A Teacher Who Asked, “What’s in a Name?” and Let Her Work Answer
In the villages around Chhaigaonmakhan, a child’s first words are rarely in English. They are in Nimadi, the language of home, of markets, of mothers calling children in for dinner. By the time a student reaches Sandipani Vidyalay Chhaigaonmakhan, Khandwa district, English isn’t a second language. It is a third one, arriving only after Nimadi and Hindi, and arriving late.
The school serves around 1700 students, from primary to senior secondary grades, drawing children from the surrounding villages as well. The majority come from Nimadi-speaking families, where English is rarely heard at home and chances to practise it are almost nonexistent. Nimadi, spoken across the Nimar region, is the language of everyday life here: it’s what children grow up speaking first, before they ever meet Hindi, let alone English. The jump from Nimadi to English is steep. The vocabulary is unfamiliar, the pronunciation unlike anything students have heard, and the sentence structures follow entirely different rules. For many children, this doesn’t just make English hard. It makes reading, speaking, and simply understanding the language feel out of reach.
However, inside its 6th grade English classroom, something special has been taking shape and what was once just another classroom has slowly become a place of hope and confidence. At the centre of this change is Nirasha ma’am, an English teacher whose own life journey mirrors the struggles and dreams of her students.
A Name Meant to Disappoint, A Life That Proved Otherwise
Nirasha was the fourth daughter born into her family, at a time and in a place where a household without a son was often seen, unfairly, as incomplete. Her name, meaning “disappointment” in Hindi, was given to her before she had the chance to become anyone at all. But in 2021, that same girl walked back into Sandipani Vidyalaya Chhaigaonmakhan, not as a student this time, but as its English teacher, in the very classrooms where she had once sat and learned. It was a proud, emotional moment, a quiet rewriting of the name she carried.
Still, the role brought its own challenges. Like many new teachers, she initially focused on completing the syllabus. Her lessons followed the familiar pattern of reading from the textbook and asking students to memorise answers. While the classes moved forward on paper, she often felt that the students were unable to connect with the language.
A Workshop That Sparked New Ideas
A turning point came in June 2025 when she attended the three-day English language teachers training workshop by Peepul. The experience opened new ideas about teaching and learning, and it encouraged her to rethink how English could be taught to learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Inspired and motivated, she returned to her classroom ready to try these new approaches with her students.
She introduced simple activities such as ‘word wall’ and ‘word of the day’ to make her classes more engaging. Instead of only reading from the book, she encouraged students to participate through small speaking activities and short role plays. Students practiced new words by using them in simple sentences and everyday conversations.
From Hesitation to Confidence
Through these small changes, the classroom became more active, and lessons turned lively and interactive. Under her guidance, students began speaking English, first with hesitation and gradually with growing confidence. Each small success strengthened their belief that they too could learn the language. Reflecting on her approach, she says, “Innovative teaching methods can transform language learning by making it more engaging, interactive, and meaningful for students.”
By nurturing confidence among her students, she has opened doors to possibilities they once thought were beyond their reach. Her story shows how dedication and belief can quietly transform a classroom. Through her efforts, change has begun to take root: one student, one classroom, and one aspiration at a time.
This article is authored by Vivaksha Vats, Project Associate, PMU | Field Story by Furquan Muzzafar, Project Associate, Capacity Building Team at Peepul working closely on Sandipani Schools and PMSHRI Schools in our MP Programme Team.
