“You are the creator of your own destiny” are the golden words by ‘Swami Vivekananda’. Becoming an educator was destined for me as I transitioned from a corporate career to meet my child’s needs, moving from being an entrepreneur of a playschool to becoming a special educator. Once, a girl child (who did not have any external signs of autism) named ‘Charu’ joined our play school centre along with her younger brother. One day that boy was hurting his sister while playing and to my surprise, unlike the rest of the children, she just sat there without moving. I was perplexed seeing her inability to react or move away from the place. This caught my attention and ignited a strong desire to work with children with special needs. While searching for a suitable centre for special education for these children, I realized a significant gap in social awareness and the availability of necessary skills. My husband is my support system, he encouraged me to search for a better option through a detailed study about it. Although I had planned to study abroad, God had a different plan, and I found myself at Alpha to Omega. Here, I realized that a similar quality of education is possible in India as well, thanks to dedicated and determined individuals like our founder. It was at Alpha to Omega that I began my journey as a special educator.
“Experience is the best teacher” are the golden words of Julius Caesar. My experience as an educator taught me the true meaning of the phrase ‘precious diamonds’. Each child I came across, from the playschool to Alpha to Omega, is a diamond. The way we polished them with values of kindness, compassion, obedience, and integrity helped me mould the students. Teaching and my approach to children have shown me that being an educator is a profound blessing because we have the opportunity to shape the younger generation, leading to a better society. As a special educator, I am able to contribute to the wellness, behaviour and social adaptation of special children.
As an educator of autistic children, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and frustrated by the things we can’t control. But learning to accept these things and not sweat the small stuff has been a huge blessing. It has taught me to live in the present moment and focus my energy on the things that matter most. Spending more time with these children helped me realize and accept the uniqueness of each individual. I learned that my job is to help the children I work with to live life to their fullest potential however that will look different for every person.
The major challenge I encountered, as a special educator, was attempting to comprehend and effectively communicate with children regarding their thought processes and individual ambitions. There was a lack of communication at the child’s level of understanding. My main objective is to overcome this challenge as soon as possible.
One of the triumphs of being an educator is the sense of achievement when students graduate from each class when the children are able to read a sentence properly without any stammering or hesitation, and when they can solve a math problem. It makes me feel proud as they will be able to manage basic calculations on their own and can grow towards higher independence.
I look forward to learning more, contributing further, and growing with the organization while working toward an equal and inclusive society.
