During the pandemic, teachers at Apeejay School, Model Town have put all their energy into make learning easy and fun: Dr Monisha Basson

Dr Monisha Basson is a gynaecologist while her husband Dr. Vikram Basson is a physician. Both are co-owners of Vikram Hospital in Jalandhar. They are also proud parents of Aaditya Vikram Singh and Arjun Vikram Singh. The duo studies in Apeejay School, Model Town, Jalandhar. Aaditya is in class 7 and Arjun is in class 4. In an interview, she explains how teachers at Apeejay are doing all they can to help students realise their full potential.

What made you go with Apeejay?
Since I was born and brought up in Jalandhar I knew that Apeejay is one of the best schools in the city. It gives equal importance to academics and extra-curricular activities. The emphasis is on grooming children in all aspects of life. One of my colleagues also recommended Apeejay to me. So, we were fully assured that Apeejay is the best school for our kids. Hence, both of my children are studying in Apeejay since Nursery.

How have your children benefited from their school?
At the beginning of their school journey, both of my children were shy and reserved, but over time, I have seen their confidence reach new heights. For instance, for the last couple of years, Aaditya has been participating in every extra-curricular activity. Now, he performs on stage with self-assurance and poise. I don’t want my children to be bookworms; they should have all-round development. I would like to thank the teachers for bringing out my children out of their shells.

Are you satisfied with the online teaching that’s being imparted?
During the pandemic, teachers have put all their energy into make learning easy and fun. The online classes are engaging and students are encouraged to get their doubts cleared. I have never seen teachers losing their cool while dealing with difficult students. They are always polite. To enhance the speaking skills of students, children are encouraged to raise their doubts and share ideas in English. If some of the students struggle to converse in English, teachers help them in every way to boost their confidence and clear their doubts. I am saying all this because I have closely observed the functioning of online classes. They are also making full use of online learning tools such as Moodle and uploading all study material on it.
For young children, they are using art-integrated projects to make learning fun and engaging. Teachers also share valuable tips with students to ace the exams. For example, Aaditya’s Maths teacher advised him to practice Maths for half-an-hour every day so that he doesn’t panic on the big occasion. Another thing I like about teachers is that after a topic is explained, they take a small test to see whether everyone has understood what’s being taught or not. They even split the test i.e. students are allowed to answer questions in two days. This ensures that students don’t feel burdened and get overawed by exams.

Share with us a few memorable moments.
Around International Day of Yoga, Aaditya had to do 10 sets of Surya Namaskar and make a video of it. The school also allowed family members to be included in the video. I watched a lot of videos on ‘How to do Surya Namaskar’ and then asked my children to perform them. It took more than 50 takes to get the video right (laughs). Aaditya and Arjun thoroughly enjoyed the whole process. I also felt proud when, on Sports Day, Aaditya stood first in all the categories.

“Due to online classes, I have seen teachers giving personal attention to weak students and encouraging them to speak more. It’s not as if only a few bright students in the class get to answer questions and raise queries. Teachers keep a hawk-eye on every student. If a student has switched-off his camera, the parents of the erring student are immediately informed about the same.”

-Dr. Monisha Basson