Rameez Ahmad

Mr. Rameez Ahmad is a progressive educator based out of Kashmir. He has 12 years of teaching experience in classroom teaching and teacher training. His areas of work include social-emotional learning (SEL), school safety, and Indian polity. He has a bachelor’s in science and a master’s in disaster management. He completed diplomas in remote sensing, mass communication and journalism.

Mr. Ahmad is passionate about community work and is associated with national and international organizations, such as the Indian Society of Red Cross (IRCS) and UNICEF. He has presented his work on education at various international and national conferences, including IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Bombay. He is also a recipient of a scholarship from Emory University, Atlanta to study cognitively based compassion training (CBCT).

The Fulbright TEA program has widened Mr. Ahmad’s imagination and helped him think of diverse methods and pedagogical interventions in education. He received rigorous training at UMass on best teaching practices. The major highlights of this training were collaboration within school systems, divergent thinking, and creative use of instructional technology. Since his return to India, Mr. Ahmad has been sharing his learnings with his community through workshops and training sessions. He has initiated an SEL project at his school. He has also initiated joint projects with the U.S. academia and students to facilitate cross-cultural understanding for the promotion of safety, peace, and well-being of children.

Syed Irshad Ali

Mr. Syed Irshad Ali teaches English at TS Model School and Government Junior College, Pegadapally, Jagtial, Telangana. He has 14 years of teaching experience. He has a master’s in arts and a bachelor’s in education.

Mr. Ali is a resource person for state-level training programs for English teachers. He participated in an eight-week online American English e-teacher program and MOOCs. He received the district-level best teacher award of 2022 for excellence in English teaching and his services during COVID-19.

Through his participation in the Fulbright TEA program, he is exploring new methodologies to engage students actively, emerge as a global teacher, and resolve local issues to serve the community. He wants to change the perspective of a conventional teacher. On his return, he would like to develop language skills of his students and colleagues by conducting language orientation programs. This, in turn, will enhance the confidence of his students and prepare them for educational and professional goals. He will share his Fulbright program learnings by participating in nationwide language forums.