Teachers are the seeds to a child’s growth; their influence and guidance act as shadows and remain with a child forever. Shubham Abad is one such man who is sketching an indelible mark on the life of students. A difficult childhood where his parent’s unquestioning efforts to get him an education has made him respect hard labour. To make his parents proud, Shubham Abad strove to become a Company Secretary and has turned to use his expertise to benefit all his students. As an Educator, he is teaching over 3000 students, a feat that is more than success to him. Subham humbling recalls his education, guidance, and more in this inspiring interview with Storiyaan.
Interview
Questions and answers
What was the most daunting phase of your life and what was the thing that kept you motivated?
My education did not come easy; my parents went through loans and hardships to secure my future which was the most daunting phase of my life. This instilled a sense of responsibility and I began skipping meals or walking 5 kms to college but this deprivation was also my biggest motivation to bring fruits of joy to my parents.
You have been an educator since you were 20. Could you share one experience of yours as a teacher that touched your heart?
Being a teacher is like a photograph of several such fond memories and I can never choose one. My students immerse me with gifts and greetings, they wish to share their meals and take an active interest in my well-being. The amount of unconditional love and respect I receive from them makes teaching such a noble profession as it is beyond pay.
Most people struggle in their student life to find a proper career. As a teacher what would be your advice to them?
As a teacher, I would advise every student to prioritize their interests and skills, this means you will choose a career that will be gratifying and satisfy you. But ensuring that you have a plan B is practical and will help you have an edge if your plan A falls through.
What according to you makes a successful teacher and what are some of the mistakes a teacher should work upon?
According to my opinion, a teacher who can influence a child at a young age and become the building blocks for their future is successful. Sometimes teaching becomes synonymous with completing the syllabus but every teacher must work on inducing curiosity and wonder about a particular subject in their students.
The first challenge you faced was the shift from Rajasthan to Pune and nailing the Marathi Language within a year. Tell us more about that phase of your life?
I had Hindi-medium education till the 9th standard which made it extremely difficult for me to get admission into an English-medium school after we moved to Pune and I had to take admission in a Marathi-medium school. That created a language barrier but I took up Marathi lessons and aced them with consistency and persistence.
How did you first get acquainted with the idea of “Unique Academy” and who has been your greatest support system in this journey?
When I was able to improve my teaching skills and methods, I decided to join an academy to provide personalized guidance to help the students achieve educational success. Ashish sir, my teacher, and mentor have been a constant motivation and critic; he encouraged me to become an educator and became the source of inspiration and support.
Could you elaborate on how beneficial “Unique Academy” is for the students?
We aim to facilitate the holistic development of the students beyond academics. This means we ensure that our faculty is mindful of individual needs and requirements. We are also trying to make education fun and interesting to keep the students invested.
From teaching 30 students in a batch to 3000 students in one year, how has your journey been?
It has been overwhelming. When we started uploading our lectures online, we received a wider audience response and feedback. This encouraged us to keep working on the academy and 3000 students, surely, make this endeavor successful.
How can you advise students to remain motivated especially during teenage?
Nothing can be better motivation than wanting to make our parents proud. Having a future-oriented outlook and striving towards success with patience and consistency is the key.
The teacher-student interactions have suffered a lot due to the pandemic. How can this be tackled and what are some of the ways?
I would say, trying to encourage student interactions, friendly debates, and discussions through scheduled video classes can be effective in increasing student interaction. Also making sure that all students are technologically literate is important and helps to ease any discomfort or shame they might feel.
Quick 5
1. Your favourite book – The Magic.
2. Define ‘Educator’ in a word – Guider.
3. Person you look up to – Ashish Sir.
4. When you don’t work, you mostly – Play cricket with my students.
5. Describe yourself in a word – Hardworking.
The Story of Hair Care Revolution with Traya
From Struggles to Solutions: There’s Hope For Hair with Traya Hair carries emotions, memories, and stories—of the entangled fingers of loved ones, the tug of
cARTel : Breathing ‘ART’ like never before!
“We were independently running as artists in our respective streams before we stumbled upon cARTel. All of us are know each other since school times