Dare to Dream

Aug. 17, 2016

Sumitra Shrestha (TFN Fellow 2014)Sumitra Shrestha (TFN Fellow 2014) taught at Ram Devi Secondary School, Jalkeni, Sindhupalchowk. 

Her students delivered one of the best results in SLC 2073, among the schools that TFN fellows teach in. Sumitra shares her fellowship journey and a few words of wisdom.

Motivational mantra 

I dared my children to dream big, but at the same time I also made it clear that miracles just don’t happen, one has to work hard to achieve ones dreams.

There were times when the kids did not trust themselves enough, but I never gave up on my kids, I constantly encouraged them to move ahead and to achieve what they were capable of.

Living in a village

Since I studied Rural Development I was familiar with the context in villages but only to a certain level. In the beginning the main challenge was bonding with the people from students, to administration to the community, but eventually was able to form really good bonds with everyone and I think the bond that I formed with them was one of my greatest strengths.

Initial days

The first three months were very confusing, the kids were very very shy. They were not even participating in games and enjoying it as much as I had expected them to. They were very quiet and though in the beginning I felt that they were very well behaved kids, I slowly realized that was not a good thing, as they would never ask anything and it became difficult for me to know if they had understood things or not.  

But with time things changed, after sometime my bond with my students grew and they even joke and laughed with me

Classroom challenges

The kids did not have even basic knowledge in many areas and I had to teach grade 9 and 10 which seemed like a monumental task. But deep down inside I had this belief that I was going to pass my kids and worked towards that, the first year was mostly about experimenting, trying out what works out and what doesn’t.

It was after the first time I had an idea of where the kids were, so accordingly I made plans that I would take the kids from one level to the next and when they achieved that I planned for the next level that my kids had to reach.

Though there were a lot of problems that I did not let that wish inside of me wither away, I wanted my kids to go to college, I wanted 100 % results and worked towards that.

What I gave them was my time and effort. For the lower grades I mostly focused on basic concepts, but for 9 and 10, I worked on basics as well as the course book. I took extra classes, asked for help regarding differentiation to people in the office as that was a major problem I was facing and worked on that.

A word of advice

If a child is not performing well in the classroom, don’t just sideline him as one of the weak students, try to find out about his background, what is affecting him/her and why s/he is failing. Maybe that child needs extra care, or a different method of teaching or maybe his/her basic level is very weak, try to find out the root of the problem and work on it.

What I wish they imbibed from me

To never give up. I want them to have the courage to go out there and try things. I don’t want them living with the mentality that I can’t do this, even before they try. I want them to go out and give their best and even if it does not work out, I would want them to be happy that atleast they tried. I would want them to learn to never ever give up.

Misconceptions better left behind

A lot of people in the city have this misconception that teachers in the villages are very lazy and don’t work properly, which I realized was very untrue. They have a lot of knowledge and experience, however, though they have worked in this field for so long, there is no motivation or appreciation for them, and so a lot of them are very demotivated which is actually the problem, not the teachers.

Wise words  

Don’t go into the village with the thought that I had the best training and I am so much better than government teachers. You can learn a lot from them and do work in collaboration with them. The teachers are also a well of information, they know anything and everything about the village, community, students. So, if you want to know something about a student, you know who to talk to!

A note to fellows guardians

Two years we lived in the village and sometimes did face difficult situations, specially after the earthquake, but we survived, we did it.

I think the youth have the courage to survive in any difficult situation and if your son or daughter has decided to take this journey, if s/he believes that they can do it, you should encourage them to do it, it is only through an experience like this that s/he will find out how strong he or she really is.

What I miss the most

I miss the village, the classroom, the love my children showered on me, the trust they had placed in me, the bonding I had with my kids, I miss hearing them say ‘Miss, Miss’ and joking and laughing with them.

This has been an experience of a lifetime, I will never ever forget it. TFN fellowship is a memory that has been etched in my heart forever.

With heads held high

I gave it my 100 % and my students passed with 100 % results, I made it very clear to them what I expected out of them, motivated them at times even scolded them, finally my children gave me the outcome I knew they were capable of and that gives me the greatest satisfaction.

 

{ Eva Manandhar (TFN Fellow 2014) prepared this article based on interview with Sumitra Shrestha }

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