• "Decide what you want, Believe you can have it, Believe you deserve it, Believe it is possible for you"

     

    Hello, I'm Mani Soni

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    My thought

    I pursue passions as well as paychecks.

    Teacher possesses enormous impacts on the lives of the students. As a future teacher, being able to shape the lives of the future generation, I desired to be a teacher that provides my students with enjoyable educational experience. When I become a teacher, I want to be able to rationalize things that I do, and everything that I taught them. I want to emphasize the importance of what they are going to learn so that they can value the knowledge. I want to be a teacher that my students can relate to in every aspect of life. I want to be a teacher that has enough knowledge about everything so that my students can look for me for a piece of advice.

  • Experiences

    American School of Bombay

    July 2018-Present

    Intern Elementary teacher for Grade 1

    Garodia's Academy A-Preschool

    April 2015-April 2018

    Homeroom teacher for Playgroup & Nursery

    Bumble bee

    December 2014-March 2015

    Homeroom teacher for Playgroup

    Kangaroo Kids

    December 2006-March 2009

    Homeroom teacher for Mother-Toddler, Playgroup & Nursery

  • Education 

    Post-Graduation Diploma in Learning & Teaching

    2018-19

    IAAT

    I am a teacher- IAAT is a teacher residency program at American School of Bombay in collaboration with Heritage School, Gurgaon. As part of the program, resident teacher practices various modules in education while simultaneously gaining teaching experience at American School of Bombay

    Integrated Skills in English ( ISE B1)

    2017-18

    ELOQUENT

    Trinity English language qualifications are recognized internationally as reliable evidence of proficiency in English. With a focus on developing communicative and interactive language skills, our exams assess and promote the skills needed for life in the 21st century.

    French A1

    2015-16

    Alliance Francaise

    B.ed

    2015-16

    MMTTI

    ECCE.ed

    2013-14

    Indira Gandhi National Open University

    B.Com

    2014-15

    S.I.E.S

  • Skills

    Things I've picked up over the years

    Good at organizing and planning

    Self-motivated and initiative

    Appetite for risk-taking

    Effective team worker

    Mindset of constantly learning and adapting

  • Download Resume

  • Recommendations

    The word around town

    Prerna Shivpuri

    Academic Head - IAAT

    Mani Soni is a Resident (Student Teacher) of the Post Graduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching (PGDLT) batch 2018-19 at ‘I Am A Teacher’ (IAAT) Mumbai. She practices in grade 1 at the American School of Bombay under an experienced collaborating teacher. Mani is meticulous and organized and puts in a lot of effort to create engaging classroom
    resources for children. Being an eager learner, she keenly observes the teaching moves of her mentors and tries to incorporate those in her facilitation. She sees challenges as opportunities to learn and grow and makes the most of them. Mani completely resonates with the concept of experiential learning and often questions and reflects deeply on
    ideas that shape deeper learning pedagogy in the classroom. Making a connection with students and understanding their learning needs comes
    effortlessly to her. While working with students, she tries to make them think and connect with the topic of discussion. Her patient disposition and proactive mindset enable her to support different learners in the classroom. The creative side of Mani often adds an interesting flavor to her lessons and even to the IAAT Resident community.
    I wish her all the best for her future endeavors.

    Dr.Bindiya Hassaram

    Teacher Educator-IAAT

    It is with pleasure that I write this recommendation for Mani Soni. Mani is currently enrolled in the Post-Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning with I Am A Teacher (IAAT) Mumbai. I have known Mani for
    the past 8 months or so, in the capacity of a Teacher Educator with IAAT. I was also part of the selection panel when Mani applied to the program.
    From the day of her interview, I observed that Mani was disgruntled with the education system, especially as she was seeing it through the lens of her young daughter. It seemed to her that nothing had
    changed between the time she was in school and with her daughter’s education. She was seeking more which led her to find and commit to the PGDLT program. Mani fully believes in ensuring that children find their own paths, explore avenues in which they have interest, and develop their potentials. It is with this lens that Mani approaches her teaching. She has grown tremendously in her ability to ask students questions and support them in finding answers through thinking and
    problem-solving; fueled by her increased understanding of experiential learning. Mani is extremely organized and plans and sets up her resources well. Her abilities in arts and crafts and visual design ensure that the materials she prepares are appealing and child-centered.
    Mani has also been working on coursework for the PGDLT course, alongside improving her spoken English skills through a Cambridge course. She is a dedicated learner, an active participant and a student who makes connections between theory and practice in order to improve her craft. I am excited for Mani to re-enter the teaching field and to teach young learners with her contagious enthusiasm. Please do not hesitate to contact me, if you have any questions regarding her application.

    Ms.Maggie Collins

    Grade 1 Teacher - American School of Bombay

    I worked with Mani Soni over a four-month period as an elementary teacher and mentor at the American School of Bombay. Mani is
    a dedicated and committed student- teacher who provides a caring and supportive environment for students. As part of her eaching training program with I Am A Teacher (IAAT), she and I had opportunities to collaborate on classroom planning and teaching in grade one. During lessons she taught, I saw evidence of Mani’s professional teaching and pastoral skills. She has a caring and professional manner with young students and provided and implemented appropriate lessons and classroom community activities in her teaching of the curriculum. She aimed to teach not only content but also important social, emotional and communication skills. Mani was prepared and willing to grow both professionally and personally and to share her views and understandings with colleagues. She asked questions to clarify teaching processes and ideologies to help better understand our curriculum and
    approaches to learning. I enjoyed working with her as a mentor and colleague and am confident she will succeed in her teaching career.

    Ms.Kiran Shetty

    ASC/ELT- Trinity College of London

    Ms. Mani Soni has successfully completed her Integrated Skills in English, B1 CEFR level through ELOQUENTin October 2018 and secured a Distinction. She was diligent and dedicated in completing all her assignments. She has shown noteworthy progression in the understanding of learning outcomes and actively participated in group discussions. We wish her the best in all her future endeavours.

  • My Educational Philosophy

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    Spoon feeding, in the long run, teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon”

     – EM Forster

     

    I have cleared most of my exams by mugging up a few formulae, learning a few lengthy answers and quotes, following the set path in our lives, listening to the advice of my teachers religiously as I was the first bencher and always tried pleasing my teachers & fought to be in their good books. It was all so simple and easy, I knew what types of questions were going to be present, I knew the answers and WOW……there it is.

     

    I guess there was nothing wrong in me naturally assuming that this was going to be the way in life where there were answers all around and someone or the other would help you find it. And it actually was the same way; there wasn’t much of a difference from it. In fact, there were a lot of people who tried to help out as well. But something I realize as I faced a few challenges in life is that these solutions offered by others, the one size fits all approaches, the spoons from which we are fed from are not customized to our mouths, it is something which has worked for someone in the past and people try to shove it down your throat assuming that they are offering you a solution.

     

    Ever since that, I started this teacher training course; I came across many forms of teaching strategies. They’re so different than what I had learned and what I have been teaching. But very few schools follow these new strategies. I read lots of divergent philosophers during my course and tried to have a deep understanding how different people, thought differently keeping education and children’s need in mind, rather than just following what others are doing.

     

    Why do I teach?

                                       

    I teach because I want to facilitate students as they become life-long learners and achieve their dreams. I always dreamed of becoming like my teacher and the teacher under whom I was trained & who helped me reach my goal, so I want to be that teacher for others.

     

     

    What do I teach?

     

    I teach lessons based on the standards, but I try to tailor and differentiate each lesson according to my student’s strengths, weakness, and interests. I want to help my students achieve while also providing them a challenge to deepen their thinking. By incorporating their interests the students are also engaged.

     

     

    How do I teach?

     

    I teach by incorporating student’s interests and offering choices. During Math, Literacy, Science, Word work centers students can have multiple exposures to a subject. This allows me to differentiate and students to gain a deeper understanding based on their individual needs.

     

     

     

  • Highlights in course-IAAT

    • Webinar with STEVEN LEVY:   IAAT has tried to give us the best of everything. One such highlight was the webinar with Steven Levy- Master of expeditionary learning. We had topics regarding the role of experiential learning in education which was engaging, relevant & informative for everyone. It was an honor to chat with him
    • Unit of Inquiry-Pickle ProjectA great experience & direction led by our mentors led us to learn an interesting UOI unit by making some variants of the pickle. Just like altering the lesson plan in the classroom to suit the students learning, we were successful altering recipes to suit different palates.
    •  Manthan-annual conference of IAAT:   Manthan-churning. So much soul searching, heart-warming & most importantly, insightful. There was the talk on what role does RIGOUR, RELEVANCE & RELATIONSHIP play in our education system. As teachers now we have to constantly work on building relationships with all the students that will truly inspire them.
    • Jodo-Gyan: Various pre-primary concepts were taught through JodoGyan material. A number of activities were done through Ganit Mala, Rubber Dice, Akar Parivar, etc. Akar Parivar was a set of various colored cutouts of different shapes such as circle, triangle, square, diamond, etc. Participants were asked to arrange these colorful shapes to form a design. In another activity, they learned how to create a design with a specific number of shapes. This activity was more focused on the concept of less & more. Another interesting activity was patterning. Participants were asked to make a Mala Gudiya with different color beads. In Primary sections, they emphasized thinking, generalizing and reasoning. They introduced topics like numbers, counting, and addition using Ganit mala. They brought in real life experiences related to mathematics in teaching strategy. All the teachers participated enthusiastically. By this workshop, we learned innovative methods through which children will understand and enjoy what they are being taught in Mathematics.
    • Theatre-FENELLA KELLY Fenella Kelly is a drama teacher, theatre director, teacher trainer, and theatre examiner that sometimes also dances and acts. She taught us few important benefits of theatre like Self-Confidence, Imagination, Empathy, Cooperation, Concentration, Communication Skills, Fun, and Emotional Outlet. Theatre not only engages with the creative side of the brain, but it also provides an ideal balance in students' patterns of study.
    •  Zendoodle workshops for colleagues: Zendoodle is a self -help art therapy practice for stimulating relaxation and focus.  Zendoodle is a fascinating new art form that is fun, creative and relaxing.  Zendoodle merges an artistic satisfaction with a sense of personal wellbeing.it was such an amazing experience to share my knowledge of art with my peers. I have always believed that there is always an artist in every teacher.
    • Field visit-AKANKSHA FOUNDATION: They believe that a holistic education for all children includes excellence in core academic skills, the development of socio-emotional and 21st-century skills and values, active partnership with parents and integration with the community. The Akanksha School model works within and beyond classrooms to maximize the potential of our children. Akanksha schools use innovative pedagogy and curriculum to ensure all learners master core academic skills.
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    My personal journey as a LEARNER

    “Decide what you want. Believe you can have it. Believe you deserve it. Believe it’s possible for you.”

    ― Rhonda Byrne, The Secret.

    To start with, my journey as a teacher started in 2006 and since then I’ve been teaching in Indian conventional school. Though I kept on working, there was always some guilt or emptiness in me, as I felt that our schools are not yet prepared for our children, especially ones with SPECIAL NEEDS. I have always seen schools having inclusion policy, but they never had different study material nor did they have special assessments for them. Being with these children and doing injustice to them always made me guilty.

     

    Then came IAAT into my life at a very crucial time when I had taken a break from my job & and was looking for an opportunity to upgrade myself, which completely changed my perception in teaching. It taught me the true rights of a teacher & a student and we have all the rights to raise our voice and put our ideas on the table.

    To start with, our journey in IAAT did not start in the classroom, but at THE RETREAT- KAAMBRE ADVENTURE RESORT.

     

    What an amazing start to a wonderful journey. This was purposefully planned in such a manner that we start to realize our potential. The 10-month academic program was challenging and required complete physical, mental, psychological and emotional fitness. Activities like passing the marble through the pipes, the river crossing activity, making a raft and crossing the river, trekking with a blindfold and going under a massive waterfall which was so breath-taking. I really felt like heaven on earth. And not to forget all the reflection sessions after each activity which was the real essence of the platter which gave me the real insight of myself. I was always lost in my duties and responsibilities as a single mother, that I never spent even a minute to think about myself. But through those reflection sessions, I actually found myself and realized my true strengths. I was so different when I returned back. I WAS MYSELF......thank you once again.......

     

    I came across the IAAT advertisement on Facebook & when I approached them & attended the orientation, I felt that it is UNIQUE and my inner conscience asked me to go ahead with the course. Through the process, I have also understood the importance of unlearning what is no longer relevant or effective. It is difficult for new learning to take place unless we are open to unlearning. Along with the introduction of new pedagogies and philosophies of teaching, IAAT also brought along the introduction of self-realization. The transformation was not limited to my personality. Education took on a new curve for me. The PGDLT program introduced philosophies about Aurobindo, J. Krishnamurthy, Mother and Tagore’s philosophies on education, but I had never thought that one day I’ll have a philosophy of my own.

    I find myself fortunate to have found the new path with the newly unfolded trust within me.

    THANK YOU IAAT

  • Reflection:

    “Self-reflection is the school of wisdom”

    I have butterflies in my stomach when I’m nervous. And being observed for the first time, one month into my teaching career, it was exceptionally nerve-wracking. New teachers aren't instinctively comfortable in front of a classroom, and this discomfort is amplified when an administrator is in the room. In response, they often play the character of the teacher they think they ought to be, instead of just being themselves.

    At least that’s what I did on this occasion. While preparing the lesson plan, I searched many templates to plan a lesson. Finally, I could finalize one and then started planning and kept on adding information till the night before my class. I was about to take a storytelling session on their opinion writing. I practiced once – twice in front of the mirror before actually delivering it in front of the children. Though I had planned it very well, I actually struggled to execute in front of the children. I felt I took a long time in reading and questioning & reasoning because of which they suffered and couldn’t finish their follow-up activity. It was my mistake, but I eventually gave them a little the time next day during the quite choice time.

    Self-evaluation is a very important part of every lesson even though it typically takes place after the lesson is over. It requires you to think back on the lesson and consider the answers to general questions like these:

    1. What went well in this lesson? Why?

    2. What problems did I experience?

    But now I feel, the more you create a lesson plan, the more you know your steps well.

  • cONTACT ME

    Let's grab a cup and collaborate!