Ms. Charusheela Gangandhar Patil is a science and Mathematics teacher in Anant Pandurang Bhoir School, Dapoli, Raigad, Maharashtra. Having taught Math and Science for a significant amount of time, Charusheela ma’am strives hard to make complex subjects easier to understand and more interesting for students.

Tell us about yourself

I teach science and maths to my students, the subjects which are most dreaded by kids. But that's the beauty of it. I love making those difficult sums easier for them and feel delighted when they understand those complex topics with ease. As an individual, I consider myself to be someone who loves helping others. I believe it's the least I can do as a fellow human being to the ones in need. Contributing my bit to the welfare of others, in the betterment of my school is something that keeps me happy. Our school is situated in a rural region. Therefore, certain issues are inevitable. I try to make sure that I can do something for it even if it means involving myself in tasks and responsibilities which are related to overall administration, resource availability, extracurricular activities and alike. Collaborating with NGOs and other stakeholders to work towards the improvement in facilities and resources in school is how I try to do my bit.

As a teacher who is surrounded by books and is involved in the process of constant learning, I enjoy my time readings books. I often submerge myself in the world of books and lose track of time. Singing and getting my hands on knitting and weaving are other activities that give me pleasure. These are simple joys of life, but they are activities that I enjoy in my leisurely hours. I consider myself to be a curious person who loves to undertake new ventures that can enhance my learning. Anything new fascinates me and I constantly try to acquire new knowledge in fields that are advanced to me. 

What is your most preferred way of teaching?         

By making students practise, I try to involve students actively in the process of their learning. It is my opinion that every student has the potential to learn and grow, we just need to provide the right amount of encouragement and support to materialize this vision. Making students believe in themselves, boosting their confidence and simplifying subjects is my method of teaching. I try to give spark to their inquisitiveness by asking them about their way of solving any question and taking into account their understanding about the same. It helps me look at the questions and sums from their perspective which I believe is never wrong. Every student, as I have mentioned can bring something valuable to the class. There is no right or wrong in this process. Everything is a part of learning. The subjects I teach have a reputation of being tough. Therefore, it is necessary to be gentle with kids when it comes to complex topics. Understanding their perspective, gaining insights from them and then moulding my methodology accordingly, has been my way of teaching. I make sure that each student in my class gains confidence and courage to attempt.

What motivated you to become a teacher?

I had the opportunity to be taught by wonderful teachers when I was growing up. It inspired me to take teaching as a profession for my career. Seeing them teach with so much grace motivated me to work in this field and I can say it with conviction that it worked in my favour. Whatever I am, whatever I have achieved as a teacher and a student is because of their hard work. Everything about the institution of education; from management, awareness generation to teaching and learning has fascinated me. Therefore, here I am, cherishing every single day that I spent with my students and colleagues.

What is your best memory so far as a teacher?

Getting recognised by Pratham and Gurushala through their scholarship program has been one of the most memorable moments of my journey as a teacher till now. At first, I was quite hesitant to even apply for the scholarship. I never really expected anything in return for my endeavours as a teacher. The profession itself was the source of all joys for me. Therefore, I didn't expect anything when I was convinced by the head of our school to apply for the scholarship. When the team contacted me, I didn't believe it. But it was after that conversation that I realised the fact that there might be something wonderful that made me connect with Gurushala. Today, I feel happy that Gurushala showed faith in teachers like me and gave us the platform to grow.

How were you introduced to Gurushala?

We visited our administration office of school one fine day and got to know about Gurushala. The staff member asked us to go through the website and download the app. After downloading the app and solving a few modules, I was impressed and inspired by the facilities and material provided on the Gurushala website and app. I have also written a few lessons for the app and want to write more in the future. Overall, it has been a wonderful experience using the app and the website.

What is your favorite section of Gurushala and why?

There are many things that I like about Gurushala. The lessons, modules and videos are very interesting and informative. The way they are curated is indeed impressive. I have watched almost all the videos and have gone through all the modules. These resources are very simple and interactive which fascinate teacher to try them.

How has Gurushala helped you in your journey as a teacher?

There are many ways through which Gurushala has helped me grow as a teacher. The lessons provided by Gurushala have cleared many of my concepts and have helped me adopt new techniques of teaching and understanding students better. The material provided by Gurushala is very teacher provided.

In what activities/ events of Gurushala have you participated in?

I have written many lessons for Gurushala and hope to do it more often. Additionally, I have recorded a video around August for Gurushala. My interaction with Gurushala has been through their online interface and it has been amazing till now.  It's fascinating, how much it has helped me in my profession.

What according to you is a 21st Century Teacher?

A 21st-century teacher needs to understand that this is the age of technology and the pandemic has made it inevitable for everyone to adapt to IT and gadgets. This has made it necessary for every teacher to learn the basics of these online-based teaching resources. Having said that, a teacher should always strive for making sure that the classroom learning should more engaging and fruitful for their students. The level of maturity and understanding that a student gain through the physical classroom cannot be substituted by online-based learning. Therefore, teachers of the 21st century need to make the process of teaching more interactive and innovative. Being more understanding towards the needs of students, recognising the distinct talents in students and being considerate towards their pace of learning are some of the most important traits that a teacher should possess in this era.

What is your life motto as a teacher?

Every important goal in my life has something to do with my students. I envision strong, bright and compassionate students who gain skills necessary for excelling at both school and life. I aim to transform students to be strong-willed so that they can tackle problems in life as well. It is necessary to prepare them not only for classroom-based tests but for the tests that life might throw at them now and then. Students need to handle real-life situations with ease to grow better and thus, it is my constant endeavour to make them good students and even better individuals.

How do you wish to bring change in the society?

Every single being should strive to be a good human being in life. It might not always be possible to lend a helping hand to others but our intentions should never be to harm anyone knowingly. We should align and intentions and actions to serve humanity positively. Not being cruel and malicious is imperative. Being kind and compassionate is the need of the hour. Even if one can't do much for the betterment of others, they shouldn't do anything that can be harmful or evil.

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