From Learners to Mentors –
When a 10-Year-Old Teaches Algebra
We’d like to tell you a story. It’s one of those stories that makes us pause, smile, and feel a quiet sense of pride in what our children are capable of. It’s about four of our students: 13-year-old Lahari, and three remarkable 10-year-olds, Medha, Manyu, and Nidhi.
As part of our “Teach to Learn” program, we sent them on a little mission to a school in Hospet. The challenge? To spend two weeks teaching math to 300 children, all the way from Class 1 to Class 8.
Now, you might be thinking: that’s a big task for anyone, let alone for children, but learners of Leela Gurukulam were more than ready! They divided themselves into 2 groups with Lahari and Medha to handle the younger group, from Class 1 to 5 and then, Manyu and Nidhi, both just ten, with the senior classes. Yes, you read that right. Two 10-year-olds were about to teach algebra and geometry to students who were their peers, and in some cases, even older.
What happened over those two weeks was nothing short of wonderful.
Lahari and Medha filled the primary classrooms with energy and laughter, using play based learning to make numbers feel like friends. But the real magic, we were told, was watching Manyu and Nidhi with the older students. They didn’t just stand at the front of the class; they brought math to life making abstract concepts real and understandable. They taught using the same play methodology they have learn maths from!
They did more than just teach. They coordinated with the school’s management and worked alongside the teachers, guiding them on how to continue with this playful approach long after they were gone.
Soon enough, the classrooms began to change. The quiet doubts were replaced by a lively buzz of questions and discovery. We heard that the children in Hospet didn’t just start learning math; they started to love it. They also grew to love their four young mentors.
On the last day, the school children hosted a surprise thanksgiving. They stood up and felicitated our students! The school’s management also expressed how amazed they were at the fact that four children could take charge of 300 and inspire them so deeply.
For us, this is what education is all about. It’s not just about what our children learn, but about who they become. In those two weeks, Manyu, Medha, Lahari, and Nidhi didn’t just teach math; they nurtured their own character, discovered their own strength, and learned the joy of making a difference.
This journey is forever etched in the hearts of Leela Gurukulam Family!
