First Grade

Meenu Pal

Mrs. Pal comes from a family of educators and has over 25 years of teaching experience to diverse populations of students at varying academic levels. She holds Bachelor Degrees in Education and Science, and a Master Degree in Chemistry.

In her words:

“I started teaching very early because my mother owned a small school in India. I am motivated by a desire to serve and give back to the community by providing the right guidance for young minds so that they are sensitive to the needs of the society and the nation at large -  to perform their duties and responsibilities with a disciplined mind , have empathy, respect and compassion in their hearts and can think critically.

Teaching offers me great pleasure and intrinsic rewards: locking eyes with a student and seeing thoughts being formed, a smile spreading across a face when learning suddenly happens, the excitement in the voice of a child as she retells her experience to others. I take teaching as an art - a creative release. I love teaching as a painter loves to paint. To me, teaching is not about making my students learn, it is about showing them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that is relevant, meaningful and long-lasting. I am passionate about enabling my students to maximize their talents, creativity, skill and character, and thrive on the high level of interpersonal interaction that occurs in, and beyond a classroom.

I first heard about the Novato Charter School from a parent who told me about the philosophies that guide it. I love that knowledge doesn’t come out of books, but out of learning from personal experiences.  Children learn through the contact with nature, with the help of literature and festivals. This makes learning a natural and memorable experience for these young learners.

Novato Charter School gives its students freedom to touch the world with their minds and hearts, and not through their books. After joining Novato Charter School, I have come to greatly love and admire the strong leadership and community spirit.

To me, it appears like a big joint family.”