With the firm belief that education has the power to transform one’s life, Kavita Sanghvi emphasises the experiential approach to teaching through STEM education. For her great contribution to the educational landscape, Kavita is honoured with the National Award from the President Of India, Droupadi Murmu. She has also received “the Iconic Principal Award” from the Government of Maharashtra.
With her passion for teaching, Kavita is on a mission to impart experimental knowledge in the learning process so that students can also develop new life skills. Being a fervent teacher, leader and STEM trainer, Kavita has introduced various modules for the STEM curriculum to improve the competencies of skill and knowledge.
Kavita sheds light on her excellent journey as a teacher and elaborates on the importance of STEM in the educational landscape in an exclusive interview with The Global Hues.
Give us a glimpse of yourself and walk us through your journey of becoming a teacher.
My journey as a teacher began in childhood itself. Being the eldest of all three sisters, I used to teach them. From there, my passion for teaching united. I started giving tuition to other kids to support my education, hence kickstarting my journey as a teacher.
I started my professional career in 2001 at Chatrabhuj Narsee Memorial School as a teacher and was promoted to coordinator in 2003. I spent the good 8 years of my life in this school. When my son was in the first standard, I decided to leave the school. Because I believe that a mother and a kid should not be in the same school. Therefore, I changed my job and started teaching at MET Rishikul Vidyalaya in 2009. I was the Principal there and learnt a lot while honing my leadership skills.
In 2018, when the Principal of CNM was retiring, the management contacted me and gave me the opportunity to become Principal. I took the opportunity and joined CNM school in 2019 as a Principal. The feeling was no less than homecoming.
I believe now it is time for me to take a step forward to connect with a larger audience where I get the chance to associate with more educators and students.
You Are A Strong Ambassador For Stem-Based Learning. Why Are You Emphasising This Concept?
I strongly believe that STEM (an approach to learning that integrates the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is not only a subject but a way to connect you with a practical world. It transforms the way you think, live and perceive things. It makes you think in a more structured and logical manner.
The other amazing aspect of STEM learning is that it helps you look beyond the surface value of things and you start exploring the facts and evidence about the same. That’s why I am so passionate about making sure that STEM becomes an inevitable part of our culture in and out. I have introduced the STEM curriculum known as “Global Outlook” in my school. Through this initiative, we want students to research methodology, think critically, and come up with a conclusion on their own.
Initially, people were not familiar with this concept. To create awareness, I had to provide a lot of training to my colleagues and other educators. Today, all of them are efficient in imparting STEM knowledge. I have also designed a STEM course for educators which is in its final phase and soon will be available all over the world free of cost.
You Made It To The Headlines Recently For Receiving The National Award From President Droupadi Murmu. How Did You Feel?
Receiving the National Award from the President of India felt very surreal to me. When I got to know that I had to go to Delhi to receive the National Award, I couldn’t believe it was happening in reality.
I cannot express my gratitude and happiness in words. I am so proud that my hard work and passion have been recognised by the Ministry Of Education and there is no greater feeling than that.
Mention The Awards And Recognitions Received By You So Far.
By god’s grace, my work has been recognised various times by prestigious awards. Some of them include the National Award in 2022, the Top 50 Global Teachers 2016-17, the Iconic Principal Awards from the Government of Maharashtra, The Global Teacher Prize and many more. Soon, I am launching my own website that will aim at familiarizing teachers with the skills, knowledge, and attitude needed by them to develop STEM competencies for classroom teaching.
What Would Your Advice Be For Students And Their Parents As A Teacher?
Be an avid learner. Everyone must keep learning and updating themselves with the latest knowledge. Never let go of any opportunity as it can help you improve yourself. Always take out time for your family because they are your real strength and can teach you, guide you and motivate you to always move forward.
