When Anushka Abraham , 23, graduated from university a couple of years ago she couldn’t find a job in her field of study. So to make ends meet and earn a bit of cash she decided not to wait for opportunity to come to her but rather to take control over her life, so she started private tutoring. Soon her passion for teaching grew and she now embraces the life as a preschool teacher of two year olds.
Anushka, who was born in India and raised in Bahrain loves her new found freedom in the UAE, surrounded by international friends. While she got into teaching through necessity, she now realizes how much she loves her job: “I started teaching general subjects for about two years now, and have just become a preschool teacher this past year. Even though I fell into this job quite by accident, I realize now how much I like teaching.”
She believes that the process of teaching has taught her a lot about herself and others. “It’s been an amazing learning experience and I’m looking forward to learning new things and experiences everyday….and all of that has taught me the value of patience and understanding.”
She believes that being a good influence is critical to the students’ development. “We all know how influential a teacher can be. When you’re in a class room you do what you set out to do, over time you see the children developing, absorbing knowledge and picking up the skills that you’ve been working on with them. It feels so fulfilling; I really cherish the relationships I form with each student.”
But facing the terrible twos is not always easy. “I’ve had times when I feel at my wits end and I realize that I have to develop coping skills to deal with everything that’s thrown my way. Thankfully those times are few, and when I take a day off to refresh my mind I’m all ready for a new day.”
Anushka says that the feedback from her students’ families and her colleagues keeps her motivated and on track. Working as a teacher has made her more aware of the importance of strong foundational education. She believes that education should be available to everyone and hopes that one day she is able to travel around the world and volunteer to be a teacher.
She is happy with her chosen career as a teacher and surges young adults to consider a teaching career. “You need to keep an open mind, be headstrong and just go with the flow of your own instincts and also keep learning from the experience,” Anushka says. “I’ve got my own set of values and principles and I try to maintain them and review and renew them. As a teacher you learn to be more patient since kids are very receptive, and so you find that your mood and attitude can influence them easily.”
Anushka says the most important thing she has learnt so far from her teaching experiences is to never underestimate what a child can teach back. “Children view life in simple terms, and their curiosity and innocence can teach you to appreciate a lot more in your life.”
As much as Anushka enjoys her current job, she wants to travel and volunteer to make education available to the less fortunate, “I would like to definitely keep in touch with the field and gradually teach older students as the years go by. But I do plan to eventually shift my focus to other goals that I’d like to pursue.”
By Angeli Castillo
