A gift of the pandemic times, lockdown and tranquillity offered the best soundbox experience and was perhaps the ideal time to speak and listen. We were pursuing the Joy Of Learning Professional Learning Program with educators from schools across the country, and this was how I discovered the gift of audio!
This is the story of making 100 Episodes "I am passionate about Education..."
Joy Of Learning (11 Sessions) The teachers collaborate and work in groups to explore the 22 values and discover how the values help in an individual's personal and social development. The values come alive at their school and enhance learning at the classroom level. JOL is an extensive and profound learning experience that immerses members in inquiry and problem-based learning models. Staff members work collaboratively to gain knowledge to solve significant student learning problems in their schools. We seek to understand individual members' needs and then assist them in meeting objectives through a collaborative learning environment and with the support of experienced coaches. The learning program is delivered by Zoom and other eLearning methods, and the focus is on helping teachers find solutions to help the schools provide better.
As we zoomed in and listened to teachers' stories by choice and teachers by chance, I wondered why we were so mad about teaching and learning. Despite the thankless job, with little appreciation, our teachers are perhaps the real changemakers in the world. So this was the eureka moment; let us find out what makes them so mad about the profession, the quest for meeting 100 educators began!
Does one have to be a teacher to be an educator? Hello, there is a teacher in each of us, and even beyond in the environment, nature, living and non-living. The whole world is my school, and everyone is my teacher.
On my last visit to Finland to attend the Hundred Summit in 2019, I was fortunate to meet entrepreneurs, policymakers, youth leaders, investors, school heads, students, and people from all walks of life. People head to Helsinki for the Education Week in early November every year to share ideas and innovations and how every problem has a solution, waiting to be simply showcased. This made me reflect on my life and how in near 40 years of living with altruism, I had the good fortune to travel from Sydney to Los Angeles, Nepal to Sri Lanka, East to West, and even head an international youth program.
2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, my years of taking Learning Forward! Every winter, I travelled to the USA to attend the Learning Forward Annual Conference to meet thousands of teachers and passionate educators from across the world; this further increased with the expanse of my network.
My travels in India and the conferences attended in the past decade. Meeting school alumni, industry bodies, and the five different avatars of my life made it very difficult to make a list of 100 influencers in my life, particularly those who have made a difference to others.
My teachers, fellow travellers, friends and colleagues, my list of passionate educators started evolving. The first one was a teacher of Sex Education. She shared how she was working to sensitize communities and look at life with a gender agnostic lens. Then I met teachers who have had a phenomenal impact on my life, simple real-life people who are real influencers and role models. Yes, we lack mentors and people who practise what they preach; the next part of my agenda is to list real stories.
You will love the stories shared by our happy teachers and passionate educators. They grow the capacity of your people to improve student achievement and transform your school into a culture of trust and collaboration in less time with fewer resources. Each person in your school contributes to the culture of your school. School culture is built on the actions and interactions of the people. You make your school stronger by adding value to others and making others feel valued. Thus, the show's spirit and the live content without any format made the show even better, from the heart and soul.
My life's focus is on school transformation with an emphasis on culture as a service. Over 30 years of experience has empowered thousands of teachers and touched the lives of near a million children. The Future Of Learning - Long-lasting success in professional learning needs a 'culture of learning .' I feel teachers need to take charge of their own learning. They can support teams to design the future of education and transform schools to deliver better learning outcomes.
As an Author, Entrepreneur, Mountaineer and above all, passionate about taking learning forward. Founder Learning Forward India, Ambassador Hundred.Org, Chairman Bhadrajun Artisans Trust, Owner of The English Book Depot and former National Director of The Duke Of Edinburgh's International Award. The episodes perhaps help me reflect and recreate my life as I reconnect with people and, after decades to learn how we could touch each other's lives. Recording the shows was a kind of surreal as unknowingly we are doing similar type of work in our unique ways. As a journalist, an industry person, a member of a Royal Family, leaders and simple folks all work to make the world a better place to live in.
In the series of 100 Episodes, I travel across the world to decode my passion for education. Meeting teachers, coaches, entrepreneurs and leaders; they share how, in their way, they go about with the singular focus to help schools deliver better, build trust and relationships to spread the joy of learning.
The 100 episodes will inspire you by listening to personal examples of teachers working to help children experience the values. This will also help people take stock of life and how they wish to lead their lives. Education without sharing values is never complete. This was another significant learning when producing the shows.
Episode #100, Releasing on Saturday the 23rd of October 2021, is a tribute to John Martyn, who inspired and enriched the lives of the children from the rural areas near Dehradun. In 1935, John Martyn accompanied Arthur Foot to India to establish the teaching staff of The Doon School, a newly opened boarding school for Indian boys. Martyn was at Doon for 31 years, thus becoming one of the longest-serving schoolmasters in the school's history. After he died in 1984, his wife Mady Martyn wrote a book about him entitled Martyn Sahib, the story of John Martyn of the Doon School.
In his honour, his wife and Martyn's friends set up John Martyn Memorial Trust in a village at the foothills of the Himalayas called Salagaon. The trust runs a school for underprivileged children and provides free education to over 150 children. The past 37 years have been an incredible journey as the school witnessed the lives of many disadvantaged children transforming because of quality primary education.
Yes, in this show, I meet the teachers of The Fabindia School, the parents, board members and students to find out how one man's passion for bringing a piece of land to life helped build the changemaker school, where I have had the good fortune to spend near a decade. I would like to conclude with the good words of my real friend for life and colleague in the mission for quality in education "Sandeep is a passionate educator. He is one of those individuals who have dedicated his life to making the greatest impact on the greatest number of people." William Nanda Bissell, Chairman of the Board, Fabindia. This is perhaps what each of the 100 passionate educators has been doing all their lives, impacting the lives of one and all on their journey, building relationships and, of course, following their hearts.
Playlist "I am passionate about education...
https://vurbl.com/playlists/I-am-passionate-about-education/
Available on Apple, Google, Spotify, Anchor, Overcast, Radio Public, Jio Saavan and all podcasts worldwide.
- Sandeep Dutt, School Improvement Coach and a wannabe Radio Jockey! You can find about more about what he does for life on www.Sdutt.com
