Behind every confident learner is an educator who notices, listens, adapts and believes. The Pathmakers honours the facilitators who bring the 21K School learning experience to life every day—across cities, countries and screens.
This series captures the professional journeys and classroom practices of educators working in a digital-first, learner-centred environment. Their stories show that exceptional teaching is not defined by place. It is shaped by expertise, empathy, creativity and the ability to build meaningful human connection.
More than subject experts
The facilitators featured in Volume 1 bring decades of collective experience across Indian and international curricula. Their stories include:
Amandeep Kaur Sodhi, who transformed frequent relocations into a purposeful and enduring online teaching journey.
Ekta Sarmalkar, who combines early-years expertise, instructional design and learner-centred practice.
Savitha N, recognised for innovative teaching and the thoughtful integration of digital pedagogy.
Uma Venkataraman, who brings 25 years of experience to History, debate, Model United Nations and global citizenship.
Across the collection, facilitators share how they create inclusive classrooms, use technology with intention, support learner wellbeing and make space for curiosity and independent thinking. These are not simply stories about teaching online; they are stories about helping learners feel seen, capable and ready to grow.
Pathmakers extract vol 1
21 concise stories drawn from The Pathmakers, Volume 1. Each extract captures a facilitator’s journey, contribution and distinctive approach to learning.
Amandeep Kaur Sodhi
Secondary School Facilitator - Mathematics
Amandeep combined doctoral study and experience across IB, IGCSE, CBSE and ICSE with a life shaped by frequent Air Force postings. Online teaching allowed her to turn adaptability into a stable, purposeful classroom practice.
Beena Vijji
Primary Facilitator - English
Beena moved from corporate communication into education and spent 13 years as an English facilitator, subject coordinator and class representative. She now builds inclusive online classrooms around curiosity, empathy and clear communication.
Ekta Om Sarmalkar
Home Room Facilitator
Ekta learned to recognise emotion, build trust and make every learner feel visible through a screen. Her virtual classrooms connect children across locations through stories, celebrations, projects and shared curiosity.
Indu Chaturvedi
Indu’s literary upbringing led to 29 years of language teaching and leadership as Head of Indian Languages at Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya. Board results, national recognition and a lifelong love of Sanskrit and Hindi define her work.
Khushboo Agarwal
Pre-Primary Facilitator
Khushboo returned from a career pause to find renewed purpose as an early-years facilitator. Drawing on her doctorate, counselling credentials and published research, she nurtures kindness, confidence and practical life skills.
Kritika Sharma
Primary Facilitator
Kritika rebuilt her teaching career after the pandemic left her unemployed as a single parent. Moving from teaching CA learners to Grade 2, she transformed personal resilience into joyful, story-led learning for young children.
Laeeqa Khan
Language Facilitator - Urdu
Laeeqa discovered that an online Urdu classroom could protect dignity and create belonging for learners facing visible and invisible challenges. Her practice begins with empathy, patient observation and making every child feel safe enough to learn.
Madhuri Yadav
Language Facilitator-Hindi
Madhuri’s experience across CBSE, IGCSE and IB classrooms taught her to adapt to different learners rather than teach from a script. At 21K School, she found the flexibility to combine personalised teaching with professional and personal balance.
Manju Navani
Senior Secondary School Facilitator - Accountancy
Manju brings experience as an accounting facilitator, special educator, assessor and education researcher to Cambridge and Pearson learners. She uses technology as a bridge for inclusion, ensuring that every learner can be seen, heard and supported.
Mary Sebastian
Language Facilitator-ESOL
Mary’s 34-year journey has taken her from Delhi classrooms to schools and universities in the Middle East. Her approach places human connection before content, using literature, global citizenship and encouragement to help learners find their voice.
Maureen Blossom
Senior Secondary School Facilitator - Science and Technology
Maureen progressed from science teacher to principal, leading a rural school that consistently achieved centum results in Grades 10 and 12. She now blends academic leadership, personalised instruction and technology to build confidence and curiosity.
Nithiyalakshmi Sudhakaran
Middle School Facilitator - Computational Thinking
Nithiyalakshmi moved from software engineering into coding and soft-skills education while building a career compatible with family life. As a Google Certified Educator, she turns coding errors into opportunities for resilience, creativity and growth.
Prabha Nandakumar
HOD - Regional Language
Prabha responded to an initial rejection from 21K School by learning, persisting and successfully reapplying eight months later. She now makes Tamil accessible through bilingual strategies, interactive activities and a strong growth mindset.
Sajitha Menon
Middle School Facilitator - Mathematics
Sajitha brings more than two decades of mathematics teaching across schools and locations in India. Her online classes connect mathematical ideas with everyday life while beginning with each learner’s mood, questions and confidence.
Sandhya Vinoj
Senior Secondary School Facilitator - Social Science
Sandhya’s journey from Ooty through varied school environments shaped an adaptable and reflective teaching philosophy. She combines inquiry, technology and emotional intelligence to prepare learners for life rather than examinations alone.
Savitha N
Primary Facilitator - Science
Savitha returned to education after bereavement, motherhood and relocation had interrupted a career she deeply valued. Her work integrates Habits of Mind, visible-thinking routines and digital pedagogy, earning recognition for innovation and commitment.
Shilpa Sharma
Pre-Primary Facilitator
Shilpa brought more than 13 years of early-years experience from physical classrooms into online learning as a founding facilitator. Compassion, play and personalised attention help her create energetic virtual spaces where young learners can spread their wings.
Shubhada S. Parte
Senior Secondary School Facilitator - Hindi
Shubhada teaches Hindi to globally distributed Cambridge learners and creates debates, quizzes, storytelling activities and specialised learning books. She has also led assemblies, orientations and learner-council events while sustaining strong academic outcomes.
Sushma Rani
Secondary School Facilitator - Business Studies
Sushma brings more than 28 years of offline and online teaching experience to student-centred virtual classrooms. Digital tools and collaboration help her strengthen learners’ confidence, communication and independent learning habits.
Sohini Roy Biswas
Senior Secondary School Facilitator - English
Sohini is an award-winning senior-school English facilitator, curriculum designer, SEL practitioner and educator mentor. She combines language learning, soft skills and collaborative programmes to create engaged, high-impact virtual classrooms.
Uma Venkataraman
Senior Secondary School Facilitator - History
Uma brings 25 years of high-school teaching and Cambridge AS & A Level History training to her classroom. Through MUN, TED-Ed, debate and SDG initiatives, she connects historical thinking with human rights and global citizenship.
Explore The Pathmakers
Volume 1
Meet the facilitators whose knowledge, adaptability and care shape meaningful learning experiences at 21K School.
Different ambitions. Different journeys. One shared belief: every learner deserves the freedom, support and encouragement to find their path.