Learning through a Flipped Perspective
Sanika Oke has been a volunteer at the Kothrud Community for 3 amazing years! She has a packed schedule outside Pune Learns, studying at Pune Institute of Computer Technology and working as an intern at an analytics company. Read on to find out how her love for English developed, and how she harnesses her experiences to be a good teacher for our students!
As a kid, I wasn’t much of an avid reader and my “love” for books didn’t go beyond reading classics like Harry Potter. My Mom would always encourage me to read but to no avail. I preferred to watch movies and TV series instead, excited by the way stories would come to life on the screen. In the 9th grade, my English teacher inculcated a certain love for the English language in me. Despite simply sticking to the curriculum, she introduced us to the purity and depth of the language. She made us brainstorm creative writing topics in our heads, and tried to fix our ordinary sentences with profound and catchy phrases. She told us stories behind the origins of those phrases which made me realize that these common phrases and words are shaped by hundreds of years of cultural change, which is an amazing thing to think about. Soon, I started writing essays while looking up words to replace my limited vocabulary. This simple change in perspective made me see the subject in a different light, and brought about a dramatic change in my interest level.
When I realized my sister teaches English to communities through Pune Learns, I knew right there that I’d love to impart my knowledge of the language and develop the same kind of passion for it in those kids, as my teacher did with me. When I joined Pune Learns, the kids welcomed me with open arms. Their naughtiness with a tinge of innocence was endearing. Their thirst for knowledge and the keenness to learn new things is beyond imagination, and yet I realized that despite their intelligence and diligence, the children lacked self-confidence. Just as my teachers had found a way to pique my interest, I was determined to strike a chord with my students and find an approach that would help them overcome this hurdle.
After identifying what was holding them back, I thought about how to deal with it. Their issue wasn’t lack of interest, they feared the language. Never in their life had they tried to talk in English or even form two sentences in English on their own. Instead of just trying to build confidence on the surface by coaching them on common English conversations, we decided to approach the matter from a different avenue. To help them attain a certain level of confidence, we let them initially discuss their stories with us in the language they preferred. Slowly and steadily we tried to make them form one or two sentences in English and converse with us. After a month or two, I began to see a radical change in their ability to adapt to English, harnessing the confidence built from conversations in languages they were comfortable with. Shifting focus from just English proficiency to tackling the root cause led to this immense progress, and I could see a transition in the kids which made me feel that I’m on the right path with them.
In just a few months of teaching, the kids connected with us wholeheartedly. Our banter, jokes, stories with them made our bond stronger and stronger. One of the sweetest experiences I’ve had at Pune Learns occurred when we had a volunteer with us at the Kothrud community for a few years. He was going abroad for further education and we told the kids about this before he came to the community that day. We decided to surprise him, and all the kids, without him knowing, made farewell cards for him. Their creativity out of whatever material they had at home was astounding. Their impulsive urge to do this for their teacher was a gesture that moved me, and I learned how rewarding being a teacher truly is.
In this quest of teaching, not only the kids but we, as volunteers, have learned a lot of things like acknowledging how privileged we are, how to be hopeful in dire circumstances, and making the most of what we get. I became acquainted with people who have devoted a lot of their time for the betterment of society; with no greedy motive behind it. They opted for social work because they wanted to do it, not for the sake of it; but for the joy of giving. I got to learn things that I didn’t expect to, which taught me to respect and be content with what I have.
This experience made me realise how a good teacher and a unique perspective can bring about a radical change in a student in terms of confidence and exploration of interests. I’m grateful to Pune Learns for giving me the most memorable and humbling experiences I’ve had and for giving me a sense of responsibility and satisfaction for giving something back to society.
-By Sanika Oke
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