Gunasekharan Kavitha, believes that “Education is the right of every child and it should be a joyful experience. When one is peaceful internally one can bring peace externally. By understanding our role as part of the whole we can bring about peace and harmony in the world.”
She has a graduation in Physics from PSGRK – Coimbatore in 1997, an Honours diploma in Network Centered Computing from NIIT in 1999, Diploma in Montessori Training – Primary from CMTC in 2004-05, an AMI Diploma in Montessori Elementary Training from Navadisha Montessori Institute in 2010, University first in Carnatic music- vocal, Grade V from Annamalai University in 2018, International graduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychology from Banjara Academy in 2018. Is pursuing ‘Remedial Instructions for Primary school children with Specific Learning Difficulty’ from Madras Dyslexic Association.
She has a varied and dynamic experience working with children since 2005. Her work with children started in Abacus Montessori School, Perungudi, Chennai. Here, she worked in the primary and the Elementary environments, progressively learning the differences in the children’s developmental needs with both the age groups. She had the opportunity to set up a new elementary environment, which gave her a practical knowledge of the hardware of the methodology.
Later in 2012, she worked with the children in Cascade Montessori Learning Centre, where she catered to the homeschooler’s community. This brought in a conviction in her, towards the Montessori methodology, that it is universal in nature. It is here that she discovered her newfound skill of training adults. She trained adults for the Primary Montessori environments, run by Relief Foundation and Sriram Foundation in Tsunami affected villages.
She strongly believes that every child deserves the best of childhood and education. This lead her to establish Aakam Montessori Learning Centre at Pallikaranai in 2013. Here, the children ( aged 2 1/2 yrs to 12 yrs ) come from varied strata and education systems and discover the “Joy of Learning” with the Montessori method and philosophy. Many children with Specific Learning Difficulties have been helped to overcome their difficulties and continue learning on par with their peers. The children have been her mentors in understanding the philosophy at a deeper level and that which is practically applicable.
Her quest to reach out to more children lead her to become a trainer of adults at IMTC. Since 2013 she has been associated with IMTC – Elementary programme. The course has been intricately designed and executed by her in its practical and pedagogical aspects. The spiritual preparation of the students is of utmost importance during the course along with the perfection in practical presentations. The students are given the experience of layering the lessons in an interdisciplinary manner in the course. Original and individual work is appreciated, encouraged and inculcated in every student in preparing the course files. Updations in knowledge and content is ubiquitous in every course. In 2018 she was conferred as the Associate Director for the Elementary Course at IMTC – Chennai.
In October 2020 she has been conferred with Directorship from IMC (Indian Montessori Centre- Karnataka). As a Director of IMTC-Elementary-Chennai, she now conducts Montessori Elementary Courses for adults from various platforms – School teachers, school coordinators and founders, IT professionals, architects, engineers, who want a change in career, fresh graduates, homemakers and many others.
At the wake of pandemic, the 2020-21 Elementary course had turned online. The classes are systematically planned so that the qualities of the course and the student’s learning practically and spiritually are not compromised in any way. May it be individual presentations or group work, the students are given opportunities to develop their skillsets. Having gained an insight into running the course online we are now running a few online courses. This has lead us to reach out to people from across the country.
Significant work to achieve the goal of spreading Montessori Philosophy:
– Under ‘Elements of Elementary’, an initiative to bring the Montessori Elementary community together she has conducted workshops in Chennai and Bangalore.
– For the propagation of the Elementary course, she has conducted orientation programmes in colleges and schools, vis-a-vis; Anna University – Chennai, Guru Nanak college – Velachery, Sherwood Senior secondary school – Harrington Road, JRK school – Kattankulathur, Kalpagam Montessori Learning Centre- Marthandam, Gurukulam Higher Secondary School – Hosur, Aaron Montessori Learning Centre – Chennai, Scholars Academy – Chennai, Chaithra Montessori School – Chennai, Iyal Montessori School – Chennai.
– Has been the Chief Guest at several schools giving talks on Montessori principles. She takes pleasure in providing consultations to several schools free of charges in implementing the methodology and curriculum.
– She had participated in the celebrations of Dr. Maria Montessori’s birthday at Bangalore in the year 2019. A play was put up on the occasion by her students showcasing the principles of Cosmic Education.
– She has spoken on “ Cosmic education and the second plane child” in the webinar in 2020, conducted for the Montessori fraternity by IMC – Bangalore. She has also given talks on “The significance of Montessori education” on online platforms conducted by Edsup an initiative to help Homeschooling community and Aroha a Montessori Learning Centre.
– Under the auspices of Geetha Ramanujam – the master story teller and the founder of Kathalaya, a workshop was conducted for the students during March 2020, to enhance the skills of story telling. A skillset very much an essential one, for the adult working with the elementary children, hence designed to bring out the potential in every student trained under IMTC – elementary courses, Chennai.
-A series of orientation programmes have been conducted by her, at Aakam Montessori Learning centre for the parents, to create an awareness on the Montessori method of education and child psychology.
– Parent and child counselling is a part of Aakam Montessori Learning centre, where many issues regarding child development and Montessori philosophies are discussed and thus guided by her.
-During the pandemic she at Aakam, has helped children joyfully learn at home with effective measures of minimising screen time and maximising working with their hands.
– Montessori 360 is an initiative by her to bring people together for Reading Seminars where a team sends out scanned copies of books by Dr. Montessori to the participants in the seminar. It is an interactive session where participants share their experiences after listening to the content being read. This builds the community of Montessorians.
– A Newsletter was brought out by her and her team which brings to the forefront the events and significant work done by individuals in the Montessori field from various parts of the country.
Her passion to learn as a trainer continues, as it helps her consummate the understanding of the content and the philosophy in a holistic manner. She continues playing her role as a Montessori Facilitator with children and Directing adults to be worthy of the children to serve them better. As an integral part of IMC, she continues taking the Montessori movement further across borders, in all possible ways to the best of her capabilities.
