Field of Study India: English

Mukesh Kumar

Mr. Mukesh Kumar is a School Lecturer with the Government of Rajasthan and has over 18 years of rich teaching experience. As an educator and author, he has written 31 books on English Literature, comprising academic guides and poetry collections. His work includes comprehensive guides on Shakespeare, cultural studies, and preparation materials for UGC−NET and examination for assistant professor. Mr. Kumar holds a master’s degree in English and is dedicated to fostering academic excellence and personal growth in his students.

During his participation in the Fulbright DAI program, Mukesh is exploring innovative approaches to ethical integration of AI with education. He aims to enhance teaching methodologies and develop strategies to improve students’ critical thinking and literary appreciation skills. Upon returning to India, he intends to implement AI-driven educational tools in the classroom, develop new curriculum materials incorporating ethical AI usage, and conduct workshops for fellow educators. He trusts that these efforts will help cascade his learnings to the broader educational community and transform the teaching-learning scenario in government schools across Rajasthan and beyond.

Joyeeta Banerjee

Ms. Joyeeta Banerjee is an assistant teacher at Nikunjapur High School teaching English as Second Language (ESL) to the rural learners of secondary and higher secondary grades for the past 23 years. She holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Burdwan and a master’s in education from Rabindra Bharati University.

She is the cultural coordinator of her school and after school hours, actively engages in teaching English to disadvantaged learners. She appeared in the critically acclaimed movie Kalamkathi, screened in the environment category of the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival. She has published many articles. Her book review was featured in the prestigious Bengali quarterly Anustup. She was a recipient of the National Child Rights Research Fellowship in 2012.

As a Fulbright fellow, Joyeeta is exploring theoretical and practical issues related to ESL pedagogy. It will be useful in delineating a plan of action to foster meaningful learning for the first-generation learners in her ESL classrooms. She intends to publish her findings and her experiences both in academic journals and popular magazines and newspapers. She is interested in conducting workshops and seminars at the grassroots for the benefit of her school and community.

Nijoy P Jose

Dr. Nijoy P Jose is a higher secondary school teacher and trainer of the English language at St. Thomas Higher Secondary School in Pala, Kerala, and a life skill trainer certified by Junior Chamber International. He has a master’s, an M.Phil., and a Ph.D. in English. Through his 21 years of teaching experience, he has worked as a student trainer, a teacher trainer, and a trainers’ trainer. Dr. Jose is also a columnist and the author of three books. He has received many awards and recognitions from various firms, including the Manorama Online Thought Leader Fellowship 2022.

Through his participation in the Fulbright TEA program, Dr. Jose aims to be academically sharp and socially productive. The program is helping him learn about the global scenario of the teaching-learning process and interactions with native speakers of the English language are helping him reimagine his language-learning classrooms back home. He further believes that the FTEA program will help him in developing strategies to address the challenges faced by marginalized groups while learning English.

A. Madhu Babu

Mr. Madhu Babu is a teacher and trainer of the English language at the Z.P. High School, Brahmanatarla, Andhra Pradesh and an e-content developer for the State Council for Education Research and Training, Andhra Pradesh (APSCERT). In his extensive teaching experience of 27 years, he has developed several classroom videos and conducted workshops on career guidance, life skills, and communication skills for students and teachers. His classroom practices are fun-filled, student-friendly, and designed to help students tackle real-world challenges. In recognition of his role in improving communication skills among children from rural areas in India, Mr. Babu received the National Best Teacher Award in 2020. He has a master’s in English and a bachelor’s in education. He also has a diploma in ELT from the Regional Institute of English, Bengaluru.

Through his participation in the prestigious Fulbright TEA program, Mr. Babu is exploring the role of teaching strategies in promoting employability skills among students. Upon his return to India at the end of the program, he hopes to share the insights gained during his stay in the U.S. with his students and colleagues.

Ravi Kumar Kola

Dr. Ravi Kumar Kola is Teacher of English at Zilla Parishad High School Panthini, Hanumakonda, Telangana. He has 24 years of teaching experience, master’s in English and zoology, and a Ph.D. in zoology. Dr. Kola was awarded the National ICT Award for School Teachers by the Ministry of Education, Government of India for extensive integration of technology with content and pedagogy. He is also a state resource person for SCERT Telangana. A constant learner, he has completed online courses from prestigious institutes like US Embassy’s Regional English Language Office (RELO), New Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

Through his participation in the Fulbright DAI program, Dr. Kola is enhancing his teaching skills and gaining insights into innovative pedagogical approaches. Upon returning to India, he intends to utilize his refined English language skills to develop tailored English language programs for rural students in Telangana. By equipping rural students with strong English language abilities, he aims to empower them to access better educational opportunities and improve their employability as well as to bridge the linguistic gap between rural and urban areas in the state. As an active member of various English forums, Dr. Kola wishes to share knowledge gained from his Fulbright project with the English fraternity of Telangana.

Kritika Dhiwahar

Ms. Kritika Dhiwahar is an English language facilitator at HLC International School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. With a distinction in Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching and Learning (CIDTL) and training in drama from the National School of Drama, New Delhi, Ms. Dhiwahar uses storytelling and drama techniques to create an inclusive learning environment. She holds a master’s in English literature and a bachelor’s in education and has over a decade of experience in classroom teaching and teacher training. She also works as a freelance teacher educator for Srikriti, the Teacher Education Centre, and for leading publishers—Macmillan Education and Scholastic, India.

Ms. Dhiwahar’s Fulbright DAI inquiry project, “Play’s the Thing: Targeting (language) learning outcomes through story and drama-based learning”, focuses on exploring pedagogical applications of storytelling and drama. She aims to understand how these methods are implemented in U.S. schools to advocate their increased use in the Indian ELT context. Through her project, she seeks to establish the educational value of drama and storytelling. Ms. Dhiwahar plans to conduct seminars and workshops to inspire her fellow educators to embrace storytelling and drama as pedagogical tools in language learning classrooms. She believes that bridging the gap between a theoretical understanding of language and its practice will enhance language acquisition and the overall educational experience of Indian students.

Shayista Shakeel

Ms. Shayista Shakeel teaches English and Social Science at a government high school in the district of Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir. She has a dual master’s in English and education. She is passionate about environmental pollution and undertakes activities with her students to clean water resources and disposal of bio-degradable waste. She has counseled several students who are undergoing depression or addicted to drugs. She coordinates workshops and events focusing on skill enhancement and development of students. In addition, she is a freelance columnist and has authored several articles in local dailies.

Ms. Shakeel’s participation in the Fulbright TEA program is helping her to develop a curriculum based on the model of shared learning for her students. She is learning new teaching methodologies and is sharing her experience and observations with international FTEA participants. Upon return to India, she intends to advocate practice-based learning and inclusive classrooms in schools of her community with the help of knowledge gained during her Fulbright program.

Ravi Kumar Sankranthi

Mr. Ravi Kumar Sankranthi teaches English to grades 6 – 10 at the Zilla Parishad High School in Kusumanchi, Telangana. Most of his students are from marginalized communities. Since 2008, he is also a teacher trainer for district and state-level training programs. He has trained teachers from vernacular medium schools and equipped them to teach in English medium schools. He has a master’s and a bachelor’s in English literature.

Mr. Sankranthi participated in a workshop on multilingualism organized by the Regional Institute of English, Bangalore wherein he provided digital inputs for the training module of in-service teachers. He presented a paper on “Issues and Challenges in the Implementation of Discourse Oriented Pedagogy” at a national conference in Hyderabad.

During the Fulbright TEA program, Mr. Sankranthi is learning the latest strategies in teaching English. He is excited to share his classroom experiences and success stories with the international FTEA fellows. He is curious to find solutions to the challenges of teaching in a heterogeneous classroom. As a cultural ambassador, he is excited to represent his country and culture and understand the cultures of other countries. Upon his return, Mr. Sankranthi wants to share his FTEA experiences with his students and colleagues. He intends to create a long-lasting bond with U.S. schools and schools of international FTEA fellows by designing various academic projects.

Amandeep Singh Lakhanpal

Mr. Amandeep Singh teaches English at a government school in Andlu village, Ludhiana, Punjab. He has more than 15 years of experience teaching in rural and urban schools. He has a master’s in English and a bachelor’s in education. Additionally, he has completed a postgraduate certificate in the Teaching of English.

As a state resource person, Mr. Singh is involved in developing content for teacher training modules. He has attended international conferences on “English language teaching” in UK and India. He completed a five-week online teacher training course on ‘Shaping the Way We Teach English, the Landscape of English Language Teaching’ organized by the U.S. Department of State and the University of Oregon. He received the prestigious Malti Gyan Peeth Award from the President of India in 2016 for his excellence in teaching. His various appreciation certificates from the Punjab Directorate of Education speak of his contribution to imparting quality education to his students.

The Fulbright TEA program is an opportunity for Mr. Singh to learn new teaching techniques and methodologies used in the American educational system which will further help him serve his community and students in India. His participation in the FTEA program will facilitate in enhancing the English language proficiency of his students. Upon his return to India, he would like to share his knowledge about the U.S. and its educational values with his colleagues and students to make them aware of the best educational practices in the U.S.

Divya Gupta

Ms. Divya Gupta is an English language teacher with the Directorate of Education, Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT), Delhi. She has more than 13 years of teaching experience. Currently, she is engaged with the Library branch at the Headquarters of the Directorate of Education where she is involved in improving the infrastructure and reading resources at the libraries of Delhi government schools. She works with librarians at all the Schools of Specialized Excellence in Delhi to ensure that young learners enjoy reading from their early years and get access to age-appropriate engaging books. She is also responsible for developing these libraries as safe spaces where students can explore reading at their pace.

Ms. Gupta was instrumental in creating Delhi’s first Reading Room in one of the Schools of Excellence. She strongly believes that libraries are centers of learning that play a significant role in raising a thoughtful, tolerant, sensitive generation of thinkers in addition to being springboards for academic achievement and language acquisition.

Through her Fulbright journey, Ms. Gupta aims to learn how the multiplicity of perspectives in different cultures impacts learning around the globe. During her FTEA program, she is gaining insights into curriculum design and the latest models of lesson planning. She is excited to interact with educators from the U.S. and other countries and create a network of educators for continuous professional development.