Rashmi Srivastava The famous quote, ‘A journey of thousand miles begins with a single step’ consummately describes the progression in my career. It began in 1997 as a fresh graduate when I chanced upon this opportunity to work as a teacher to fill a leave vacancy, a three-month contract. The subjects allotted to me were Moral science and G.K., where children generally doze off. It turned out to be a life-changing phase for me and by the time it ended, I was the most beloved teacher. Children of primary and middle school loved my storytelling skills, and G.K. had become an adventure subject, thanks to my books and newspaper reading habits. I even organised an Inter-School G.K. Quiz contest, and right from banner designing to sending invites to neighbourhood schools organised everything. It was a humongous success and taught me the very first and most important lesson that no job or profile is inferior to any other if you put your heart and soul into it.
In my career of over two decades, I worked with various progressive schools like City Montessori in Lucknow, Ryan International in Jaipur, Seedling Modern in Udaipur, Sunbeam in Varanasi, and D.P.S in Dehradun. They all had their vision and mission and their unique methodologies, which I imbibed from each one of them. Finally, for the past ten years, I am working with KIIT World School Delhi and Gurgaon, which has a mantra that Education is for All. During my stint with KIIT, I got the opportunity to travel to three different continents, Africa, America, and Europe and I learn a lot about the education system and pattern there, which is hugely reflected in KIIT now. It is a beautifully designed learning space for a child that enables the free flow of information, exchange of ideas, creative thinking, and problem-solving through a unique Project-Based Learning approach. I firmly believe in collaborative learning, which is the key to a sustainable future, and education that empowers individuals to fulfill their dreams.
A quote of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is what drives me to keep on striving to meet new challenges every day; “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep.”
My Awards:
Global Teacher Accreditation by British Council
Inspirational Teacher Award (Global): Teach A Man To Fish (UK based NGO)
International School Awards Coordinator
Rajendra Prasad Samman for Best Teacher
Rashmi Srivastava, is a Principal, KIIT World School Junior, Sector 46, Gurgaon. She has done B.Sc, B.Ed and M.Ed.
