Meet Our New Teachers: Avani Bhakta

Interviewing Avani

After my graduation from the University of South Dakota, I started out my career working with adolescents as a counselor, helping them to rebuild self-confidence, develop character traits, and learn basic life skills through various activities. I also volunteered at an NGO in India that runs before and after-school programs in the slums. I went on to become an entrepreneur (the last 10 years of my career before teaching). I most recently served as a VP of Financial Management and Business Growth for an emerging company that I also co-owned.

Teaching Middle School Math

The pandemic provided an opportunity for me to explore new horizons and to fulfill a purpose. Teaching Mathematics to middle schoolers seemed like a perfect fit for me as I enjoy working with both numbers and kids. I am grateful to be at Maharishi School during this challenging time.

Recently, we finished a project on Entrepreneurship with 7^th and 8^th graders, where students brainstormed business ideas that solved common problems. Later, students developed these ideas into business plans and presented them in “shark tank” style pitches and presentations.

Here are some business ideas that students developed during this project:

• “Text Touch” a smart whiteboard that is a tailored learning platform, designed to also monitor learning in real-time.
• “Earth Beauty” a skincare/makeup brand that is eco-friendly, vegan, and cruelty-free.
• “Smellaz” a non-profit company that aims to create jobs by creating eco-friendly, custom-made stuffed animals for kids, especially with sensitive skins.
• “Sheen and Clean” a shoe cleaning machine to keep the floors clean in schools, offices, and homes.
• “Cloud” an innovative accessory to help move large furniture single-handedly.
• “Workivate” and “Remind Me” are apps that would be developed to help motivate and remind them to do the required tasks.

Currently, I am working with the 6^th graders on a kite-making project, where we plan to explore different kite designs, materials, and also kite-flying festivals/cultures around the world. At the end of it, we plan on having a kite show with our hand-made kites.

My teaching experience so far has been a huge learning experience. I am learning and evolving as a teacher each day. Maharishi School is fun and resourceful, for both the teachers and the students. Finding the right balance between fun and learning is the key for me. Teaching requires one to be flexible and adaptable, and even more now with the current challenges. It is a new era, with the pandemic and the hybrid model. I like to be challenged and so there couldn’t have been a better year for me to start teaching. Overall, I am relishing my time here at Maharishi School, while also sharpening the saw.

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