Please welcome Ms. Shanthavva in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’ – By Teachers, For Teachers!

Shanthavva has been an Asst. Teacher for 24 years, now at Yaraguppi. She has concentrated on following the ten-point programme of the government in improving the school. She has published 10 volumes of the magazine ‘Prerana’ in 2016-17 and they were released by the Regional Educational Officer and the MLA of Kundagola. This was on social sciences. In 2018 she brought out 11 volumes of another magazine, this time on science, called  ‘Parivartane’. 

She noticed that children had to gather information from 10 different books. That is what pushed her into compiling the necessary material in one book. That was ‘Prerana’. It starts from pre-independence days and traces back to how society changed from those days. ‘Parivartane’ traces the human evolution along with the scientific  development over a very long period. 

She has given these books to 10 different schools in her cluster, and the DDPI and the BEO insisted that the books be available in the library for reference. Now any child can look into these books for any topic included in the curriculum. 

She has spent countless nights over making these books and spent a thousands of rupees from her pocket to bring out the books. She recalls one particular incident where they students had to write about Savitri Bai Phule and her book was extremely useful. 

She has planted aver 120 saplings with her personal money and the school has got the award for  being ‘Environment friendly’. She was given a State level award and she bought a laptop and a projector for the school with that money. 

She believes that if children are treated with love, they are more likely to learn and work. Currently she is ready with a copy on the 150-year history of the school, which is soon to be released.

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Please welcome Mr. Nagaraj Buttanavar in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

Mr. Buttanavar has been working as a teacher in Rhona taluk since 2002. He teaches English. He has also been a resource person at DIET and at the RIES, Bangalore. 

He adopted the direct method of teaching English – went into the class speaking in English, correcting his own spoken English in the process. Singing rhymes and making children dance to it proved effective. He lays emphasis on correct pronunciation since that would remain with children through their entire course of education. He listens to BBC and refers to Oxford and Longman dictionaries. He reads out a lesson which is heard through a speaker. 

He has made some Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) on his own and even got them laminated. He has received the ‘Guru’ award by a private organisation of Hubli in 2015. He has trained teachers across the state – at Gadag, Dharwad, Kushtagi, and Bangalore.

He has always requested tourists from other countries to address his children in English! While he has some repeated visitors, he also keeps in touch with some others. 

He understands the importance of ‘how to teach English’ rather than ‘how not to teach’. He believes in making the children smile when he enters the class. He would make extra rhyming words related to the lesson and put them up on the board. 

Every year in March, he conducts a ‘Dialogue Day’ where children get to exhibit their spoken English skills. This helps them converse in English with the foreign visitors. He draws reference audio clips from YouTube which he says is very effective. He also draws reference material from RIE, Bangalore. 

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Please welcome Mr. Srikant Basappa Gavi in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’. 

He has been working as the HM at the Higher Primary School of Jakli, Rhona Taluk, Gadag. He has a total of 27 years of experience. When he joined service at Mannangi, to demonstrate how ‘Gulliver’ looked, his team made a 20-feet tall structure with dry hay! It made the learning very effective. When he joined, there were only 32 students and the school had classes only till grade 4. He built it up till grade 7 and for 110 students by the time he moved on. 

At his next school at Abbigeri, the school had 400 children! It was a bigger and better educated place than Mannangi. Mr. Gavi was able to gather contribution from the public and improve the infrastructure. The school stood first at the Taluk level Kabaddi contest for 5 years! 

He was trained at Dharwad DIET for 45 days. He was able to train children with special needs. He was able to distribute a grant-in-aid of Rs. 600/- per child in the Abbigeri cluster. 

When he went to the school at Kurahatti, he realised his teaching was based more on lectures and not on activities. When he made the change, the school achieved 100% result at SSLC. When ‘Nali kali’ was introduced, he was able to train 600 teachers on the new approach. He started a unique programme of teaching through movies! He has been a resource person for various teacher training programmes across the state. 

When Mr. Gavi came to the school in Rhona, he noticed there was no toilet for the children. So he went around collecting contribtuions from the community, and built a toilet for the kids with that money. He was also able to get the Edu-Sat programme to the school, a first in the district. 

His current assignment started during the time of the pandemic. He has utilised it to plant saplings in the school. He used his free time to spread awareness among the villagers about various health issues. 

He praises the help of the locals and of the SDMC in painting the school. 

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Please welcome Ms. Chandrika in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’ – By Teachers, For Teachers!

Chandrika has been working as a teacher at the Government Lower Primary School, Hirehatkuni for 11 years now. She has a total of 15 years of teaching experience. She is a graduate. When she came to the present school, there were only 63 students and only 2 teachers. The school had many problems regarding infrastructure. 

The school is located in a labour class area and the attractiveness of the campus plays a major role. The better it looks, more students come to our school. But they hardly had any place to sit. With the cooperation of her husband, she bought sheets for the children to sit on. With the help of the School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC), she got plates and cups for the children for a hot lunch. 

She started organising annual programmes where she could meet the parents and involve the children in various activities. Slowly, donations started pouring in. One association gave a few chairs. Most schools have a set of drums for the National Day Parade. Chandrika’s husband donated a set of drums for her school. Since LP schools have no PE teachers, students lose out on many activities. 

She was given the charge of head teacher and she refurbished the office room. And a pantry was also built to help the hot lunch team. She lays a lot of importance on cleanliness. Slowly the admissions grew in number. When she had an excess amount of Rs.15,000/-, she arranged for sketches to be drawn on the classroom walls. The student strength has gone up to 115 now. 

She got new rooms built by the help of the Block Education Officer (BEO) and other officials. The school is generally affected by rains. To counter this, they first planted saplings in the school campus. Chandrika then convinced the ZP member to make necessary arrangements to stop the rain water from creating a mess within the campus. 

She is grateful to the co-operation of all the BRP’s, CRP’s and DEO’s who have helped the school. She is proud of the students who secured admission into Morarji schools and are doing well at the State level. 

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Please welcome Smt. B. B. Harthi in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’ – By Teachers, For Teachers!

Smt. B. B. Harthi has been teaching Maths for the past 19 years. She believes strongly that Maths is not a difficult subject and it increases the logical thought process among students. She has made her own Teaching Learning Materials (TLMs) to teach Maths effectively! She even involved her students while making the TLMs. In addition, the symposia at +2 level have also improved the willingness to learn maths among children. Students had fun buying things at a mock store and selling it to their parents at home! 

The school has existed for more than a century now! This year the old students have come together to organise a function. The alumni association which is 300 in number, is making every effort needed, to improve the school in every way. With the help of philanthropists and the general public, the school has bought some furniture, and also made a garden in front of the school. Some alumni, who have become panchayat members now, have helped the school in getting a fresh coat of paint. 

The school boasts of having the maximum number of students in Gadag region. It has been the trend for the past 25 years! She appreciates the quality of teachers in the school who believe in involving the students while teaching. With the cooperation of old students and the government officials, she visits the houses of absent students and tries to bring them back to the main stream. The school arranged for scientific viewing of complete solar eclipse for the students as well as the public. 

The school has various clubs such as Science club, Music club etc. Every week one club takes up an activity and engages the students. A unique program of the school is the ‘Quiz’. First 3 Mondays of the month the students are given 30 bits of information and on the last Monday of the month, they are tested on their general knowledge based on the information given earlier. This has been a successful way of engaging students of class 4 to class 7. 

The school also uses technology to teach the students – they project relevant content from the Internet and educate the students. Some teachers make slides and show them on the projector. All these activities have held the school in good stead despite a private school in the neighbourhood. The encouragement by the department officials has also inspired the teachers. 

Smt. B. B. Harthi is thankful to her Head Teacher for supporting the teachers at every level. She is proud to be associated with the school.

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Please welcome Mr. Raghavendra Ambore in this episode of  ‘Pratibimba’ – By Teachers, For Teachers!

Mr. Ambore was first appointed in 1994 and teaches Social Sciences. He keeps the textbook away and teaches them in the form of stories. Children pay more attention to stories. And they are ready to answer objective questions. 

He has a lab called ‘Jagruthi’ in which he uses maps and globes to show how to understand the landscape and directions. Children show more interest towards visual aids. 

Mr. Ambore believes awareness leads to Science. He treats History also as a science as it also provides proof for its statements. Instead of teaching them boring details of dead kings, he tells them stories about their achievements. Mr. Ambore is often invited as a resource person on ‘Jagruthi’. He was trained for a couple of days on teaching Geography. That is what inspired him to start a lab that can make its teaching effective. He started with maps, went to the globe and then on to YouTube. One class room converted as a Geography library! Children started spending more time in there. 

During the times of Covid, he created a WhatsApp group with the parents of students and taught them online. 

He is actively involved in Scouts, which he believes brings discipline among children. He describes the salute with three fingers. Children understand the importance of wearing the uniform at an early age. Successful completion of scout exam can get an admission to NCC later. Children can go up to the National level and they may get easier admission into professional colleges. 

In the annual cultural competitions, where he plays on the tabla with this group of singers, his team has crossed the district level and is now on the verge of competing at the State level. On a different platform, he secured the second prize for playing the tabla. 

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Please welcome Mr. Suleiman in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’ – By Teachers, For Teachers!

Mr. Suleiman has been working as a teacher for the past 17 years at Kundagola of Dharawad district. 

When he joined the school, it had only about 15-20 students form classes 1 to 5. Students had no idea about a school. Though he was a little discouraged initially, he decided to take it as a challenge. He wanted to give a clear idea about what is a school, why should they come to the school and how it would help them in life. The school had little furniture,  no drinking water and no proper approach road!

He decided to take the help of the community in restoring it. He started by visiting each house in the village. Slowly contributions started pouring in and he could use the fund to buy some furniture for the school. There was an initial resistance to his environment protection plans. But he convinced the public and made a garden in the school ground. For 2 years he bought saplings from his own salary and planted them. Majority of the plants were uprooted by the villagers! After his continued efforts, the villagers relented. Now the school has over 350 plants and the school has bagged the ‘Green School’ award at the district level for 3 years now. In 2019, the school got a cash award of Rupees 2.5 lacs, with a recognition as the best school in the State! 

He stresses the importance of determination and courage to build something of value. Today the school has 120 students. Students are joining from the surrounding villages. He acknowledges the contribution by his wife, who is an assistant teacher in the same school, in achieving all this. 

Mr. Suleiman is an epitome of courage and confidence. He stresses the need to recognise the support beyond the resistance. He faced resistance in almost everything that he ventured into, but he overcame it with his determination and with the help of education department officials.

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Please welcome Mr. Raghavan in this episode of ‘Prathibimba’ – By Teachers, For teachers!

Mr. Raghavan is an M. Phil degree holder in Physical Education and also has done NIS programme in Kabaddi. He has represented the Mysore University Kabaddi team at the National level, five times! He has also represented Karnataka State twice. However, he had to scale down when he joined a school in 1994. But it has opened his eyes to the challenges of sports activities at the school level.

He thinks there is no sports culture in India. But he has been working towards creating one ever since, right from the grassroots level. Earlier he was in a co-ed school and the students or the general public had no idea about hand ball game. He introduced the game to them and built a team that went to the district level. 

Raghavan is currently working in a girls primary school and he sees it as a totally different challenge. He included some thoughts about sports in their prayer session itself! He inspired them with stories of PT Usha, and Sania Mirza. He started inviting local sports persons, got some activities done by them and shared their sports journey with the children. But it is impossible to build a school team with just school time. He had to put in extra time – before school and after school.

Slowly more girls started taking to sports. He had to overcome the challenge of training them on many areas of sports and games such as athletics, Volleyball, Football etc. Also he distinguishes between Physical Education and sports training. But he was bogged down by the demands on a PE teacher. He did not hesitate to take help from his old students. Some of his students have gone to the national level competitions for five successive years! One of his students is in the training camp of Commonwealth Games in weight lifting!

He acknowledges the recognition by the education department in making him a resource person in many seminars. He is fully aware that it is a collective effort and not an individual’s effort alone. What gives him satisfaction is the recognition from his students that Raghavan Sir made a difference!

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Please welcome Smt. Indira in this episode of ‘Prathibimba’ – By Teachers, For Teachers!

She started her career as a Head Teacher and, after taking many other offices, now works as the Block Educational Officer. 

Smt. Indira is convinced that if you take up teaching just as a profession, nothing much can be achieved. Being positive while contributing to the future of a child is an absolute necessity. Just teaching from 9 to 4 does not help at all. If a child is absent, just marking them absent is a routine job. Finding out the reason for her absence and solving that problem, if any, is responsibility. 

This is where counselling the child comes into play. A child may be late to school for many reasons. Teachers have to identify them and address them. It affects them all alike. A teacher might have scared a student about home work. Or they may not have their Aadhar card. If the school wants it for scholarship, some parents don’t send the child to school itself! Many teachers have helped such parents in getting their Aadhar card or voting card. When that happens, teachers get a lot of respect from the village.

Some teachers judge the child because she is not good at maths or can’t write properly. But such students have a different skill set. It may be music or dance or sports or knowledge about plants. Teachers have to recognise that skill and encourage it. 

Smt. Indira believes in teachers being an example or a model. Instead of repeating many instructions, teachers have to do it in practice because children observe them. When that happens, children reach the school before the teachers do. So walking the talk is very important for a teacher. Children tend to be around those teachers who give love and behave well. All this is not seen on an appointment order. But when a teacher takes all these responsibilities, parents tend to treat them as members of their family. Dropping out of school reduces drastically. Teachers need not run around for admissions. Nor will the parents complain about education. 

Smt. Indira talks about the confidence that the parents should have in teachers. It may be for an event somewhere or a competition. They should send their ward along with the teacher, based on trust. She has observed some parents saying, “Teach my child how to read and write. We have no money for other skills” But this would kill the interest in the child. She knows some parents look only for an employment opportunity for their  ward. Smt. Indira says it is impossible to keep such thinking. School is for knowledge and skill. 

She also talks about the gap between teachers and parents. She feels such a gap might occur because both parties might have lost track of their responsibility. Even if there is 5% rot, the rest can get affected. If both parents and teachers understand this, the child becomes a winner. She has many such success stories. 

 Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.

Please welcome Ms. Leelavathi in this episode of ‘Pratibimba’ – by teachers, for teachers.

Ms. Leelavathi has been a teacher for 27 years. She is interested in showcasing the talents of students not just in studies but also in co-curricular activities. With the help of some NGO’s she was sent to Gujarat where she came across the ‘thod, phod, jod’ programme for students. She has implemented the same in her school and that has brought out all the hidden talents among her students.

Ms. Leelavathi has been honoured with the ‘Best Teacher’ award by the Department of Public Education in 2017. She is a trained ‘Manipuri’ dancer and secured the third prize at a National level dance competition. She says her inspiration is the cultural programmes conducted by the State government. A private TV channel recognised her school and herself as a ‘Bharavaseya Belaku’ in 2016.

Her interest in folk literature was kindled when she was in PUC. Coupled with an interest in Kannada folk literature, she had a desire to take the ‘Karaga’ celebration of Bengaluru to the National level. She has performed a ‘One Woman Show’ on many occasions and the role of ‘Kaali’ enchants her the most. 

She has her own YouTube channel to showcase all her works, which are focused on co-curricular activities. She has a video on ‘Bag-less day’ and also one showing a boy making a model of a JCB using the Lego material given by Akshara Foundation.

Ms. Leelavathi has used innovative methods of teaching. She made a mound of earth and lit it with a wick to show how a volcano erupts! She recognises the fact that there are some students from who the teachers will have to learn. She totally believes in learning through joy.

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Please welcome Mr. B. L. Poojari in this episode of ‘Prathibimba’ – by the teachers, for the teachers!

Mr. Poojari has been working as a teacher for 27 years and is now the Head Master of the school. He likes teaching Science and Maths. He has played a major role in increasing the students' strength significantly in every school he has worked. He goes to their houses in the village and convinces the parents to send their wards to school. In one school, he has grown 500 plants by carrying water from a well himself! 

Since the schools were closed during the pandemic, he has spent his personal money and gotten the walls of 6 class rooms ready, with different relevant graffiti!  The graffiti covers general knowledge information as well. 

According to Mr. Poojari, it is not enough if they just go to the students' houses in an effort to get them admitted. He remembers an incident of being challenged by the villagers to get first class results for all 7th grade students in the public exam. He worked very hard and achieved it, and also got the gold reward! He is convinced that this result is crucial in increasing the school's strength. Another important factor is treating the children with love, rather than with fear. 

During the visit to the houses, he impresses on the parents the hidden talents of their wards and tells them about how to encourage the children. This has also played a major role in increasing the enrolment at schools. 

At the entrance of the school he has written about 20 points on how ‘Health is Wealth’. He has painted/written the number tables on water tanks, so that a child can look at them and allow it all to sink in, while drinking water. Various parts of the class walls don different aspects of language such as vocabulary, grammar etc. Specific places are reserved for teaching maths concepts such as squares and square roots. 

Mr. Poojari acknowledges and remembers the cooperation and support by the education department officers in achieving this much success. He is also grateful to his colleagues who have contributed positively in developing the school.

Hope you enjoyed listening to this recording by Akshara Foundation. If you have an interesting story, please share your story with 98450 79590.