Dr Ruby Bakshi Khurdi is a highly acclaimed Powerful Speaker on Emotional Intelligence and Women Empowerment in the global market. She is the only verified Kahoot educator in Switzerland & popularly known as Kahoot Professor by her students. Her teaching style focuses on gamification and perceptual learning. As an Educationist, she is always looking for creative ways to connect with her students in an actual as well as Virtual Learning Environment!
Dr Ruby’s selfless contributions towards Education & Society have been recognized by the World Book of Records, UK. She has been featured on Cover page of Elite Businesswomen Magazine, The Ambassador, Career Beacon as 50 Elite Exemplary Women, Swiss Star in The Explore Journal & WOW India. She received a standing ovation for her first TEDx talk titled – “Learning Human Values via Emotional Intelligence”. She has also been interviewed on Doordarshan Kashmir, Swiss Radio, Swiss RTS, Local TV channel & various international magazines as a Global inspirational Educationist creating an Impact. She wants to leave a rich legacy in education – she has been working consistently for a few years to make her vision a reality.
In a recent interview with Higher Education Digest Magazine, Dr Ruby sheds light on the biggest challenges faced by teachers today, the unique techniques implemented by her as a Kahoot educator, professional milestones, and a lot more. Following are the excerpts from the interview.
In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing the teaching profession today?
I think the biggest challenge the teaching profession is facing today is to consistently update their teaching skills. The role of efficient teachers is not just limited to delivering lectures and following their syllabus BUT customizing their courses according to their learners needs & demands. Post pandemic, the new normal of education industry is conducting classes in hybrid mode, which is very challenging. Teachers need to follow-up with the latest trends of teaching with technology and also to engage students in the learning process. They need training, they require modern equipment to enhance their skills…it is a big hole in the pocket!
Teachers are expected to do lot of extra things like coaching, mentoring, tutoring, customizing courses, learning innovative methods of teaching, keeping pace with technology etc. but are paid a meagre salary.
How does gamification motivate learners? Tell us about some of the techniques that you implement as a verified Kahoot educator for high learner engagement.
Gamification is an educational approach to motivate learners to learn by using video game design and game elements in learning environments. The goal is to maximize enjoyment and engagement through capturing the interest of learners and inspiring them to continue learning. Today students have a very short span of attention, they get bored easily and do multi-tasking. BUT as an educator if we apply game-like situations for teaching, they become ALERT, they FOCUS more as they want to WIN the healthy competition!
Being a verified Kahoot educator in Switzerland is a big responsibility; the expectations are much more! During my teaching as well as training sessions I employ different creative methods to engage my learners for maximum participation! For me, following techniques have been highly successful:
- Simulations
- Creating Playful barriers
- Role playing
- Using levels
- Checkpoints
- Live Progressions
- Leaderboards
Can you share a moment of professional success that you are particularly proud of?
When I was appointed as the Academic Dean of a prestigious all girls boarding College in Switzerland, I was bit unsure if I could handle this big responsibility! I was the first Indian, under 30 heading the role, I did not have any role models to guide me. Till date, I am super proud of that life changing moment in my career!
Can you tell us about your professional background and areas of interest?
I am frequently invited as Keynote Speaker & for conducting training sessions for teens, adults & industry professionals internationally on Emotional Intelligence, Public Speaking, Leadership & Personality Development.
- Expert Trainer, Swiss Education Group Professional
- Expert Trainer, Swiss Education Academy
I have been teaching Doctorate, Masters & Bachelor students courses related to Human Resource Management, Sales & Marketing, Business Communications, Introduction to Hospitality, Luxury Marketing Communication, Business Ethics, Principles of Management, Performance Management, Aligning HR Policy, Mediation & Workplace Conflict.
- Professor at Hotel Institute Montreux
- Lecturer, American Institute of Applied Sciences in Switzerland
- Lecturer, Sustainability Management School
- Academic Dean, Surval Mont Fleuri Women’s College, Switzerland
- Principal, Mahanagar Girls Inter College, Lucknow, UP, India
- Lecturer, Delhi College of Fashion, IIFT, Lucknow, UP, India
Can you briefly tell us your book, ‘How To Engage Learners In A Virtual Learning Environment? Shift In Paradigm Due To Covid-19’? What was the inspiration behind writing this book?
Becoming a published Author & writing my Book was a beautiful accident that was never planned! But I am happy it happened & today I am a successful author & my book is like a bible for educators, trainers, anyone & everyone who are struggling on virtual network!
During pandemic, when everything came to a standstill; education industry was hugely impacted as the schools & colleges were shut down with immediate effect. Gradually online classes started on various virtual platforms, but it was very difficult for both teachers as well as students. Students were struggling to stay active & pay attention for long hours and for teachers it was a big challenge to keep them motivated & participate during their sessions. I was pursuing PGCERT from University of Derby, UK to update my teaching skills. I started experimenting with different online teaching methodologies and also did brainstorming with other international educators to find out what was working in their classes. Some of my colleagues took a term break as they were uncomfortable teaching & adapting to new methods. Since I had been taking notes practically every day, I ended up writing a book to help all the people across the world who were struggling to conduct virtual classes. My motive was to reach out as many people as possible as we were not sure how long covid will last, or how long classes will be in virtual or hybrid mode.
My book is available in different countries on Amazon.
How was your experience like at your first TEDx talk? Please walk us through the journey.
November 2018 was a game changer for me – Each weekend I was in a different country delivering a keynote! I was invited by H.E. Princess Sabika & His Majesty King Hamad Bin Al-Khalifa of Kingdom of Bahrain to speak at Supreme Council of Women, Second weekend I was at University of WolverHampton, UK speaking at the Music Conference, Third Weekend in Zurich speaking on Emotional Intelligence for Women & Finally at TEDx!
It is like a dream for every speaker to speak at the prestigious TED Platform; you can imagine I was going through a roller coaster of emotions travelling through different countries, different time zones and temperatures! I was so exhausted approaching the final day that I had fever & severe eye infection. I felt I might be disqualified on medical grounds; I was feeling very weak & could literally hear a murmur in my voice while trying to practice. I told my inner self, “You can do it! You are almost there, don’t give up. Just do it!”
I still can’t believe my TEDx talk got a standing ovation! The tag line “EQ over IQ” went viral with the audience! My dramatic entry on the stage with Red Sunglasses became iconic! The rest is history.
What are the most important qualities you think an educator should have?
As an educationist I feel it is very important to be empathetic, passionate, confident and resilient. An educator should focus on time management & keep working consistently. They should try innovative methods of learning & teaching to motivate their students.
You have been a recipient of numerous awards and accolades over the years. What is the secret mantra behind your success?
I am very proud of each & every Award that I have received for my professional & social work. Frankly I never worked for receiving any recognition or awards BUT I worked consistently every day to make myself a better person. I took inspiration from various Global role models to evolve as an individual. My mantra for success – You can do anything if you Believe in yourself & work passionately to achieve your goals. Never say never, just do it!
What are your personal goals in the next 5 years?
Education is the continuous mission of my life! I want to develop my e-learning platform www.rubybakshikhurdi.com I am looking for collaborators who can help me achieve this milestone. I already have two courses available on my website, but I want to learn more. My No.1 personal goal is to nurture a strong brand & educate the world!
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring female professionals?
Dear aspiring professionals, remember there is no magic formula to success, you need to create the magic yourself! Learn from your mistakes, it’s okay to fail, fall and then rise with double energy! No shortcuts please, work hard consistently every single day.