Janna Noblezas Essential Question Essay India 2014

Essential Question: How do students at Kendriya Vidyalaya Pushp Vihar learn and apply the
principle of unity in diversity?

Essay:
Students learn about unity in diversity through teacher lessons, the school environment, and
the administration guiding the subject curriculums. Students are then encouraged to apply this
principle as they grow older by taking on leadership roles in the school and taking on action
projects.
To begin with, teachers and administration at Pushp Vihar were very passionate about
teaching students to recognize the differences among the Indian people while emphasizing the
unity of being Indian. I observed this while watching teachers in the classroom, for example, Mr.
Singh, an English teacher, taught a Pablo Neruda poem entitled Keeping Quiet. During Mr. Singhs
lesson he emphasized how all people need to be quiet and observe the world around us. Mr. Singh
asked students to make connections between their own lives and how asked the students how they
would be able to observe other cultures in other to learn about other people. The students
discussed cultures in Bangladesh and Indonesia and what they could learn from these cultures by
just being still and observing. Mr. Singh also coordinated a debate on the question: Is women
empowerment becoming a reality in India? Students from his 9
th
, 10
th
, and 11
th
grade English classes
participated. They picked teams (for and against) and then researched their position. When the
students presented, the students were able to make connections to current events happening in
India and other countries around the world. For example, a student who was on the for side
argued that India has had a woman president where the United States has never had a woman
president. Throughout the debate, the students made great connections about the different states
of India and how women are treated in each respected state. Students recognized the differences
between the Indian people while also coming to a consensus that women are becoming more
empowered but much more work still needs to be done.
The school environment also emphasizes unity in diversity. Unity is emphasized every
morning at KV Pushp Vihar through the Morning Assembly. At Morning Assembly, every student in
the school gathers from 7:00-7:30am for morning prayer, singing, presentations, the school pledge,
and the national anthem. Throughout this daily event, students were brought together through the
different elements. The school pledge includes phrases like: I pledge to listen to my teacher.
Through this practice, students are unified in saying the same words together. The presentations,
though, emphasize the differences in Indians. Presentation topics included country presentations,
language presentations, and geography. Other elements around the school that help students learn
about the differences between Indians while also emphasizing how the Indian people are unified,
include the bulletin boards and the organization of houses in the school. The bulletin boards
include information about Indian Noble Prize winners, Indian Chemists, and Indian Authors. These
bulletin boards show off the national pride the students should have for their country. Students are
also organized into houses. For example Poonam Sharma (my host teacher) is a teacher in the
Empathy House. Having students in houses makes the school feel smaller and more intimate,
therefore helping students recognize their differences and similarities.
One of the best ways the school was able to teach students about the differences in Indian
culture while also unifying the people was through the curriculum. All students take art class,
multiple language classes, and learn traditional folk dances and play traditional Indian music. This
is different from the U.S. school where I work since we have a limited budget and the humanities
are not emphasized much. The principal and other administration really valued these subjects and
encouraged students to dance, sing, and create art. These artistic classes helped students learn
about traditional Indian customs from many different states.
By the time students are in the upper grades, they have learned about the differences in
India and are ready to take on leadership roles to promote the idea of unity in diversity. Older
students do this by joining the folk dance class and presenting dances in front of international
guests, like us, or the District Commissioner. In order to be in this class, the students learn about
the different dances from each state, wear traditional clothing, and use props to represent the
different cultures and customs of different places in India. Also, students also present during
Morning Assembly on topics that remind students that they are global citizens of the world, which
unites them for a single cause like Save the Earth. A group of eight upper students presented on
this topic in front of the whole school and then created bulletin boards about the Earth and how
other students can get involved.
I was impressed how students and teachers were able to recognize their differences in
language, countries, appearance, religion, and climate but also emphasize their unity and
similarities. The theme of unity in diversity is one that I want to emphasize in my English
classroom. For example when teaching Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the students struggle
understanding and internalizing the novel since there are so many differences between their
culture and Ibo culture. I have learned, though, that emphasizing the similarities will help students
appreciate the differences then as well. I plan on having students discuss the similarities between
the main characters and themselves and what they see in their school and complete an interactive
activity where they are placed in an unknown place to them and asked how they would survive in
this new place.
India was a great place to visit and learn about the education structure, people, culture,
languages, and religions. There are many things besides the idea of unity in diversity that I will
take with me to help me grow and develop as a teacher, and there are many things that I will be
able to pass on to my students.