NIZAMABAD: With students having to spend two years at home due to Covid-19, the results show that a lack of direct interaction has adversely affected their skills, particularly in writing and reading. To combat this, a teacher in Nizamabad district has gone the extra mile to motivate and train students in English.
Battu Srinivas Raj, a teacher at the TS Model School and Jr College in Ambam Rudrur teaches English to Class 9, 10 and Intermediate students, with each class consisting of 50 kids. With the support of two English teachers and the school’s principal, he has successfully implemented creative activities to engage students in the classroom.
Srinivas captures students’ attention by sharing inspirational and motivational stories. He then writes five words on the board, and the students note them down, practising the words consistently. After a few months, he conducts a test to identify the top-performing students.
In a recent test that consisted of 75 words, eight students achieved first place and in another test, five students secured the top position. The remaining students were close behind, with a difference of two to three marks, achieving second place. Encouraged by the student’s enthusiasm for learning vocabulary, Srinivas plans to implement vocabulary practice after the summer vacation. He has provided 1,000 words for students to practice during the vacation and advised them to learn as many words as possible at their leisure.
Srinivas emphasises the vastness of the English language, with new words being added to the dictionary each year. He focuses on teaching the students listening, speaking, reading and writing (LSRW) skills. As part of the listening activity, the students receive daily English news from All India Radio via WhatsApp on their parents’ numbers.
Throughout the academic year, students are trained in communication skills through speaking activities. Reading and writing skills are developed using regular textbooks. The student’s performance is assessed through various competitions, where they have achieved first prizes in storytelling at state and district levels.