Co-Teachers

“Together, We Can Create New Ideas About Teaching” One of the things that makes the Nanubhai Education Foundation unique is our commitment to empowering Gujarati teachers. Working with the next generation of public school teachers to improve their teaching practices is just one of the many ways that Nanubhai works to impact rural schools. Our co-teachers often express how deeply they enjoy getting the chance to work on their English and learn about different methods of teaching. For the Fellows, watching our co-teachers grow personally and professionally is extremely rewarding; seeing someone use more and more English in the classroom or apply a different technique reminds us how valuable Nanubhai’s partnership is to these rural schools. We know that the work we do together willpositively impact students for years to come.

Kadod Co-Teachers:

Vibhuti Gamit

Vibhuti Gamit is from Kadod, and she lives in the JK Park Society. She is one of the co-teachers at Kadod High School teaching 8th standard English. She has completed her BA at Bardoli College, and she has been learning English for three years. Some of her hobbies are traveling and reading novels. Her dream is to travel to Kashmir. Her favorite Gujarati novel is “Haji Chand Madaghanathi,” and her favorite English novel is “Pride and Prejudice.” Her dream is to become a teacher, like her father and sister. By working with American teachers, her English knowledge is growing quickly. Also, she is able to teach the students more English. In her opinion, the Nanubhai Education Foundation is a very good foundation because they send American teachers to help develop Kadod High School’s English education.

Nimisha Omedsinh Chaudhari

Nimisha is from Balda, a small village near Kadod. She has an MA in English, and a B.Ed. in English and Sanskrit. She began studying English in the 5th standard. Her favorite English books are the novelizations of Othello and Hamlet. Nimisha’s hobbies include drawing, reading, and cooking. She became a teacher because she really enjoys working with children. Nimisha has set up a program for children in her village to teach them basic English as well as Gujarati reading skills. She went to Kadod High School, and remembers hearing many good things about Principal Nanubhai. Nimisha enjoys working with the Nanubhai Education Foundation because they send American teachers to India. She feels that this is useful for Indian teachers, because together they can create new ideas about teaching.

Purvi Mansuhkbhai Gamit

Purvi is from Mandvi. She has three sisters and one brothers. Purvi got her BA in English, an MA in English, and a B.Ed. Purvi began studying English in the 10th standard. She has made a serious study of grammar, and is always finding new ways to improve her English. When she was a little girl, her wish was to become a teacher, and she now enjoys working with students. She likes working with  the Nanubhai Education Foundation and the American teachers. It is a good opportunity for her to work with American teachers, because she can practice her English and learn about teaching. This is also helpful for the students, because they can learn in English and Gujarati.

Mayuri Bharat Bhavsar

Mayuri is originally from Madhi, and was a student at Madhi High School. When she was 13 or 14 years old, she decided that she wanted to be a teacher. She likes teaching because she is able to help poor people learn English, which can help them get a better education. She thinks that education has become more important in this century, and so teaching is a very important job. Mayuri has a BA in English and a B.Ed. in English and Sanskrit. She began learning English in the 5th standard. Her favorite English movie is “Spiderman,” and her favorite English book is the novelization of King Lear. Her hobbies include listening to English music, doing traditional and modern dances, and reading. She enjoys working with the Nanubhai Education Foundation because the American teachers have a different style of teaching. They try to teach low, medium, and high level students. She likes getting to try different styles of teaching.

Madhi Co-Teachers:

Samir Tasnim

Samir Tasnim was born exactly 11.2 km east of Kadod. He received a B.A. from Shree Jayendrapuri Arts and Science College in Baruch, where he studied English language and literature. A year later he earned a B. Ed. from S. N. Patel Teacher’s College in Ahmedabad. An avid reader of English, Gujarati, and Hindi, Samir devours whatever books and newspapers he can find. He is particularly fond of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. However, his latest obsession is culinary in nature. Every night he cooks international and Indian food for himself and his three bachelor roommates. Samir taught with NEF at Kadod High School between 2010 and 2011 before he sat the Gujarat Teacher Aptitude Test (TAT). He passed the examination last September and currently teaches English at Chogada Pathmik School in Vadodara district. Samir attributes his current success to the English language and teaching skills he learned while working with NEF fellows.

Sunil Chaudhari

Sunil Chaudhari’s education has brought him in contact with nearly every part of Gujarat. After graduating from Madhi high school in 2004, he received a B.A. in English from Arts and Commerce College at Vyara. He followed this with a brief spell in Rajkot, where he earned a B. Ed. from Shri Shaymji Krishna Verma College. The following year he was awarded an M.A. in English, this time from Shri Bikhabhai College in Anand. Asked if he has gained any life lessons from his sojourns, he replies only with the laconic “Give Respect. Get Respect.” This year Sunil has the rare opportunity to switch places and play the teacher at Madhi high school. He is especially excited to return to his alma mater to teach English and work with the NEF fellows.

Kamini Solanki

Kamini Solanki grew up in Navsari, where she earned a B.A. in English from S. B. Gardei College. She put her dreams to become a teacher on hold for five years to devote time to her newborn son, but soon returned to school to work towards a B. Ed. at the College of Education for Women of Mumbai. While working at home, Kamini devoted a considerable part of each day teaching her young son English. She is excited to expand her audience as she moves into the classroom to work with larger numbers of students (sometimes as much as sixty!). While she enjoys cooking (especially dhokla), her real passion is acting. Twice a week she heads the English drama club at Madhi high school, where she drafts scripts and helps students combine Bollywood dance numbers with English language poetry.