YSI – 2019

Despite years of teaching experience, many faculty felt disconnected from their students. Classrooms were marked by:

• Passive silence instead of vibrant discussion
• Student disengagement due to mobile phones and lack of interest
• A growing sense of frustration: “They don’t care.”

Instead of blaming students, YSI invited teachers to ask:

How can I become more connected — not just as an instructor, but as a human being?

Inspired by Gandhian values — especially “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” — educators embarked on a four-week journey of self-inquiry, prototyping, and reflection.

The result? Transformative models that reshaped classrooms into spaces of mutual respect and growth.

Innovative Models Born in 2019

Two powerful faculty-led models emerged from this conference.

1. Bridging Gaps Through Empathy and Trust

Team: Debamitra Ray, Mitra Lipi Priya, Pushpalatha
College: Srushti Degree College

The Problem

Students were disengaged — distracted by phones, uninterested in academics, and reluctant to participate. Teachers felt unheard and undervalued.

The Solution

The team introduced non-academic projects where faculty and students collaborated as equals:

• Passion Project: Students explored personal interests
• Arts and Culture Week: Creative expression without grades
• Entrepreneurship Project: Real-world business ideas developed together

Weekly mentoring sessions helped build trust and emotional connection.

The Impact

• Students gradually opened up, seeing teachers as allies.
• Initiatives started small but grew into lasting programs.
• The college transformed into a “second home” with mutual respect at its core.

“The teacher-student barrier gave way to one of friendship… Empathy and being non-judgmental is what I learned.”
— Debamitra Ray, Srushti Degree College

2. Reconnecting Generations Through Freedom & Trust

Team: Padmavathi
College: Maharani Cluster University

The Problem

Gen Z students expressed frustration:

“We are not trusted. We want liberty, not our parents’ lives.”

Meanwhile, teachers struggled with defiance, distraction, and disconnection.

The root issue? A generational clash: outer freedom (technology) vs. inner freedom (emotional autonomy).

The Solution

Padmavathi shifted from authority-driven teaching to “shadow teaching” — mentoring, not controlling. She introduced:

• Student interviews to understand unmet needs
• Democratic classrooms: Students co-designed rules
• Failure-friendly environments: Where mistakes were part of learning
• Self-responsibility practices: Encouraging ownership over behavior

The Impact

• Students engaged deeply when trusted as decision-makers.
• Teachers became allies, reducing friction.
• A culture of mutual understanding replaced resistance.

“We must treat students like adults, involve them in decisions, and let them grow — while offering support, not control.”
— Padmavathi, Maharani Cluster University

Conference Highlights

• Chairperson: Ms. Jane Sahe, Former Faculty, Azim Premji University

  “Education’s main goal is to help one discover his or her purpose in life in relation to the world they live in — for teachers and students. Teaching is a process of building relationships.”

• Chief Guests:

  • Prof. T.D. Kemparaju, Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore North University
    Praised YSI as a meaningful initiative that should be “continuously practiced and encouraged.”
  • Ms. Vanitha Sharma (IAS), Commissioner for Development, Government of Karnataka

• YSI Student Fellows: Niveditha, Shalini

• Key Insight Explored:
  Wellbeing begins with connection. When faculty look beyond performance and see students as whole human beings, transformation follows.

• Reflective Practice Papers: Each participant wrote about their journey — how listening changed their teaching philosophy.

Why YSI 2019 Mattered

This wasn’t just another professional development session. It was a radical reimagining of education.

From YSI 2019, we learned:

• Faculty need safe spaces to reflect — not just train
• Empathy breaks down walls faster than authority
• When teachers see themselves in their students, healing begins
• Co-creation isn’t just for students — it’s essential for educators too

As Lakshmi Hariharan says:

“YSI removed the hierarchy and brought students and faculty together as co-creators of a new campus culture.”

And Jane Sahe beautifully added:

“Teaching is not about transferring knowledge — it’s about building relationships.”

Legacy of YSI 2019

• Paved the way for future faculty engagement in YSI
• Proved that teacher wellbeing is directly linked to student flourishing
• Introduced the concept of “shadow teaching” — now used in multiple institutions
• Strengthened partnerships with Bangalore North University, which encouraged faculty participation across affiliated colleges

It showed that real change doesn’t come from top-down mandates — it grows from honest conversations, shared vulnerability, and a willingness to unlearn before relearning.