1. Things that went well

This week, I began teaching English classes to 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students. One of my SMART goals was to prepare and deliver educational programming confidently, and this week I successfully stepped into the classroom and began teaching independently. I reviewed and completed the Sevak training materials, prepared lesson content, and established relationships with my students during their first week back from summer break. I am particularly proud of my ability to communicate across both English and Gujarati. Explaining vocabulary, definitions, and sentence structures in Gujarati allowed me to make lessons more accessible while also strengthening my own fluency in my native language. Despite challenging conditions, including extreme heat, occasional power outages, and limited classroom resources, I was able to maintain student engagement and build enthusiasm for future classes. Students appeared excited to continue learning, which I viewed as a tangible sign that I was beginning to establish trust and rapport. My success this week was largely due to preparation, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt my teaching style to meet students where they were.

2. What Could Have Been Done Differently

One challenge I encountered was expecting students to complete homework after the first lesson. I asked them to write definitions of vocabulary words from the board, but many students did not complete the assignment. Reflecting on this, I realize I may have underestimated the challenges students face outside the classroom and overestimated their familiarity with expectations surrounding independent work. Rather than viewing this as a failure, it reinforced the importance of patience and relationship-building when teaching English as a second language. In future lessons, I would spend more time understanding students' learning environments and create smaller, more achievable assignments while gradually establishing routines and expectations. I would also incorporate additional opportunities to practice material in class rather than relying heavily on work completed at home.

3. Leadership Reflection (3Cs Model)

The values that were most visible this week were Curious, Determined, and Good. I remained curious about my students' experiences, backgrounds, and learning needs while adapting my teaching approach. Determination was essential as I navigated language barriers, limited resources, and physically demanding classroom conditions. The value of Good guided my commitment to serving students respectfully and prioritizing their learning experience. I experienced some tension between being Fast and being Good. As a new teacher, I wanted to move quickly through lesson content, but I learned that slowing down and ensuring comprehension was often more important than covering additional material.

Patience, humility, and empathy were the character dimensions most tested this week. Teaching in an unfamiliar environment required me to acknowledge that methods that work in U.S. classrooms may not translate directly to this context. Judgment mattered when deciding how to respond to incomplete assignments and varying levels of English proficiency. Rather than becoming frustrated, I tried to approach these situations with empathy and adapt my expectations accordingly. Under pressure, I focused on remaining calm, positive, and encouraging.

I relied most heavily on people and performance capacities. Building relationships with students and communicating effectively across language differences were central to my success. At the same time, I had to manage classroom instruction and maintain engagement despite challenging physical conditions.

I felt most stretched in the area of process management, particularly in developing routines, setting expectations, and determining how to effectively assess student understanding while adapting to a new educational environment. The school tells me my schedule for teaching on a daily basis. This poses a challenge to how I initially planned to deliver the health lessons. I may need to tweak the length and frequency of the classes as a result of the school only having certain periods where 8,9,10, 11, and 12th can attend the health courses at all otherwise. They will be providing me with a TV, so I may deliver my presentation.

4. Ethical Engagement

This week deepened my understanding of ethical engagement by highlighting the privilege associated with education. Observing students who face social and economic barriers while remaining committed to learning challenged many of my assumptions about schooling and opportunity. Rather than viewing myself solely as a teacher, I increasingly saw my role as a learner and facilitator.

One of the most impactful realizations was understanding that many students carry responsibilities and challenges outside of school that influence their ability to complete assignments and participate in class. This shifted my perspective from focusing primarily on academic outcomes to considering the broader context shaping students' educational experiences. The experience reinforced the importance of approaching community engagement with humility and recognizing that meaningful impact requires understanding local realities rather than imposing outside expectations.

5. Adjustment & Development for Next Week

Next week, I will intentionally focus on listening and observation before making assumptions about students' abilities, motivations, or learning habits. I want to further develop the values of Curiosity and Good by seeking to better understand students' experiences and adapting my teaching accordingly. One concrete action I will take is incorporating more in-class practice and interactive activities before assigning independent work. As I begin participating in the first Sevak village trip, I will also make a conscious effort to learn from local community members and fellow Sevaks before drawing conclusions about cultural differences or community needs.