Pop-up Professional Development

On my first day of teaching at SKV - Bulbuli Khana in Delhi, it turned out to be quite unexpected due to a monsoon that kept the students away from school. Alongside my teaching partner, Katerina, I found ourselves in an intense questioning session with the staff. Despite our best efforts to provide insights into our educational expertise, we couldn't speak on behalf of all educators in America. To our surprise, the staff turned to face the projector and informed us that they were ready for their professional development session. This caught us off guard, as we had anticipated being participants rather than leaders. However, we quickly put our heads together and brainstormed ideas to provide them with a professional development session of their own. We focused on protocols that stimulate generative thinking, such as brainstorming, within a short timeframe. These protocols fostered powerful thinking between students and allowed them to move freely throughout the classroom. Additionally, we introduced them to Project Zero thinking routines which can be integrated into any subject matter. Recognizing the challenges posed by their large class sizes, our aim was to provide them with strategies to engage all students effectively. Throughout this experience, I am immensely grateful to have had Katerina as my partner, as we worked seamlessly together even under pressure.