Against All Odds
Navigating through the slums of Kandivali, Mumbai, climbing up two flights of steep stairs, I reached Lord Jesus English School to meet Manju Vishwakarma. Manju has been working with Teach A Class since it’s inception, first using Zaya’s Personalised Learning Programme and now Pratham’s classroom library.
It’s a very small school, for children from pre-primary to Grade 4. Due to space constraints, 2 grades operate simultaneously in the same classroom with 10 to 12 children in each grade. Manju is reading the story of ‘Pehelwaan Ji Plays Cricket’ to her 2nd graders, as they stare at the illustrated book, enraptured.
Manju is not a formally trained teacher, in fact teaching wasn’t even something she wanted to do. A health condition left her feeling under-confident and shy. Over time, working closely with her Headmaster, she was able to let go of her fears and insecurities and blossomed into a confident and resilient woman.
Her Headmaster became her mentor as he pushed her out of her comfort zone, encouraging her to participate in leadership opportunities. As a result, 3 years ago, Manju established the pre-primary section of the school which she now manages alone.
During my first visit to her classroom, it was evident that Manju had little knowledge of pedagogy. But what inspired me was Manju’s desire to constantly improve and grow. After pushing Manju to ask for help, I started receiving regular calls from her requesting support with teaching techniques and efficient lesson planning.
“My students can’t remember words I’ve taught them, and I don’t know how to help.”
On my suggestion, Manju put up colourful charts of sight words and action words in her classroom. The result blew her mind!
What moves me most about Manju is her resilience. Owing to her health condition, her relatives and neighbors questioned her choice to work and made it difficult for her to continue. But Manju believes what others feel is her weakness is a strength - and this inspires me to do so as well.
After becoming a teacher, the support she received from her Headmaster and the organisations she was working with made her feel confident of her capabilities. From being someone who shied away from people, Manju now leads conversations. In the next 5 years, Manju aspires to work at the top-tier, managing the school and mentoring other teachers. She refuses to be bothered by impressions others have of her and braves through each day, determined to make a difference.
