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Stories of Indian Classrooms

Torchbearer of Equality: Story of a Teacher from Delhi

Vijay Mourya teaches class 8th to class 10th in a school of Delhi. He has a unique way of teaching concepts through the Mind Mapping method where he introduces any topic by drawing maps to teach the basic concepts. First write the main topic, then make the branches such as its types, properties, importance etc.

Let’s get to know his ways of teaching a little more!

What motivated you to become a teacher?

It was my dream to become a teacher as a child. I was very much interested in studies and teaching from my childhood days. When some of my teachers were teaching, certain students were unable to grasp it properly. I always tried to educate my children in such a way that every child with different learning levels would understand.

What is your best memory so far as a teacher?

As a teacher, there are several memories associated with students. When I heard from some of the parents of the students that their child wasn't doing well in school previously, some of our sayings had a positive impact on them. My main subject is Mathematics but I usually like to talk about any significant event of my life that would teach something to students. I also discuss science, General Knowledge or anything else linked to facts to make them aware of all of it. We had no idea that children also shared their stories with their parents. So, parents have informed us that they like this technique, and they enjoy it when their children share such things. I constantly try to make each day better than the others. One thing I'll never forget is that on Teachers' Day, students organized a modest program for us and showed us a lot of respect.

How has Gurushala helped you in your journey as a teacher?

I was invited to one of the Gurushala events. Since then, I've been in contact with Gurushala for the past five years. Gurushala has been really beneficial to me. Even before the pandemic, they were teaching us about technology. Gurushala taught me how to turn the lecture approach into a visual one. All thisl benefited me during lockdown more than other teachers because we've been doing it for a long time. I like their webinars as they cover many significant issues such as new education policies, teaching strategies for children, and so on.

What according to you is a 21st Century Teacher?

In this day and age of social media, I believe the gap between a teacher-student relationship has decreased. Teachers must maintain a balance between their personal lives. Students today are so advanced, their questions have also evolved. So, this also puts teachers in a position where they can explore knowing about the latest technology. My motto in life as a teacher is that every student should be well educated and they learn more things by understanding it clearly first.

How do you wish to bring change in society?

A teacher should always treat all students equally no matter how different each student is. Even the student with the lowest learning level may learn and grow if given the right amount of attention. They should inspire these students.As teachers, we should never presume about a student's mindset. If one is not willing to learn, a teacher should try new strategies. So, I think this should be changed and teachers should always treat every student equally. Many talk about this but very few actually follow.

I've seen during my career that if we ask students why they should study, they usually say it's to make money. However, no one teaches us in school how to earn money, how to deal with failures, or how to deal with unfortunate circumstances. So, many things have been introduced to our new education policy and I believe students will benefit from it. Finally, I will add that we should always attempt to enhance our everyday lives. So, rather than putting all of one's efforts into making one day excellent or better, we should understand that there will always be good days, good weeks, good years, and good lives.

Such stories are the ones that teach us more about life than anything else. Such is the magic of these inspiring stories of inspiring teachers from the Indian Classrooms. Stay tuned to the series ‘Stories of Indian Classroom’ to know more such stories.

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