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Teacher’s Diary: Journey of a teacher who reformed her school with support from students

Poonam Tomar is a primary school teacher in Behta Chauhan, in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. Tomar has ensured diverse positive changes in her school over the years. In this teacher’s diary, she is sharing the story of her journey of transforming the school.
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The motivation to do something for the country and bring change occurred to me because I come from a family which has contributed to the armed forces. Intitially, I also wanted to join the army, but due to a serious injury, I could not qualify for the medical tests. Thereafter, I luckily got a chance to become a teacher, so I didn’t want to let it go to waste and grab the opportunity to do something better in life.

I didn’t know much about the village because I have always lived in cities, however, I still decided to go for the opportunity as transforming lives is something that I have dreamt of.

Meanwhile, when my family got to know about my new job, they didn’t support my decision to move to a village and even questioned me saying ‘what will you do by becoming a teacher’.

Although it was a tough decision, I still took my chance and left for my new job as I wanted to see the real India, the one different from mine and hence joined the school.

Also Read: Teacher’s Diary: ‘When I joined, the classrooms were mouldy; I didn’t feel like opening my tiffin box. Today the school is transformed’

Everything was going well but when I went for maternity leave in the year 2018, it started affecting the education of my students. That’s why I started a YouTube channel to teach the students, so that they can study well and not lag behind.

Today, along with the students of our school, children from other schools also come to learn on our YouTube channel. In no time, many of our educational videos got millions of views.

Meanwhile, I was happy to know that the children of this village have good manners and they behave properly.

Once the school had to be cleaned and there was nobody in the school who could do the cleaning and we were only two teachers so I thought that why not take the lead and clean it myself.

Consequently, we started cleaning the school together. But that took a wrong turn when the parents of my students got angry because they thought that we have been exploiting their children in the name of teaching.

Also Read: Teacher’s Diary: ‘When a book donation campaign helped set up a rural school library’

Parents of these school children misunderstood the whole incident but then I clarified to them that teachers are also working with the students and this task is done willingly by the students. When I asked the students to tell this to their parents they did the same and explained to their parents that they have been cleaning on their own will.

Many such difficulties came, with which many achievements have also been associated, that’s why every child of our school is becoming nipun (accomplished).

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