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I started my teaching carrier way back in 1990. But if I look back at my journey, I realise the the seed for teaching was already sown by my educators in me by the time I was in Grade 4. From assisting my teachers to helping juniors with assignments, I felt I was a teacher since I was a child. It was always my dream to be on this side. It’s been like I never thought of becoming anything else!
After marriage, I moved to Delhi. That was the time I got an opportunity to fulfil my most cherished dream. I started my own play school and felt the deepest connect with children coming to me. I experienced a sense of fulfilment in teaching children that are taking their first steps into a life full of learning.
And from there it’s just grown.
My self-learning journey started when I joined The Heritage group of Schools in 2006 as a coach. I enjoyed my time- I loved meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures. That was the time I started unveiling a lot about my own self too.
It changed me in many ways. I got time and a platform to reflect on what I needed to work upon. Initially I was always in action and ready to move. Gradually I discovered the need to pause, listen & reflect. Without any presumptions and judgements I now wanted to learn and be more receptive to others’ views. Workshops, self development sessions, trainings etc helped a lot.
My urge to make a difference to every child’s learning journey led me to pursue further education in Child Psychology. Here the school nurtured my own growth. I did a course, was coached by renowned leaders in this field and then I became a councillor at Heritage International Xperiential School.
I feel blessed to be a part of this school. It’s been 17 years and each & every day spent here helped me grow a deeper connection with children as well as my own self. I now reflect on own abilities and see what difference I can make to the world around.”
I always wanted to be a teacher.
Though growing up, I never consciously thought about it, but I noticed as kids, whenever we had play time, we would always end up playing school and I would be the teacher. So I must admit, I am a CA by profession and a teacher by choice.
Basis the professional qualification that I pursued, I did exactly what was being “expected” from me – file tax returns for others, dabble with numbers..and that’s all.
Post my stint in corporate, I started my own CA coaching centre and ventured into teaching. That was my first teaching experience. It was fulfilling. And I starting enjoying it. I enjoyed it to the extent that I got too settled and comfortable in that way of living.
But I have always looked out for challenges. And there I was, standing tall, confident and crystal clear in my thoughts.
Shortly after, I moved to HIXS and honestly, it was the best professional decision I made.
It was a big change for my family but we loved it here.
I never felt that it was a chore to go to school, it was exciting every single day!
The camaraderie I share here, the culture, the friendships, the bonds I have made, I can never forget.
What I like about the school is that it allows people to express themselves and grow. It gives opportunities, is nurturing, and believes in your capabilities – it gets the best of everyone! In my current position as a Senior School Educator, I have gained quite a lot of experience thanks to HIXS. The atmosphere is extremely conducive towards growth and my learning curve has improved substantially with the kind of experience I have been exposed to.
I can easily say ‘you can take me out of Heritage, but you can’t take Heritage out of me.’ In a way, the values and vision of the school define me. The kind of focus and attention given to professional and personal development has helped me grow into a more compassionate and non judgemental human being. It has helped me become more receptive to others.
In short, this is me 2.0 and I am loving it! ”
In 2015, I joined the Heritage schools, and within six months, I knew teaching was my true calling surpassing my ambitions for civil exams.Teaching children had always been close to my heart, but I initially thought it would be an easy path while allowing time to study for UPSC. However, it was the genuine connection with the kids that made me stick to this profession.
My first batch of 2015, though initially reluctant, turned out to be kind and supportive, helping me settle into my role. Reflecting on my decision now, I feel content and fulfilled. While at times, I wonder about other paths I could have taken with my knowledge, the joy of teaching and connecting with children surpasses any doubts.
My teaching journey has been transformative, not only professionally but also as a person. It has shown me the shades of grey in the world, shifting my perspective from seeing things in black and white during college. Working with children has made me patient, forgiving, and more open to different stories and life journeys.
Apart from teaching, literature and reading are my passions, and I find time for these pursuits as they are integral to my personality. I have mentored literature clubs and served as a literacy coach, sharing my love for books with students and former students who seek my recommendations.
In my personal life, the defining moment was when I left Heritage school in 2020 after marriage but later returned to the Noida branch and then Heritage International Xperiential School in Gurgaon. This experience taught me the importance of giving my best and achieving a balance between personal and professional life.
Emotionally connecting to everything initially, I learned to view things with a more professional outlook, realizing that not everything works as envisioned.
My strength and inspiration come from the belief that our choices define us more than our abilities. Having agency over my decisions empowers me to make choices and be confident in my actions. I believe that we always have a choice, and respecting external factors guides our decisions. The biggest lesson I learned is that it’s not just what I do but the kind of person I am that matters the most. Our behavior and the emotions we leave behind shape our impact on others.
Throughout my journey, I have felt supported by the Heritage family, especially during my return. Their warmth and encouragement have been invaluable during challenging times. Overall, my career as an educator has been a fulfilling and transformative experience, shaping me both personally and professionally. The joy of teaching and connecting with children has been an incredible journey that I cherish deeply.
They gave me a chance to see how I, as a fresher, would do in a completely new environment. That first-year turned into many, many more years here at HIXS!
My first day at orientation was nothing less than magical. The whole culture felt very music & movement oriented- just what I always wanted. I felt an immediate connection. Being attached with Buddhism in my belief and faith, I could quickly connect with the institution’s vision, specially the focus on peace & happiness for self and humanity. The spiritual side of learning and education attracted me the most.
Once I went into the classroom, I felt how fish takes to water. I finally found a space where I could be me. I could express myself the way I liked. I had never experienced this level of warmth and comfort. I was completely awestruck.
Honestly, it was the best professional decision I made. The atmosphere is extremely conducive towards growth and my learning curve has improved substantially with the kind of experience I have been exposed to.
Rather it’s a faster learning curve here as we get a lot of opportunities to learn in a multicultural environment and we also have frequent Professional Development days. It has been wonderful teaching at HIXS!
If I describe my journey so far, I would say it’s been enriching and highly reflective. I have been able to connect with music in ways I could never think of. I have become more thoughtful, curious and stronger as a person as well as an educator.
In all my years here, I have made many strong connections and I feel blessed. I now feel very strongly about relationships. At some point you may want to walk alone, you may think you are strong but I have now understood that a good support system can really make or break your life. And I try to inculcate this life-lesson in all my students.
I also like to encourage students to think out of the box, push their boundaries when it comes to performing art, and enjoy what they are doing.
My only regret today is why I didn’t start teaching back then. But as they say, ‘you need to be in wrong place to understand what’s the right place for you’. At HIXS, I feel fortunate to have found my tribe.
I recently completed 7 years at HIXS and my journey here has been quite exciting. Working here has been fun, challenging, and rigorous. “
And this is what I realized was my calling. With a belief of breaking all the stereotypes around the profile of a ‘teacher’, I took the plunge and landed at the Heritage International Xperiential School.
My life at the Heritage International has been no less than a roller coaster. The excitement, the experiences, the creative freedom and the support that I have received here, it has helped me grow as a person in every way. It has kept me young, it has kept me curious and it has kept me wanting to learn more.
Over the years one important lesson I have learnt from my teaching journey has been about the impact of our words on our students. I now realize how important each spoken word of ours is and what value it holds for our students. Making the right choice of words is a big responsibility of ours because that can make or break a child’s confidence.
Besides teaching, I am an environmentalist and a social activist. I practice, preach and advocate green living to the best of my capabilities. My friends can’t still believe that I do not have a television at home. Or that I follow “capsule cupboard”.
People say ‘the world is bad, you have to be careful, you are a single mom, you need to watch every step, every decision.’
But I must admit this today with a lot of gratitude, that I have met very good people in my life. They have made me feel safe and accepted me in their lives in the most humble way. Now when I look back, I realize how fortunate I have been. And that makes me realise the need to give back.
My involvement with NGOs working towards rescuing fostering stray animals helps me channelise my passion and drive to give back to society. This is just a small act of expressing my gratitude towards not just others but also my life. And let’s not forget, we are role models for our students. ”
I had just started my hunt for the ‘best school ’for my child in Gurgaon. I was visiting schools almost every day and spent time observing children, parents and teachers, and their interactions in the morning and at the time of dispersal.
I was always intrigued by this whole equation- the impact of teachers on a child, what children really value, the concept of school etc. I believe children always remember teachers, not school buildings, infrastructure, or facilities. Teachers can actually impact a child’s life.
While I had spent over a decade as a social worker with children of different ages, I never had any such plans of teaching. But during this “search for school”, I felt I needed to enter the education field to seek answers to so many questions and also to give back my learning.
One fine afternoon I happened to share my resume at one of the schools in Gurgaon. Being an outsider with no formal teaching background, my only qualification was my curiosity and zeal to make a difference in the world through children. I started teaching Kindergarten there and the rest as they say is history.
There I introduced rituals and routines that had never been talked about. My work was different, my way of teaching was more personalized and that struck a chord with not just children but also the parents.
It’s interesting to note how anything new and different has to be justified to literally the whole world. But at the same time, it is satisfying to know that good work spreads around like fragrance and goes to different spaces. It transcends out and forms what we call “culture”. Gradually my teaching methodology, my vision, and my outlook toward early learning were“ accepted”. It was at that time I was introduced to a formal training program to become a teacher through ‘I Am A Teacher’ program.
Becoming a teacher was a natural progression for me. I believe teaching is not just about imparting education. It’s about enlightenment. During my Masters in Child & Human development, I got an opportunity to spend time with less privileged children in the society. I delved deeper into more social aspect of education than just text-books based. That experience made me fearless and confident. I started asking questions.
And now as an educator now, I get a chance to bring those experiences and learnings in our discussions in the classroom. We talk about inequality, we discuss the gap that exists. We explore ways to bring about a balance in the society. I want to see my students as inquirers. I do not want them to look at the teacher and take every word as I say. I want them to explore the real life and question everything. My role as a teacher is significant for them to understand that there is another section in society that depends on the thinking of this section to bring equality in society.
But when a teacher brings in this aspect to learning in a classroom, the over all school environment must be conducive and open to this methodology.
Here I feel Heritage International Xperiential School truly stands for its values of inclusion & excellence. The kind of freedom and flexibility that has been given to us as educators, makes things so simple. We get opportunities to reflect on our actions. We get a chance to overcome personal and professional challenges. These are not just words on the website of school or mere posters on the walls. It stands for what it says. For me, authenticity is a big strength. I am comfortable with my own vulnerability now as no one judges me here. It feels like home. I don’t have to weigh my words. It is what it is. And the whole system is letting me, be me.”
After having had my stint of corporate jobs, I decided to stop the monotony of life – just work and earn, just work and earn and that’s it. I really wanted to do something that I loved and that would bring joy to my life. A heart-to-heart discussion with my biggest confidant- my dad, helped me understand what I really wanted. He listened to all my ideas and aspirations. My vision was not only to teach but also to nurture the future generation by blending the life skills that I had gained from the corporate world with my passion. An amalgamation of this all made me discover a new objective in my life, that is, giving back to society.
As cliche as it may sound, the years I spent teaching in NGOs truly added colours to my life and gave it a new meaning. I was living a content and satisfied life. I think I had identified the purpose of my life by then.
Things moved ahead and I took the plunge of joining a formal school as an educator 7 years back. Alongside I kept alive my passion of supporting the less privileged by teaching on weekends. I always told my students- in life, the only thing one should strive towards is finding the purpose of one’s life and being happy. Whatever knowledge and skills we gain, we must find a way to give back to the society in some way or the other.
I joined Heritage International Xperiential School last year and it has been a huge learning curve-creatively, and professionally. The school has been amazing. I have made friends for life at HIXS. Everyone is very kind and professional. I think I have grown here. Grown, enjoying the teaching and learning amongst tiny tots to help shape the next generation.
Teaching here has refined me as a person because here we focus a lot on mindfulness, patience and perspective.
At Heritage, we learn from each other: learn the culture, language, experiences, and above all emotions that connect us as humans. The whole culture is so warm, welcoming, understanding and approaching. I see a reflection of my own identity here. I think it’s more as if I have started associating myself with this place because we share a common vision and ethics. The Heritage Dharmas are truly imbibed in the people and culture here.
I have been able to grow at HIXS and I feel so supported by the community of parents, teachers, and students. Honestly speaking, my role here at HIXS, which I am passionate about, is not a job, it is my love.”
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