I Am Ashraf :: Jobs Jobs Jobs
A Better World Ed Story
Welcome to a Better World Ed wordless video, human story, and lesson plan: I Am Ashraf :: Jobs Jobs Jobs.
Let's step into a unique human's mind, heart, perspectives, story, and community. Let's explore self, others, and our world in a humanizing way.
Take a deep breath. Let's get started with I Am Ashraf :: Jobs Jobs Jobs.
Click the "lesson plan" tab if you're looking for ideas on how to engage with this story on your own or in a group. If you're eager to start right away and want to create your own learning guide based on the narrative, click the "story" tab or play the video!
Better World Notes for all of us to remember: this story is an introduction to who this human is. It would take years (even a lifetime!) to wholly understand this person, just like it takes us such a long time to begin to understand ourselves and one another.
As we watch the wordless video, let's suspend judgment and strive to practice curiosity and wonder. Let's recognize bias and challenge our assumptions. Let's explore how we might move beyond these assumptions together in a meaningful way.
As we explore the lesson plan, let's remember these are not instructions. This is a learning guide. You can adapt this for your situation, and reach out to us anytime for ideas, too. You can also follow it step by step, if you'd like. Though we believe learning happens in so many ways, and these lessons can be adapted so beautifully by you(th) to create a magical experience. If we adapt, let's just remember to keep the actual story content authentic. These are real humans we're learning about -- let's stay true to their stories.
As we read the written story, let's remember that this person in the story is not representative of a whole culture or way of life -- better world learning means moving beyond generalizations and simple single stories. More on this in the humanity & belonging unit.
We've got to remember that this person is a unique and whole individual with unique, complex, and beautiful experiences -- just like everyone in our own lives and classrooms! We've got to live with ubuntu.
Judgment and bias are both quick to get and hard to get rid of. And both are really pretty boring.
But curiosity? Curiosity is magical.
Learning? Learning is forever.
Curiosity before judgment.
Wonder beyond words.
More Better World Resources: Looking for a powerful learning guide for empathy and curiosity practice? Here is a version for early childhood learning. Here is a version for self-guided learning at any age. You can use the lesson plan above in the "lesson plan" tab, or you can try one of these lessons that work wonders for any of the stories on Better World Ed.
Looking for a math focused "all stories" learning guide? Or one on deep breathing? On listening to understand? On how to make chai? Head to your Members Hub for more magic !
Math Topic
Place Value
Country
India
Global Topic
Health, Well-Being & Nutrition, Money & Financial Literacy
Math Objectives
Adding 1s and 10s and 100s, Comparing 3-digit numbers, Picture graphs, Subtracting 1s and 10s and 100s
Literacy Topic
Author's Purpose, Comprehension, Communication & Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Evidence Collection, Inferencing
SEL Skill
Addressing Challenges & Community Engagement, Analyzing Situations, Appreciating Diverse Perspectives & Ways Of Life, Empathy, Understanding & Listening, Perspective Taking & Global Awareness, Reflecting Mindfully, Respect for Others & Character Development, Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Social Engagement
Math Grade Level
1st - 3rd
Social Studies
Community Engagement, Culture, Current Events, Ethnography, Geography, Global Connections, Sociology
Science Topics
Biology, Ecosystems
Browse Related Stories
I Am Ashraf :: Jobs Jobs Jobs
A Better World Story
My alarm buzzes. It’s 5am. Time to move. I rub my eyes as I remember that just a few hours ago, I had been zooming through the streets with my friends on our motorbikes. Any tiredness quickly vanishes as I splash water on my face and brush my teeth. By 6:15am I am out the door and back on my bike racing toward the city of Mumbai here in India. I dodge the cars and dart between the rickshaws and bikes and park by the hospital at 8am: just in time for my shift.
As a child I always had a fascination for our bodies and our health. Frequent doctor visits and trips to the hospital heightened my curiosity. While my brothers would turn their heads when an injection was given, I would lean closer with interest. I still remember the day I was taught to check my own pulse. All day my fingers would be pressed on the veins on my wrist, just below my thumb, counting the beats and noticing changes. Nowadays, this is something I do everyday for others. One of the first things I do when we meet a patient is check their pulse to see if the heart is beating and whether it is within the normal range of 60-100 beats per minute.
Have you checked your pulse before? This is a great way for you to learn how fast your heart is beating! You can find your veins and record how many pulses you feel in a minute. Is it within the range of 60-100 beats per minute? How does your heart rate compare with the person sitting next to you? Maybe you can make a picture graph with your whole class!
Despite my fascination with the medical world, my parents pushed me into a career in business. My elder brother had failed biology in school, and they felt business would be an easier option for me. After one year, I quit. I had no passion or interest, and I knew I had to change my path. To my parent’s disappointment, I left business and enrolled in a nursing course. Soon afterwards, I was trained in paramedics. For the last four years I have worked in Mumbai for an ambulance service. Nowadays, my parents could not be more proud.
Has a fear of failure ever stopped you pursuing something you have an interest in? How do we overcome these fears?
I love the thrill of treating patients. The quick decisions that need to be made, the problem solving that’s required, the chaos of the hospital: I enjoy it all. I also get immense satisfaction from knowing that, every day, I am helping to save lives. I cannot think of anything more rewarding to do with my time. Yet, the work can also be very tiring. After starting my shift at 8am, I leave around 8pm and I don’t get home until 9:30pm. This leaves little time to spend with my wife and friends or to do anything else.
A shortage of paramedics is one factor that results in our long hours. There is just too much need and not enough trained paramedics. Is this a challenge where you live? How can we inspire more people to choose a path in paramedics?
While hours are long in most places, they are particularly long and with little compensation here in India. I’ve been looking for other opportunities around the globe, and in a few months I will actually be taking my very first flight and moving to Bahrain. Currently, I work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and receive $300 USD per month. In Bahrain, I will receive about five times as much. I’ll also have my accommodation and a flight home every year paid for by the company. On top of that, I will only work eight hours a day. Currently, I pay $122 USD for rent, $152 USD for food and $30 USD for other expenses, leaving almost no money to save. In Bahrain, I have heard monthly food would only cost about $183 USD, leaving me plenty to save and spend on other things with my new salary.
How do my current expenses compare to my monthly salary of $300? If you add $300 together five times, that is how much I will make in my new job! Can you help me figure out how much it will be, and how much I will save if I only spend money on food?
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