This Teacher’s Day, I had the opportunity to meet an Imperial Court resident, Mrs Surjeet Khanna, Founder Principal of DPS Greater Faridabad, a decade young accomplished and progres
sive school. An educator by choice, Surjeet from a very young age, had an instinctive feeling that she would make a good teacher.
Surjeet says, “It is easier to choose to be a teacher but tougher to become one as teaching is a commitment which must embrace all seasons of life, all differences that characterise learners, with readiness to evolve and grow alongside one’s students.”
Surjeet considers herself fortunate to have worked under stalwarts of education like Mr SL Dhawan, Padma Shree, Ms Nina Sehgal and Ms Kamini Bhasin at DPS Noida. Being a judgement-free educator who is driven by student development & leadership, her students connected beautifully and thrived under her care.
Surjeet’s accessibility as a Principal enables her students to walk into her office to share their ideas, experiences, worries or present her a fallen flower or a handmade card. Under her leadership, the school has won innumerable accolades, both national and international, has over a hundred published authors, Manak Inspire awardees and more.
Its democratically – elected Student Council functions with freedom; creative ideas flow with abandon to foster multi-faceted growth for all. Surjeet shares, “NEP 2020 is a powerful instrument for transformative education. I’m proud that its values and vistas are already flourishing in DPS Greater Faridabad, with additions to be made in vocational skills.”
Stressing on the need for digital ethics, Surjeet revels at the potential of technology to promote both equity and equality amongst learners across India. “I’m a strong votary of the highest standards of integrity in all things educational. I aspire for strong cyber safety ethics in young digital aficionados.”
To compete with self is, for Surjeet, more important than competing with others; higher abilities in others can serve as a huge inspiration for self-development. “Life’s triumphs and failures stand better handled this way and positivity becomes a life attitude.”
Wishing all teachers a very happy Teacher’s Day, Surjeet has fond memories of every Teacher’s Day celebration over her thirty-seven years of career, including hilarious take on school life at DPS Noida by becoming ‘Sucha Singh, school bus driver’, ‘RJ Suzie’, ‘Shabnam, Mother-in-Law of a teacher’. Unforgettable laughter riots!
“I want to be you” remains Surjeet’s favourite compliment from a student. While passionately in love with the teaching world, she bemoans the heavy bag of daily notebooks and exam sheets which refuses to go away.
“I recognise no limits for students, colleagues and self. The entire universe is an arena to explore, create, assess and dream some more.”
