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Note to self/everyone else

This blog is meant to critically document my experience of teaching a course titled 'Education, Literacy, and Justice' as part of the Critical Writing program at the Young India Fellowship. I will write about the various aspects of the teaching process: reading and ideation, class planning and management, engagement with students, and most importantly, critical reflection on various pedagogic concerns and experiences. Students will be encouraged to comment and contribute to the blog, to think through the different aspects of the course. 

For now, a few honest thoughts and feelings: 

 It is 6 AM; a pale bluish light seeps into my room. The morning air is still; the street is yet to wake up. I am sitting at my desk, feeling nostalgic for a different time, a different set of possibilities. The first day of class...waking up early, taking the metro and the shuttle, excitedly discussing my plans with friends/colleagues I bump into, entering the classroom, registering a few dozen new faces, breaking into a wide smile...no, no, snap out of it! Snap out of it, my mind firmly says. Focus, focus on the day ahead. I look at the names of students this year, I wonder if I will get to really know them, bond, connect, share the joy and confusions of learning. I'm yet to accept that we are beginning online--I cannot pretend I feel entirely happy or confident about it. But I cannot deny I am also curious and looking forward despite all my uncertainties. It is not an ideal situation; we have to work through it. 

I jot down my first class notes for the year: 'Begin with a word association exercise'. I curiously wonder how the new students will react. I cannot imagine the faces yet, I imagine a few blurs moving. I imagine the possibility of connection and collective sharing. I break into a smile. 

There are a few birds chirping in the air. 

Comments

  1. Aisha23 August 2020 at 12:39

    Hey Sayan. Despite it all, really looking forward to your class.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sayan23 August 2020 at 13:16

      hi aisha! same. really looking forward to meeting you and everyone else. :)

      Delete
  2. Anonymous23 August 2020 at 14:33

    Hey Sayan,
    This is indeed a great way to document the whole experience and connect with everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sayan23 August 2020 at 14:52

      thanks kashish! i'm looking forward to the documentation quite a bit, taking the class behind-the-scenes, so to speak. :) and over the semester, hope we can use this blog to collectively introspect on how to keep building and re-building the course. :)

      Delete
  3. Anonymous23 August 2020 at 21:24

    Hi Sayan,

    Even though we are starting the course online, I am really excited to learn from you as well as my co-fellows! This blog is a brilliant platform for us to document our journeys, as we progress through the Critical Writing course! I am eagerly looking forward to our course on 'Education, Literacy and Justice', and can't wait to contribute to this blog!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sayan24 August 2020 at 04:38

      thanks radhika! can't wait for you and others to contribute to the blog too!

      Delete
  4. Glen Reuben Dsouza24 August 2020 at 01:14

    Hey Sayan,

    This is a beautiful way of documenting our experiences and learning. Looking forward to learn from you and everybody else and contribute to the blog :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sayan24 August 2020 at 04:39

      thanks glen. :) looking forward to learning from you too. see you in class!

      Delete
  5. Anjali Ramesh31 August 2020 at 16:54

    cannot lie, reading about those possibilities was a little heartbreaking. :( i trust that you and the gang this year will still make the most of this though - miss CW, and i'm excited for all of you. all the best! :)

    ReplyDelete

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