1. I get to spend so much time with children, all of whom are so, so special. They teach me the most pertinent life lessons in the simplest of ways and remind me how I used to be, every single day.
2. Teaching is such a sacrosanct profession. I feel responsible for the learning and growth of so many children.
3. Beyond my own classroom, I spend so much time working on school activities and projects. All TFI fellows conduct a project called BTCP (Be The Change Project) in the second year of the fellowship.
4. I get trained and mentored by experts from all around the world, who have been so much instrumental in my successes as a teacher and leader, and teach me so many new things.
5. There is no competition in the cohort. I interact, learn and collaborate with so many other fellows. All of us strongly believe that one day, all children will attain an excellent education and therefore never refrain from supporting each other.
6. I represent the movement in different situations, sensitize people about this most important cause, and learn from them.
7. While most teachers will tell you that teaching is a thankless job, I will disagree. I feel really appreciated and respected for my choice of profession. I have been invited to talk and judge competitions at B-schools and other educational institutes. My school teachers tell me how proud of me are they. My folks and friends from college and school are so supportive and appreciative.
8. Besides serving as a Fellow, I am also a member of different fellow committees like the Recruitment committee and the Public Speaking Representatives committee. There are a whole lot of different committees that fellows can join depending on their interests and passions. These committees ensure I have work to do even on days when there is no need for lesson planning! And they are such a value-add to my fellowship experience.
9. At the end of the day, I feel happy about the work I do. Whether it is that shy kid who finally opened up with me, or that little girl who made a huge jump in her maths scores, or a beautiful and thoughtful email by my manager or somebody else in the organisation which inspires me to continue working so hard for my kids, I end up going to bed happy.
10. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the fellowship has permanently transformed me, for the better. I feel a change in the way I look at things, react in different situations and deal with other people. I have learned to keep the faith, have high expectations, be optimistic, act responsibly and kindly, think critically, love unconditionally and celebrate joyously. Time after time, I realize how the fellowship has grown so much on me.
Pranav Sukhija
Pranav Sukhija is a Teach for India fellow, a prolific writer and an explorer of everything that the world offers. When not working, he spends most of his time thinking about his kids and school and strives hard to give them a high quality education. He is a people's person and gets along well with most people. He loves taking out time to connect with friends and acquaintances and derives energy and power from them. He'd be very happy to connect with you, too. Please write to him at pranav.sukhija2011@teachforindia.org.
Pranav Sukhija is a Teach for India fellow, a prolific writer and an explorer of everything that the world offers. When not working, he spends most of his time thinking about his kids and school and strives hard to give them a high quality education. He is a people's person and gets along well with most people. He loves taking out time to connect with friends and acquaintances and derives energy and power from them. He'd be very happy to connect with you, too. Please write to him at pranav.sukhija2011@teachforindia.org.
