Know Your Teacher: ‘I live my dream when I teach’

Each teacher has their teaching style, methods, and expectations. When students know their teacher, they become familiar with their preferred approaches and instructional strategies. This knowledge helps students understand how to best engage with the material and meet the teacher’s expectations, leading to improved academic performance.

When students know their teacher, they are more likely to approach them for assistance and guidance. Whether it’s academic support, clarifying doubts, or seeking advice on future goals, a strong teacher-student relationship facilitates open communication and encourages students to seek the help they need. And when it comes to a subject like Chemistry, it becomes even more important for students to know their teacher.

Let’s meet Neetu Negi, PGT Chemistry at Apeejay School, Kharghar. Her professional journey began right after she completed her BEd. “I have done my master’s in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Mumbai and BEd. with Science and Math as my special methods. I was appointed as a Chemistry teacher for classes XI and XII and as an Applied Chemistry teacher for degree students in the same institute where I completed my B.Sc.,” said Negi, who teaches classes X to XII.

Excerpts from the interview.

What inspired you to teach?

My source of inspiration to pursue teaching as a career has always been my teachers. It is because of my teachers that I realised the impact a dedicated teacher can have on a student’s life.

How has your journey been so far?

My journey has been great thus far. Teaching as a career was always what I wanted. Hence, I can say that I am living my dream. But I still have a long way to go. My goal is for every student I teach to love Chemistry as a subject.

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  The reward is that teaching is a complete package of all human aspirations. We don so many hats at different times during the day. You can be a counselor one minute, and a mother in the next minute. You are a disciplinarian in the class and a source of information and knowledge for your students

–Neetu Negi, PGT Chemistry at Apeejay School, Kharghar

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What is the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

The reward is that teaching is a complete package of all human aspirations. We don so many hats at different times during the day. You can be a counselor one minute, and a mother in the next minute. You are a disciplinarian in the class and a source of information and knowledge for your students.

How and why did you choose Apeejay?

Getting an opportunity to be a teacher at Apeejay was a dream come true moment for me. This dream goes back a long way, to when I was a student in class VIII. Studying at Apeejay School was on the wish list of every student, including myself, back then. I always wanted to have a productive approach to my teaching. When I came across an advertisement in a newspaper for the vacancy of a Chemistry teacher at Apeejay School, Kharghar, I immediately applied. I appeared for the interview and got selected in 2019. Teaching at a school like Apeejay, which has great brand value, is a matter of pride for any teacher.

How do you make teaching interactive?

Class interaction depends on the questions imposed on the students. We just need to set the ease and difficulty levels. Once the step-wise sequence is ready with the teacher, it becomes easy to make every student contribute. Taking students to the lab to demonstrate experiments or giving them first-hand experience develops a keen interest in the subject. Using multimedia and quiz sessions can also contribute immensely to making the class interactive.

How do you stay motivated?

The trust that my students have in me keeps me motivated. Meditation is part of my routine. Investing 20-30 minutes daily helps me focus my energies in the right direction and keeps me going. I love my subject — Chemistry — and teaching is my passion. The positive approach of the principal ma’am and coordinator ma’am also keeps me motivated to strive for excellence and positivity in every given situation.