Education Stalwarts 2021|Dr. Savita Arora, Principal of Bharti Public School | Education Influencer
Dr. Savita Arora, Principal of Bharti Public School, one of the top Education Influencer is with EducationToday sharing her experience.
They say, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
It was my father, a defence personnel, who then sowed the seeds of aiming for excellence in life. One that is never attained by accident; but is the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, skillful execution and the vision to see obstacles as opportunities. Growing up with values of punctuality, regularity and commitment, I developed a ‘self churning’ attitude.
Academically, I was an average student but was able to aim my darts well, hitting the bull’s-eye. This was possible due to the values I was inculcated with as a child such as punctuality, regularity and commitment. A growth mindset, ‘Can do’ attitude, and positive thinking are deeply embedded in my heart. Every stone that is thrown at me, I turn it into a milestone, with utmost dedication and devotion. With this attitude, I have been able to reach where I am today.
School plays a very important role in a person’s life, and in child development. The children of today are the future of tomorrow. A good school promotes the interests of its students and empowers them with opportunities to become successful individuals. I was fortunate enough to study in KVs, and colleges across the length and breadth of India. This has shaped my personality into one that is tolerant and diverse, and has enabled me to strive to acquire the best of what the world had to offer. The transition from book literacy to the experience of existence has given a meaning to my survival.
Being awarded with the State Teachers’ Award was one of the most unforgettable memories of my life as it was the fruit of my resilience and hard work; along with an extremely supportive family and a wonderful team of colleagues by my side. I have never sat back on my laurels. With appreciation comes expectations, and the State Teachers’ Award raised the bar of expectations for me. As a Principal, I toiled harder for my students, teachers and school, introducing innovative methods in the teaching pedagogy that bore wonderful results. It gave me the strength to immerse myself in the ocean of knowledge and share my experience with others. The recognition of my work was highlighted when I received the coveted National Teachers’ Award.
Along with that, I was appointed as a Chief Nodal Supervisor for Class X in English Language & Literature (184) in 2012; a Head Examiner for Class X in 2002; an observer for CTET at Chandigarh (Panchkula), and was selected as the one of the members for the Updation of Marking Scheme in English Language & Literature for Class X for the session 2011-12. I also worked as one of the team members for the making of the Marking Scheme for class X English CBSE, and participated in the “ Updation of Marking scheme” in the subject of English course ‘A’ for class X in 2002 and 2005, and drawing of detailed marking scheme of English Communicative Class X in 2004 of CBSE.
Recently, I have been awarded with The Education Icon of the Year by EducationToday.
When I commenced my journey, there were quite a few pitfalls in the education sector. To begin with, the parameters for a successful student were grossly limited to academics. The more the marks, the brighter the student and higher were his chances of succeeding in life. Moreover, vocational education was still in its infancy. In addition to this, the infrastructure was woefully inadequate in those days. It was that time, more than a decade ago, that the idea dawned upon me to bring out the best from within oneself. This gave birth to the ‘target-setting & achieving approach’ that catalyzed the advanced learning of every student. Today, not only the students, but also their parents and the teachers have seamlessly aligned with my vision and help their wards to compete with themselves to reach their highest potential.
The education system has undergone a sea change over the years. This change has been fuelled by the new generation, or the ‘millennials’. We live in a fractured society where our students are woefully underprepared to face the glorious uncertainties of life. They inhabit a world which will pose them questions that they never studied for, challenges that they haven’t prepared to face, adversities that they are ill-equipped to handle, and above all, teach themselves which they weren’t trained to do. I have always reinforced the thought that every child in your class is someone’s whole world. Treat him as a treasure. I can proudly vouch for the fact that we, at BPS provide wholesome education to each student and groom him with a ‘think local, act global approach’. My approach of competing with oneself has borne fruitful results in a stress-free manner for both, students and their parents. With the initiation of the NEP, the new framework of pedagogies stresses on learning beyond books that extends outside the four walls of the classroom; Indian education has indeed come a long way. In my opinion, this policy will bring a sea change in education for all the stakeholders; thus restructuring the entire system to be more learner-centered, based on the pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability.
‘Follow your Passion’- has been a constant part of my journey. I completely endorse what Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” I wish for my kids to be passionate about whatever they do in life. There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions in a way that serves the world and you. Passion in the job puts perfection in work. Passion is a state of mind. I feel that doing the work you are passionate about is one of the most pleasing experiences. In fact, as a school Principal, I firmly believe that taking up a job that one enjoys, helps enhancing their mental state and as a result, they come up with more innovative and progressive ideas as compared to doing a job that seems dull and boring. This infuses the teaching fraternity with new zeal.
With a loving and supportive family beside me, my childhood and early adulthood had been very reassuring. I had increased emotional stability that allowed me to better cope with life’s ups and downs; and became more resilient with every passing year. The phase of motherhood has given me reason to get inspired from my sons who have made me realize that a little bit of risk is necessary to keep going forward. Our background and circumstances may influence who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
Anyone can learn from a book. But a terrific teacher can make the difference between passing an exam and learning a life lesson. Teaching touches lives in the most unimaginable ways and realizing this, every professional in the field of education and those looking to enter the field must use this power wisely to churn a generation of intelligent and empathetic leaders of tomorrow!
Do check out experiences shared by our top 50 Education Influencers.
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