CREATIVE SCHOOL - Key Persons
Anand teaches Math at Creative School for high school students in Cosmos. His background is in Engineering, and several years of his work life were spent in Software Programming. Both of which he enjoys to a fair extent. Math and Science fascinate him, and he tries to share some of that love with his students.
The moments when his students go through the rigor of a Math topic, and slowly emerge out of a pile of equations, as the beauty of a new concept dawns, as some deep insight emerges of how something fundamentally works, and they go "oh, ooh, oohoooo, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh", those "aahaa moments" are some of the most cherished in Anand's classes. "We do train hard for the exams as well, sometimes it does get a little boring, sometimes a little tiring, but the pleasure of surmounting a hard problem and getting it right has its own sweet fulfilling charm."
Anand believes that the challenge he usually faces is figuring out how to take everyone along at their own pace, and yet keep the class together. "It turns out somewhat like a trek. Some want to race ahead, and some want to trot and take in the fresh air at a leisurely pace, some want to rest at a place, and somehow you have to take everyone together along so each one of them has a memorable journey." This is a constant source of learning for him. Apart from volunteering to teach at Creative, Anand keeps his day job at a company called Strand Life Sciences, where he has once again been fortunate enough to see Science and Technology come together in interesting ways to solve real life problems in the field of genomics.
Born in Bangalore, Aparna grew up in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She is one of the class pillars for the 5th and 6th grades in the Lotus class.
With a deep fascination for numbers, Aparna pursued her BA degree in Mathematics, Accounting, and Statistics. A diploma in Garment Technology placed her in various roles in the Garment industry and helped her with the know-how of becoming an entrepreneur. It was here that she discovered her passion for handlooms.
Aparna moved to Bangalore in 2003 to start a family. With a young son at home, Aparna was keen on exploring the different educational methods. Montessori made a strong impression on her mind, following which she worked with 6-12-year-olds in a Montessori environment for the next seven years. .
In 2015, she approached Creative seeking admission for her son. A talk with Jayashree became the turning point and Aparna knew that she had found the right school for herself and her son. She is passionate about working with children. An enthusiastic and committed teacher, Aparna possesses the ability to listen, understand and encourage children to blossom into conscious learners.
Aparna's passion for craft and handwork, made her explore and learn different styles of handwork. She enjoys facilitating handwork classes on Crochet and Macrame, the kind of handwork that allows children to build and see the connections in their creations.
Aruna Rajaram is the Cambridge Exam Officer, High School Teacher, & Coordinator and Class Pillar for the 7th and 8th graders. Aruna tends to be soft spoken, takes things in her own stride, and always follows her heart.
After working in the corporate world for about a decade, she quit her job to spend more time with her daughter while she was growing up. In time, she became passionate about teaching and being with children.
In the year 2010, she was introduced to Creative's philosophy and teaching methodologies while she was looking for opportunities that cater to an individual's all round development. She was intrigued by the self work practises and emotional well being tools taught to children here. She then moved to Creative in the year 2010 along with her child. Teaching gives her immense satisfaction.
She loves helping children develop their sense of curiosity, questioning, and innovation in science. She is also the class teacher for the 6th and 7th graders. Nothing beats the hugs, appreciation, and gratitude she gets from children!
In her role as Coordinator and Exam Officer, she helps children understand the importance of staying present and using all the tools they have learnt, to write exams with ease. She says that exam writing is a skill which children develop over time and the numbers they receive don't define them. She feels that her role is complete when children are able to see themselves as unique beings and are able to identify the spark in them and follow their passion.Children pursue their life's purpose when they believe in themselves and follow their hearts, says Aruna!
Aruna feels privileged to work in an alternative school that does not rush to complete the syllabus and encourages the exploration of learning. She is learning how to make Science fun and engaging so that children can experience Science in the world around them.
The annual art mela at Creative has helped Aruna get back to crochet and engage in learning new skills in macrame, clay work, and lino prints. Creative's annual art mela gave her the opportunity to unleash her artistic skills. She enjoys challenges and believes that learning is an on-going process.
Asha is also a Bangalore based multidisciplinary artist trained in Bharatanatyam, Seraikella Chhau, Yoga and Contemporary dance. An Expressive Arts Therapist from SMArT, Bangalore, she teaches Movement and Dance at Creative School for the 5th - 12th graders.
Asha enjoys her experiments with forms in the realm of slowness and stillness set against interesting backdrops, be it a proscenium, the historical monuments of Delhi or the busy streets of Bangalore. When she is not dancing she is penning poetry and stories, riding a bicycle, painting or simply living each moment.
Her theatrical highs feature performances in productions such as ‘Water Station' by Sankar Venkateshwaran, ‘Stroll' by Moon Moon Singh, and 'Suraj ka Satwan Ghoda' by Rajkumar Rajak. She has also choreographed a short solo piece ‘Pocchawali' during GSDR 2013.
Asha believes that Art should be an integral part of our lives and should be accessible to anyone seeking it. She feels privileged to have worked especially with children with special needs, along with children from rural interiors and the elderly. She values her association with ‘Anegundi Education Project', ‘Prafull Oorja', and ‘Nanasu'. She has also contributed articles for Sahapedia and worked as an administrator for Jolkha Theatre Trust.
Ashok is the Co Founder, Trustee and steady pillar of Creative School. Along with Jayashree, he has played a transformational role in inspiring many to the path of abundance, simplicity and service. Ashok loves working with children and is actively involved in teaching and sharing with them.
After growing up in Bangalore, Ashok graduated from IIT Madras and the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a computer scientist. A software engineer by profession, Ashok worked at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington for a number of years before relocating to his hometown in Bangalore, in 2007. Ashok currently teaches at Creative while continuing to work full-time as the Director of Development at Microsoft Research India.
While in the US, Jayashree and Ashok co-founded the Seattle chapter of Asha for Education, a non-profit voluntary organization, and helped set up schools for the underprivileged in various parts of India. Asha was the beginning of their journey in Education that culminated in the establishment of the Creative School in 2010.
Ashok is passionate about music, basketball, numbers & word puzzles, technology, and humor. In keeping with his passions, Ashok has taught basketball, mathematics, and ICT (Information and Communications Technology) at school. He has also helped Jayashree with music classes once a week.
Ashok has trained under many Spiritual teachers including Dr. Newton Kondaveti and Leonard Orr. He has trained in past life regression, inner child healing, and rebirthing breathwork. He conducts 1:1 sessions as well as co-facilitates healing workshops at Prajña Wisdom Centre with Jayashree.
Ashok has also trained in NVC, EFT, Dahn Yoga, and the Art of Living. He has also taken courses with Erik Berglund, Brandon Bays, and the three year DSSI training with Kaya & Christiane Muller. He enjoys learning new things and loves being with children. The entire family is also fond of traveling and trying out new cuisines, as long as it is vegetarian!
Belinda Lewis is a part of the Prajna Living Wisdom Center. As the Programs and Administration Assistant, she manages the logistics of workshops, and helps facilitators organize therapy sessions as part of the healing programs offered by the Centre.
She is passionate about her contribution to the Sangha, and grateful to the work that is allowing her to heal and come into self-awareness. Belinda enjoys her interactions with the community of teachers, healers and clients, and is deeply grateful for the immense support she continues to receive. Doing fire meditation, along with the practice of Breathwork have been greatly rewarding and beneficial in her transformation.
Belinda is also known to spread cheer with her lively, happy singing!
Bharathi Devi JBharathi Devi J
Bharathi dreamt of becoming a lady pilot! Instead, she pursued a D.Ed in Science from RV University Bangalore with her father's encouragement of becoming a teacher. She teaches the Parijatha group at Creative. In her free time she enjoys playing throw ball and going trekking.
All along, she wanted a space for children to experientially learn, rather than the old ways of rote learning. She feels incredibly fortunate for finding such a space in Creative.
Bharathi feels completely aligned with school, and is passionate about teaching children at Creative. She loves listening to their stories and involves herself in their imaginative play. The healing sessions have completely transformed Bharathi's life and way of thinking, helping her growth.
Binita is the Special Education Needs Program Advisor and Coordinator at Creative.
Binita's first experience with spirituality was in a 10-day Vipasana meditation course. Being cut off from the world through the program, gave her deep insight into herself. It changed her perspective of life, making her more compassionate towards people who need more support in their day-to-day lives.
Although Binita had a satisfactory job as a quality analyst and was happy taking care of her family, she always questioned the purpose of life. She wanted to serve in a school for the blind, but was unable to do so because of circumstances.
Binita was first introduced to Special Education by a friend of hers who was running an Institute. Although at that time she was not mentally prepared to become a teacher herself, she was highly impressed and motivated by the work her friend was doing. On her friend's suggestion, she took up a course for " Education of Children with Learning Disabilities" and simultaneously trained under her friend at her institute. From that time on, there was no looking back for Binita.
After the course and training, Binita's intention was to complete a short internship in a school where she could understand the importance of special education. Everything fell into place; A friend of her mother suggested that she interned at Creative.
Her intention was to just intern, when she first came to Creative in December 2013. However, when she interacted with the principal, teachers, and students, Binita was overcome by the compassionate relationships shared between the teachers and students at Creative. She was inspired by the different way of teaching at Creative.
Her journey as a special educator with truly wonderful children in the middle and high school at Creative started in June 2014. She continued her education in other fields of special needs. She is a Qualified Test User certified by British Psychological Society - UK.
Binita respects the education she received. However she strongly believes that it is the method of teaching at Creative that is accomodative of all kinds of learners. Creative's foundation, "The Sacred Classroom" principles and "Four Step Learning process" has helped her transcend beyond the traditional wisdom imbibed through her education.
She feels that the strong support of the Sangha at Creative has not only helped her evolve professionally but also as an individual. She also feels that her spiritual growth has helped her recognise her true self and the purpose of her life.
She is enjoying her role at Brahmakamal (Special Educational Needs- Creative) along with her team, which works with kids from pre-primary till higher secondary level.
Deepika Teaches Hindi for the Sunflower students at Creative. Originally from Puttur, DK District, and brought up in Belagavi, she has been living in Bangalore ever since her marriage and completion of her education. She holds a Masters degree in Social Work - Medical and Psychiatry, and a BA in Psychology with English and Hindi. She is trained in Clinical Hypnotherapy, Theta Healing and Queer Affirmative Counseling.
In her leisure, she likes to dance, cook, swim, sing, and engage in handwork. Deepika likes being with children because they teach us to live life zealously and vibrantly.
Job Titles:
- Lead Consultant, Counsellor
Dr Tamanna is the Lead Consultant, Counsellor, Therapist and Head of Prajna Integrated Homoeopathy Clinic. While being proficient in Homoeopathy, she is equally involved in complementary holistic therapies and in the overall development of the clinic.
Apart from her clinical practice of over 20 years, Dr. Tamanna has been involved with teaching, writing, mentoring individuals and facilitating workshops.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Founder
- Founder Director & Trustee
Jayashree Ashok has designed and created the pedagogy of Creative School - the Sacred Classroom, Four Step Learning and Co-Creating Sacred and the Life and Living curriculum for children. She has also designed many of the workshops offered through Prajna Wisdom Centre. She is both the spiritual and administrative head of Creative School. B. Ashok has been instrumental in manifesting both the North Bangalore and Freedom Land campuses of the school. He is a living embodiment of the wisdom of giving. Together, they teach many of the foundational training courses for teachers, parents and healers.
Jayashree, Ashok, Reshma, Dhivya, Rathy along with the team of teachers of Creative School have worked with a multitude of communities over fifteen years and developed programs like the ‘The Sacred Classroom', ‘Life & Living' and ‘The Joy of Teaching Series'. These have been conceptualized and designed mindfully by respecting the learning needs of individuals at various stages of self-growth - being a Learner, Educator, Changemaker, Stakeholder or Influencer.
Jayashree Ashok is the Founder and Director of the Creative School and Prajña Living Wisdom Centre along with her husband Ashok and the founding team.
For several decades, Jayashree Ashok worked in the area of education with schools and nonprofits/NGOs. Jayashree's learnings and inner growth led her to experience a deep spiritual transformation. She realized the need for a school that works with the "whole" child - body, mind, emotions, and her soul purpose around establishing such an institute. The Creative School was thus born from the deep soul searching and healing undertaken by Jayashree and the tremendous insights of her spiritual journey. Her journey led her to the teachings on Integral Education by Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Creative school was born out of this inspiration. Jayashree has created a new model for holistic education called ‘The Sacred Classroom' which establishes the spiritual foundation and pedagogy of the Creative School.
During Jayashree's spiritual training in the Tao Fellowship in her earlier days, she had a profound oneness experience which impelled her to return to India. Jayashree received a lot of inspiration and guidance from Sri Aurobindo and The Mother on Integral Education, which has been foundational for Creative School. Resorting to her inner guidance, she indeed returned home and found her way and trained with the guidance of Dr. Newton Kondaveti. She has also trained with Leonard Orr on Rebirthing Breathwork and Spiritual Purification during his stay at Creative School. Over more than two decades She has training under many spiritual teachers in many areas of healing and transformation. This has helped Jayashree establish a strong foundation in spiritual sciences, teaching, and healing.
Jayashree is the spiritual guide and teacher to many. As the administrative head, she has consciously created a strong spiritual foundation for administrative processes. She has been instrumental in creating policies that inspire greater participation in our vision; policies which promote collaboration, transparency, honesty, and integrity. Creative has evolved into a strong spiritual sangha under her able leadership leading to growth and transformation of many.
In addition, Jayashree has created and teaches many classes at Creative for both teachers and children. Life and Living" and "Teen Circle" classes form a strong curriculum in spiritual science for children. She has created and designed most of the workshops offered at Creative, Prajña Vidya and Prajña Wisdom Centre. Along with Ashok, her husband, she facilitates weekly Wisdom Circles and Self Work at Creative for the ongoing transformative growth of the teachers at Creative.
Jayashree is a spiritual teacher at heart, working with adults, children, and families of children in school. It gives her the greatest joy to facilitate people towards inner transformation. She specializes in emotional healing, passionately believing in following the path of the soul and teaching by example. She has led many workshops and has facilitated many individualized healing sessions for adults as well as children.
Jayashree has more than two decades of experience in the area of spiritual healing and transformation expertise in several healing modalities like the Rebirthing Breathwork, Energy Healing methods, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Ho'oponopono, Past Life Regression, Inner-Child Healing, Healing Relationships, Intuitive Acupressure, Meditation, and NVC (Non-Violent Communication) amongst others.
Jeetin Rangher is a multidisciplinary artist based in Bangalore, India, and Creative's Arts Teacher for the high schoolers. He also coordinates the primary and middle school Arts curriculum. With an education in painting and design, his interest in the Arts is nurtured by his sensitivity to his surroundings of both the natural and social environment. Jeetin is very sensitive to his environment, both the natural as well as social.
Kanaka holds a postgraduate degree in Food Service Management & Dietetics from Coimbatore University. She started her career in the administration of food services at educational institutions such as Rishi Valley (KFI) and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
Over the last 25 years, Kanaka has worked in many fields connected with Foods & Nutrition: as Admin in charge, Hostel Supervisor, Wellness Consultant, Lecturer ,and Entrepreneur. Her expertise continues to be in Food Service & Kitchen Management. Kanaka now coordinates Facilities at Creative School. Her endeavour continues to be ‘to make delicious, nutritious organic food reach the plate', which she says comes ‘only through carefully crafted menu and meticulous preparation'.
Kanaka was introduced to Creative through a Summer Retreat organized by Prajna Wisdom Centre upon invitation by Veda Mohan. Deeply touched by the space, Kanaka reminisces that the place called out to her and within no time, she was pulled into the Sangha, a dream come true for her!
The journey so far has been wholesome; she sees umpteen opportunities for her to heal and grow. The self awareness that has come about as a result of following the well-being practices has initiated much transformation.
She encourages the Support Staff Team at Creative to regularly engage in the Daily Well-being Practices.
Kanaka thoroughly enjoys being part of the vibrant Sangha space. As for her, Creative has sparked her journey of inner healing and knowing, a path that allows one to live in Oneness with the inner and the outer world.
Kaviya is a primary school teacher working with the Orchid Group at Creative School. She is also the Coordinator of Prajna Vidya.
Inspired by the ways of Community living at Auroville, Kaviya was able to look beyond boundaries and found her belief and confidence to thrive best in an inclusive community. As an answer to her cherished dream of becoming an integral part of such a community, Kaviya found her perfect place at Creative.
At Creative, Kaviya nurtures her innate leadership abilities and love for teaching young children. She sees children as her source of inspiration to live through each day with a sense of fulfillment. "I love working with children as they have expanded my horizons of unconditional love, exploration and joy," beams a happy Kaviya. In turn, I contribute my best in shaping them into changemakers, creative thinkers, motivated and humane individuals who will grow up into evangelists of kindness and equality." She works with verve as she sees each day as an opportunity to bring forth her best, and grow from it.
With a keen interest in Visual Arts, Kaviya is also a graphic designer and has worked with developing sustainable textile brands. Her diverse interests include: Spiritual Explorations, Philosophy, Poetry, Art Therapy, Performing Arts, Film Making and Travel.
Job Titles:
- Founder of Bhoomi Heen Sewa Samithi
Lalit Uniyal the Founder of Bhoomi Heen Sewa Samithi - your courage, dedication and relentless pursuit of justice and truth are an inspiration to all of us. Your never give up attitude is simple fantastic and wonderful!
Madhu's main interest lies in making Math fun and her journey in learning and experimenting continues. She teaches Math and ICT for Middle schoolers. During her childhood, Madhu ‘s interests in math transformed due to studying the subject under an aunt who helped her look at it from a whole new perspective. She then fell in love with the subject going on to do her Bachelors in Mathematics, followed by a Masters in Computer Science. Madhu worked in the IT sector for 19 years in various capacities and during her corporate tenure, she thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to mentor new recruits and team members. Having experienced the impact a teacher can make on one's life, Madhu has always been interested in teaching/mentoring. Hence, after almost two decades of corporate career, she decided to quit and pursue a fellowship course in Holistic Education from Bhoomi College (2018-2019). The course gave her a solid foundation in understanding India's Current education system, and the needs of a child at different stages of development, as well as how education can cater to a child's intelligence. She decided to spend a year exploring different methods used in teaching, especially in Mathematics. This exploration led her to different schools and when she arrived at Creative, she was blown away by the vision and holistic approach to education. She is an integral part of the Sunflower team.
Malati Akka and Chitra Akka from Vikasana school in Bengaluru. Visiting Vikasana was an inspiration and guidance for us. Your wisdom on the important role of Arts and Crafts and Handwork in School has left an indelible imprint in our Educational approaches. Chitra akka, your work and giving me an opportunity in Palash to teach Emotional Healing methods really helped me understand the impact of these tools on children.
A thorough Montessorian by heart, Malavika has been working with young children since her teenage years, her first engagement with them was when her mother started a Creative centre for children at home in Bangalore. Her passion to work with children inspired her to be trained and certified as a Montessori teacher. She has several years of experience in the Montessori method of teaching in India and the USA.
In her search for a suitable school for her son, she discovered Creative. Having been brought up in a family that was influenced by the philosophies of Ramana Maharshi, Aurobindo and the Mother, she instantly felt at home in Creative.
Malavika also manages a Charitable Trust that her Mother founded. The Trust is involved in providing recreation opportunities for Senior Citizens, offering free lunch to elderly slum dwellers in Bangalore and also organizing an annual Hindustani Classical music festival for the youth.
Manasa was a student at Creative since its birth, growing with it until her graduation in December 2019. She studied in Creative from her 4th to 13th grade. The Creative community has nurtured and encouraged her to discover her passions and follow her heart. She always loved the support and togetherness of the community; the unity of the people, the empathy and unconditional love that each member holds through challenges, that made those nine years of her life sacred and unforgettable.
She is currently studying Contemplative Psychology with a concentration in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology at Naropa University in Boulder, CO. This is a
beautiful continuation of her education at Creative School; deepening her dive into self- discovery and self-awareness, two concepts that Creative school imbibed a need in her for.
As a trustee-in-training, Manasa has helped in different areas bringing in young perspectives. She is keen on giving back to her community as a Teaching Assistant for Teen Circle at Creative School as well as helping compile manuals and books on the many spiritual and well-being practices used on a regular basis in Creative School and Prajna Wisdom Centre. Through this process she continues to understand and appreciate herself and others more deeply as well as more deeply connect with the spiritual foundation the school is built on.
She also helps in administrative work in many areas - Teen Circle, Media Design and Publications, Fund Raising, Principal's Assistant and shares her youth perspective in various areas of functioning of the Trust.
In the past, she has also helped in other areas such as offering dog therapy to children and coordinating the Plus Minus program from Universe/City Mikael. She plans to coordinate the Creative Alumni and she aspires to continue working with and giving back to the Creative community in any way she can.
Mohan, after 26 years of ‘serving the country in becoming self-reliant in Space Technology', as a pioneering Design Development Engineer in Propellant Management Device Development in Low Gravity at ISRO (Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore) turned to teaching in 1998. ‘Teaching as a profession came into my life, quite by accident; but I always loved teaching. Many of my colleagues at ISRO who had undertaken studies at different levels along with employment, would seek my help in academics. I fully enjoyed mentoring them. There is so much to learn through teaching.' His indigenous work at ISRO inculcated in him patience, perseverance, and persistence. Failure became a natural part of his growth which eventually led to many successes in his career. These are values that he instills in his students as he coaches them in his favourite subjects - Math, Physics and Chemistry. At Creative, Mohan has taught Math, Physics, and Chemistry for High School students in small groups.
In the last 20+ years, he has taught hundreds of students (Classes 8 to 12) from varied streams - ISC, ICSE, CBSE, State Board, IB, Cambridge, NOIS. He is especially a favourite with differently abled students, who experience the confidence to be adventurous and successful in life through his patient and persistent approach in mentoring them. Teaching children with special needs did not come easily to him. . He had to work hard, unlearn, and relearn so that he could connect and engage them, not just in the subjects he taught, but with life lessons too. At 70 years, he continues to have the zeal to learn and teach more children; for Mohan, teaching is a form of worship.
Nikita's love for nature and children found her wandering through the doors of Creative School. She was delighted to find a dynamic and caring space, with a wide scope of activities and efforts!
Nikita grew up in Chennai, and her fondest memories are of dogs, the ocean, drumstick sambhar and filter coffee. Things changed forever when she got the opportunity to live in a forest for a year. This had her dreaming about a ‘wild'-life, and a world that is caring towards all life.
She set about visiting, volunteering and living in amazing places alongside amazing people who were doing this in different ways.
She is inspired and excited to carry forward building on these learnings and experiences, and working on a nature-based curriculum at creative.
Nikita is currently teaching English and also exploring teaching itself with the Orchid group (3rd and 4th graders), and engaging in gardening.
Prajna Wisdom Centre, the heart of Creative is open to families and teachers for their own learning and inner growth. Our core spiritual foundation empowers our everyday lives - helping us overcome barriers (redundant) in everyday living using spiritual wisdom. We apply spiritual wisdom in all areas of our lives - health, relationships, work, homes, parenting and teaching. Many training programs have been developed for this purpose under the guidance of our foundational spiritual teachers.
Prajna Wisdom Centre offers many programs and is open to the general public. Without our personal transformation, it becomes difficult to practically implement these principles on a daily basis as we tend to slide into our old conditioning and ways. Through awareness and practices, we become aware of our own inner barriers, and transform them. , Creative is hence as much of an educational space for teachers and parents as it is for children. It is a journey for the whole family!
Ramesh is definitely the one-stop person for most of us at Creative. Highly resourceful and always willing to help, he is in charge of the Facilities at school.
A native of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, he fondly fills you in with some wonderful stories of his beloved land in the Kumaon Hills upon any mention.
Ramesh's association with Creative began when he joined the school as an errand staff in 2011. A fast and dedicated learner, he was quick to prove his mettle in the areas of administration, technology needs, and logistics in no time.
Ramesh has a way with language, apart from Hindi he's fluent in Kannada and Malayalam, the latter that he picked on account of his wife Manju, who is a part of the Homoeopathy Clinic at Prajna. Ramesh has a son Aman, who is a student of the Sunflower group at Creative.
Ramesh is grateful for the space that Creative has provided for him and his family. He continues to contribute his best unfailingly at Creative.
Job Titles:
- Trustee & Vice - Principal
Rathy's love for being with people and the joy these connections bring, make every aspect of school very dear to her heart. She fully revels in her varied roles: Administrator, Program Advisor for Jasmine & Lotus, Teacher-Trainer & Mentor, Teacher and Healer.
Following her heart, she quit her profession as a Textile Engineer to support her son and began to explore the world of alternative and holistic education. She believes that this is one of the best decisions of her life: bringing out the best in her and her son. Her inner calling led her to Creative School, a space that Rathy reveres. She is one of the core members of the Founding Team of the school.
Under the guidance of Jayashree and Ashok, she embarked on a new way of living, of consciousness and abundance. Her inner journey brought to her many other allied and self-development skills and tools for abundance and wellness, such as self-reflection, self-care and awareness.
A learner for life, she enfolded and supported many on their path to become conscious teachers/parents through healing and mentoring, and feels blessed to have been a part of their healing journey. Learning & Living, the Sacred Classroom Principles, spiritual purification practices form the core of daily living for her.
Following her heart, she quit her profession as a Textile Engineer to support her son and began to explore the world of alternative and holistic education. She believes that this is one of the best decisions of her life: bringing out the best in her and her son. Her inner calling led her to Creative School, a space that Rathy reveres. She is one of the core members of the Founding Team of the school.
Under the guidance of Jayashree and Ashok, she embarked on a new way of living, of consciousness and abundance. Her inner journey brought to her many other allied and self-development skills and tools for abundance and wellness, such as self-reflection, self-care and awareness.
A learner for life, she enfolded and supported many on their path to become conscious teachers/parents through healing and mentoring, and feels blessed to have been a part of their healing journey. Learning & Living, the Sacred Classroom Principles, spiritual purification practices form the core of daily living for her.
Rathy comes alive in the presence of children. She discovered her immense desire to be with children through stories and storytelling. She believes that children have insightful ways of drawing connections and relationships from fantasy to the real world. Their intuitive and creative minds uncover wisdom and insights from narratives when allowed to freely express. Rathy is gifted with the unique ability of connecting to the essence of the child and recognising his/her needs. Her son, she says, is her greatest teacher. Learning to work through his challenges opened a new world of possibilities, of creative learning and expression, of compassion, love and acceptance.
Spiritual Administration is another area of work at Creative that Rathy feels deeply connected to. Under Jayashree's guidance, she is exploring the many dimensions of collaboration and compassion in Administration, so vital to the functioning of a school.
Rathy is also exploring the rich and exciting world of Language Arts, Humanities, and Math. She enjoys watching children learn in wonder and with joy, by experiencing the oneness and interconnectedness of all subjects through subject-integration and thematic learning. She seamlessly facilitates the integration of healing and holistic well-being with academia, by guiding them to use the many self-care tools that the school provides.
‘Unlearning Education' under Reshma's guidance; exploring unconventional ideas of teaching-learning with Dhivya; applying the Four Step Learning Process; immersing Creative's pedagogy, Rathy is unravelling the power of ‘sacred classroom for a conscious living'. And the journey of unlearning and relearning continues.
Job Titles:
- Resource Specialist in Madanapalle Who Introduced Us to David Horsborough
Ravi Aluganti, Resource specialist in Madanapalle who introduced us to David Horsborough and his gentle way of working with children. Watching you work in such a gentle way with children in the Government Schools in and around Madanapalle was such an inspiration and guide.
Reshma is the Principal, and Curriculum Coordinator at Creative. She enjoys being a teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum coordinator, and healer. Guided by Jayashree, she has learned immensely as an educator in the past 20 years and has grown as a conscious parent and a conscious teacher.
Jayashree's constant presence in her life as a healer and teacher led her to The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharishi, and also to other enlightened masters' teachings. Their teachings have helped her cherish and love children. She embraced practical spirituality as a way to experience ‘aliveness' after a transformative journey through illness. Her deep interest in Sri Aurobindo and The Mother's work on Integral Education, and Steiner's works in Waldorf Education has moulded her towards holistic learning.
Through her life, work and relationships, Reshma has had tremendous success in healing using EFT, Regression Therapy, Inner-Child Healing, Meditation, Non-Violent Communication and other healing methods. She helps teachers heal their own issues and belief patterns. This year, she is teaching English and Global Perspectives to high school students.
She has benefited greatly from working directly with many wonderful reform based educationists and innovative researchers in both India and in the US. Prior to Creative, Reshma worked with grassroots efforts in math literacy and taught science and math where wonderment and inquiry were the basis for learning. In 1997, Reshma led the Chicago chapter of Asha for Education, an NGO supporting grassroots organizations in India which work with underprivileged children in the area of education.
In 2002, Reshma embarked on self-study and joined a US based organization called the Young People's Project, researching, teaching and designing mathematics for K-12 and college level students. Reshma brought in a lot of experiential and contextual learning approaches to math and science via her work in the US and India. With Jayashree Ashok and Anita Balasubramaniam, Reshma co-founded the Learning Network -bringing her in close contact to many innovative Indian organizations that revolutionized alternative education in India. Reshma developed a deep heart-based connection to innovative teaching and provided basic math and language literacy for children from less privileged communities.
Transforming math learning at Creative, Reshma has been instrumental in motivating many teachers and children to love teaching through learning design centres, interconnected learning and deep listening.
Job Titles:
- Program Advisor of Sunflower and Ixora Classes at Creative
Sangeetha Shanker Rao is the Program Advisor of Sunflower and Ixora classes at Creative. She is also the Cambridge Coordinator, Career Counsellor, and Class Pillar for grades 9th and 10th at Creative.. Sangeetha was born and raised in Bangalore. She has an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science and a Master's in Remote Sensing.
Smitha is what one would describe as a typical sports enthusiast - Basketball, athletics, swimming, badminton and Ultimate Frisbee are just some of the sports she's engaged with. Understandably, sports has been the strongest influence on her character. Inclusivity and having a hands on approach are two learnings from sports that influence her teaching philosophy.
She feels intelligence, as conventionally understood, is overestimated. What any individual requires is curiosity, stimulation, and reflection.
Smitha finds Art & sustainability another area of deep interest. She enjoys cooking and considers it a great way for people to express their creativity. If she had to choose, she would survive for the rest of her life on fruits.
Sunil started his journey with Creative school in 2017 after spending 20 years with various financial institutions.
Sunil, apart from being a key member of the leadership team and the Financial Controller of The Healing Circle(THC) and its units, is deeply involved in Spiritual training, Fundraising, Volunteering, and leads various initiatives involving parents and the student community. Through his office he is responsible for developing financial strategy, drive, risk minimisation plans, opportunity forecasting, financial reporting and analysis,regular budget consolidation,Cash flow management and Improving efficiencies across THC units.
He is an avid reader and a keen observer of the happenings of the environment and society since his childhood, This has resulted in his keen interest and passion in becoming a changemaker.
Sunil is living his dream and passion through his association with Creative School andis grateful to be a part of a loving and compassionate sangha and enjoys the freedom the space has been providing him.
His journey with Creative has helped him to know spirituality beyond the realms of religion. It has helped him recognise the journey of every soul and see the oneness in the whole.
Sunil is working towards enriching and deepening his spiritual practice, which he believes would smoothen his voyage towards his inner self .
He aspires to make quality education based on spirituality affordable, and accessible to all.
Supriya's love for science perfectly suited her as a science teacher for the little angels of Aster class. She was drawn towards the ideologies that the school carried and Jayshree's workshops chiseled her into a deeply introspective being. She strongly believes that spiritual guidance led her to Creative, when she was frantically looking out for a suitable school for both her boys.
After completing her Masters in Finance and Computer Applications, she worked for a few years at Standard Chartered Bank. Her career in banking took a back seat when she became a mother to two boys, Samarth and Nirvaan.
She discovered her love and passion for teaching, while she was volunteering in a school for the underprivileged children. It was here that she found her joy in imparting education to the little ones.
Creative was the calling that came her way at the very right moment, now she extends her maternal love to the tiny tots at Creative School.
A graduate in Fashion Technology, Teena worked in the field as a merchandiser for 8 years before joining Creative. She made a conscious choice to be a Stay-at-Home Mom after the birth of her children, a cherished time and well deserved break from the high demands of the industry.
A meeting with Rathy's husband, Krishna Kumar, paved the way for her entry into Creative. Today, Teena works as administrator multitasking at Human resources, accounting and managing the day-to-day needs of the school's office.
Teena fondly remembers her maiden visit to Creative, "It felt just like the place where I always wanted to work". In the years that followed, her commitment and involvement with the school grew deep as she gathered a well-rounded understanding of Creative as a Sangha and its philosophy.
Teena continues to work around her challenges and limiting beliefs, having successfully been able to apply her learnings on the personal and professional front. Through her steady self-work at Creative she has been able to let go of her anger pangs and come into a space of self-love and appreciation.