Rituparna Dhar

I have taught Humanities over 8 years in the international and national curriculum with a proven track record for delivering the best results. In addition, I have also served as an ISC board examiner since 2017 in Bangalore. My non-academic responsibilities have ranged from facilitating outreach projects, serving in internal audit and admission committees, organizing inter-school teacher conferences to mentoring students for MUN, curriculum/content development, etc.    My interest in pedagogy and education at large, has consistently inspired me to seek a variety of professional qualifications - assessment design, inclusive education, instructional leadership, etc.  I strongly believe in delivering a skill-based learning experience to the new generation of students and making the classroom an interactive space. As a teacher, my philosophy is to transform History from merely the study of past information to lively discussions where learners can make connections to the wider world. On one hand, they should be able to produce a lucid and coherent historical narrative making connections between individuals, societies and events, to comprehend the forces of cause and effect and change over time. On the other, they should be able to develop a sense of historical perspective: to understand that historiography is subjective and the choice of separating fact from opinion, ultimately rests with the learner. In this regard, I motivate them to question primary sources, to look beyond the people who produced them. Such classroom interactions help them understand that all sources have some credibility and require corroboration to be considered as historical evidence. At the same time, learners learn to situate primary sources in the proper context and build a cogent argument. The study of History should foster empathy in students by making them more active and responsible citizens. When I plan my lessons, students are at the very core of this process. My primary goal is to create an atmosphere that encourages participation and ownership of their learning. I engage students with vibrant historical themes, using music, art, primary accounts (that always trigger deeper understanding of the forces of history), literature, economic theory and strategic analysis or even role-playing exercises. At all times, I ensure that these are suited to the age-group, interests and sensitive to their backgrounds. Finally, I conduct Assessments for Learning on a regular basis, so that students view evaluations as an opportunity to improve their understanding of a concept and synthesize the term’s work. As a lifelong learner, I have continually reflected on the things that have worked in a class and others that have not, despite detailed planning. This has improved my own teaching and ability to receive constructive criticism.