Teaching in India is a very different experience than teaching at home.
There are a few reasons for this:
1. India is a collectivist society. They consider the group before thinking for themselves. As an American educator a lot of the habits they have formed in school- things like sharing answers, shouting out an answer for another student, looking at one another’s papers- seem like cheating. It is taking great effort for me to understand how they collectively have class, without assuming that they are not individually learning, or otherwise cheating.
Some aspects of the collective approach to teaching are fun; they are very good a choral response. When I say or write something on the board for them to repeat, the room rumbles in a rhythmic beat of syllables, it makes me feel powerful, like a high ranking military officer. They also genuinely want to help each other. I see no pride or arrogance in ones efforts. This is both good and bad for me, as a teacher. I like their humble and caring hearts; but, at the same time, I really do not know who originally came up with the answer written on everyone’s paper across the row. I want them to understand that at this point I could care less whether or not the answer is correct, I just need to know who is getting it correct and who is not, and what I need to go ever again.
2. India is a respectful society. Like in Spanish, the Telugu language has set apart words for respected people: elders, teachers, mothers, fathers and respected people in society. It is a wonderful tradition and aspect to language that I feel we have let slip in our society. Never do I hear, “ma’am,” and the only time I hear children calling adults Mr. or Mrs. is in class to their teacher.
When I walk into my classroom the students all stand and say “Good morning madam” (I have been called madam more than I care to count-it makes me feel like an old woman or a brothel spinster). Anyway, it is a sign of respect here and I appreciate it! If a student is late to class they do not speak, they only stand at the door and salute until you invite or wave them in. These are two simple examples of many that show the utmost respect these students have for adults, teachers, and education as a whole.
3. Indian boys LOVE to dance. Not much to say on that, other than that I have never seen a SINGLE boy in America as eager to dance as EVERY boy is here. The kids, boys and girls alike, are truly enjoying Renee’s dance classes. She is so good at simplifying the choreography to counts that language is not an issue.
4. India is a society hungry for education. Many students at home roll their eyes when they are assigned homework, dislike going to class, dislike their teachers, complain about the long days, fake illness, find any excuse not to attend school….I know, I was one of them!
Schooling in India, in this area, for this caste of students is a PRIVELEDGE! The students look forward to coming to class, they are as a whole eager to complete their work, and they appreciate their teachers. At home, even teaching kindergarten, I struggled trying to make the learning fun, relevant and entertaining. Here, we have a chalkboard and crappy white chalk; no technology, no manipulative, no cool art supplies, and the students are enthralled with learning. Simple strategies like charades are a welcome break from day to day class work, and even then I feel that at home charades might not be enough entertainment for some.
All in all, I love teaching here and I have a lot to learn!
There are a few reasons for this:
1. India is a collectivist society. They consider the group before thinking for themselves. As an American educator a lot of the habits they have formed in school- things like sharing answers, shouting out an answer for another student, looking at one another’s papers- seem like cheating. It is taking great effort for me to understand how they collectively have class, without assuming that they are not individually learning, or otherwise cheating.
Some aspects of the collective approach to teaching are fun; they are very good a choral response. When I say or write something on the board for them to repeat, the room rumbles in a rhythmic beat of syllables, it makes me feel powerful, like a high ranking military officer. They also genuinely want to help each other. I see no pride or arrogance in ones efforts. This is both good and bad for me, as a teacher. I like their humble and caring hearts; but, at the same time, I really do not know who originally came up with the answer written on everyone’s paper across the row. I want them to understand that at this point I could care less whether or not the answer is correct, I just need to know who is getting it correct and who is not, and what I need to go ever again.
2. India is a respectful society. Like in Spanish, the Telugu language has set apart words for respected people: elders, teachers, mothers, fathers and respected people in society. It is a wonderful tradition and aspect to language that I feel we have let slip in our society. Never do I hear, “ma’am,” and the only time I hear children calling adults Mr. or Mrs. is in class to their teacher.
When I walk into my classroom the students all stand and say “Good morning madam” (I have been called madam more than I care to count-it makes me feel like an old woman or a brothel spinster). Anyway, it is a sign of respect here and I appreciate it! If a student is late to class they do not speak, they only stand at the door and salute until you invite or wave them in. These are two simple examples of many that show the utmost respect these students have for adults, teachers, and education as a whole.
3. Indian boys LOVE to dance. Not much to say on that, other than that I have never seen a SINGLE boy in America as eager to dance as EVERY boy is here. The kids, boys and girls alike, are truly enjoying Renee’s dance classes. She is so good at simplifying the choreography to counts that language is not an issue.
4. India is a society hungry for education. Many students at home roll their eyes when they are assigned homework, dislike going to class, dislike their teachers, complain about the long days, fake illness, find any excuse not to attend school….I know, I was one of them!
Schooling in India, in this area, for this caste of students is a PRIVELEDGE! The students look forward to coming to class, they are as a whole eager to complete their work, and they appreciate their teachers. At home, even teaching kindergarten, I struggled trying to make the learning fun, relevant and entertaining. Here, we have a chalkboard and crappy white chalk; no technology, no manipulative, no cool art supplies, and the students are enthralled with learning. Simple strategies like charades are a welcome break from day to day class work, and even then I feel that at home charades might not be enough entertainment for some.
All in all, I love teaching here and I have a lot to learn!
