I started teaching fifteen years ago in a prestigious school in Lahore. It was an extremely enjoyable and learning experience for me. The trend in those days was learning on the job. Most of the girls were fresh graduates and we all worked hard everyday to impart education to young students. I discovered that a teacher is the first  enclopedia to her students. The trick to learn is how to impart the best possible knowledge to such young learners. Each class has a group of mixed abilities. No child is identical to another in terms of learning. As Howard Gardener of Harvard has proved there are multiple kinds intelligences . One student can have a mathematical mind while the other may have a knack for languages. This was something that I instinctively knew as a teacher and I always kept that in my mind as I was teaching and finding a gap in students. The trick was to trigger their imagination.  I tried hard to inculcate that in each young teacher that was working with me. Never judge a child! I owe my success as a teacher to self discipline, fortitude and patience. My reward is seeing my efforts coming to life within the students, hearing their laughter and feeling their lively spirit.

My experiences had taught me a great deal about learning and teaching. This led to our initiating the Montessori House in 2004. It has a fresh and novel approach that has been full of hope and aspiration. I had never envisioned the level of responsibility that comes with running an educational project. Our work never ends, even when the school timing has lapsed. The responsibility of children is immense – we desire to help them develop as happy, responsible, ethical learning adults. I am now heading the Aitchison College Preparatory Classes. I always plan according to mixed abilities within a class and make sure the teacher is taking all the students forward. I think our success in our preparatory program is due to our approach. I never let anybody judge my students.

Handling teaching and administrative jobs requires varied skills. I feel that being compassionate to students, teachers and custodial staff is the key to happiness within the working environment. One must always work towards a ‘learning organisation’’ – an organisation that is constantly assessing itself and evolving towards international educational standards. I enjoy my roles and responsibility and am thoroughly enjoying doing  it as I am still learning.

My journey as a teacher started in 2002 as an English language teacher. The group I was caretaking was the remedials from each section of Grades two and three. As I was teaching them, I was discovering that their foundation in alphabets and sounds was not up to the mark. This gap was leading to them being unable to keep up with the reading and writing in their classes. All day I was just working on their basic skills of letter sound, recognition and writing. They should have done all of these in their pre-school years. Somehow they had reached these grades without knowing basic letters. This really perturbed me.

I would discuss these issues at length with my fellow educationists. Saniya Q Ali and Aliya Samar had the same point of view. Early-years education is the key to later-years success. Lets call it the “a, b, c’s of success”. This led to the establishment of Montessori House.

We have a Maria Montessori quote as our logo – The Best for the Smallest. We adhere to this everyday. I oversee the administrative part of the school and I keep this in my mind as I make sure that top standards of hygiene are maintained in my school. When it comes to a choice I always choose the best things for usage – be it in the cleaning, art supplies, maid uniforms, computers. I buy the best!

As I am in the front office I have a close relationship with every parent. They turn to me for any small issue and I make sure that teachers are cognizant of their concerns. It is this kind of close bonds and, of course our excellent academics, that has led to the MH first batch  bringing in their siblings and cousins. I feel very happy when parents come to celebrate their child’s birthday in school and we make sure that a festive atmosphere is there for them to enjoy themselves.

We have formal parent-teacher meeting thrice a year but our front office has an open door policy that makes each parent feel welcome to come and discuss their child’s everyday issues. This is reflected in our ex-student’s parents keeping in touch with us.

My basic belief is that efficient and effective administrative processes lead to a smooth running organisation.

I was visiting from London in my year-end break after completing my thirteen month Montessori training and internship from AMI. It was a joy to find Montessori House – a gem of a preschool. I had visited all the other main preschools in Lahore but my heart got set on working in MH and with Mrs Saniya Q. Ali. The environment was just like the Montessori I had worked in London. Their pure Montessori environment had the same quality of equipment and the rules were the same. The teachers were Montessori trained and the degree of commitement that they had to the Montessori principals was remarkable. I don’t think any other place in Lahore can duplicate MH’s pure Montessori environment.

As I started working here, I also used to visit the classrooms and I was taken in by the level of pre-school activities being done. It was a seamless relationship with what I was doing in my Montessori time. Everybody was friendly and the teachers were a joy to talk to. At home-time the class teachers would sit and discuss each child with the Montessori directress so that a constant feedback is obtained both ways Their constant training had added such a degree to professionalism to these young teachers. My particular favourite activity was the ‘Letters and Sounds’ early reading program. This was the same phonic program that was being used in preschools all over England. Letter and sounds program is part of the National Curriculum‘s Foundation stage in the UK. It leads to early reading. The teachers were doing it so well. I complimented Mrs Q. Ali on her training and but then I noticed that great emphasis was placed on these teacher refresher courses.

I left for London after that. A year later I returned en-route to my new job as Montessori Directress in Jeddah  and I immediantly looked up MH. To my surprise they had further improved their Pure Montessori environment. This was right opposite to the trends I had seen in Lahore. Preschools here have marginalized the pure Montessori. In MH, they have added new wonderful academic layers but the Pure Montessori Program is even more robust than it was previously. Just like my school in London, they have added a Discovery Center to further enhance the Culture subjects. The children are exposed to all kinds of scientific and general knowledge through audio visual aids. Their computer and Library centers are well equipped and are assimilated flawlessly in the curriculum.

I will always treasure my time with the MH administration and staff and I look forward to having a life-long relationship with MH.