By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 27: A science teacher of Alpha English Higher Secondary School, Madhav Singh has been selected for the National Teachers’ Awards 2023 from Meghalaya.
He is among of the 50 awardees who will be receiving the award from President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi during the Teachers’ Day celebration on September 5.
Singh was a recipient of the District Teachers’ Award in 2017 and the State Teachers’ Award in 2021.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Sunday, he said three teachers from Meghalaya were shortlisted for this year’s national award.
“We expected to get the information about the award between August 16 and 18. I got a call yesterday (Saturday) evening informing me that I have been selected for the award. This recognition, a lifetime achievement, is any teacher’s dream,” he said.
Singh initially dreamt of becoming a police inspector but his love for teaching took over with the passage of time.
He said his teaching journey started from Ri-Bhoi Presbyterian Secondary School from where he cleared the class X exam in 2000.
“I taught at the school for a year after completing my BSc from Sankardev College. I temporarily replaced one of the teachers who was deputed for a B.Ed training programme.
The teacher’s job at the Ri-Bhoi school happened by chance and he took it up because he had nothing else to do soon after his graduation.
Singh joined the Alpha English Higher Secondary School in 2001 after his classmate, Melvin Passah suggested they teach together.
“My parents wanted me to teach mathematics and science after a student, whom I taught at the Ri-Bhoi school did well in his class X board exam,” he said.
And as they say, there was no looking back for him.
He said he was very interested in popularising science among the students in his locality and formed a science popularising club to organize science-related programmes.
“I used to take students of my school to many science exhibitions and we used to win many prizes. Our school students were selected to take part at the National Level Children Science Congress on seven occasions and also selected for National Children Science Exhibition once,” he said.
Singh was instrumental in forming the Alpha Green Concern Club. As its coordinator, he has been involving the students in eco-friendly activities.
Besides teaching, Singh is involved in social activities as the president of the Hindu Welfare Committee. During the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the committee adopted four villages in the Nongpoh area where they distributed essential commodities.
Singh said it is important for every teacher to impart lessons in a manner that students can easily understand.
“We need to come down to their level. It is not important to use words which students cannot understand. Our job is to help learn things in the easiest way possible,” he said.
The science teacher said it is important to encourage students to take up science and mathematics.
“Many students are afraid of these two subjects. It is not difficult to learn these subjects if we are able to teach systematically,” he said.
Singh said many students in higher secondary school have realised there are more opportunities to do well in life.