My father is my inspiration to be a teacher!

Mr. Prashant Kumar
Teacher, K V Tenga Valley

Interviewing Mr. Prashant Kumar was a learning experience in itself. This young Junior Research Fellowship achiever and a Hindi teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya in Arunachal Pradesh is sure that every attempt he makes towards transforming the education system is yet another step in the right direction. Holding his vision and trusting the process, he intends to do a lot with all his passion and energy by his side.

My inclination towards becoming a teacher became clearer and stronger.

What inspired you to pursue this profession? How long have you known that you wanted to be a teacher?
I got inspired by my father who is a teacher and while I was pursuing my secondary level education, My inclination towards becoming a teacher became clearer and stronger.

What is the best thing about having a career as a teacher?

Being a teacher primarily means two things; getting more experiences in various walks of life and a scope for permanent learning. You tend to constantly rediscover yourself and the world while you are in constant synergy with children who are from a different generation all together.

You tend to constantly rediscover yourself

What interests do you pursue outside the classroom?

I like reading and travelling.

What are some of your personal and professional goals for the future? Please elaborate. 
Being a teacher, I want to establish myself as a perfectionist and to make my subject  easy and interesting among the students.

Discussions lead to better knowledge of the topic.

What are the key challenges that a teacher faces in this age?

• Good command over the subject matter.
• Delivery method of the subject matter.
• Controlling the class room.
• To maintain a rapport with the students. 

Only when teachers fail, tuitions come into the picture.

What is your take on smart classes (the use of smart boards, projectors, video classes etc.)? Is it entirely effective?

Yes, it is effective but not totally. Student-teacher interaction is necessary to embed the lessons into the student’s mind. Discussions lead to better knowledge of the topic.

What is your take on Private Tuitions, which has become so rampant these days? Is it indispensable?

Being a teacher I am extremely against private tuitions because such things are outcome of our irresponsible education system. Only when teachers fail, tuitions come into the picture.

I want to abolish the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE). 

According to you what is the best attribute of the Indian Education System from your perspective (As someone who has been part of it for so many years)?

I think the best thing of the Indian education system is that it believes in providing moral and social education, also does it inculcate cultural and human values.

According to you how has the education system changed over the years, the way you have seen it?
The education system has totally changed over the years. Primarily the system was teacher centred, after that, there was brief period when the system was kind of a co-activity between the teacher and the learner, but nowadays the system is totally student orientated.

teacher is not a machine or just a trainer.

What is that one thing that you would like to change about the system right now?
I want to abolish the Continuous Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE). 

Do you want to share any experience/idea/opinion?
According to me, a teacher is not a machine or just a trainer. So he should be involved in the processes with much more rights, responsibilities and importance.