I applied for Teach for India 2015 fellowship and was lucky enough to get selected for the same :) I had to write three essays for the application in the first stage of the selection process. Out of the three this is my personal favorite. Please read below the topic and the essay :) Happy reading!
Topic Given :
Topic Given :
Please tell us about a substantial commitment you've made in
the last 4 years (but from no earlier than undergraduate level). This
commitment should be one which at times presented you with challenges and it
should be a commitment lasting for no less that one month total. Please ensure
you explain: - The commitment you made and why you feel it is substantial (this
may include the amount of time it took, your specific role, input/actions
required etc.) - The challenges you faced - How you felt about these challenges
and what you did as a result (please be specific about related actions taken,
if any) - The ultimate outcome and how you felt about this.
My response:
Working on all
weekdays, I ensured my weekends were fun filled- outing and partying with my
school and college friends. (Of course, this is not the substantial commitment
I am going to talk about!) I managed to plan the get-togethers so well that I
was convinced I mastered the art of planning. But BOOM! All the castles I built
about my planning ability collapsed terribly. There were so many clashes, last
minute cancellations. Most annoying among them were my juniors. One called me
to inform that she was busy on Saturdays and other buzzed me saying she was
booked on Sunday mornings. Passed fresh out of college and waiting for call
letters, I wondered what on earth kept them busy. A sneak peek- WOW! They were
volunteering in various NGOs. The bulb in my mind glowed. “Why don’t you give a
try?” my mind echoed. “Huh? You just have 24 hours a day and not 36” my brain
tried to convince my mind. “So does the others” my mind pounced back.
Immediately I surfed for NGOs and completed my registrations.
Life treats
you with surprises when you least expect it, they say. Two months later when I
hardly remembered about the registrations I received a message asking to attend
the orientation. I was excited, thrilled but at the same time afraid! I had to
attend this all by self. But my curiosities arouse and my interest to do
something different helped me overcome my glitches and there I was in NGO
office room waiting to get oriented. A quick walkthrough about the NGO and few
questions and teaching session, I was in. They asked me to select the subject
that I was willing to handle. I personally felt English language is of prime
importance as it is the universal language and quite indispensable these days.
Aiding the kids with English learning will help build their confidence, shatter
their inferiority complex and take them to places. So, I chose English among
Maths, Science, English and computer Science.
Soon life
slapped me into shape. I felt this decision was substantial one for me as well
as the kids. Born to teachers, I believe teaching is in my blood. I am always
fascinated towards it. I realised this volunteering helped in revitalising the
teacher in me. I had prior experiences
of helping children around my area with their education for two consecutive
years and so I was confident I would be a dedicated tutor. I also wanted to
give back something to the society. I believed that something can be nothing
better than an excellent education. Hence I wanted to utilise this opportunity
to explore more into the educational field.
First few
weeks were damn interesting and I enjoyed all the attention and affection that
I received. I enjoyed the classes as much as the kids enjoyed my company. But
then there were few internal and external factors. Since the classes were on
weekend and evenings, there were other activities that demanded my attention.
Sometimes it was a family get together or friend’s marriage or work that posed
serious challenges. Other times it was the internal factors. I was either too
lazy or too tired to get my cart rolling. Hat trick! I had to forgo three
classes due to these factors. I realised a part in me started to miss my kids
and the quality time spent with them. So I made sure I was there the following
Saturday. I felt guilty for skipping classes and thus with some inhibitions I
reached the centre. I was flocked by the kids in a jiffy. After the class I
noticed something exhilarating. The kids were playing and singing rhymes that I
taught them. Not just the kids to whom I taught the songs but the entire
lot!?! I was satisfied that I just dint
entertain them but also educated them! The kids who were using their regional
language now tried and learnt new words in some form! ‘There is always difference between interest and commitment. When you
are interested in doing something, You do it only when it’s convenient. When
you are committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results’. Thus
at that moment, my interest turned into a commitment and for past ten months I
have been associated with SPEAK OUT – An Initiative by BHUMI NGO to teach
English to kids.
Another hurdle
I had to cross was getting the attention of the kids to make them learn the
language .As it was no classroom program, it was quite difficult to actually
focus on teaching. Some of the kids were also not on par with their grade level
and they were interested in regional language than English. If you don’t tell
stories in Tamil then you might probably end up addressing an empty hall. But
where there is a will there is a way. With little homework, I managed to find
games and shortcuts to grab the attention. In some kids, I find a true
commitment to learn and I am sure the day where this reflects among other kids
is not very far!
ऐसे उपयोगी और सूचनात्मक ब्लॉग को साझा करने के लिए धन्यवाद। मुझे वास्तव में इसका मज़ा आया और अच्छे सुझाव प्राप्त हुए। मेरे पास statement of purpose editing पर एक वेबसाइट भी है, जहां विशेषज्ञ अपने काम में बहुत ही पेशेवर हैं और किसी भी परिस्थिति को संभाल सकते हैं।
ReplyDeleteIt's really worth reading and hats off to your commitment to the kids and the way of teaching them. I am also going to fill the application form. Thank you for the structural guide.
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