Meet Ms. Radhika Sharma, a passionate English teacher from Nalanda High School, Gajwel, and one of the winners of the Saathi Star Teacher Awards 2024. Her innovative approach to teaching earned her the title of “Digital Educator,” and in this interview, she shares her journey, challenges, and how Class Saathi has transformed her classroom.

Interviewer: Radhika ma’am, could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: I come from Gajwel, a district in Telangana, and I've been teaching English to students from grades 6 to 9 for the past three years. Teaching for me is more than just imparting knowledge—it's about inspiring students to grow and guiding them to be better human beings. It’s a two-way process, where I learn just as much from my students as they do from me.

Interviewer: What are some challenges you face as a language teacher?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: One of the main challenges I see is that many students excel in writing, but when it comes to speaking, they either shy away or struggle with fluency. Mispronunciations are also common. It’s not just about knowing English, but feeling confident enough to express themselves in it.

Interviewer: How do you address these challenges?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: To tackle this, I’ve introduced E-labs for phonetics. I divide the students into two groups and ask them to stand up and speak about something they learned from their daily lives, in English. This helps them get comfortable with speaking publicly. I also encourage them to use a dictionary to learn five new words every day and apply those in conversations. Gradually, I’ve seen their confidence improve.

Interviewer: What role does Class Saathi play in your teaching?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: Class Saathi has been a game-changer for me. Earlier, after completing a lesson, asking questions directly wasn’t always effective. But running assessments on Class Saathi after finishing a chapter has made learning much more engaging and exciting for my students. They enjoy the interactive quizzes, and the audio feature during assessments has been particularly useful. It improves their listening and comprehension skills, which is so important for language learners.

Interviewer: Can you share a challenging situation from your classroom and how you handled it?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: Oh, absolutely! I have one or two particularly mischievous students in my class. Inspired by an online channel, I decided to approach it differently. I introduced a fun game where I’d say a word, and they had to respond with the opposite. Or, I’d move an object left, and they’d have to move right—simple yet effective activities. This gotthem to be more focused and engaged. Sometimes, I even play videos to keep things light yet educational.

Interviewer: Do you have any advice for your students?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: Yes, absolutely. I want my students to grow up respecting one another, especially seeing the recent events in our country. Respect for the opposite gender is crucial, and I stress this in my classroom. I also tell them not to become robots—learn from life, not just from books.

Interviewer: What’s your advice to fellow teachers?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: As teachers, we are like a second family to our students. We must be supportive and not too strict because students should feel comfortable coming to us with their problems. We need to help them grow in confidence, and that requires patience. In today’s fast-paced world, we must remember that every student learns at their own pace, and we are here to guide them, not rush them.

Interviewer: Finally, what are your thoughts on the future of teaching?

Ms. Radhika Sharma: Teaching is a profession that will never fade away. Unlike other professions that may see reduced demand, teachers will always be needed to guide future generations. It’s a profession full of growth, not just for students but for us as educators as well.

Ms. Radhika Sharma’s innovative teaching methods and her use of digital tools like Class Saathi are inspiring examples of how technology and creativity can reshape the classroom. Her passion for nurturing her students’ growth, both academically and personally, is what makes her a standout educator.