The Higher Education Review

Having started her career as a Zoology teacher in Delhi University College, Meenakshi Ramesh has done her B.Sc, M.Sc in Zoology from Delhi University and B.Ed, M.Ed from Annamalai University followed by M.Phil in Education from Alagappa University. Along with this, she has also done her Post-Graduate Diploma in Guidance & Counselling (PGDGC) from Annamalai University and Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers & Trainers (CIDTT) from Cambridge University. As a qualified counsellor with over 32 years of academic experience she dealt with social and psychological dimensions at special counselling session for parents, teachers, and students. Being a member of Amateur Drama Troupe at New Delhi R. Meenakshi has won many prizes for Dramatics, Music, Elocution, etc. Now holding a post as the Director Research and Development at Vaels Group of Schools, Meenakshi's goal is to bring in change in self and among teachers and students in the perception about the present day need and balance the skill challenges.

With a dream to explore the benefits and challenges of working with schools in other countries, and identify effective ways of supporting education for global citizenship enhancement, Mrs. Meenakshi Ramesh started her teaching career 35 years back. During the early days in her career, Meenakshi worked in various roles like an academic supervisor, principal, and correspondent of schools catering education to the first generation learners. Presently working with Vaels Group of Schools (VGS) as the director of the curriculum and research & development where Meenakshi brings her years of knowledge and experience to inspire a strong belief of the importance of education and learning among this generation students.

"I'm also a qualified Program Leader for Cambridge Professional Development

Qualification and have been successfully doing it for almost 10 years now," Mrs. Meenakshi Ramesh, Director Curriculum and Research & Development, Vels Group of Schools.

Meenakshi derives immense satisfaction in conducting many teachers' training workshops, symposia and other aspects of team learning with teachers and other colleagues. This self-initiative has already added gems under VGS's name, as the school received Brainfeed School Excellence Awards 2018-19 on behalf of Vaels International School at the 6th National Conference of Brainfeed Education Group. "Being an art lover, and an amateur theatre person, singer and dancer, I realized innovation and creativity are fundamentals for any curriculum, including academics, which helped me to design scrupulous curriculum at VGS for all classes. While my passion for various forms of art made it possible for me to represent Indian culture, traditional practices and its values in countries like Argentina, Brazil, Mauritius, Egypt, Australia and London," says Meenakshi.

VGS's philosophy has always been to provide meaningful, memorable and joyous experience for children to learn and grow. However, the path hasn't been easy for the teachers or Mrs. Meenakshi Suresh as they encountered multifarious challenges like government policies, designing syllabus by aligning global academic practices and creating a competitive school ambiance. Meenakshi says, "These three core points are capable to make a school successful in its long-term goals of serving the scholar's community and help the teaching fraternity to put in consistent efforts in developing and nurturing the four quadrants of a student's brain intellect, information, mind and memories, leading to their excellence."

Right from her school days in the 70's, Meenakshi's parents instilled a sense of importance for quality education in Meenakshi which she cherishes till date. "44 years back, when I was doing my post-graduation in Delhi University, my parents always encouraged me to stand on my own abilities and was never in a hurry to get me married off. After completing that, I took over as a lecturer and worked for 3 years.

But after marriage, it was my husband's and in-law's support at home that helped me to restore my career. There was even a situation when my mother and in-laws took care of my family and motivated to visit the foreign countries for a period of 45 days. I will cherish this journey of getting deeper into my passionate academic work by family's support," explains Meenakshi.

As an academician, exploratory teaching styles that make her evaluate herself every day after work. She questions herself about any drawback that she realized from her end, describing which she says, "I always ask myself where I can improve myself as I continuously thrive to do better. This leaves me with a new spirit to redefine the philosophy under which I'm working to get recognized as a "Reflective Practitioner". One of the main aspects of Meenakshi's endless triumphs in teaching is her socializing competency with the parents and other stakeholders. Over the years, she has acquired a new set of skills that make her change herself from time to time, keeping only positive thoughts about the outcomes of any doing. She says, "The quintessence of my learning is that I can change what goes inside my mind which helps me to cross hurdles magically."

Believing that the Indian education system has started integrating itself with the international educational system and is overcoming the boundaries of difficulties, Meenakshi wants every school to equip the classrooms and labs with world standard gadgets so that students can study through hands-on learning.

HER FAVOURITES
Book: Spiritual and Self / Development, Academic Related
Authors: Anybody with a good content that fascinates me Holiday
Destination: Anything that's Nature's reflection and also places of spiritual significance Hope the above details are enough
Hobby: Writing, Coloring, Singing and Dancing
Movie: like to watch mixed genres and different languages too
Quote: "The true aim of everyone who aspires to be a teacher should be , not to impart his own opinions, but to kindle minds"
- F. W. Robertson