By Poornima Marh, TwoCircles.net
Sakina, born and brought up in Mumbai, is a teacher. She lives in Bangalore with her family. She says “We shifted to Bangalore 10 years back because of work. When I shifted here I did a beautician course, and also worked in the spa for some time. I was not very happy with this profession, so I quit. I really wanted to work with children, so I took up the teaching profession. I started teaching in Koramangala in Planet Kids School. I was finding it a little difficult to commute, as I was put up in Richmond Town. So I transferred to Planet Kids in Shanthinagar, near my house. I also teach in madrassa, an Islamic school in Shanthinagar. There I met a friend of mine who asked me if I was interested in doing a Montessori course. She said “you can do the course, after which they will interview you and you can start teaching in the school.”
Sakina now teaches at ILM Montessori. About the Montessori way of teaching she says “I joined last year in June. I am very happy teaching here. This school was like a divine help for me. Montessori has a totally different approach of teaching, when compared to the conventional way of teaching. Initially it was a challenge for me to adjust with this way of teaching. It has a very good impact on the teachers as well as the children. It develops their thinking capacity, because there are no textbooks. Everything is through the material and practical learning. It automatically develops the way you look at things, the way you think. In the process they learn how to solve their issues. We are just as a guide for them. They don’t call us ma’am or teacher, but address us as “aunty” or “didi.” It’s a fun way of learning for both the kids and for us.”
When I asked her why Ramadan is special for her, she said “fasting is a very spiritual thing, like the whole process, it’s not about keeping yourself away from food, but also keeping yourself away from all the negative thoughts and deeds. Giving up on materialistic pleasures, getting to know the world and yourself. I don’t know exactly how to put it in words. It’s a way of totally reforming oneself. In this month there are many habits that we develop, that we can continue throughout the year. So if you continue a habit for 30 days, you can continue it for the rest of the year. I started fasting when I was 7 years old. It is a really great feeling of breaking fast with your family.”
TCN Series: Ramadan 1439