I reached out to Arti to explore an opportunity around Daan Utsav. I wanted to ask teachers, if they had one wish for their students, what would it be? The question arose from my experience as a Teach For India Fellow. In my classroom, there were so many things I wished for - what would have happened if I was granted one?

I’d wish for things like a smaller classroom strength, more time to plan, or a manageable workload, but when I ask Arti, she said:

I would wish that my students ask me more questions, so I can help them more.

With a Master’s in Microbiology, Arti could have pursued another career, but chose to be a teacher because she believes that education can change the future. 

Arti’s students excel in Math but the gap in their foundational knowledge of science worried her. Despite using audio-visual aids her students still failed to grasp concepts. 

Arti applied to Teach A Class for Experifun’s Science kits, as she needed something to make her classes more engaging and get her students excited about the wonders of Science. 

Actually they [students] are getting very interested. Before when I was teaching them science, they were getting very bored, it was theoretical, more question and answer style. We also have an online application, with videos on science, still they get bored.

But with the kits, they are very interested, because they get to handle the experiments. For example, I asked them about acid and bases, they all gave me a theoretical answer, but they had no understanding of what it meant on a daily basis. I asked them to collect samples soap, salt and water mixture.

I explained how to find out if it’s an acid or base using an experiment. Students understand the concepts better, and connect those to their daily life.

Her students’ determination to improve despite all the odds, is what pushes her to be a better teacher. 

One of my ex-students, Ajay, used to struggle a lot. I used to teach him reading and writing and he was very behind in the class.

I was so worried about him but he started improving slowly and he’s now matriculated 10th STD and will appear for his higher secondary examinations this year! This is what keeps me going everyday, knowing I can help students like Ajay.

It’s teachers like Arti that keep me inspired to go out, talk to more teachers and create space for their voices to be heard.  Arti’s story, her commitment to education and learning blew me away. It made me realise that teachers need someone to listen to their stories, understand their motivations and equip them with what they need to unlock their true potential.

Excerpts from an interview conducted with Arti Nigade, a Math and Science teacher at Ashraya Initiative for Children. Ashraya is an after-school center in Pune, that works with children from marginalized communities. Arti has been teaching here for 8 years.

Written by Teach A Class Staffer and Teacher Champion - Trisha Agarwal