Ordinary People, Extraordinary Teachers: The Heroes of Real India
S. Giridhar
2019
Westland
pp. 275
In this book, Giridhar has presented stories of teachers from across the country. The focus is on documenting the efforts made by teachers in rural India towards providing quality learning experiences for children in schools. These teachers, like ordinary people, probably took to teaching as part of their quest for a comfortable profession that will help them earn a livelihood. The exemplary commitment of these unsung heroes has found a place in this book. Not only is this book a good resource for learning ideas and thoughts about what can be done in government schools in India to bring about a change in the lives of children, but it is also a valuable documentation of the efforts of teachers that are never really given their due. The blame of poor learning achievement in government schools is often put on school teachers apathy and insincerity. The stories in this book are part of field based research undertaken for Azim Premji Foundation. Anecdotal records of innovative practices seldom find their ways in books. Giridhar has done us a favour by providing space to teachers and inspiring all of us to continue our efforts in a system that most teachers, if not all, working at various level in public sector education, would acknowledge to be devoid of the most basic of necessities. The everyday life of teacher is marked with the struggle for infrastructure, teaching resources and what I miss the most, and has been mentioned in the conclusion section of the book, a quiet place to work! I wish there were more forums for teachers to talk, share and learn. I wish there were space in the school day for teachers to engage in improving teaching, and teachers did not have to devote their off days for assessment, growth and professional development. I strongly recommend this book to all students and teachers of education for the sheer inspiration it provides.