Know Your Teacher: ‘Building trusting relationships with children is most important,’ says educator

Nisha Joshi is a pre-primary school teacher at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park. With over two decades of experience in the profession, she is well-versed with the evolving teaching methodologies to engage and motivate children to learn in their foundational years. In an interview, she tells us how she wears multiple hats, from being a friend to young learners to a conflict manager and a teacher.

Edited excerpts:

What inspired you to become a teacher? Please tell us about your educational background.

I’ve been a teacher for 21 years now. I started my journey as a preschool teacher at a very young age. The reasons for becoming a teacher are numerous. I wanted to have a positive and inspiring impact on children’s lives by being kind, caring, empathic and passionate. I believed in simple things such as caring and loving children as well as supporting and guiding them onto their path. It’s a wonderful experience to work with the little ones. Every day is a new learning with them as their love is so pure and unconditional.

As for my educational background, I completed MCom followed by BEd. I also pursued Nursery Teacher Training (NTT) from District institute for Education and Training (DIET) and cleared the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET).

How would you describe your journey at Apeejay?

It’s been four years that I have been associated with Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park. A simple word which describes my journey here is ‘marvellous’! It has been a great learning experience for me as a teacher and as an individual. My school has given me every opportunity to explore and implement my ideas and learning. My Incharge Ms Shalini Kaul always supports me and is a pillar of strength for everyone in the organisation. Our principal Mr Sandeep Singh Kathuria is also approachable. I learnt and implemented thematic and integrated curriculum here which is of great help for the young ones.

How do you keep students engaged and motivated to learn?

As a preschool teacher, I’m working with the school’s youngest learners, and most students are between the age of three to five years. At this stage, their skills are not yet fully developed, and their concentration and attention span are low. I implement a play-based learning approach in my classrooms to keep my students engaged and motivated to learn, which means I am wearing many different and unique hats throughout the day.

One minute I’m an expert storyteller during circle time with preschoolers, and the next minute I become a conflict resolution manager, helping young learners to sort out their differences. Sometimes, I’m simply a playmate, while at other times I help students engage in structured learning as part of the curriculum.

How do you build positive relationships with students and address challenges?

Building trusting relationships with the children is one of the most important things that I can do as an educator. It is important that all children feel welcome in the classroom. I provide a warm greeting at the start of the day that can go a long way in communicating that I’m glad to see them and that they are entering a safe environment.

I find time to ask children how they’re feeling, especially when something seems off. They may need help naming the emotion they’re experiencing. This also conveys that there is someone who cares for them. If a child is dealing with an uncomfortable emotion, I help them to cope with their feelings in a healthy way, especially when they struggle with being away from their parents.

Last but not the least, coming to the classroom should be an enjoyable experience. I can be silly and laugh with my children. I try to make the classroom warm and relatable to the children and look for fun activities that everyone can be a part of. This can lead to many positive interactions and help to connect with the children in a positive manner.

With a certain amount of skill, patience, and lots of love, I can easily address the challenges I face as a preschool teacher.

How do you use experiential learning, and what benefits do you see for students?

Experiential learning is an active learner-centric methodology where learners put knowledge and skills to use in a meaningful and relevant fashion. It’s learning by experience. In my classroom, I plan activities in such a way that children can explore and learn. For example, for teaching them about sense organs, a sensory bin is created where children can touch, feel, and taste and can themselves experience the taste and texture of different objects.

Various floor games of letters are planned and implemented in the classrooms.

Experiential learning has a great impact on young minds. Children can grasp the concepts better and they get the opportunity to be more creative. Their mistakes become valuable experiences for them. They develop reflective and practical habits.

How do you maintain work-life balance and stay motivated?

As a teacher, it’s easy to act as if everything is a priority. I keep my physical and mental health in check by delegating tasks to my junior teachers or other school staff members—I think about what tasks that others could easily handle and divide accordingly. That way, I can particularly focus on things that need my unique training, experience, and skills. In turn, my colleagues are also trained to handle responsibilities.