It has been a wonderful transformation getting to be on the other side of the table, from being a student to an educator. I believe it is a continuous learning process. I have been fortunate enough to be with great minds. My teachers have shaped me into what I am today. And I have learnt that showing patience with students is the key to be a good educator.
It is enriching to learn every day. The little conversations that I have with my students has helped me build the bond and make an impact on each student. It is a great feeling to see my students succeed, knowing that I have helped the young minds acquire the skills they need for the future.
2. What is your opinion about of the Indian education system and how would you like to change that?
Although the Indian education system produces the best brains, it doesn’t allow much room for innovative thoughts. It emphasizes on competitive spirit, which in my opinion comes with its own good and bad points. It teaches students to unravel their full potential and explore themselves thoroughly but at the same time builds up a lot of stress.
2. What is your opinion about of the Indian education system and how would you like to change that?
Although the Indian education system produces the best brains, it doesn’t allow much room for innovative thoughts. It emphasizes on competitive spirit, which in my opinion comes with its own good and bad points. It teaches students to unravel their full potential and explore themselves thoroughly but at the same time builds up a lot of stress.
Recently with the announcement of New Education Policy, few major reforms have been introduced. I believe there should me more emphasis on creative thinking and skill based learning rather than memorizing and acquiring information.
Knowledge should be clubbed with finances, a student must be able to explore all resources without spending exorbitantly. The education system needs to stop judging the potential and caliber of students merely by the marks and grades they achieve in their examinations.
Practical knowledge should be enhanced and there should be special focus on teaching students how to deal with failures. All in all, learning by doing is the need of the hour. As it is rightly said, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him how to catch a fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
3. What changes in teaching methodologies have you seen in the recent times?
There has been a revolutionary change! The new teaching methodologies have created a better environment for education resulting in better academic performances. The traditional "chalk-talk" method has been replaced by a variety of newer tools for teaching like flipped classrooms, co-operative learning and spaced learning.
3. What changes in teaching methodologies have you seen in the recent times?
There has been a revolutionary change! The new teaching methodologies have created a better environment for education resulting in better academic performances. The traditional "chalk-talk" method has been replaced by a variety of newer tools for teaching like flipped classrooms, co-operative learning and spaced learning.
The teaching on power point presentations has helped in better understanding, visualization of concepts. It helps even the slow learners, as they have the option of going back home and referring the presentations which isn’t the case if students missed noting down few points during the blackboard teaching.
The introduction of smartphones, laptops have enabled the students and teachers to remain connected even after the lecture ends. When our daily lives are empowered by technology, there remains absolutely no reason of it being missing from the teaching-learning process.
4. How does education help one do well in their career?
Education has a pivotal role to play in building a good career for future. The education that one receives helps in imbibing values, principles and qualities that are important for a person to be successful.
4. How does education help one do well in their career?
Education has a pivotal role to play in building a good career for future. The education that one receives helps in imbibing values, principles and qualities that are important for a person to be successful.
Education makes a person confident and competent. Regardless of the place where you are, at what position you are, there is always a scope of improvement, learning and growing. Education is an influential step which keeps a person motivated and help in moving forward.
5. Do you think teaching profession is viewed at par with corporate jobs?
A lot of working professionals are turning to teaching today because of the satisfaction it can offer. It feels great to impart knowledge and shape young minds. From a financial point corporate jobs might be better, but being an educator, I have a thousand lives I am responsible for and this in itself is a reward which not all can have.
6. How can we adopt technology to make teaching more effective?
Technology has made the whole teaching- learning process more effective. It has enabled more active participation of students with better teacher-student interaction. With the growth in technology, the role of students is no longer limited to taking down notes and being fed with information.
5. Do you think teaching profession is viewed at par with corporate jobs?
A lot of working professionals are turning to teaching today because of the satisfaction it can offer. It feels great to impart knowledge and shape young minds. From a financial point corporate jobs might be better, but being an educator, I have a thousand lives I am responsible for and this in itself is a reward which not all can have.
6. How can we adopt technology to make teaching more effective?
Technology has made the whole teaching- learning process more effective. It has enabled more active participation of students with better teacher-student interaction. With the growth in technology, the role of students is no longer limited to taking down notes and being fed with information.
Students can search, research and seek answers to their problems. Technology makes learning fun and enjoyable and it is no longer a burden for students. It helps in improved knowledge retention and also encourages individual learning, as students can learn at their own speed.
Teachers can utilize technology to keep students more engaged. Incorporating short videos helps to take students to a virtual field trip and gives them better insight and understanding of the topic. The grading softwares and online assessment has also helped teachers save a lot of time.
It helps in easy exchange of ideas, knowledge and thoughts. In the today's time of Covid pandemic, teaching has been possible only because of the use of technology. The online platforms like Zoom, Jio meet, Microsoft teams have become an essential tool of our lives.
7. Why India needs more educators like you?
India needs educators who can inspire students and help them explore and unlock their talents. Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms. Students are the torch bearers of a country. We need to instill good human values and prepare the young minds to handle success and face the failures with a stable and composed mind.
7. Why India needs more educators like you?
India needs educators who can inspire students and help them explore and unlock their talents. Destiny of a nation is shaped in its classrooms. Students are the torch bearers of a country. We need to instill good human values and prepare the young minds to handle success and face the failures with a stable and composed mind.
I strongly believe in the "ABCs" i.e. availability, behavior & caliber which defines a good teacher. Also in my opinion a teacher should be a good learner too. There isn’t any age to learn and I don’t shy away from learning new concepts from my students and hearing them out whenever they have confusions.
At the end I would like to quote Swami Vivekanand –
"We want an education by which character is formed,
strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded,
and by which one can stand on one’s own feet"
At the end I would like to quote Swami Vivekanand –
"We want an education by which character is formed,
strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded,
and by which one can stand on one’s own feet"
- Dr. Mrinalini Agarwal
Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontology, Subharti Dental College & Hospital, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut
- Interview by - Sanjana Jain
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