A Teacher Who Never Stops Learning: The Story of Aditi Ghadigaonkar
Written by Ashish Kelshikar
We often hear about writing styles, reading styles, or even singing styles. But how often do we talk about teaching styles?
For Aditi Ghadigaonkar, a teacher at Dosibai Jeejeebhoy Prathamik Shala in Goregaon, teaching is not just about delivering a lesson; it’s about finding a style that helps every child truly understand.
For over two decades, Aditi has been teaching children from Grades 1 to 4. Yet, she still approaches every classroom with the curiosity of a learner. She often reflects: How do children learn? How do abstract ideas become real in their minds? How does each child build understanding in their own way?
These questions drive her to constantly reflect, experiment, and grow.
The Art of Teaching, Her Way
Before introducing any new concept, Aditi studies it deeply, because her goal isn’t just to teach it, but to feel it. She then transforms her learnings into experiences children can relate to: stories, games, activities, interviews, and real-life problems drawn from their surroundings.
She explains, “I never stop until I know every child has truly understood. That’s the only rule I teach by.”
In one of her most memorable lessons, she taught unit fractions through a playful, hands-on activity, which was captured on video by CEQUE and is available on the Teacher Pages Channel. Using a “Chocolate Factory” activity with colored strips, students physically construct fractions and document their reasoning, connecting concrete experiences to abstract concepts. The classroom comes alive with curiosity, laughter, and discovery, exemplifying Aditi’s focus on activity-based learning and deep conceptual understanding.
A Lifelong Learner
Throughout her journey, Aditi has drawn inspiration from mentors like Varsha Sahasrabuddhe, Vipula Abhyankar, and Arun Malvankar from the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education.
She also credits her association with CEQUE for helping her deepen her understanding of assessments and learning analysis. Through mentoring, she learned to conduct foundational assessments, analyse classroom-level trends, and identify student learning gaps, insights that made her teaching even more effective.
Recently, under CEQUE’s Jyotsna Mhaskar Scholarship, Aditi designed and tested a mathematics-based project, presenting its outcomes to peers and experts alike.
Aditi exemplifies the power of curiosity, reflection, and commitment. Her approach to teaching reminds us that learning is a journey — for children and teachers alike. She is a model for what teaching can be.
