Journey
Chapter 1
I have not been to a formal school since 10th grade. I have been working with children since the age of 18. During my school days I was interested in learning languages, writing poems, doing theater. I wanted to become journalist so I can write on different topics, I have also created handwritten magazine in gujarati called ‘Samvad’.
Later, I completed 12th grade and a BA in Sociology as an external student.
Instead of going to school, I spent time exploring bloging, website and software development (linux, free and open source software and technology world), sales and marketing, theater, writing, entrepreneurship and many more interests.
Chapter 2
I started working with children by sharing how to use a computer, inspired by the Hole in the Wall project by Sugata Mitra ↗. I explored MIT Scratch ↗, made Arvind Gupta toys ↗, told stories, played games and more.
Slowly, after lots of experimentation, I realised two things:
- I like being with children and young adults. I can be myself.
- I can do creative experiments and explorations with them, which I can’t do in school or university.
I started volunteering in different schools, meeting inspiring, passionate educators and children, visiting different learning spaces across India, reading books and attending workshops. That is how my journey as an educator started, and it is evolving every day.
During this decade long journey, I have worked in formal and informal learning spaces across India, and made friends with many children and educators.
I was primarily interested in creative practice, but I didn’t find space in the mainstream arts community. Instead, I found my space with children and young adults. I like being with them and exploring different creative processes with them. Slowly, through reading, reflecting and embodied experiences, my philosophy of education emerged, where I try to find pedagogues who explore the aim of education as ‘education for harmony’.
Chapter 3 - current work
- Read about my offerings here
- Read about my background and experience here
- Read about my philosophy here