Keystone Magazine Keystone Magazine 5th EN | Page 51

Teacher Profile
A gap year in India between his undergraduate and postgraduate years presented Vivek Bammi
with an opportunity to teach for a semester at his alumni school – The Doon School. This first stint
led to the making of a great teacher because, as Dr. Bammi says about choosing a profession, “It was
almost as if my experiences chose my path for me.” With a first degree in History from St. Stephen’s
College in New Delhi, he went on to do two Masters degrees – the first in Mass Communications
from the University of Pennsylvania and the second on Social Anthropology from the School of
Oriental and African Studies in London. It was his passion for Asian history and culture and a 25-
year teaching spell in Indonesia that inspired him to complete a second Masters that focused on
people, their lives and why they live it the way they do. Dr. Bammi also holds a doctorate in History
and Curriculum Development from Carnegie-Mellon, University of Pennsylvania. Fortunately for
us, though he has taught undergraduate students he wanted to focus his career on international
school education, which he started at the Kodaikanal International School – the first IB school
in India and third in Asia – as a History teacher. Over the years he also began teaching and, later,
examining the IB’s signature high school mandatory course called Theory of Knowledge. It is his
zeal for international education, and love for Chinese history and culture that drew him to Keystone
Academy. Over 30 years now, and he has not looked back except with fond and happy memories.
N
ir vana has both sp ir itual and
intellectual dimensions. It comes
from the Sanskrit word nirvā, in
which nis means out and vā means to blow,
together meaning ‘be extinguished,’ ergo the
pursuit of achieving transcendental freedom
from oneself. It carries infinitude of import
and value that it almost seems to cease to
exist merely as a word, and enters a perpetual
state of living beyond just living; it is a state
of happiness that may seem elusive to many.
But perhaps it is not elusive for some. It takes a
particular kind of person, and definitely a very
particular kind of teacher, to achieve this state
of being. Well, at least middle and high school
Humanities teacher, Vivek Bammi is close.
“Vivek once told me, “I am just a happy
person. I was happy since I was born!”
remembers middle and high school English
teacher Chelsea Prehn, adding , “After
knowing Vivek for a couple of years now,
I can say that his relentless optimism and
humor certainly are his hallmarks. No matter
the situation, Vivek is always there ready with
a happy or affirming perspective.” A happy
demeanor with a smile to brighten any day is
one that stands out for anyone who has met
Dr. Bammi. This International Baccalaureate
(IB) teacher with over three decades of
experience in a few Asian countries says
that his inspiration comes from the eastern
philosophies rooted in the concept of the
“non-self.” In his understanding, it is when
photos: Vivek Bammi
www.keystoneacademy.cn
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