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The first object I want to share with you all is my experience at Sassoon Hospital.

After completing 12th grade, I decided to pursue my bachelors in Physiotherapy at Sancheti Hospital in Pune. As part of my coursework I was working at Sassoon Hospital. Some of my patients were women who had sustained extreme burn injuries. Through their stories I learned that many of them had been hurt by people close to them for reasons like dowry. Knowing that many of the patients depended on these same family members for safety and security and chose to stay silent about this wrongdoing was confusing and difficult for me. Their powerlessness left me shattered.

This experience has stayed with me for two decades now. It has taken me years to understand and accept an individual’s decision to stay silent and shaped me into a more compassionate, driven individual, wanting to work towards uplifting women. At the same time it has inspired me to stand up for myself, speak up against injustice. Joining Avasara Academy at this time in my journey feels like homecoming. It brings me back to the city that planted in me the desire to work towards empowering women.  ❤️

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During my time as a teacher I often witnessed how bored students were as they engaged with irrelevant and uninspiring curriculums. So, I am very interested in understanding how to create classrooms where students love to learn!

During my master’s program, I took a class called, "Deeper Learning for All" by Professor Jal Mehta. In the class we read a lot of different books, visited ‘new’ types of schools, discussed with guests who had experience creating deeper learning schools. Three questions this class left me with are:

What is the purpose of schools in the 21st century?

What about the current school design do we need to let go?

What does deeper, more engaging learning for ALL students look like?

So, the second object I’ve picked to share is the idea of designing for Deeper Learning. I applied my learnings from this class to create a unique soft robotics course for middle and high school students! I cannot wait to bring the course and my ideas about designing and learning to you all:)

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My next object is a quote from Stephen Covey’s book 7 Habit of Highly Effective People.

For most part of my life I have operated with the assumption that love is a noun, a feeling. You either feel it or don't feel it.

However, a few years ago while reading Stephen Covey's 7 Habit of Highly Effective People I came across the statement, "Love is a verb. Not a Noun." Accepting love as a verb, an action word felt liberating. I realized that in any situation I can choose to act with love or not.

So, since this discovery, I have tried to operate from a place of love, care, compassion, kindness, empathy. Especially in situations when I find it the hardest to love like, when I feel I am not respected or I feel I am being treated unfairly. I am not successful every time but I try and I will continue to try to operate with love.

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4. Transformational journey with Teach For India

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4. Transformational journey with Teach For India

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The fourth object I’ve picked to share with you all is my experience at Teach For India.

In 2011 I joined the Teach For India fellowship. I taught grades 4 and 5 in Mumbai. I fell in love with the work that I continued for 4 more years supporting new teachers in the classrooms.

My journey with Teach For India has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. The two years in the classroom taught me many important lessons. But, the most important lesson that my students taught me is that ALL students, regardless of colour, gender, caste, interests or learning abilities, are capable and will rise to our expectations. It shaped my belief that holding every child, in fact every adult as well, to high expectations is an act of love and service for me. I will bring this attitude with me as I work with you all at Avasara. And, I invite you to hold me to the highest expectations and enable me to reach my highest potential. 💛

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Due to challenging home circumstances my parents were not able to complete their college education. This personal struggle only strengthened their belief in education. According to them, 'Education is the key to social and economic change.'

The final object I want to share with you all is a picture with my parents clicked at my M.Ed (Master’s in Education) graduation. This picture is very special because it captures my parents’ pride in seeing their daughter graduate with a Master's degree from Harvard! It also brings full circle my choice to become an educator - my parents did everything in their capacity to educate me and I hope to embody the same dedication and determination as an educator. I believe that there is no higher calling, and nothing more rewarding or meaningful  than working in the field of education. It is my privilege that I get to walk alongside each one of you as you learn to thrive in this ever changing world!

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6. I would love to hear from all of you :)

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6. I would love to hear from all of you :)

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A. Were there anything in my introduction that you connected with?

B. Did it spark any questions that you are thinking about? Or do you have questions for me?

C. What objects have deeply influenced you? Do share your objects:)
Your objects can be books, art, music, poetry, photographs, performance, a person, an event, or an experience. Just about anything.

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I am really interested and looking forward to hear your Idea of deeper learning and the changes which needs to be made inorder for the students to get enthusiastic about learning.

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Really inspired with the work done.

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I am encouraged by you I liked your intro to all of us and this was interesting fabulous Ms.Shah even though I am small than you I am proud of you and I liked you.