Jay Joy

Last night Devika was kind enough once again to show me around town.  We saw the anniversary play of another school that they have a connection to called Calibre, and then we had my final dinner in India. She introduced me to a new item that resembled a bigger and lighter sopapilla.  I was a big fan. Packing as much as we could in, we then went to a temple has been around for over 2000 thousand years.  It is amazing how active many of the temples are and how many people are cycling through or just sitting around enjoying the company of others.  Lastly, Devika wanted me to meet her mother so I could see the most traditional dress the 9-yard sari.

It is incredible to visit India, but I feel particularly lucky that I got to visit as a guest in real people's lives, as opposed to a tourist.  Building off of that, it is was wonderful to be welcomed and visit in someone's actual home.  The stay was short, but I got in a nice conversation with her nephew who apparently was excited to show me his traditional dress and his appreciation for his amazing home country and complex culture.  As they were saying bye they also said “Jay Joy.”  Devika's father came up with this because he thought there should be heartfelt meaning when you separate.  Jay Joy means "victory and joy."

I have already said my goodbyes at the school. I can say that although I can't wait to see Jan and Jane, I will miss these people and I am so glad that they are now a part of my life.  Devika took me back around to the classes I taught, and we took a few final ‘snaps’ (pictures) together.  I then had a final breakfast and discussion with heads of the school and the teachers.  We capped it off with a deep and productive conversation about the differences between our systems which was mainly anchored in the huge differences in the needs and learning styles of our students.  We had a very warm send off and they gave me as many textbooks as I could carry.

This is the letter that I provided to the school at the closure of our breakfast.  Valsa read it aloud, it was obviously received well. 

Dear:

Mrs. Dr. YG Parthasarathy- Dean and Director, PSBB Group of Schools

Mrs. Chandra Srinivasan-Advisor, PSBB KKnagar

Mrs. Indira Vaidyanathan- Principal ,PSBB KKnagar

I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to all at PSBB, and especially to Dr. Mrs. YG Parthasarathy for welcoming me and sharing her infinite wisdom.  I’d also like to personally thank the administration of PSBB KKnagar for being such gracious hosts; you all have provided me with the experience of a lifetime.  I have learned an immense amount from this exchange and I am hopeful that I was a benefit to PSBB.  At the very least you will always have an ambassador for PSBB, Chennai, and India.
  

I could write a book on all of the positive takeaways I have from this experience, so please recognize that this is a short and incomplete summation.  First off, I have been astounded by depth and quality of your school culture; this all starts with quality leadership.  It is obvious that your administration is very skilled at management, but I was most impressed that Dr. Mrs.YGP, Chandra, Indira, and Valsa are true academic leaders who continuously interact with and motivate your students.  I believe that the most important thing I witnessed at PSBB is that all of the administration and faculty is completely focused on providing young people the highest level of education possible.  This is not simply a statement on the wall, but rather something that can be witnessed in the seamless inculcation of values and multiple intelligences.

Your faculty has been very welcoming and I have been impressed by their skill and dedication.  I am honored to consider the teachers of PSBB my peers, and it is evident that they are enriching students’ lives every day.  I have had the pleasure to be a guest in numerous classes ranging from pre-KG to 11^th standard.  Every class was interactive and the approach of the teachers modeled the values of your school.  I applaud you all for your support of the teachers and your involvement in their professional development.  

All of the incredible work of the school really shines in your students.  I believe that all children are wonderful, but the students of PSBB are a particularly exceptional group.  Without question this is the warmest and most thoughtful assemblage of students I have ever encountered.  It was my pleasure to teach a few lessons and I can say with all sincerity that they are the most engaged and bright group of students that I have met.  Through my continued interaction with the students it is evident that they responded quite well to the methods I used, and it seemed to continue to ignite their interests.

Lastly, I want to let you all know what an incredible job Devika Raman has done to prepare for this visit and to make my stay memorable and productive.  She was very thorough and timely with her planning from the moment that I was selected as a guest fellow for PSBB.  During my stay she has successfully made every effort to provide the most insightful opportunities to learn about your school and have enriching professional discussions with your staff.  Not to mention she has diligently collaborated with the PSBB team to expose me to as many cultural sites and activities as possible.  I must also acknowledge the great hospitality and care of Mr. Rajagopal, he has been meticulous and prompt with the arraignments and was a wonderful travel companion.

I hope that this is not a farewell report but rather the beginning to an enriching relationship between PSBB and Nex+gen Academy.  We are trying to build our school on rich culture and I could not have visited a better place than PSBB to see what outstanding school culture looks like.  Once we begin classes in the fall you all should hopefully start to see the building of student relationships based on understanding, cooperation, and critical thinking about the amazing world that we live in. 

Again I would like to extend my congratulations to Dr. Mrs. YGP for receiving the Padmashree award.  She is an inspiration to all.

Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.

Sincerely,

Jay English

Teacher Leader- IREX TEA Fellow

Nex+gen Academy

jay.english@nexgenacademy.com

Soon after this, the students that I had spent a significant amount of time with site seeing, gathered to bid me farewell and triple check that my contact information was accurate.

Upon getting to the hotel I finished packing, which was a challenge.  I brought a lot of gifts and would have left with a half empty bag, if I wouldn’t have received gifts or made any purchases.  I had to employ some tricky maneuvers to get my existing bag closed, along with the new bag I had to purchase to get everything back.  I then ventured out for the last time to get a card for Devika and Rajagopal.  Finding the simple things is really quite fun.  After a short time searching I found a unique little shop, whereupon I picked up cards for my friends, and also stumbled upon a classic that I had to buy.  This special card starts with “You’ve Broken My Heart….” Rants with such phrases as “I want my love returned,” …”Don’t you dare!”….and ends with “Damn it I love you!”.  Really this is an actual card? And a Hallmark card at that?   So I had to buy it, even though I was amidst a really huge day, I had to stop and let this little treasure in.

On my return from the shop I got Devika a nice bouquet of flowers from the stand that I waited at every morning to get picked up for school. Soon after that it seemed that Devika and Rajagopal were at my door.  This is where it was clear that it was over.  The non-stop intensity of the last 16 days was done.  I gave them their cards and accompanying gifts, and we proceeded to have a very nice last lunch at Saravan Bhavan.  Devika ordered the house down and I tried a whole table of new dishes.  We had all formed a bit of a bond by the end, so this felt like a little more than another hand eating extravaganza. I’m going to propose to Jan that we have hand eating Indian nights, I think Jane will dig it once she can make sense of it, and I’m now proudly a proficient hand eater.  I’m sure this will be a shock to Jan, since I’m the same guy that doesn’t like eating cereal in the same room with other people because the noise irritates me.

On the way to the airport I finally got clarification from Rajagopal on what one does when there is no sprayer next to the toilet and just a bucket.  I should have asked this earlier in case the avoidance strategy had failed me.  I meant to say “Jay Joy” at the end, but my plans slipped my memory.  None the less our parting had meaning, and I will be forever grateful  for having this experience.