Anjum Ara, a teacher by profession, who successfully led her students into the realms of experiential learning, is setting new standards for teachers. Her innovative work along with her students has already earned commendations from education department as she continues to inspire young children to think innovatively and try and resolve some burning issues that pose severe threat to ecology and environment.
Beginning her teaching career from Government Primary School, Soura which was clubbed with GMS- soura in 2005, she used all her creative skills in order to inspire students to look at the practical challenges in the peripheries and try creating models for resolving the same. She also designed various science models in order to demonstrate rather than lecture upon some topics.
The first appreciation for her work came when the Annual Science Exhibition 2018 was held at DIET Srinagar wherein she displayed the work by her young students on Sewage Treatment Plant and won the first prize at district level. Furthermore she developed many innovative structures in her school including 3D-science lab, Weather Wheel and Bulletin Board etc.
Eventually her hard work was paid off and she was honored with an Award of Excellence in teaching by South Asian Peace Movement.
“The severe environmental problems posed by of the lack of sewage disposal in one of the peripheral areas of Srinagar-ACHAN Pampore- that had led the locals of the area to take onto the streets several times, struck my mind and I began to develop a model on sewage treatment and water purification. The work was challenging and also inspiring and my students were also enthusiastic about it. We worked very hard on the model and got a chance to demonstrate it at the Annual Science Exhibition at DIET Srinagar in march 2018. Thankfully the work won first prize”. Anjum Ara said adding that the project was compiled by the students of middle school when the competition was for high schools and higher secondary levels.
Continuing her excellent work in coordination with the students, Ara went on to work on her next project depicting Srinagar city as a ‘Dream City’. “The then Chief Minister, Late Mufti Mohammad Syed, had already said in the media that making Srinagar City a Dream City was one of his biggest ambitions. Our project was highly appreciated and was recommended for Divisional Level Competition by DSEK”, Ara said.
Ara continued her creative work along with her students and made different working models and 3D- laboratory in the school apart from introducing Bulletin Board for encouraging fluent vocabulary among children at such tender levels.
Stating that she was tremendously inspired by her mother, Ara dedicates her innovative work to her late mother and said that it was her blessings that the light of reason had dawned upon her. She also mentioned her father’s un- conditional support for always being part of her works.
Stating that she was already working on new projects, Ara said that her work could not have been possible without the active support of her colleagues and seniors at the school and also thanked the department for believing in her work.
