This govt school teacher is getting his students to appreciate Science one model at a time

A constructive approach is required to teach lessons to children in any subject and for them to actually understanding a concept, believes Channappa KM, a Science teacher at a government junior composite college in Devanahalli. "When I say constructive approach, I mean activities, experiments, questioning, reasoning and evaluating at every level, whether in school or at home," he explains. 

We dive into how Channappa teaches Physics, Chemistry and Maths constructively. "I have been teaching children of Class VIII, IX and X for more than a decade. After completing my Bachelor's in Education, I worked for eight years in a private school. In 2008, I was recruited to teach at a government school in Kudlur, a village near Channapatna. Later in 2012, I was transferred to Devanahalli. After a year of working in a government school, I started thinking about unique ways to teach Physics. When I had taught a lesson on electricity to Class VIII students, I made sure to carry a battery. I also show them how basic electric circuits work, thus, helping them understand the concept of electricity systematically."

But there are concepts that cannot be learnt through models or experiments. In such cases, Channappa plays animated videos, shows PowerPoint presentations and so on to help them grasp the concept. He explains, "I create my own videos because the picturisation of textual content helps children learn faster. The entire learning process becomes faster. I also have the experience of making 3D models, so I used it to my advantage. For instance, we can make many things with plastic bottles, like a planter, but I use them to teach children the concept of pressure and density relation. Other than that, I fill colourful liquids that can be used in Chemistry class for experimentation."

Going the extra mile, Channappa also prepares his students to exhibit models at national-level competitions. He says, "In 2015, our school team won the Inspire Award in a competition organised by the Department of Science and Technology. We showcased a model of how robotic engineering can be used in disaster management. We fixed a rearview camera to a toy car to show how accidents or sinking of car can be avoided during the floods, earthquakes or any other disasters."

His innovative methods are a testament to why Channappa has been invited to several workshops across the state to train other teachers. "These teacher training programmes help teachers improve their teaching capabilities. Apart from giving notes, homework or taking them through the usual lessons, we encourage them to take up a comprehensive and continuous approach while teaching. I use different kits that I have designed myself to conduct these training programmes. I have a separate electromagnetic kit, optical lens kit and so on. Teachers too require exposure to concepts practically before they can teach it to children."