Today was Jen and my first day at our host school: Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi. The school educates around 4,000 students and has two shifts because of the large population: Shift 1 from 7:00-12:30 and Shift 2 from 12:30-6. Students are in school 5.5 hours. Teachers stay after school for an extra 45 minutes to do their grading and lesson planning. They are also required to spend an hour and a half at home working on lessons. When we first arrived at the school we were given a welcoming presentation. Students were lined up on each side of the walkway (boys on one side and girls on the other). The Student Cadets received us and welcomed us and then as we walked to the entrance of the school, the students standing on each side of the walk clapped and welcomed us into the building. I felt so special! When we reached the school there was a sign that welcomed us and we were given the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. Before the students sang a Welcome Song and danced an Indian Folk Dance, I lit a candle underneath the Saraswati goddess. Then we were anointed with Kumkuma powder and rice on our forehead. When we reached the presentation room, students were lined up ready to preform for us. They say a welcoming song in Hindi for us, and then the girls preformed a traditional Indian dance. They were marvelous and it was so fun to watch! We observed a few classes, but I will write more about the classes after I’ve spent more time at the school. After observing at the school, our host teacher, Poonam, took us to see Humayun Tomb. The tomb is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was originally constructed in 1547. The tomb houses the remains of Mughal Emperor Humayun and many other political leaders. It was incredibly hot visiting the tomb, but it was beautiful: there is lush grass and trees surrounding the main building and is quite peaceful. I’ve posted some pictures below of the tomb. |
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AuthorHi! My name is Janna Nobleza and I'm a high school English teacher in the Chicago Public Schools. This blog records my TGC India preparation, journey, and reflections. Archives
August 2014
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