Know Your Teacher: ‘Education is a three-way channel between students, teachers, and parents’

She has been a teacher for 32 years now. And her teaching journey started at a playschool after she completed her MA and BEd. After teaching for one year, she joined as a primary section Hindi teacher at Apeejay School, Saket.

“I have been at Apeejay for just over three decades now. I teach Hindi to primary sections but during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, I even got the opportunity to teach this subject to classes VI and VII. It was a great experience for me,” Bhaskar said.

Excerpts from an interview.

Who was the inspiration behind you becoming a teacher?

My passion for teaching began quite early; I was in school back then. I used to see my teachers, especially my Sanskrit teacher and I wanted to be like her once I grew up. Even when I was in school I loved and thoroughly enjoyed teaching my peers and siblings. I used to play the teacher-student game a lot as a child. All this inspired me to take up teaching as my profession.

What is the toughest aspect of teaching?

The toughest aspect of teaching these days is handling behavioural issues among children in day-to-day teaching. Children are very sensitive. For this, one needs to be in regular touch with the parents to know the children better. Another difficulty is coming up with the expectations of today’s young and working parents. Teaching the same course over and over again and still showing the same enthusiasm is also another challenge. So, we always need to look for new ways to teach.

What is the most rewarding aspect of being a teacher?

Whenever I meet my old students who have achieved great highs in all walks of life I feel proud to be a part of their life as a teacher. This is quite a rewarding moment in any teacher’s life.

How and why did you choose Apeejay to teach?

To be very honest, Apeejay is a brand. It always leaves me with a sense of pride when I mention that I am a teacher at Apeejay School, Saket. I have learnt a lot here and that has helped me better myself over the years. 

How do you motivate students to perform better?

I try to teach in a fun way so that children enjoy the class and get motivated to perform better. Many a time I tell them incidents of the life of great people like APJ Abdul Kalam or Metro Man Sreedharan, to name a few, to inspire them.

---

“I try to teach in a fun way so that children enjoy the class and get motivated to perform better. Many a time I tell them incidents of the life of great people like APJ Abdul Kalam or Metro Man Sreedharan, to name a few, to inspire them”

–Poonam Bhaskar, Primary Section Hindi Teacher, Apeejay School, Saket

---

How to increase parent participation in their child’s education?

Education is a three-way channel between students, teachers, and parents. Without the partnership between teachers and parents, it’s an impossible task to achieve the desired results. Parents must be a part of all activities and learnings in school by volunteering for sessions or even cultural events.

What are some of the ways to make the class interactive?

 Activities that involve teamwork like group activities, play-way method, and class discussions not only enhance the mood of the classroom but result in an interactive session.

 How to communicate and build trust with the students?

I often tell my students about my real-life experiences. This helps them to know me better and in turn trust me. We have to give them an environment where children feel free to talk to their teachers and discuss their problems if they have any.