Testimonials from my students
When I wrote my book, after quitting teaching, I asked some of my students to send some testimonials as I felt that they are the best judge of me as a maths teacher!
Here they are....
SARA YOGIN
PATHWAYS WORLD SCHOOL,
ARAVALI HILLS,
HARYANA
Monica Kochar was my Mathematics teacher from the 6th to the 8th Grade at Pathways World School, Aravali. Before being admitted into Pathways, the thought of solving any kind of Mathematical equation was a daunting prospect for me. To be honest, I had developed a mental block in the fourth and fifth grade at a different school, and thus was not able to look at a sum logically attempting to solve it, but instead would skip sums, and sometimes attempt to bunk my maths classes.
All of this changed once Monica Ma’am assigned a project to us which enabled me to play around with what I knew best- creative writing. The project was easy; we had to create a magazine or a newsletter with explanations of what fractions were and how they operated. Using Microsoft Publisher, I created a magazine, with several fictional fraction characters, and their stories, in an attempt to explain who they were and where they came from, and what their ‘jobs’ were. Much to my surprise, she loved it, and had pinned it up on her board for months.
She also introduced one of the most interesting methods of practicing maths, by having us bring our iPods and mp3 players to school to listen to music while solving equations. For many of us, this was a significant and exciting prospect, as we’d want to solve more equations, and yet we wouldn’t feel the strain of doing complicated sums, as we would be listening to music that appealed to us and thus relaxed us. This idea didn’t come without rules though, and that’s what made her such a brilliant facilitator, as she trusted us and at the same time, knew where to draw the line between trust and taking advantage of the benefits she was giving us.
Aside from this, she encouraged peer-to-peer teaching and learning, which was different, as one wouldn’t feel the pressure of a scary teacher breathing down his or her neck to solve an algebraic sum under two minutes. I also remember her once sitting on YouTube searching for videos about geometry- how to draw an equilateral triangle without a ruler, by using a compass. It was these videos that made her classes all the more interactive.
In a world where technology is developing rapidly day by day, I personally feel that students feel more comfortable using technology to facilitate their learning. Of course, this facilitation must be controlled, to some extent for those children who take advantage. However, being around technology doesn’t mean that one is taking the “easy way out” when it comes to learning. It means that one is just trying to find means to make the monotonous day to day classes more interesting, so that students are able to absorb more during their classes, and thus perform better during their exams. Out of all the teachers that I’ve met in my life, I feel that Monica ma’am grasped this idea very quickly, and instantly knew that making the classroom more interesting, fun, and interactive, would enable us to say “Maths is my favourite subject”, furthermore diminishing any mental blocks that we’d created towards the subject.
Thank you Monica ma’am, for one of the best teaching experiences I’ve ever had.
PRACHI AGGARWAL
THE VALLEY SCHOOL;
Monica Kochar was my Mathematics teacher from the 6th to the 8th Grade at Pathways World School, Aravali. Before being admitted into Pathways, the thought of solving any kind of Mathematical equation was a daunting prospect for me. To be honest, I had developed a mental block in the fourth and fifth grade at a different school, and thus was not able to look at a sum logically attempting to solve it, but instead would skip sums, and sometimes attempt to bunk my maths classes.
All of this changed once Monica Ma’am assigned a project to us which enabled me to play around with what I knew best- creative writing. The project was easy; we had to create a magazine or a newsletter with explanations of what fractions were and how they operated. Using Microsoft Publisher, I created a magazine, with several fictional fraction characters, and their stories, in an attempt to explain who they were and where they came from, and what their ‘jobs’ were. Much to my surprise, she loved it, and had pinned it up on her board for months.
She also introduced one of the most interesting methods of practicing maths, by having us bring our iPods and mp3 players to school to listen to music while solving equations. For many of us, this was a significant and exciting prospect, as we’d want to solve more equations, and yet we wouldn’t feel the strain of doing complicated sums, as we would be listening to music that appealed to us and thus relaxed us. This idea didn’t come without rules though, and that’s what made her such a brilliant facilitator, as she trusted us and at the same time, knew where to draw the line between trust and taking advantage of the benefits she was giving us.
Aside from this, she encouraged peer-to-peer teaching and learning, which was different, as one wouldn’t feel the pressure of a scary teacher breathing down his or her neck to solve an algebraic sum under two minutes. I also remember her once sitting on YouTube searching for videos about geometry- how to draw an equilateral triangle without a ruler, by using a compass. It was these videos that made her classes all the more interactive.
In a world where technology is developing rapidly day by day, I personally feel that students feel more comfortable using technology to facilitate their learning. Of course, this facilitation must be controlled, to some extent for those children who take advantage. However, being around technology doesn’t mean that one is taking the “easy way out” when it comes to learning. It means that one is just trying to find means to make the monotonous day to day classes more interesting, so that students are able to absorb more during their classes, and thus perform better during their exams. Out of all the teachers that I’ve met in my life, I feel that Monica ma’am grasped this idea very quickly, and instantly knew that making the classroom more interesting, fun, and interactive, would enable us to say “Maths is my favourite subject”, furthermore diminishing any mental blocks that we’d created towards the subject.
Thank you Monica ma’am, for one of the best teaching experiences I’ve ever had.
PRACHI AGGARWAL
THE VALLEY SCHOOL;
BANGALORE
Monica Aunty ala Moke taught me maths in 11th and 12th in The Valley School, Bangalore. Maths as a subject was never special to me. It was like just an essential subject we need to study for good higher education. But after being taught by her, certain “joy” got attached to maths. It became fun as instead of just mechanically solving a problem we actually understood the method behind it.
After school hours we used to self-study maths with her, which was more of an interactive session where we learnt maths in a very informal environment. We were left at our pace to do the sums with no hurry or pressure.
But the best memories I have with her is the time spent with her at her campus house, where a bunch of us used to come with the purpose of music, food, discussions and maybe…maths!
ANIKET KRISHNA
THE VALLEY SCHOOL; BANGALORE
It is futile to attempt a mental description of the ideal qualities that a teacher must possess, for when faced with the practical challenges of the student’s struggle in the midst of worlds that are presently lit dim, it is the Teacher’s grace that shines forth through the disciple’s own inner being. Experts of intellectual theories are to be found in abundance in today’s knowledge oriented world and sitting in their lofty abodes with their one sided mastery of the truth, they seldom capture more than that faint and distant admiration of the student. Monica is a teacher in the above sense. Infinitely more valuable than her more than adequate mastery over mathematics is her sense of grace and guidance. She was to me at times a disciplinarian mother, at others a friend in whom I could trust and confide. When I look back at my times with her in the The Valley School, I remember a teacher who knew how to nourish the seed of mathematics, come whatever the weather.
AVNI RAJA
THE VALLEY SCHOOL;
Monica Aunty ala Moke taught me maths in 11th and 12th in The Valley School, Bangalore. Maths as a subject was never special to me. It was like just an essential subject we need to study for good higher education. But after being taught by her, certain “joy” got attached to maths. It became fun as instead of just mechanically solving a problem we actually understood the method behind it.
After school hours we used to self-study maths with her, which was more of an interactive session where we learnt maths in a very informal environment. We were left at our pace to do the sums with no hurry or pressure.
But the best memories I have with her is the time spent with her at her campus house, where a bunch of us used to come with the purpose of music, food, discussions and maybe…maths!
ANIKET KRISHNA
THE VALLEY SCHOOL; BANGALORE
It is futile to attempt a mental description of the ideal qualities that a teacher must possess, for when faced with the practical challenges of the student’s struggle in the midst of worlds that are presently lit dim, it is the Teacher’s grace that shines forth through the disciple’s own inner being. Experts of intellectual theories are to be found in abundance in today’s knowledge oriented world and sitting in their lofty abodes with their one sided mastery of the truth, they seldom capture more than that faint and distant admiration of the student. Monica is a teacher in the above sense. Infinitely more valuable than her more than adequate mastery over mathematics is her sense of grace and guidance. She was to me at times a disciplinarian mother, at others a friend in whom I could trust and confide. When I look back at my times with her in the The Valley School, I remember a teacher who knew how to nourish the seed of mathematics, come whatever the weather.
AVNI RAJA
THE VALLEY SCHOOL;
BANGALORE
There are very few teachers who left a lasting memory in my life and Monica (or Moke as we affectionately called her) was one of them. She taught me business mathematics in the 11th and 12th grade in The Valley School, Bangalore. Maths was a subject that had tormented me ever since I can remember. I had what they call a “block” against the subject. It became such a stress factor in my life. As soon as you enter 11th grade, the ISC exams slowly and steadily start looming over your head. As time went by, I began fearing the subject more.
As luck would have it, I had Monica as my Maths teacher. From dreading Maths periods, I slowly began looking forward to it. Her classes were so much fun. She took the effort to make friendship the base of our student-teacher relationship. And that made all the difference in the world. Her classes were never only about studying maths. We went for walks, talked about various issues we had (both related and unrelated to Maths) and of course learnt the subject. Eventually I became so comfortable with her, and as a result my fear of the subject started drifting away. She explained things, that seemed impossible to understand at first, in such a simple manner. She knew exactly when to be firm and push us and when to be easy going. Although I may not have scored traditionally high marks in the exams, but my fear of the subject reduced significantly. And that to my mind is a bigger achievement. Ever since, Maths has in some way or the other been a part of my life, be it in higher studies, my career in journalism and today successfully maintaining accounts of my entrepreneurial venture. I don’t think any of this would have been possible had I been fearful of Mathematics not been erased!
ANINDITA CHATTERJEE
THE MOTHER’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL;
There are very few teachers who left a lasting memory in my life and Monica (or Moke as we affectionately called her) was one of them. She taught me business mathematics in the 11th and 12th grade in The Valley School, Bangalore. Maths was a subject that had tormented me ever since I can remember. I had what they call a “block” against the subject. It became such a stress factor in my life. As soon as you enter 11th grade, the ISC exams slowly and steadily start looming over your head. As time went by, I began fearing the subject more.
As luck would have it, I had Monica as my Maths teacher. From dreading Maths periods, I slowly began looking forward to it. Her classes were so much fun. She took the effort to make friendship the base of our student-teacher relationship. And that made all the difference in the world. Her classes were never only about studying maths. We went for walks, talked about various issues we had (both related and unrelated to Maths) and of course learnt the subject. Eventually I became so comfortable with her, and as a result my fear of the subject started drifting away. She explained things, that seemed impossible to understand at first, in such a simple manner. She knew exactly when to be firm and push us and when to be easy going. Although I may not have scored traditionally high marks in the exams, but my fear of the subject reduced significantly. And that to my mind is a bigger achievement. Ever since, Maths has in some way or the other been a part of my life, be it in higher studies, my career in journalism and today successfully maintaining accounts of my entrepreneurial venture. I don’t think any of this would have been possible had I been fearful of Mathematics not been erased!
ANINDITA CHATTERJEE
THE MOTHER’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL;
NEW DELHI
Mathematics was the worst part of my growing up years. But there was no escaping it, unfortunately. As the years passed and trigonometry and complex algebra robbed my sleep, my school hired a young, feisty, edgy teacher, who turned everything around. It's been nearly 16 years since I left school so although I don't have very clear memories of what transpired inside those four walls of the classroom , I remember Monica ma'am slowly helped me battle my fears of numbers, eased me into the subject, got me remotely interested in it and finally made sure I reigned in the marks too. She connected with the wires in my head, helped me untangle them. She remains a constant source of encouragement.
BHAVNA GUPTA
PATHWAYS WORLD SCHOOL;
Mathematics was the worst part of my growing up years. But there was no escaping it, unfortunately. As the years passed and trigonometry and complex algebra robbed my sleep, my school hired a young, feisty, edgy teacher, who turned everything around. It's been nearly 16 years since I left school so although I don't have very clear memories of what transpired inside those four walls of the classroom , I remember Monica ma'am slowly helped me battle my fears of numbers, eased me into the subject, got me remotely interested in it and finally made sure I reigned in the marks too. She connected with the wires in my head, helped me untangle them. She remains a constant source of encouragement.
BHAVNA GUPTA
PATHWAYS WORLD SCHOOL;
NOIDA; UP
I've always been the loud kind of girl who loves life. But when it comes to maths I'm more like the opposite of my real self. I get shy and I hate life. Well let just say I have this big phobia of maths since I was only 6. As you all must have heard a teacher can make you hate or love a subject. But in my case it will be legit to say that I got this one amazing teacher who made my maths class the most fun one. This happened when I was in grade 9th. It was my first day in a new school and I was terrified. Terrified of the fact that I will make a fool out of myself in maths class. So as I entered the class, I straight away went for the last seat. And then I saw the "MATHS TEACHER" Ms. Monica. And she was giving out test. That was the moment I wanted to run away because I didn't knew a single thing in maths. But somehow seeing my expressions Monica ma'am asked me to meet her after class. So when the class ended I stayed back. She came to me and told me that she will help no matter what and I should take extra classes from her. And after that day I can't believe I'm saying this but maths was the only subject I use to look forward in school. Her class use to be so much fun. She use to take us out for maths classes and every child In my class was so free. We had no fear of asking a silly question. And till date she is the one teacher who changed my life not only because of maths because she also made me a better person. She made me believe in myself and that is something I would have never done without her help. The connection I have built with her over maths will always be there. So after all maths is an amazing subject if you get a teacher like her who goes out of her way to help her students.
I've always been the loud kind of girl who loves life. But when it comes to maths I'm more like the opposite of my real self. I get shy and I hate life. Well let just say I have this big phobia of maths since I was only 6. As you all must have heard a teacher can make you hate or love a subject. But in my case it will be legit to say that I got this one amazing teacher who made my maths class the most fun one. This happened when I was in grade 9th. It was my first day in a new school and I was terrified. Terrified of the fact that I will make a fool out of myself in maths class. So as I entered the class, I straight away went for the last seat. And then I saw the "MATHS TEACHER" Ms. Monica. And she was giving out test. That was the moment I wanted to run away because I didn't knew a single thing in maths. But somehow seeing my expressions Monica ma'am asked me to meet her after class. So when the class ended I stayed back. She came to me and told me that she will help no matter what and I should take extra classes from her. And after that day I can't believe I'm saying this but maths was the only subject I use to look forward in school. Her class use to be so much fun. She use to take us out for maths classes and every child In my class was so free. We had no fear of asking a silly question. And till date she is the one teacher who changed my life not only because of maths because she also made me a better person. She made me believe in myself and that is something I would have never done without her help. The connection I have built with her over maths will always be there. So after all maths is an amazing subject if you get a teacher like her who goes out of her way to help her students.
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