Lessons beyond books: Honouring teachers and their unique teaching methods

For centuries, we have had an indigenous education system in Gurukuls, where worldly knowledge and life lessons were imparted at an individual level. Here, a tailor-made approach to education was followed by combining academic learning and personalised guidance. Gurus like Dronacharya, after whom we have a National award, and Shah Waliullah, who advocated for a balanced approach blending Islamic scriptures and scientific studies worked towards holistic growth. This was the norm for decades. In 1835, Lord Macaulay played a pivotal role in the foundation of the modern, English-based education system in India. His Minute on Indian Education urged English language, Western science, and literature to be learnt by the people of the subcontinent they ruled. This move from the British was to supply their Government with English-educated Indian servants. Though the purpose was different, notable figures like Savitribai Phule, the first female teacher in India, Fatima Sheikh, the first Muslim woman teacher, Gijubhai Badheka, who introduced Montessori to the Indian education system, and many others, were pioneers who revolutionised our education system. Post Independence, the approach shifted to interpreting old knowledge and beliefs in the light of new needs and discoveries. From forming committees to understand the needs in education, to framing curricula that are on par with international standards, the Indian education system has evolved from guru-shishya tradition to international boards, blackboard to digital whiteboard, and history to AI. At the heart of all these advancements are teachers who stood rock solid and delivered time and again. This Teachers Day, we celebrate their adaptability to ever-changing technology, its lessons, and recognise their efforts in producing easy and creative methodologies catered to every individual student. Here are four such educators from across Tamil Nadu, who teach subjects the way a child wants to learn. Sumathi Nataraj Graduate teacher (English) Sumathi Nataraj from Tiruppur pursued her education in Tamil medium initially and then moved on to English medium. This shift was significant. But the challenges I faced are vastly different from todays context. Back then, resources were limited to books and teachers, she admits. Taking inspiration from her own difficulties, Sumathi took up a bilingual method of teaching a foreign language. In her classes, she uses Tamil as a medium of instruction to teach English. She notes, This method of teaching would certainly lay a foundation to understand the language. Learning a foreign language through ones mother tongue is like sensing the gentle breeze sitting on the mothers lap. Sumathi follows this method up to the primary level. Once they understand the basics, they would stop translating the thoughts into English; instead, they would only try to imbibe the concept and express themselves in the limited vocabulary, she says. Creating tunes to teach memory poems and using storytelling and mnemonic devices to teach other concepts, as they enhance understanding and retention, are some methods she uses. Aiding her in the journey is the British Councils Action Research Monitoring Scheme (ARMS) programme. Sumathi shares, The programme empowered me to refine language strategies and explore bilingual methods, enhancing my teaching effectiveness. In her view, research-based teaching methods like ARMS and storytelling share a common goal: to make learning engaging and effective. And bilingual instruction has proven effective in illuminating students understanding and boosting their communication and retention, she adds. The ultimate goal of this approach is to empower students with fluency in English and confidence in communication. I firmly believe that bilingual methodology can achieve dual objectives enabling students to express themselves effectively and accurately in diverse contexts, she says. Ibson T Head of school, TIPS Globeducate, Coimbatore Rote learning might get marks, but it doesnt always prepare children for the real world, says Ibson T. Many schools and educators have realised this, and are working towards classrooms where, beyond boards and chalks, the students see colourful charts with illustrations, equipment laid down to understand concepts, and videos viewed to bring lessons alive. Terming this a big shift, Ibson says, I see classrooms becoming more interactive, discussion-driven, and project-based. Students will no longer be passive listeners; in fact, theyll become active contributors. He cites an example where while teaching math, they bring in a real-life budgeting activity. This way, syllabus goals are met, but life skills are built at the same time, adds Ibson. The school follows experiential learning, inquiry-based projects, peer collaboration, and differentiated instruction that make concepts come alive. One of their initiatives is the Well-being Program, which aligns with the institutions core priority of emotional, social, and mental health in their learning programmes. In our first well-being session, Words That Hurt and Words That Heal, students learned through interactive games, videos, and group discussions, the importance of using kind, respectful, and thoughtful language, shares Ibson. The result of the session was that children became noticeably more mindful of their word choices, showing greater empathy toward peers. In his classroom, Ibson also uses role play, visual aids, digital simulations, gamification, and hands-on experiments. For example, teaching fractions through a pizza-making activity is both fun and unforgettable! he notes. This method of learning also lets students respond with curiosity and ownership. Instead of dreading subjects, they get excited about them, he points out. Ibsons message to other teachers would be: Curiosity is contagious; if you model it, students will catch it. Show them that you too, are learning, questioning, and excited about the world. That spark will spread. Induja Arul Private teacher, Cholan Kalvi Koodam, Kumbakonam In class 7, Induja Arul visited nearby schools, made students, along with her cousins, sit in a circle, and taught them English phonics, solved math problems, and explained complicated science concepts. This habit fuelled her to enrol in the governments teacher training course and become a teacher. She worked in a school for a year and eventually quit the job. It is better to work by yourself than to work for a brand. So, I moved out and started my own educational institute, she says. Established in 2010, Cholan Kalvi Koodam has trained more than 7,500 students. Here, she has individualised learning methods for each student. Each student has unique learning capabilities, so I use different Activity-Based Learning (ABL) for each one, she says. For instance, numbers are taught using beads. For Tamil phonics, she uses salt paper and cotton and moulds them into letters. These activities are important because they build a childs foundation. More than memorising, when they learn via touching, seeing and feeling, the remembering capacity is higher, she notes. Once the students are familiarised with the letters, she makes them form words, using the same tools. When she started out teaching in a small blue-painted room with books and charts, blackboard and monitors, and chalks and pencils, she wanted to make the syllabus easy. If not a teacher, I do not know what I would have become, she concludes. R Sheela Teacher for class 1, Government Welfare Primary School, T.Bomminayakkanpatti, Andipatti block, Theni A teacher who is not addressed as maam, miss, or teacher, but as amma. That is what R Sheela is for more than 250 students in her school. My students call me Sheela amma, and I am okay being one, says the teacher at Government Welfare Primary School, Theni. She did not aim to become a teacher, but her family situation turned over and she ended up being one. Known for her special education awareness and remedial teaching methods in the academic circle today, Sheela is recognised as a changemaker who turns classrooms into inclusive spaces of learning and hope. My motto is to turn every classroom into an inclusive one. Just because a kid is autistic or is slow in learning does not mean the student has to bear the mockery by fellow students or sit quietly in a class, she notes. Fun takes precedence in her classroom. Sheela says, My children have lots of fun in my class. They do not even know that I am teaching them a lesson from the book. Most of her classes include everyday occurrences as examples to help kids understand the concepts and how the world works. To teach simple ideas, such as what is hot and cold, she would explain it in 10 different ways. Some of them include A vessel taken out from the refrigerator and removed from the stove, the flask I carry my coffee in, and the water in my water bottle. Sheela says she comes up with these ideas on the spot. Not everyone will learn in the first go, some learn after making the same point again, some after three times, and some after 10. And, I put in the same effort to teach the children the first and the tenth time. My only goal is for the child to remember the concept lifelong, she notes. Beyond books, Sheela teaches her students craft, dance, moral values, safe and unsafe touch, and many more. Because for her, every conversation with every child counts, and the lessons truly matter.