A Journal on Vocational Teaching and Education

By Rajeswari Raj

As an architect and technical lecturer, I share my experiences from when I was teaching higher-education students whilst doing the initial teacher training course at the same time. These are my reflections as I was learning and teaching at the same time. I systematically overcame difficulties by applying the principles I learned. My hope is that this book will give the readers some strategies that they can apply in their own settings. This book is also about the place of education in society, and my thoughts on how effective education can be. It also touches upon the various learning styles, ideologies, and how to prepare a scheme of work and overreaching philosophies. It contains various resources and links that I found invaluable. It is about what being a professional means, my own personal journey as a teacher, and how that has made me understand and relate to people more effectively.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Mar 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504938990

Rajeswari Raj

I am an architect who has qualified in three different countries. I run my own small practice, and this experience I applied to the classroom. This was a very personal, transformational journey for me, coming from an academic and professional background, and it will strike a chord with teachers who are struggling to cope with everyday challenges they face and also assure them they are not alone in this. It also gives the status of the teacher a special place and questions inequalities that exist between various professions. It will show them how special teaching is and how critical the teacher’s role is to shaping the future of young people who will be tomorrow’s effective citizens.

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© 2015 Rajeswari Raj . All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/26/2015

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3898-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3895-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3899-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction and Autobiography

Understanding Oneself and Humanity

Reflection 1

Reflection 2

Reflection 3

Reflection 4

Reflection 5

Reflection 6

Reflection 7

Reflection 8

Reflection 9

Reflection 10

Reflection 11

Reflection 12

Reflection 13

Reflection 14

Reflection 15

Reflection 16

Reflection 17

Conclusion

References

Bibliography

Websites

Introduction and Autobiography

This book to me is about truly understanding and doing what is right for oneself and for others. This is basically how I came to understand myself better through reflecting during my qualifications and work. Some people seek religion or family, but for me it has always been about being true to myself. We can all have a positive impact on the world around us. That is why I qualified to be an architect and decided to teach, to use my skills and knowledge to benefit others. This belief kept me going despite all odds.

In my formative years, I grew up with my grandparents, who cared for me and my siblings whilst my parents were abroad, working hard to give us a better future. So, in many ways, I was influenced greatly by my grandparents’ attitude and beliefs. This meant that I grew up as very independent thinker.

I had the tendency to read avidly and share my knowledge with others from an early age. I was also able to draw what I saw, and I greatly enjoyed that activity. My grandfather and my parents nurtured this skill.

When I was thirteen, I first visited Italy with my family. The trip was magical. The city of Rome in particular appealed to my artistic side; every corner had a story to tell. What an enriching experience it must be to live in such a place, surrounded by history, art, and architecture. I decided that I wanted to create buildings to enrich the environments in which people lived.

I was always an independent thinker and became more so at university and sarted thinking about how the actions of each one of us affects those of others and about our place I the society but I still was very much influenced by my family. I felt I had to give up my own choices and desires to conform to their views of society and did so which was not good for my own personal development. I just went though the motions without feeling anything always putting others first. However, through doing this course I was able to reconnect with my true self at a conscious level and see that I can still do the best for others without compromising my needs and desires.

During my university days, I always read widely. Other students used to borrow all my notes, and I used to teach them what I knew. The seeds of my inclination to teach must have been sown then. Karate has long been one of my passions which continued in to university, and I have taught sessions to the class as a stand-in for my Karate tutors and enjoyed it.

Family could have been a reason for me taking up teaching as well. My grandfather, who was a scholar, was very much involved with Gandhi’s work and started schools for young orphans and for women in his village – the first of their kind – and I had a strong connection with him.

When I first started working, there were opportunities to teach in local colleges in India on architecture and interior design. I took advantage of these opportunities, as I enjoy working with young people. But I also practiced my own profession, which I believed added value to my teaching, as I was able to share my practical experiences with the students.

Eventually I married my husband and came to live in Congresbury, near Bristol. After working for several firms, I started my own practice and also began teaching in a local college part-time on construction-related subjects. This is when I formally enrolled in a teaching course and started this journey, which transformed the way I relate to people. It has given me new insights into people and myself, and has made me whole again.

This is what I want to share with the readers. My journal is about how we should never compromise our children or their hopes and dreams, and how we can bring out the best in each other. Hopefully it will provide some insights into how we can all bring out the best in each other.

Understanding Oneself and Humanity

The book is a compilation of my reflections on the process of learning to be a teacher. I was so immersed in the experience that it completely changed me; when I finished, I had an entirely new understanding of people. I felt I had entered another realm. It was a paradigm shift for me to go from an academic background to a vocational background. I had studied sociology as part of my undergraduate degree and this helped me during the teacher training course to relate to the big picture of education in the context of society. In a way, I began to feel and experience what others go through. Previously, I was oblivious to so many aspects of life. I had travelled and done so many things, but always had family to look out for me, like a child. To me, this journey was truly to reach an understanding of how people’s minds work – and of myself through this.

But I hope I have come out wiser, more compassionate, and more able to see the world in all its myriad of colours and still hope for the best for humanity. I found that, for me, any doctrine, religion, even law – though I respect and abide by it, for I understand the purpose of it for the society – was not enough. I began to ask myself some very deep questions about social inequality, about rights of individuals and the state and where the line is between those, and about my place in this world. During my youth, I was personally affected by these issues. I still am now, but I ask myself if I can do something about it, whether physically or financially, and do so if I can. If not I sympathise but try to not let it paralyse me. Knowledge is power they say, but self-knowledge is power according to me for therein lies the key to personal happiness and success. It is in a way like a risk assessment and knowing what you can or cannot do and setting limits for yourself so that you can be at peace with yourself (this is the critical thing for me).

I believe I am now truly in a place where my actions are in alignment with my thoughts and feelings which to me are the same. When I say something, it is because I think and feel it is true for me and others. I aim in every sense not to challenge others for personal benefit but for the good of all of us. I do not have to please others, but I soften my words because I realise their power, especially with children. Is there not a child in every one of us? I am not violent because I know what damage it can cause. I