"From Students to Teachers: Alumni Series" by Arnav Bansal.
Today’s teacher portrait is truly a special one, one that is sure to be both inspiring and captivating to read. Ms. Srividya, an alumnus of TISB, joined us this year as a Drama Teacher, and I am thrilled to share her responses with all of you!
“My name is Srividya Srinivas. I joined TISB in May 2023 as a drama teacher. Professionally, I wear multiple hats; a theatre educator, a pedagogue, a curriculum designer, an applied theatre practitioner and I also actively engage in practice as research. Over the past 15 years, I have been teaching the IGCSE and IB MYP curricula in various international schools in Bangalore and worked with different communities and organizations using drama and the arts. I have also trained and mentored teachers across cities to design and implement the IB MYP drama curriculum effectively in their classrooms. Having recently trained as an SEL educator, I integrate SEL tools in the drama classroom. I train teachers to integrate drama tools in their middle school classrooms and run drama and arts-based programs on self-care and energy management for adults. My research areas include the politics of language in applied theatre settings in post-colonial India, decolonizing the drama classroom, and SEL through the arts for young people. I have presented my practice and research at many conferences in India and Singapore. Recently, I have contributed a chapter on access to theatre for young people in India, in the Routledge Companion to Theatre and Young People, published in October 2022. In my free time, I enjoy crocheting and reading, sometimes baking or cooking different kinds of food, and I zentangle birds and animals to de-stress. As a wildlife and birding enthusiast, I also enjoy traveling to various forests in India and doing wildlife photography. “
As someone who once walked the halls as a student in our school, can you share a bit about your journey from being a student to becoming a teacher? What aspects of your personal growth stand out the most?
“I became a teacher by chance! I was thrown into the classroom by chance, to run the Trinity drama program. But I loved every bit of it - especially working with children. As a student, I knew I wanted to do something in theatre, but it was not until university that I realized that I wanted to do applied theatre - work with people and use the tools of the theatre for education and personal growth. I wanted to work with people with disabilities, people in the corporate space, and various other spaces. Working with children was not on my radar! But it became one of the most enjoyable things I did. Since my 1st teaching job, I never looked back. My focus has always been on working with children in schools and outside of school.
In terms of my personal growth, I started my teaching career thinking about my best experiences in school and tried to emulate all of that to make my learners' experience as engaging and exciting as possible. I learned to connect with my students and bring their interests into the classroom. I also understood the complexities of working with children and started to develop my style of teaching. More recently, I have also become more mindful of children's mental health and social-emotional needs in the learning process.”
How has your perspective on education and the school environment changed since your days as a student? What challenges or surprises did you encounter in transitioning from the student role to that of a teacher?
“My perspective on education and the school environment has changed in the past 14 years of working with children in schools. I have been bullied as a student and have been excluded from many social and learning experiences. This was one thing I did not want happening to my students. I wanted to ensure every child is valued and every child can approach me for whatever reason. Therefore, I ensure my interactions with students are more informal. I remember one of my teachers from when I was a student at TISB told me, as I embarked on my journey as a teacher, to be kind, but firm with my students. This is what I stand by even today. The school environment at TISB has changed since I was here as a student. It has become more open, there is a lot of awareness and importance given to pastoral and emotional support to students and students now have easier access to technology and devices, which we never had. During my initial days of transitioning from a student to a teacher, I had to constantly remind myself that I was a teacher, that I was their role model, and that I was the responsible adult in the room. It was also important for me to know where my boundaries were, while at the same time being open and approachable to my students.”
Looking back, what significant changes do you observe in the school environment compared to when you were a student? Are there any specific changes that you believe have had a profound impact on the teaching and learning experience?
“Looking back now, I wish we had access to the kind of resources available to students today, such as ISTA and Digital Theatre Plus. However, we also had many opportunities to go and watch plays as a class in Ranga Shankara, which gave us many opportunities to interact with theatre makers. But now, with these resources, students have access to thousands of plays at the tip of their fingers and they get opportunities to work with international theatre artists. Students also have the opportunity to go on a school trip, which is something we missed out on. This I feel gives students a chance to learn some new skills, and bond with their peers outside of the school space. The CAS experiences that students get from school are such a great way to help them complete their CAS activities. I remember in my time, we had to figure it out on our own. “
Reflecting on your time as a teacher, could you share one or two moments that truly stand out as your favorite teaching experiences? What made these moments special or memorable for you?
“In another school I worked with, I had a student who had a lot of difficulty in maintaining focus and working with other people. We were exploring mask theatre and they were making their masks out of plaster of Paris. In that entire academic year, this was the 1st time this student was completely focused on his work and did not cause a distraction to anybody else. 2 years after my 1st batch of MYP students graduated, I got an email from one of them telling me how much she missed our classes and how theatre classes helped them create friends for life. They also shared that they were amazed by how much they were capable of and did not expect to do a lot of the things we did together. It was a special moment for me to receive an email like that from my former student and reminded me of the impact drama can have on an individual and the impact it had on me as a student and as an adult.”
While you're now shaping the educational experiences of others, what is one of your fondest memories from your own time as a student in our school? How does that memory continue to influence your approach to teaching?
“One of my fondest memories was that of being an IB theatre student. I remember using every excuse possible to be in the drama room, instead of attending regular lessons - after all, IB theatre is quite intense! But this was because I felt like I belonged in the drama room. It was like my home away from home. But this experience has honestly allowed me to see how our work as teachers in the classroom can affect the children we work with. I had such a positive relationship with my drama teacher here. We are still in touch and now exchange ideas as peers! I absolutely enjoyed working on Vivum. It was the 1st Vivum to introduce Vivum t-shirts to the organising committee! This was a great experience, as HOD of theatre, to network with many theatre practitioners outside to bring in workshops to our school. But more than anything, it was an opportunity for us, as a batch, to create something we were so proud of. All these memories came rushing back to me when I attended Vivum 2023 this year. But at the same time, I felt they had it so easy with access to technology. But it was amazing to see how it has grown as a student-led fest and I am excited to see how much more it can grow.”
Thank you for your candid responses Ms. Srividya! It was a pleasure hearing from you!