Teach For India Fellow • Pune • 2024-26
I believe in dignity and excellent education for all — where every child is heard, seen, respected, and empowered to realise their full potential.
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Founded in 1974, the school was one of the first English-medium institutions in the Wadgaon Sheri area. Over the years, it has demonstrated remarkable resilience — having faced demolition and a phase where classes were conducted under a tin shed.
Today, the school stands as a three-storey institution, reflecting its growth over time. The student community comes from neighbourhoods such as Wadgaon Sheri, Kharadi, Mundhwa, and Ramwadi, representing a diverse religious and socio-cultural demographic.
Here, I teach English and portions of Social Studies to Grades 9 and 10. Over the past two years, I have worked with 125+ students — 44 of whom I have taught consistently across both years.
I completed my Bachelor's degree in Philosophy with a minor in Education from Azim Premji University.
During my time there, I had the opportunity to deeply engage with students and understand the realities of the education system. It was also during this journey that I learned in detail about Teach For India, which aligned strongly with my long-standing desire to work in the development sector with a focus on education.
Immediately after graduating, I joined the Fellowship, driven by the belief that educating our youth isn't just a solution — it is the force that will redefine what India can become.
Her brother was denied education for being dyslexic and having ADHD. This sparked a lifelong commitment to inclusive education.
Philosophy of Education at Azim Premji University. Field immersion in North Mandya revealed the ground reality.
Driven by conviction, she joined the Fellowship to turn beliefs into action — one classroom at a time.
To inspire and equip students with the skills, confidence, and mindset needed to become changemakers by fostering critical thinking, leadership, and compassion through innovative teaching.
To create a world where every child, regardless of their background, has access to an education that empowers them to think critically, lead with empathy, and transform their communities.
These aren't just principles — they're the lens through which I see every student, every challenge, every opportunity.
Listening with patience and staying present to understand people before responding or acting.
Believing that people grow best when they are trusted to make sense of their experiences and choices.
Acting with care and accountability, while maintaining boundaries that allow long-term impact.
Treating every person with respect, especially in moments of struggle, failure, or disagreement.
My classroom is home to dreamers from Pune's vibrant communities. Each student brings unique stories — facing language barriers and limited resources, yet their resilience shines through every day.
Building a culture of respect, effort, and continuous improvement
Visual aids for engaging language learning
Creating secure, protected environments
Empowering ownership of learning
Numbers tell a story of transformation.
Each step is designed keeping in mind the need of the hour and students' differentiated requirements.
These aren't just programs — they're stories of transformation. Each initiative represents a barrier broken, a voice found, a future reimagined.
A series of parent sessions aimed at increasing parental involvement and engagement in their children's lives. The sessions explored different parenting approaches and focused on nurturing children's independence, responsibility, and emotional awareness.
Sessions conducted throughout the year to help Grade 10 students understand the career opportunities available to them and build a clear roadmap for the future, enabling them to make informed academic and career choices.
Gender-segregated discussions addressing issues most relevant to adolescents, including consent, boundaries, healthy relationships, and the impact of visual media. The sessions created a safe space for reflection, awareness, and informed decision-making.
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Regular visits to stay closely connected with parents and understand firsthand which support structures were feasible and effective. These visits strengthened communication between families, students, and the school, enabling more responsive planning and trust-building.
Six students from Grade 10 were selected to design and execute projects addressing real challenges like racism, academic pressure, resource wastage, and hygiene. Two projects were escalated to school-level implementation, reflecting the depth of student thinking and capacity to lead meaningful change.
Intentionally designed to promote peer learning and shared responsibility, enabling students to support and motivate one another. This approach facilitated quicker revision, strengthened understanding, and led to improved academic outcomes.
Student-led classrooms were implemented to build agency and responsibility, giving every student the opportunity to present their understanding, explain their rationale, and lead the class. Students also co-planned sessions with the teacher, strengthening ownership and confidence.
Structured parent-teacher meetings helped identify common patterns in student behaviour and learning outcomes. These meetings enabled meaningful conversations with parents on how they could support and correct certain patterns at home, leading to better alignment between school and home.
Targeted support for different learning levels, providing each group with the help they need to strengthen understanding and push for higher academic performance along with confidence building.
Motor-based classroom routines were integrated to break monotony and keep students physically active during learning. These practices increased engagement, curiosity, and eagerness to participate in class. Example: Spectrum Walk.
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Staying in regular touch with last year's Grade 10 students to understand junior college realities and expectations. These insights helped better equip the current Grade 10 batch for a smoother transition beyond school.
During the final board exam preparation phase, students were connected to a community learning centre established by a TFI alumnus to ensure continuity of learning. Through consistent support, students successfully passed their exams and progressed to junior college.
Every experience connects to shape a complete student. Click any node to explore.
Seeds of Change
From small beginnings to lasting impact — watch how three ideas grew into movements.
Co-leading an exposure initiative that builds ambition by bringing relatable role models from similar communities.
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Mentored 5 students through full project cycles, advocated for Grade 9 inclusion — 13+ students selected from my school.
Started in-class clubs with Grade 9, now school-wide: Reading, Drama, Dance, Art & Craft, Philosophy, Debate — many student-led.
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Bridging the information gap around need-based scholarships and financial aid for academically capable but financially constrained students. Oriented students to Asha Scholarship, HDFC Parivartan, and National Scholarship Portal with clear guidance on eligibility and documentation.
When there was no Associate in place, I stepped into significant responsibility — leading initiatives end-to-end while balancing on-ground execution with cross-functional coordination.
Connected with alumni across 8 batches for Eaton partnership narratives
Led ZS Careers Day end-to-end with cross-city coordination
Quality impact reports for Fujitsu, Deutsche Bank, PwC & more
Maintained donor engagement trackers & documentation
Budget analysis for potential donors & strategic donee collaboration
Coordinated across 7 cities & led a team of 60+ Fellows
The ones who keep me grounded, focused, and moving forward
Throughout the Fellowship, my family has been a constant source of strength and grounding. They have supported me through challenges by keeping me focused, reminding me of my purpose, and offering steady encouragement during demanding phases.
Their values and commitment to service inspired me to enter the social sector in the first place. Their example continues to shape how I approach responsibility, resilience, and impact.
I've had the privilege of being part of two dynamic school teams. Support often showed up in small but powerful ways — sharing food, checking in on one another, and taking thoughtful steps to ease collective challenges.
When people come together with trust, care, and a shared purpose, meaningful and lasting impact becomes possible.
No one walks this journey alone. Every step forward is held up by those who believe in us.
Over the past two years of the Fellowship, I have deeply internalised the idea of planting seeds and trusting the process of culture-building. I have learned that meaningful change is not immediate or linear. It requires resilience, intentional planning, and consistency, especially in the face of setbacks and uncertainty. Showing up every day, adapting strategies, and staying committed even when progress is not immediately visible has been one of my strongest learnings.
This journey has sharpened my ability to work collaboratively within complex systems, with students, teachers, parents, and partners while continuously reflecting and iterating. I have learned the importance of risk mitigation, thoughtful planning, and balancing urgency with patience. My students have been central to this learning. Shreyas showed me that growth is not bound by timelines, and that belief can reignite effort at any stage. Khushi taught me the importance of creating safe and enabling spaces where confidence can be rebuilt gradually. Shaban reinforced that awareness and exposure are often the first steps toward agency, and that when individuals understand their purpose, they begin to take ownership of their growth.
As a Fellow, I have learned to hold both high expectations and deep empathy, to lead with dignity, and to focus on sustainable impact rather than quick wins. These experiences have shaped my understanding of leadership as consistent, reflective, and rooted in long-term vision.
As I move forward, I want to continue working at the intersection of education, systems, and people, focusing on roles that enable sustainable change at scale. I am interested in engaging with stakeholders across schools, communities, and institutions to strengthen structures, build capacity, and design interventions that are informed by on-ground realities. While my work may not always be directly with students, it will remain anchored in student outcomes, equity, and long-term impact.
The Fellowship and the Public Sector Track have equipped me with a systems lens, the ability to navigate ambiguity, and the discipline to plan, execute, and reflect continuously. I carry forward a strong belief in collective leadership, resilience, and the power of consistent action knowing that transformation, though gradual, is possible when driven by purpose and collaboration.
"Transformation, though gradual, is possible when driven by purpose and collaboration."
Interested in collaborating, learning more, or contributing to educational equity?
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