Spotlight on Board Member Sangeeta Mehta
Who makes The Word go round? None of this would happen without a team that loves storytelling and one that is ready to fight! Get to know our team a little better in five questions, starting with Board Member Sangeeta Mehta:
1.What is your favorite word (and why)?
Kindness. I’ve always loved the phrase "practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty," coined by Anne Herbert, and I think it’s wonderful (but not surprising) that the Choose Kind movement, inspired by R.J. Palacio’s 2012 novel Wonder, continues to thrive. The word “kindness” also figures into the song “FourFiveSeconds.” Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney are right—kindness should never be taken for weakness!
2. Your favorite author is writing your biography. Who is it, and what is the title?
Well, this isn’t exactly feasible, but I wish Charlotte Brontë could write my biography. It would be called “Soulful and Full of Heart,” a twist on one of my favorite lines in Jane Eyre: “Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! - I have as much soul as you, - and full as much heart!” I hope that passion somehow figures into the official story of my life.
3. Where would most want to run into your doppelgänger, and what will she be doing when you see her?
In a bookstore, of course! We’d probably be flipping through poetry collections to get ideas for “Poem in Your Pocket” Day. Or maybe we’d be in the café with a cup of tea. And we’d definitely be purchasing books to support independent bookstores, also known as our home away from home.
4. Electronic or paper books? If paper, to dog-ear or not?
Paper books. I do own an e-reader, which I find especially helpful when I travel, but there’s something so calming about paper books. I could never deface a book by dog-earing it. For some reason, though, I do make annotations in the margins of books (stars, question marks, exclamation points).
5. What is the book on your nightstand right now?
I just bought a copy of The Perfect Nanny by Moroccan-French writer Leila Slimani. It’s a little disturbing to know that it’s based on real-life events (that actually took place in my neighborhood), but I can’t wait to dig in and find out why it’s being praised by nearly every media outlet I follow. And because the English edition isn’t the first edition (the novel was originally published in France in 2016), it’s available in paperback!
Find out even more about Sangeeta on our Our Team page!
The subject of connecting school projects with Suchozebry feels more interesting when there is room for a reader to stop and ask their own questions. Working with local examples can make research feel less distant. It gives me a more concrete starting point for thinking about Suchozebry school learning. I would probably come back to this question after trying to work through one concrete example rather than deciding immediately. How could pupils turn a familiar place into a question worth investigating?
What interests me about exploring cultural connections in Wlodawa is how a broad idea becomes part of an ordinary day. Different local traditions can show how a community's story has more than one thread. It makes me curious about the practical side of Wlodawa cultural heritage. A short discussion of an everyday example would make this easier for me to connect with, especially as someone still learning about the subject. How can students represent those threads without treating one perspective as the whole story?
I find preparing for a language proficiency test easier to think about when there is a concrete question to start from. Practising the task format can help a learner focus on language rather than unfamiliar instructions. I would keep that thought nearby when looking for ideas about language test preparation. I would probably come back to this question after trying to work through one concrete example rather than deciding immediately. How would you balance test practice with everyday language use?
The topic of understanding community involvement in education gives me a few things to think about, especially when the discussion moves beyond general advice. A school community grows through ordinary opportunities to work together. This is why I would approach community school involvement with a specific question rather than a fixed expectation. I can imagine different answers depending on the situation, so I would want to understand the context before drawing conclusions. How can families contribute ideas without needing large amounts of free time?
A conversation about helping primary pupils settle into school routines seems most useful to me when it leaves space for uncertainty and further questions. A consistent routine can free children's attention for the activity itself. This is why I would approach Swiebodzice primary education with a specific question rather than a fixed expectation. The part I would like to explore further is what happens when the idea meets a real situation with its own limitations. Which parts of a school day benefit most from a clear and familiar sequence?