A Day In The Life of a TAO Fellow

My name is Rohita Hashimi. I am an Economics graduate from Parwan Province. I am in my second year as a Fellow at Teach For Afghanistan, teaching Mathematics to Grade 1, 2, 3, and 4 students at Bibi Sangari School. I would like to share with you what a typical day in the Fellowship looks like.

4:15 AM to 6:55 AM

Every day begins before sunrise. At 4:15 AM, I wake up to start my day with peace and purpose. After performing the Fajr prayer, I spend about thirty minutes reciting the Holy Quran. This quiet time helps me build focus and inner strength for the day ahead.

By 5:00 AM I'm getting ready, having breakfast, and packing my bag. I leave for Bibi Sangari School in the Parwan province at 6:55 AM. Walking into the classroom is always an exciting part of my day.

7:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Five hours of teaching sounds straightforward but it isn't! Every day looks different and that is what makes the work so interesting. Some days a lesson lands exactly the way I planned it. Some days I look around the room and realize I've lost half the class and I have to think on my feet. Managing different learning levels, keeping every student engaged, finding the right words for the student who is struggling quietly in the back row - all of it brings unexpected challenges and heartwarming moments too.

What keeps me going is my students. Despite the fair share of challenges, I come across tiny moments of joy throughout my day which validate why I chose the Fellowship: when a student who is often silent raises her hand, when a child clarifies doubts for her classmate, when they ask questions with curiosity.

Something I feel strongly about is the connection between school and home. Once every three weeks, I invite my students' parents to school. Sometimes I send a formal letter. Sometimes I write a note directly in a student's notebook and ask the parents to write back with their response. It is a simple practice but it keeps families close to what is happening in the classroom. I also spend a lot of time focusing on practical activities with my students, including their family relationships and social behaviour at home, not just their academic progress.

There is one moment from this that I will carry with me for a long time. One morning, a mother came to school asking for me at the administration office. Before I could even greet her, she pulled me into a hug. "What have you done?" she said. "My daughter created a study schedule at home now. She is committed to it and her behaviour has improved so much." I saw first-hand how habits we built in my classroom travelled home with my students.

After School

I get home around 1:00 PM. I have my lunch, take care of my household tasks, and perform my prayers. I also take some time to rest in the afternoon, because I've learned that I can't pour from an empty cup.

By 3:00 PM, I'm reading, even if just for half an hour. I believe a teacher who stops learning stops teaching well. The next part of my day is focused on preparing for the next day. This includes writing engaging lesson plans, organizing topics, designing teaching materials and the list goes on! This is often the most challenging yet rewarding part for me, as it requires creativity and careful thinking. On difficult days, I reach out to my Fellow Coach. That support matters a lot to me. And our training sessions, I genuinely look forward to them. Not as a formality, but because every training gives me something new to bring back to my students.

In the evening, I prepare dinner and spend time with my family. These moments bring balance to my life and help me relax after a long day. Finally, at 10:00 PM, I go to bed, and ready to do it all again tomorrow because my students deserve the best version of me.