As a part of IB curriculum, we invite guests to address our geckos based on the topic of inquiry. ‘Role Model’ being our current topic of inquiry, most of them choose our principal, Mrs. Hema Surapaneni. She is not only a role model for our geckos but, facilitators too, we requested her to adress and motivate us all. She obliged our request and took time out from her busy schedule. Here is what we learnt about her…
She was a highly disciplined student who was an all-rounder only a dux in the class when it came to academic performance but also participated in cultural events and played basketball at regional level for east, west and north zones of India. Her father being a defence officer, they relocated every 2 yrs, she used to miss her friends every time they moved but she learnt to cope with the situations by being adaptable and hence became an open-minded person who can not only speak multiple languages but can also accept and adapt cultures. Our geckos could relate to this term as ‘Open-minded’ which is one of the IB profiles and they often identify people with the IB profiles and attitudes. They asked her how she could multitask between her studies and sports. She said that her father was a disciplinarian. She followed a time-table and would get up as early as 5 am, go for jogging, solve the math problems given by her father on a daily basis, go to school and study for hours together after returning, prepare and practice speeches for cultural events as she was one of the house captains at school thus motivating geckos to prepare a time-table and follow routine. She added saying that she had time to do multiple things as she never wasted time watching television and discouraged geckos from doing so and playing on gadgets like ipads. She still obeys her parents, listens to them and is scared of her mother, which astonished our geckos, she explained that, however old you are, children should always respect their parents and listen to them. Our geckos confessed that their parents tell them to go early to bed, not watch television. When geckos asked her how could she possess so many IB attitudes and profiles, she responded that we need to check ourselves on a daily basis and work towards imbibing them. She advised us to incline ourselves towards social-work, every weekend. She teaches English to the economically backward who cannot afford to go to an English medium school. She works with an NGO called ANKURAM which rescues children from human traffickers, warning our geckos to be away from strangers. She explained how poor people struggle to get basic necessities like food to eat, clothes to wear and a good house to live. She advised the geckos to be thankful to their parents for providing them with good clothes, food, toys to play and quality education and asked them to respect them and value what they get. Some of our geckos shared how they save their clothes and toys to donate and celebrate their birthdays with physically challenged people and orphans and much more to which she responded with appreciation.
She ended the session saying that to be a good human is a continuous process which needs conscious effort. And she advised all of us to choose happiness over materialistic things.
Some wonderful moments:
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