Crisis Management

I joined Ms Fiza's classes for English in the 9th and 10th in order to be able to combat learning Shakespeare and intricate poems I would be incapable of understanding myself. In the end not only did I manage to secure 95 marks out of 100 but made so many countless happy memories with Ms Fiza, Mrs Pathan and the rest of the students who studied with me. She made learning fun and not boring by showing us recordings of the drama , telling us short stories / tales behind certain characters he mentions and encouraged us to look at things from different perspectives, like in the eyes of some Shylock was a villain, but could be a victim to some. At the same time she made us practice essay writing and English question answers regularly to prepare us for any possible question that came in the exams.  Moreover she even encouraged me to read more and I am glad she introduced me to the world of Agatha Christie. I am grateful to Ms Fiza for making my Saturday's full of fun learning and never making me feel that learning something that I didn't previously understand like Shakespeare was ever an ordeal.

Fiza Miss had successfully accomplished what no other English teacher in school could ever do - making me fall in love with Shakespeare. It's just amazing how she converted the most dreaded and daunting topic in literature to perfect bliss. She would always give us some background or backstory of each play we were about to start on. These were usually the most interesting for a history buff like myself. Moreover, the use of a PowerPoint presentation and videos made the learning experience more engaging and fun. However, what I liked the most was her own distinctive style of making us understand and appreciate Shakespeare. She made us critically analyze Shakespearean characters for their values, morals, virtues and vices. I still vividly remember the 1 hour long argument I had with Ms Fernandes, our school’s English teacher in eight grade, on whether Brutus should be outrightly demonized or viewed in a more holistic manner. While school taught us to outrightly brand Brutus as a backstabbing traitor and villain, Fiza Miss's Julius Caesar lecture taught me to view Brutus' character in a more nuanced light, thereby understanding the essence of his fight against authoritarianism and one man dictatorships. This was just one of the many novel perspectives and insights into Shakespeare that I had gained during Miss Fiza’s gripping lecture sessions. Little did I know, her lectures would prove to be a massive asset in my English literature foundation course at Ashoka university later on. The manner in which Fiza miss taught me to read and understand Shakespeare, that same mechanism is being taught by my university professor today. Those same perspectives and insights, which were once considered rebellious by school are now the expected norm in college. I therefore owe my A grade in that extremely challenging course to Miss Fiza. Eternally grateful to you Miss and for me Shakespeare will always be synonymous with you. Thank you so so much!!

Miss Fiza has impacted me as a learner and person in more ways than I can identify. She inspires a love for knowledge and books in all her students through her passion for the same. I felt characters on a page come to life in her classes and was encouraged to develop critical thinking skills by analysing themes and characters. Her emphasis on the socio-cultural context of literary works helped me understand various facets of how literature comes into being.