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Welcome to the Yoga Nation, the spread of gratitude podcast on the One Direction platform.
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Hello, friends.
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My name is Yoges Patel, and this podcast explores the themes of bowling, self-awareness, and the power of our inner spirit, including the silent battles we all face.
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Join me every week as I invite high-profile guests as we explore how adversity shapes us, how gratitude lifts us, and how we can all uncover the inner strength that we all have within ourselves.
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Join the conversation.
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I appreciate you listening in.
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How does someone go from being bullied as a kid in India to then becoming teacher of the year in the United States?
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And now shaping the next generation as an assistant principal.
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As October is National Bullying Awareness Month, the timing could not be more fitting for my next guest.
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Mr.
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Santos Kumar is the assistant principal at Desert Shadow Middle School and was honored as a 2020 Teacher of the Year by the Nogales Unified School District.
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He is a living example of how resilience, gratitude, and courage can not only transform personal adversity, but also inspire students to be brave in the face of uncertainty, failure, and even bullying itself.
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In our conversation, we'll explore how Sunfush helps students tap into their inner spirit, what they've taught him in return, that's going to be interesting, and why his motto, let's teach our students to be fearless, is more than just words.
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With gratitude, welcome to the podcast, Sunfush.
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Thank you, Yogeic, for having me.
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So really it was your middle school teacher that gave you, I'll just say, the kindness and empathy to help you overcome these uh self-intern challenges.
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Yes.
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So I know the turning point has to be someone.
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And it was my social studies teacher, and she pulled me up the creek when I was drowning, and she believed in uh that the giving students what they need, not just what curriculum prescribed.
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And that belief gave me the chance to rebuild my confidence.
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So over time, like I has transformed from being bullied and written off, and I went on to start a company to master's degree, and today I'm pursuing my doctorate.
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So what I carry with me is this failure does not define a child's worth.
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So, but the right teacher can.
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So that's that's why as an educator I try to be the teacher who sees potential where others see limit.
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And here I'm gonna give two takeaways for one for student, one for teacher, right?
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So from my this story uh of from like bullet to uh entrepreneur and assistant principal is for teacher students, don't let the inner critic write your story.
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Flush the fear, reset, and keep moving forward, and uh you will be successful one day.
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Believe yourself and don't let others define you.
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Two, the takeaway for teachers for this is be that Mrs.
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Mullett who pulled me up, and your your students sometimes all it takes is one adult belief to silence years of self-doubt.
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So she like you cannot keep on doubting yourself, but if a teacher does believe in you, this it builds up the confidence of that student.
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That's great, Santosh.
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In fact, that kind of echoes what you had uh mentioned.
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Well, when I studied uh some of your uh your writings, you mentioned, and your motto is let's teach our students to be fearless, let's teach them to be brave when confronted with uncertainty, brave when they fail, brave in stopping the bullying, and brave in seeking opportunities to experience things outside of their understanding.
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That's correct.
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So I I really want them to be like uh fearless, pursue what they want in their career, and believe in themselves.
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Right.
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As a teacher, like uh like I'm like in education, I never like dreamt of myself being an educator at that time.
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But yeah, I'm glad.
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Didn't you tell your father?
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Uh I guess he was a university professor in horticulture, that you didn't want to teach, and you point blank said you belonged in the corporate world and not in the classroom.
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So what changed, Santosh?
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Yeah, that's correct.
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Like I've never thought of being in a classroom or an educator.
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So when I graduated from business school, so the first day uh of my graduation, like the day of my graduation, uh, my father said, Oh, what's your next step now?
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Like uh have a job for you uh at one of our business school in uh his university, and they are ready to take you as a like uh uh at that time it used to be like a associate professor.
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And I said, No, like I have not never going to be in education because I have seen my father being in as an educator in university and my father-in-law's university.
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So at that time I was thinking, no, uh, after doing my business school, I want to be in corporate, and uh chalk and board, I thought, no, it's not gonna excite me, uh, but the boardroom is going to excite me, and I belong to the corporate world, not the classroom.
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So going back to that, how it happened was like after working with pharmaceutical company, um, I started my own company at the age of 27, and uh I launched some of the really powerful brands which were selling really good.
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I was into it, but I was I was giving like most of my time to my company, and I will always say that success comes with a cost.
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So I was missing those precious movements.
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My girls were growing up at that time, I was missing uh their birthdays, I was always traveling, and one day I realized that I didn't even recognize one of my family anymore.
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So that was a time for me to take a decision.
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So, in the meantime, my wife she moved to United States for like just like, oh, let's do this for three years, as she is an educator and she got an opportunity to teach in the United States.
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And at that time, I was doing like back and forth, coming here, playing tennis, going back, uh, taking care of my company.
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But uh then I realized, no, uh, I have to be with my family, and I was climbing the ladder of success, but that that that ladder was on the wrong wall because it didn't give me purpose of my life, it didn't give me opportunity to spend uh time with my family.
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But so what happened was I was still like doing back and forth, and my wife said, No, now it's time to be with the family, and teaching was my best bet.
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At that time, I didn't even want to do that.
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So, I'll I'll tell you a story like what happened, and how was I introduced uh to teaching?
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That so I said, Oh, I'll let me give a try.
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So I started as a substitute teacher, and uh what happened was my first day.
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Uh what I was given an opportunity to be in a classroom in an elementary to subteacher.
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So that was my first day ever as a real life substitute teacher.
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Now, since like I knew not nothing new about teaching, I just took some uh tips from my wife who was a teacher for I think at that time 15 years.
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And there was nothing much I knew, like practically what to do.
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So I went into the classroom.
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There was so much I could tell you about that it was absolutely train wrecked that day.
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But let me give you some of the lowlights, let me give you some of the lowlights.
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But so my method for behavior management for that class was that third glade, uh third grade classroom was that I was going to write their names on the board, and surely that would put the fear of God in them.
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But uh so 10 minutes before the lunch, I'm trying to make a big traumatic dramatic point to these kids, like uh how bad their behavior was.
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And uh I was writing their names on the board, and I said, like 10 minutes before the lunch, I said, Let's check.
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So I started counting the name, da da da.
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Like, oh, I and I said, There were 28 of you are going to stuck in here during the recess because you didn't behave well.
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So this little girl in the back of the classroom, she raised her hand and said, Sir, there are only 26 kids in there.
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So only two qualified to go there, and everybody else was there.
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So it was it was like uh absolutely a mess, and I did all the stupid stuff like that all day long.
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It was a master's workshop in how not to lead a classroom.
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So finally we get through the day, the bell rings, and the kids are walking out, and this little girl said, Mister, I really liked you.
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Would you be my teacher tomorrow?
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And I said, Yeah, I said I didn't do much, and I I was like, I was like, oh, but something I did was I tried to make connections.
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I went down to the third grade, I was talking to them like that, and that day I learned that if I become a teacher, the first thing is make connections.
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So the first assignment was, yeah, the my first assignment went like if I chose to be a teacher, was uh teaching biology in high school, and I went home, like uh that day I from middle school, I went home.
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I thought uh maybe I can be because students they like me.
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And I I went back home, my wife motivated me to apply for one of the IB uh biology teaching position at high school, and I I got that.
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So from not being like having a thought of not being in a uh classroom to being uh teacher of the year, uh I it it's it's the story that how I became a teacher.
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That's amazing.
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I'm sure it's very humbling uh for you to retell that story again.
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And that leads me to my next question, uh Santosh.
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You know, as an educator, you see students at a pivotal age still trying to figure out who they are, based again from your experiences as well.
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So, how do you help them tap into their inner spirit, you know, build their self-awareness, or even practice gratitude in a way that sticks beyond the classroom?
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Oh, that's a great question.
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So, you know, teaching in high school is a challenge in the best way, and it keeps me on my toes, like it used to now.
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I I'm saying like uh because now I'm at the middle school, but it keeps me on, it used to keep me on my toes because the students are at that that, as you said, like the paddle stage, but still shaping their sense of identity and direction.
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And I try to keep them tap into their inner inner spirit and build a self-awareness, and by giving them opportunity to reflect on who they are and what they want to become.
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So I always uh tell the teachers, like if they say how to become an effective teacher, I tell them connect with them and tell like life stories and give them opportunities to reflect on themselves.
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So again, I I learned this from so I'm sorry, you encourage this teacher, you encourage the teachers to open up about their life experiences so that the students could relate better?
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Correct.
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So, like how I had a like uh pharmaceutical background, so I was teaching biology.
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Now I try to connect the things with the real life.
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So I used to make like case studies uh based upon my experience in pharmaceuticals and connect it with the real like life with the content so they can relate well.
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So yeah, and that I learned like again from my story.
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Like I I because I prepare before the lesson, and I went into uh one day I went into the classroom and I was teaching, and I saw, like, oh, there was a complete silence.
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I thought something is not good.
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I said, I said, everything, everyone okay?
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Nobody spoke that, and I went back to teaching.
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Then I said, um, again there was a silence, no response.
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I so I thought like something is wrong.
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I I I asked them again, everyone okay?
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So I again see a hand at the back.
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Uh a girl said, Oh, mister, we we learned this yes yesterday.
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So I was teaching the same lesson which I did yesterday.
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I said, Oh, I don't have a lesson, I already did it.
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So, what to do now?
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I said, like, okay, uh, let's do this.
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Uh, can you like tell me what you didn't understand?
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There was a complete silence, and then I thought, okay, uh, let's do this.
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You can ask any question.
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So there was again a silence because then a hand raised.
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So he asked, like, Mister, uh, are you married?
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And then I uh I started my life story.
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I experienced them, how I started my company, and so they were quite motivated.
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They started asking, How can I be an entrepreneur?
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And I related to my life story and the real story, and they they were quite motivated that oh, okay, we're gonna start a business, and uh you are going to be my mentor.
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So the whole story is, and one of the again the students said, Oh, this was the best lesson you taught, Mr., because I connected everything to the life uh and real world.
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So that day I thought, Oh, why not to connect everything to the real story and the content?
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That's beautiful.
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I think uh, you know, a lot more not even teachers, but everyone in general, right?
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I mean, everyone has a life story, everyone has vulnerabilities, everyone has insecurities.
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That if they perhaps open up to the right individual, that uh good things will come out of it.
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And again, that's what the main theme of this podcast is, is is you know, it's it's it's overcoming it's uh it's resilience, right?
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It's it's gratitude, it's strength, it's all these things that you just uh mentioned that hopefully uh people a person could be inspired, become become educated, look who I'm talking to, um, as well as just rediscover something about themselves.
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And so I think that's a really powerful uh statement that you made about opening up to others and and being vulnerable, showing that kindness and empathy that's going to come back to you.
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So that's what uh what I took out of took out of it.
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I'm sure that's what that's what's something the students uh had taught you as well then.
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Right.
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And like talking about the gratitude, like you weave in the moments of gratitude, whether it's acknowledging each other's effort during a small group work or what they're doing, or share something positive about their day.
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So those small practices help the student to recognize their own strength and importance of appreciating others.
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So, what does social media come into this?
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Does it help or hurt?
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So I will say like how you use the social media depends.
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Like you can see, like there are so many things going on with the cyberbullying on the social media, but again, connecting to something which is giving you a positive thing because you now as an educator, also I learned so many things on a social media.
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Like I'm connected to so many uh groups of assistant principal or teachers, so you learn um too.
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And as a student, um, there are tons and plethora of like knowledge which is in there.
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So, again, I will say how you use that uh social media depends upon that.
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But it's hard for kids to learn what that balance is, though.
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And that could get and that could spin out of control.
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And we as an educator need to tell them, like it's it's about educating them about the social media, how to use them.
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Uh, because there is Is it the educators' responsibility or the parents?
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So again, I will tell, like, uh, we work as a team.
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I always tell the uh parents, like we work as a team because parents do have an influence, but that kid is with me for seven hours.
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Like, so he he he's or she is spending more hours than with the parents and spending more time, so it's it's a team, like uh, and the parents have to supplement that effort of us to educate them about anything.
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It can be like about good things, good behavior, or social media.
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Got it.
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No, that's that that's a well thought out answer, which I really didn't realize that you're right.
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A student does have you or any other teacher for seven hours, they see more of that teacher during the during their waking day, during during their parents or their family home life.
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That's uh that's a great point that that you mentioned.
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And um shifting gears now to your love of tennis.
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Again, you were uh the high school coach uh for the ladies at Nogales High School.
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And uh how many years did you did you coach?
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So I coached for like six years.
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And in tennis, uh Santosh, you're constantly battling, I guess, again, when as as a tennis athlete, you're constantly battling your own mind, that monkey mind, so to speak, more than your opponent.
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And how do you help your players or even yourself quiet that inner critic and find their center both on the court and off the court?
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And it kind of goes back to what you had mentioned earlier about that self-awareness and that self-esteem.
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So, first I will say tennis is life.
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So uh for my uh athletes, doors who are playing, they will take that like they are going to do tennis for their whole life.
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And you're right, the biggest opponent when you're playing is often your mind.
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So I'll always tell them if you believe you can, you're right, and if you can believe you cannot, you're even right.
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So it's your mind who controls your performance on the code, and I I chatter off the self-doubt of overthinking is normal, but it does not have to control you.
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So we've used to work on breathing routines before serving, like I'll say, okay, breathing before serving, visualizing success.
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That um, and I used to tell them, like, uh, there is always a restroom in the house to flush everything you don't need it.
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So when you're playing, you lost the point, flush that point, don't carry over to the next point you're playing.
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So you're focusing on one point at a time, and focusing on one point at a time to quite the critique that which arises as a like a noise in your mind, and those some skill tra that that's a really important, and they it really helped them to uh because always is self-doubt, and you always say, Oh, I lost this point, it lowers your confidence and it affects your next point.
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You sound like Novak Djokovic.
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Oh that I even uh if I can sound like one percent, yeah, of that.
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Oh well, Santhurs, this was an incredible segment.
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Thank you for sharing again your experiences as an educator, uh, the childhood, I'll just say trauma that you experienced uh being bullied, but how you overcame that uh through the through your middle school school teacher.
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I really appreciated what you shared about what uh the students had taught you as you are there as an educator to be to be an inspiration to these kids that hopefully, you know, because it all comes down to being the best version of ourselves, and how do we do that within our environments, in our schools, in our communities?
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You know, how do we become a better leader?
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How do we become a better friend to one another?
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And I think certainly uh, you know, in citizens, I happen to know assistant principal Santosh Kamadi, he's a dear friend of mine, but I really wanted to have him on the podcast because as an educator, he's very influential in how he and his team, team there, uh, can help shape the lives of young men and women for them to be the best version of they are in whatever field or whatever endeavor that they choose uh to succeed in life.
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So uh Santosh, I will leave the final word to you.
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Is there anything that I missed uh in this conversation that you would like to share to the audience uh that's listening?
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So thank you so much, Yogesh, for giving me this platform to uh talk and share my experience.
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So uh before we go, I'll tell two things, like always tell about takeaway for the students is success is not just about titles or money, like I'm telling you from my experience, it's about staying true to your values and finding the meaning in your work, the purpose of your life, which I I found mine, that is being an educator.
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And the takeaway for the teachers is sometimes students discover their calling in an unexpected ways, and our job as an educator is to guide them with empathy, they can see it too.
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And then it can make them successful, not as a student, but as a person in life.
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Well stated.
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Thank you, Santosh.
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Appreciate you being on the podcast.
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Take care.
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Thank you.
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It was my pleasure.
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Yogesh, bye.
