Her Story
About Anita
20 years as a Texas educator in SBISD, she started her journey of an educator as a Health Fitness Assistant for first two years. At this time, she pursued another bachelor’s in science from University of Houston – Downtown and later to become a Texas Certified teacher from Region IV. She began her teaching as a fourth-grade teacher and has been teaching fourth grade for past 18 years in SBISD. She earned an accolade as Buffalo Creek Elementary Campus Teacher of the Year in 2017. This accolade gave her another opportunity to serve the district on a Teacher Advisory Committee and be a liaison for the teachers and staff on campus and district superintendent.
Anita's belief every child learns just not the same way led her to a training to become a Vanguard teacher in 2020. She learned different ways to create academically engaging learning experiences by implementing blended learning and personalized learning model and making it relatable to the world outside classroom. She foster students’ creativity, curiosity, kindness, and empathy in this learning environment. She also completed SBISD Certified Vanguard Teacher and implements Personalized Learning Model in her fourth-grade classroom at Nottingham Elementary. She earned another accolade as Nottingham Elementary Campus Teacher of the year in 2025. Anita's work in the education industry got her as one of the finalist at the district level. This accolade gave her another opportunity to serve the district on a Teacher Advisory Committee and be a liaison for the teachers and staff on campus and district superintendent.
Originally from India, Anita moved to the United States in 1995 after her wedding and has a strong lineage of educators in the family. Committed to sharing her passion of teaching and working with children, she instructs students in India during her summer break from Unites States school. These Indian students are on spectrum and do not have access to the mainstream Indian educational system.
Before being an educator She also worked as a Software Developer and a Business Development Manager for an Indian Machine Tool Industry.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Anita
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have a lineage of teachers from my mom's side. I met amazing mentors - my assistant principal, my partner teacher, amazing people, and some counselors who have guided me to be a competitive educator. They were ready to take risk along with me as I implemented lessons and activities in my classroom. I believe that team work is crucial in the field of education as every student learns differently. The most important partnership besides student and teacher is with the parent. They are the first educator in every students life and the values they instill play a major role in their child's educational journey.
The teamwork between parents and me, or the families and me is crucial , because I do have a couple of families where grandparents got involved in the projects that students were working on. This collaboration gave an opportunity for the family to get involved in their child's learning. It truly takes a village to build one character, and it truly takes a village to build a teacher as well. The other part of the partnership is with my students, I always ask my students for feedback. Anytime you finish a project, anytime we finish some learning, I have given my students that autonomy that they need to give me feedback. What did they think about my teaching? How can I make it better? What can I do to make it better? Their ownership is amazing. And they are true - they will never say anything that is not true. Whatever comes to their heart, they will just say it out.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Go with the flow and live in the moment. That's one thing I have heard a lot from my mentors. They told me to listen to my kids about their thoughts about learning content areas, their interest as I collect subject area student performance data. Then meet them at their level and guide them to achieve the grade level content goal and social behavioral goal.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Live in the moment!
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Technology advancement is a challenge as the newer generation works differently. We have to explicitly educate students and parents the role of technology as a tool in the education environment and not as an entertainment.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Every person we meet has something to offer to make us a better person than who I am.
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