Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

Institute of Vocational Studies

Glimpses of childhood

Submitted to

Mrs. Lakshya Malhotra Ma’am

Submitted By

Yogita

B.Ed. I Year

Section-‘A’

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To Be continued...

Preface

“To Be Continued” is a work that contains my whole autobiography till the time I joined B.Ed. course in I.V.S. College, IP university. However as per the syllabus prescribed to us the work is supposed to be an Educational Autobiography but for me, as an author, the whole life is a school and destiny is the teacher so the work is not confined to my school and college life only but it also contains the experiences of my life-bitter as well as sweet that taught me some lesson and have also influenced my whole personality and given me my attitude towards life. I would also like to make clear that the title is a suggestive of two things-namely, it is not my whole story as well as Learning is a life-long process and would continue till my last breath.

Further, I would say that the work is dedicated to my teacher Mrs. Lakshya Malhotra ma’m and meant to serve as a project work of the subject-“Understanding the Self.” I hope that the reading experience to all the readers would prove to be very enjoying and interesting and hopefully the content of my work would also prove to be inspiring to all.

Enjoy Reading!

Yogita Singh

(Author)

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Contents

1. My early life and childhood

2. Schooling (elementary education)

3. Schooling (secondary education)

4. Life at Young Women’s Christian Association

5. The New Dawn-B.Ed.

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1. My Early Life & ChildhoodNearly 30 years have passed by to that blood-curdling incident.

Almighty gifted a family of 4-Husband, wife, a son and a daughter with another baby girl who had something divine in her. She was born on 14th

of March at 3:15pm on Thursday. Her complexion was like that of snow white and she was named as “Sheetal”-meaning white as snow. The time began to pass by day after the day and that girl became apple of everyone’s eye. Whole family started enjoy playing with that girl and time ran so fast that when she turned 12 years old nobody realized. She was on her way to enter her teenage soon. The family started dreaming of her future-her education, her life and marriage. But God had decided something else for her.

The family was at the wits end when they came to know about the disease of that girl. Her kidneys were fragile and no doctor could serve as an angel and at the age of just 12 the poor girl died of kidney failure. Nobody can imagine the pangs of that family. Why? Why the lord was so insensitive towards those people and what was the crime of that girl that the Almighty snatched her life from her?

Well somehow the time passed and it is well said by someone that the time cures all the wounds. 10 years later of this bitter experience the family was blessed by god once again on 14th of March, 1996 at 3:15pm on Thursday with a daughter. It was the day when lord sent me to enjoy the warmth of earth and make my family forget about that earlier bitter experience. For people it was a re-incarnation.

I was born to a government employee and his wife (my mother-father) in an upper middle class family. I had two siblings-sister and brother who are 20 and 10 years older than me respectively. My mother used to be a tutor those days and she used to teach the primary children. However, my family could afford to teach me in some well reputed private school as both my siblings were working along with my father but my father had a bee in his bonnet that all private schools generate fake degrees and are not worth believing so I was sent to a government school near my house. Before that I used to go to play school near my house and my teacher was definitely a figure of fear for me and my comrades. I passed hardly 2-3

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years of my life there and was soon to join my primary school to which like any other child I too was very reluctant to join.

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2. Schooling (Elementary Education)

Soon I joined my primary school. On joining the school the things started getting a little better. All that I remember about those days as a learner and student in my life is that I was a good learner but lacking common sense! It today sounds quite funny but it is the “harsh reality” of my life. I still remember that when I was in my 1st standard, in our maths exam we were asked to write tables from 2 to 20 and I, like an innocent child wrote there table of 2 and 20. Then on that “deadly day of result” when my class teacher communicated the whole incident to my parents they could not believe I was there child. My siblings were laughing as if they were laughing for the last time in their life. However I managed to get promoted to next class as I was a good student and all rest of my sums were absolutely correct. One stupidity doesn’t matter! In 2nd

standard also I attained average marks and reached the 3rd standard. At this point my teacher was very strict but she used to teach very well. At this point of my life it was discovered that if I get a good teacher I can do very very good in my academics and beyond everybody’s expectation in my third standard I stood Second in my class and from that very day of my life I never looked back. I would not say that I was the best one but I was a quick learner and managed to be in the top three throughout my elementary schooling.

Finally, a day came when I was to bid good bye to my primary school and teachers and join the secondary school elsewhere. My teachers had always been my admirers not just because I was a good student but because I was also very entertaining to them. Well in 5th standard I stood third in my class and headed towards my new life in secondary school. Here I learnt from my experience how important the role of a teacher can be to a student. Thanks to my teacher of 3rd standard who made me a competing student and helped me to develop interest in studies.

I also learnt that every child has different needs. The concept of “Differentiated Learning” I realized here. Some children do have a good capacity to learn, they have good grasping power but they lack a good counsellor like in my case. It is important to recognize to need of all

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children and guide them properly. Because when guided they can reach the proper heights.

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3. Schooling (secondary)

I had so far developed a good base and but still as a child I was not very aware of methods of studying. For me studies so far to me meant by a teacher coming to the class writing and explaining on blackboard and leaving. Chalk and Talk method was known to me. The concept of self study was too far from me. On joining the senior secondary school the life at first was going very smooth. It too was a govt. School but I had a background of English medium and here Hindi medium was imposed on me forcefully with an explanation by my new principal that they were lacking any provision for the English medium students. Well before my new teachers’ will and also the before the mis-conceptions of my father about pvt. Schools I had to subjugate and was compelled to study in that school only. What I experience there during those days appeared to be enjoying and today it seems ridiculous. But, What was that? I don’t know whether anyone would find it believable or not but in 365 days of a year we saw the face our maths teacher hardly 4 or 5 times. We all comrades in the school used to play and have fun throughout the whole day there as no teacher ever visited the class. Neither the teachers nor our parents paid any attention and nor anyone of us shared with our family what was going in the school rather we all were enjoying such “lovely and relaxing phase” of our life. Consequently, the theoretical subjects like Hindi, English, Social Science and Science etc. We managed to pass in our September exams but in maths the whole class failed. On the top of it God knows what was that “demon force” that “inspired” our principal madam Mrs. Neera Sharma to call the parents of all of us and communicate to them how “remarkable” we all have been in our exams. At that moment, we all communicated to our parents the whole story of our teachers to our parents finally fearlessly before our principal. We were the today’s generation after all! So parents decided to fight for us. Unfortunately, the first visitor to the principal was the mother of the most idol and useless girl of our class-Kiran Rana and she began to fight with the principal and the principal perhaps knew how “bright” her

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daughter was and asked the lady to show the copies of her daughter. Poor mother was unaware of the “talents” of her girl and there it was disclosed that neither the homework and not even the class work of that girl was visible on the copies of that girl. It destroyed our hopes too and again we were all back to our “enjoyable phase” of life! However the same thing repeated during our December exams and finally my mother visited the principal. At that time we all came to know that our school was lacking a cultural teacher and the poor maths teacher used to serve as a cultural teacher too in our school due to which she had no time to teach us. Principal too said that nothing can happen and you just arrange private tuition for your child and if you are having a problem with Hindi medium I would allow you to write exams in English. She assured us that my papers would be checked and nobody would say anything to me. So consequently I was sent to one of my mother’s friend’s to start my tuitions afresh. On meeting my new tutor-Mrs. Renu Rawat who was a teacher in Cambridge school and her efficiency in teaching and my grasping power took no time to attract each other. For the same reason right from my 6th standard till my 12th standard She taught me. On seeing her I realized what teaching actually means? Her efficiency not only made me the 100 on 100 maths student but the way she taught I also developed keen interest in learning maths.

Today when I think about those days of my life I feel how hollow our education system is. The government has set up various schools who are trusted by people for generating authentic degrees and are also a hope for those people who cannot afford education in other private schools. On NCERT books on every govt. Syllabus books we see various slogans written as “sarv shiksha abhiyaan” and “sab padhein, sab badhein” but why these slogans are seen in demonstrations and books only why they are not being inculcated in real life. Why the govt. Plays with the future of our country? Today’s children are the tomorrow of this nation then why they are being taken so carelessly ? Why “right to education” proves to be a mere hollow promise of govt., a mere drunkard’s talk at the end of the day? Why? Why?

When would these slogans come true? God knows!

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Keeping my childhood in mind every day when I sleep when I wake up when I am alone with my own-I make a promise to myself-If I become a teacher in my life I would dedicate my whole life to help, serve and educate the future of my nation. On becoming a teacher my priority would be not to let the children face the same pangs and difficulties that I have in my life.

Today as per the “hollow” promises of the govt the schools are there, affordable education is there, authentic degrees are there but WEHRE ARE THE EDUCATORS? Why they are not seen in the class rooms.

Well back to my story the time passed by and my father used to be very happy at my performance. As long as my father existed in my life I was highly competitive because he used to be very happy at my success. Those days for me my success in academics, my good marks and my participation and winning in various extra-curricular activities-all meant to be for me gifts to my father. I still remember that when I reached my 9 th

standard and secured 84% of marks his joys were indescribable. His expressions of rejoice and that happy face of his still exists in my mind. But just after 2 months of that rejoice the most unfortunate experience of my life occurred and it was the loss of my father. My father’s last gift to me was a wrist-watch, giving which he said to me that my time was soon to change. However, he said this in a positive way but it came as negative. For whom I used to partake in various activities for whom I eagerly used to compete to be the first was not going to be there with me to celebrate all these things. I lost my interest in these things. Surprisingly, hardly 1 or 2 months had passed to this incident and one of my teacher came to me with a cheque of Rs. 5000/- with my name written on it and I was told that this was an inspire award to me by the govt for performing extremely well in science. But this achievement gave no happiness and rather enhanced my pangs. It was all worthless!

Here the biggest lesson of my life I learnt and that was the role of “destiny” in our life. Nothing goes in life as we plan but as the Almighty-that omniscient deity, that omnipresent force-the one who has already planned everything in His own ways plan! I had decided by my own self that now onwards I would not partake in any activity and would study alone and that too to just get my career settled. It was my Hindi teacher

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Mrs. Santosh Pareva who had been my biggest supporter and admirer in my extra-curricular activities and she was still there with me forcing me to indulge in the competitions but for me they had no worth now.

But again Destiny! Who can win over destiny? CCE came and I in name of marks was pushed towards the extra-curricular activities by my teachers and principal once again. But it was not because they wanted me to excel but because I was there tool which they were using to attain goodwill at various competitions. Nobody else was there who could write own speech, scripts and direct plays and write poems besides me in the school so I was a ready-made material for them who never teased the teacher and gave the best performance in just one time. I was being used there.

Finally I reached my 11th class and took commerce as my subject. I had but taken a wrong step. Destiny! I would say again had decided something else and my health severely declined during these two years of 11th and 12th . At this moment the subject chosen by my own self started to appear as hazards and felt like I had bitten off more than I could chew. Somehow I still managed to get passing marks in the two classes and passed out my school.

This feeling of leaving such a school was like coming out of jail. I was free! I could now breathe in the fresh air.

My learning experience here is very significant in my life. The attitude which I have cultivated during this stage of my life will be the base of my life ahead. This period taught me how selfish this world is! How people use you for grinding own axe. I have also learnt saying No to “imposed” responsibilities and jobs. I have learnt the most significant lesson of my life and that is “accepting” (not to be mistaken with subjugating before) the destiny. Earlier, I feel sometimes, I used to be too good at heart but today I am not! Now I have learnt to think about my own self first unlike the olden days. However humanity still exists in me but now I just don’t care about people because I know that nobody cares about anybody! My school experience had been quite bitter and has made me today a Bohemian. I do what I want and have forgotten to do what others ask or expect me to do. But you know what? I LIKE IT!

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4. Life at YWCA of Delhi

After attaining my 10+2 certificate I had two options:

Joining Dayal Singh Majethia college, DU and Joining vocational course at YWCA of Delhi

Previously, I had thought that I would be joining The regular college but when I visited there for admission I felt like revisiting my govt. School. So finally it was decided that I would be joining YWCA of Delhi for the studies of Diploma in Office Management. Learning was skill-based there completely and I enjoyed it a lot-Shorthand, Typing, Letter drafting, Interview trainings, On the Job Training, computers etc. Life was worth living there. The teachers were exceptionally supporting and the environment there was student-friendly. And for the first time in my life I realized that my interest was in skill-based and practical learning more. I enjoyed being there and my learning was quite smooth there. I was also elected the Class Representative there and I used to work actually like a class manager. I also passed the diploma with second position in my class. I had topped also in letter drafting. For my soft skills teachers used to admire me a lot and I was, even before the completion of my course, asked to join either a law firm as a steno-typist or Taj Hotel as a facilitator of foreign delegates. However, I was willing to join corporate sector at that time but my family wanted me to focus on my graduation (English Honours) first which I was pursuing School of Open Learning, DU. So I could not join the corporate sector at that time and had decided to complete my graduation first and then join YWCA again for either H.R. Management or P.R.O. Training.

But destiny again proved that everything in life is random. Life is not what we plan but what has already been planned by that Omniscient and Omnipotent! God knows where from my Mother and Brother developed a sense that I could be a good teacher. Perhaps it happened when I was asked by my ex-tutor aunt Renu (mentioned earlier) to teach her children and make them prepare for their exams

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while she got a govt. Job as a teacher out of Delhi. My mother used to sit beside me when I taught the children Maths and Science and started to force me take teaching as a career ahead. My brother too came in support of my mom and said teaching is best for girls.

So reluctant I was to join this course but alas!.........come on stop smiling! I know that you know what happened next after all........

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5. The Dawn of B.Ed.After spending my two years of graduation at home I joined, on

“special public demand” B.Ed. course at Institute of Vocational Studies, IP University. You must be thinking what is special demand? Well let me explain-those children whom I taught, my family and also my school and YWCA friends used to tell me that I could be a very good teacher in my life. Whether it be Maths, S.St. or any other subject whenever anybody had any problem he visited me and they always walked out satisfied. Perhaps it was the consequence of my childhood and schooling experience that I knew what is required by a child and what methodology should be used to teach them. However, I was never interested in teaching.

Reluctantly, I joined the college and my first day, no in fact the first whole week was little confusing and the experience was........weird! Not only me but all my other class fellows accepted that none of the subjects is seeming “friendly”. Especially when Lakshya mam came with a topic known as ICT-that goes over your head. That 40 minutes of that class were initially so hard to pass. Our pangs are indescribable! Gradually we all started to adjust in the new environment and the providing notes by the teacher facilitated us finally. The subjects now started appearing “friendly”. We also began to take interest in the proceedings of the course. Here too I was elected to be the Class Representative but soon was “fired” of my first job. I know you are still smiling because you know the whole incident! Well today I am pursuing the course with due dedication and writing my educational autobiography as my project work. I am definitely sure of one thing that I would learn PROFESSIONALISM here. Besides the college staff, I must mention the role of my elder brother (Mr. Arun Singh), who encouraged me to opt teaching as a profession and also made me aware about the value of teaching and learning. The financial support of my mother too is worth praising.

Moreover, joining the I.V.S. College is completely a new experience and I am damn sure that it will nourish my skills and make some changes in my personality as well. But it doesn’t necessarily mean

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that the already inculcated attitude of mine would be changed. I still believe that life is the biggest school and destiny is the greatest teacher. I don’t know what would happen next after completion of my course here. However, I would definitely walk out at the end as a skilled teacher but whether I would be joining a school as a teacher itself or I would be joining some other higher educational course or some reputed company, remains a mystery. But what I know is that the ONE who has already written the biographies of all of us knows everything and HE would give me the path to walk on in future also like forever! And the story of my life, in this way and at this point of life is

To Be Continued...............................

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