Delhi Public School, Bangalore-North

Check out this school’s website! http://north.dpsbangalore.edu.in

I had the opportunity in India to travel to Bangalore for a week and be hosted by Delhi Public School, Bangalore-North and the wonderful host teacher/principal Manju. Host schools were chosen by Fulbright and IREX and each school had close connections to an in-country Fulbright alum. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity with this school. I made real personal connections there that will last a life-time.

What an experience in Bangaluru! I can’t say enough about the tropical, resort-like campus, administration, staff, “aunties” and “uncles” (paraprofessionals), drivers, and students. In every location we visited and observed, we were welcomed with open arms. There were personalized signs around campus that added such a wonderful touch. It has been life-changing for me! I was treated like a celebrity. And the students…..oh the students! “Yes, Ma’am”. “You look so beautiful in Indian dress”. “Namaste”. The students were too precious!

While at Delhi Public School, Bangalore-North, we had the opportunity to observe/learn organic farming, yoga, multiple science classrooms, experimental learning, faculty meetings, primary school classes, tinkering labs, and section head meetings. The school held an assembly for the whole 11th grade and I presented the students with an introduction to American education. The presentation ended in a Q&A session that had some of the best questions I have ever heard. “What are ways that we can make our school better?” “What have you learned from our school that could help improve your school in America?” These kids were brilliant!

The school held a cultural assembly with a traditional Indian welcoming ceremony, dress, and dance. The dance teacher danced on a pot while having lit candles in her hands and on her head! It was amazing! I later visited the dance classroom and learned a popular dance. I felt compelled to share something with the dance teachers, so I may have showed them how to do the Cha-Cha Slide… haha

Every evening after school, a teacher would escort us to a local cultural excursion. We got to experience a Muslim wedding, Botanical Gardens, a Jain Temple, Iskon Temple, Mysore, an Elephant Sanctuary, and shopping on Commercial Street. It was on Commercial Street that I bought my first ever tailored made outfits (2 kurti)! Did I mention,… I kissed an elephant and I liked it!…

My favorite memory from my week on campus was my 5th grade science lesson. At my home school in Ohio, I have a reputation of having a teaching style that is a “little outside of the box”. I used that same teaching style of kinesthetic movement, verbal chants, a beach ball, and hand motions to teach the students plate tectonics. The students had so much fun and all ran up to me after my lesson and asked me for my autograph!

This school was so much more than a learning institution. While there, I participated in many of their philanthropy initiatives. I was able to donate to help the homeless dogs and better the lives of young rural Indian women in a nearby village. The school felt more like a community, a family. The way a school should feel.