Small Victories As An Educator

I had set out on a Teach For Nepal fellowship journey to bring change in education to stir ripples that create waves that  everyone can hear. My ambitions were bold.  I had planned for projects that would transform the communities, for the outcomes that could be presented into a graph with soaring numbers. However, despite all the efforts, the graph didn’t really change. The year end report was almost similar to how it used to be. Problems were still existent: students were failing, math continued to be a hard subject, science was beyond comprehension as always and English still brought beads of sweat. The building was crumbling and teachers were using the usual traditional method. 

Does this mean, two years of my hard work were wasted? Was my fellowship meaningless? Did I fail as an educator? 

Perhaps not. Upon reflection: 

• I had felt triumph  in influencing a girl in eighth grade - once set to get married within a year - to stay in school until grade 10, and empowering her to convince her family as well.

• I had celebrated when a boy in grade nine, who had left school to earn money, returned after months and promised that he would not leave school again.

• I had found joy in hearing a boy in tenth grade share how his perspective on gender roles shifted after working on a drama on gender identity.

• My heart had swelled up when a girl from grade seven told me she now believes that she can be an artist, after a month long art classes.

• And I had felt pride with the sense of responsibility when students started opening up about their traumas. They were relieved that someone listened to their stories without any judgment. 

Those moments of glimmer were immensely rewarding.  I had not failed as an educator. 

Those years gave me a life of purpose to keep working for equality in education. It made me realize, educators are not supposed to be magicians, rather a complete human being who cares and believes when nobody does.

The unconditional love and trust that I got to experience in those two years became my strength in every role I took within the field of education. It kept me grounded, allowing me to make decisions that are in alignment with the student's need as a School Leader after the completion of fellowship. Today, as I am pursuing my Master’s Degree in Education, those hopeful faces are my point of reference in every theory that I read. Afterall,  any social transformation transcends over a period with the contentious effort of all  agencies involved. 

Oftentimes, it is hard to see the positive impacts of our small actions because those victories are like a faint grin, only visible if you look carefully. But those soft smiles have the power to  touch the soul in ways no graph ever could. 

Perhaps, every struggling student is looking for one teacher that is ready to help them make small strides before they are confident enough to jump.