Know Your Teacher: ‘Be like a pencil; ready for painful sharpening to be a better person’

Sapna Sondhi, an English teacher at Apeejay School, Pitampura has done her MA (English), MEd and a certified course in networking from NIIT. Not only this, but she has two certified courses from QCI-Preparing Schools for Accreditation and Accreditation Examiner under her belt.

In a candid interview, she talks about how she motivates students to perform better.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I have been teaching for almost 16 years now. The ability to identify the calibre, and mould the future of an individual, and the motivation to always keep learning from the younger generation inspires me. It keeps me young at heart and inspires me to keep improving.

How has classroom teaching changed over the years, especially post-Covid?

There has been a paradigm shift in classroom teaching, especially post-Covid. It has become more challenging. With the National Education Policy 2020, there has been an emphasis on learning 21 Century skills now. There is a constant demand for using different teaching strategies to make the lessons and learning interesting. Art Integration has come up as a wonderful tool to help understand the concepts better. The hybrid mode is very helpful as the teachers are always connected to the students. Above all, there is a lot of stress on inculcating values in students.

 The gist of the paradigm shift in teaching is, ‘Change is the only Constant’. One needs to keep learning and adapting new strategies to make the students gain knowledge because the information is easily accessible; students don’t need information, they need to gain knowledge.

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“The gist of the paradigm shift in teaching is, ‘Change is the only Constant’. One needs to keep learning and adapting new strategies to make the students gain knowledge because the information is easily accessible; students don’t need information, they need to gain knowledge”

-Sapna Sondhi, English teacher at Apeejay School, Pitampura

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What are some of the things that keep you going as a teacher?

The thought of being in the company of young minds is challenging. This challenge along with the love and affection I get as a teacher and when your students come back to tell you, ‘Ma’am, you made a difference in my life’, keeps me going.

How has your journey been thus far?

The journey so far has been remarkable. I have been a part of the success, joys, and sorrows of so many students. I have seen them bloom from a bud to a beautiful flower. I have seen them falter, make mistakes, grow, and mature. I have tried my best to be a role model for them. I have failed many times but succeeded sometimes. One thing that I have not done is — give up trying.

How do you motivate students to perform better?

I motivate them by trying my best to be a role model. Practice what you preach, is my mantra. I am generous with praise and also with constructive criticism about a particular performance. I try to link my lessons to real-life examples. I also make sure I am a learner always and try to learn from the young minds who surround me.

How do you keep your students engaged?

It is important to introduce them to stories from real life. Have brainstorming sessions with the students and have sparking discussions. Taking feedback on the teaching strategy that I use keeps the students engaged.

A message for the students.

Be like a pencil and do these five things:
1. Let somebody hold you and you will be able to do great things.
2. Be ready for painful sharpening to be a better person.
3. You can erase what you wrote and correct the mistakes you made.
4. The most important part is inside you, which will shape you.
5. Always leave a mark like a pencil.