2022, what a year. This was a year of trying to find normalcy among the chaos, from two years of covid-19 back to normal life carrying hidden shock and trauma.
The year began with lot of anxiety and overwhelming feeling of what if. We took a leap of faith and did what we could do best as a parent. It was a lot about broadening choices, taking risks, making calls, making connections and just trying hard.
Shubham is pursuing his A level in Budhanilkantha and learning and growing. He is most resilient child who silently with persistence makes his way. Someday, he will surprise everyone around him with what he becomes. Soham at this stage wants to be football player and is devoted student at Machhapucchre Sports Academy while serving as active member of student council. One thing I want to see him do before he finishes school is to dance in school auditorium. I have told him and he continues to say No. But, I will keep trying.
It was a year also of training ourselves of being empty nesters, one in first foot towards his own academic journey and another still home figuring himself out, in his journey of being a kid to teen.
It was/still is a year that I started coming out of my cocoon and started not only thinking but taking concrete action towards what next phase of my academic journey and career would look like. It began with a seed of a thought, an idea, a dream. Nothing has materialized yet. But 2022 has taught me to keep trying, keep exploring, keep growing. I hope to continue to do so.
It was a year that I started taking concrete actions regarding my plan to add mentoring to my teaching engagements. I started small, it is still small: a journey that I undertook with one student at a time. And it is working. And it gives me so much pleasure to see my mentees out in the open wide world taking risks, growing and thriving in their career. I will continue to do so.
This was a year of experiments in classroom. I learnt, unlearnt how to teach. And that opened new avenues and possibility for me. Instead of bemoaning structural problems ( i continue to bemoan), my focus has shifted on changing how I teach, how I engage with students. I developed course on academic writing based on experiential learning and learning by doing methodology and my focus was empowering students to learn hands on practical skills regarding academic writing. Still learning, what I could have done better but that will be for next year to work on.
These experiments have now turned into a concrete action with support of Regional Changemaker Grant by Australia Awards. I will be undertaking two higher education pedagogy workshops in kathmandu and out of valley, supporting Tribhuvan University Academics to be the best educator they can be, making a difference in students life.
I am all set and ready to welcome 2023 with excitement and anticipation to see what it will bring. with recent news of rising cases of covid-19, the signs are not entirely positive. But we have learnt to be resilient and adaptive.
So, how was your year?
