Meet Kawalpreet Kaur
Kawalpreet Kaur is a Cluster Head Teacher from the Seel cluster in Ghanour Block, Patiala, Punjab. With over 30 years of experience in education, she supports eight government schools in her role, including her own—Government Elementary School, Seel.
She joined a collaborative offsite in Madhya Pradesh organised by Creatnet Education for 30+ school leaders from Patiala and Maharashtra, along with Ambily Sabu of Sanjhi Sikhiya, Punjab and the Project Setu team of the Akanksha Foundation, Nagpur.
In this interview, Kawalpreet ji shares how connecting with new peers and her inner child at the collaborative inter-NGO offsite for school leaders helped her rediscover joy and experience learning anew after three decades in education.
Excerpts from the interview
Kawalpreet ma’am, what made you decide to join the offsite in Madhya Pradesh, and how did those first few days feel?
At first, I hesitated. I wasn’t sure I could manage it. But my colleagues encouraged me, helped me understand what the offsite was about and how it could support me in my journey. And so, the sixteen of us set off from Patiala with the Sanjhi Sikhiya team to a small town called Hoshangabad, where we’d meet fellow school leaders and the Akanksha Foundation team from Maharashtra.
The first day was difficult. I looked around and thought, How will I manage here? Everyone seemed so experienced — many were retired principals. We all spoke different languages: Marathi, English, Hindi… and I, mostly Punjabi. I felt unsure, even out of place.
Then we were divided into smaller groups. My team was kind and welcoming, and our facilitator developer, Anita Singh, was incredibly warm. She encouraged me gently, with such care. When it was my turn to facilitate a session, I was nervous. I speak softly, and the language barrier made it harder. But when I facilitated again, my teammates noticed how much I’d improved. They cheered me on, and that encouragement gave me confidence I didn’t know I had.
What were some of the moments or learnings that stayed with you from the experience?
Over the five days, I learnt so much. I began to understand the difference between observation and judgement. I reflected on the bond between a teacher and student — how vital it is to bridge any gaps. I learnt that being a school leader is not just about giving instructions, but about building something together with your team.
I’ve always used teaching-learning material (TLM), but I saw how it can be used more creatively, to draw children in, to help them engage and explore. We spoke about safe and unsafe learning spaces too, and it struck me—I had never really thought about what a safe learning space for me might look like.
And then there were the moments of joy! We played games like children. One day, between sessions, we were given 10 minutes to complete 10 fun tasks as a group. Draw someone from another team. Play something together. Quick, fun challenges. And suddenly, we were all kids again. Laughing, playing, remembering our own childhoods.
I experienced silence activities for the first time, and with them, a kind of peace filled my mind.
If you had to describe what this experience gave you, what would you say?
Most of all, I’m grateful for the people. We built a deep connection in such a short time. I learnt to connect. I learnt to lead. I got to learn for the first time in many years. After 30 years working in the education space, I’ve become a child again! Sessions like these should keep happening.
The young members of the Creatnet team brought such energy into the space. They encouraged us constantly — “You can do it, ma’am.” Alam, who was part of my group, is so knowledgeable and patient. He would send me thoughtful little messages like, “Ma’am, you’re doing good.” Or “You’ll get better, keep going.” It meant a lot. It gave me the motivation to try, to grow. For that, I’m so grateful.
