The Central Board of Secondary Education has selected 39 teachers, including three from Tamil Nadu, for the CBSE Award to Teachers for 2019-20.
Shoba Raman, principal, Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School, Chennai, said she was happy to have been chosen for the award and hoped for more teachers to be inspired.
“As a chemistry teacher, I’ve always focused on making my classes interactive and filled with activities. Through my years as a teacher, I have realised that how students need to learn is what we should base our teaching on. The focus should remain on the student,” said Ms. Raman, who has been teaching for 29 years.
“Students are already under a lot of pressure. The onus is on us to make learning simple, experimental, fun and interesting.”
For Dr. S. Deepa, science teacher at G.K. Shetty Vivekananda Vidyalaya, Ambattur west, teaching is something that she believes will bring about societal transformation. “For me, it is important that I work in tandem with parents, students and all other stakeholders... Teaching should not just be restricted to subjects and marks,” said the teacher, who has 21 years of experience.
‘Comfort level important’
She underscored the need for creating a comfort level in the classroom for students to engage and learn. “For a subject like biology, I ensure that I get the content across in a simple manner. Beyond this, teachers should be approachable and guide students responsibly,” she said.
“My journey has just begun,” said V. Bindhu, 51, principal of Hosur Public School, Karapalli. With a combined Masters in English Literature and Psychology and a Ph.D. in counselling, Dr. Bindhu sees her role of a principal as a pedagogical leader.
Having worked her way up in her 23 years of teaching, she joined the school as its principal.
The award application was a gruelling process that required compilation of all the best practices implemented, the impact made on children, parents and all the stakeholders, including the community as a whole, she said.
She has also been a CBSE resource person for the last 10 years, which means weekend holidays are spent on training teachers and schools in the best practices. “The role of the principal is that of a leader. Children look up to the principal as not just a teacher and a problem-solver but as a counsellor to guide them through emotional issues, a mentor to guide them through career choices,” she said.