Jammu and Kashmir government felicitated the teacher whose video of innovative methods of teaching went viral on social media last week. Education Minister Naeem Akhtar felicitated Mohammad Yousuf Rather, who teaches at a government school in South Kashmir Shopian district, for devising unique method to simplify the teaching process. “Innovation is a key part of education and it is a matter of great honour for our department to have such bright teachers. I congratulate him for his novel method of teaching which could be emulated by other teachers also,” Akhtar said.
A video clip showing Rather, a resident of Aglar in Shopian, teaching primary class students using multi-lingual rhymes had recently gone viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, drawing huge praise. Rather said he uses “Slogan Method”, “Rhyme Method” and “Art Method” in his classroom to simplify the process of teaching and learning. “All three languages – Kashmiri, Urdu and English – are used in these methods which become a tool for students to remember their lessons very easily,” he said.
The teacher had joined the Education Department in 2004 as a Rehber-e-Taleem and got regularized in 2009. “After devising these methods, I realised that the students found it very easy to remember their lessons,” he said. Rather is a teacher at the school from where he passed out as a student couple of decades ago.
Although his parents are illiterate, Rather was inclined towards education from early years and did not let the death of his mother at a very early stage of his life affect his schooling. “My Mother passed away when I was a child. Father was a farmer. I learnt cooking when I was in class 6th. Till the time I completed my graduation, I used to cook food for the family,” Rather, who has two sons and a daughter, said.
