Jammu : In a message to the fellowmen across the country on the eve of Teacher’s Day, Jammu-based educationist, Dr Abhilasha Sambyal, has asked them not only to act as mentors but also be good trainers in shaping the lives of students.

Dr Sambyal, who is presently associated with Rayat Bahra International School, Mohali, as a principal, stated in a message on Monday that the devotion and commitment of a teacher play a key role in shaping young minds on the path to success.

The message marked National Teacher’s Day, celebrated every year on September 5, as a tribute to the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a philosopher, teacher, and first Vice-President of India.

Working as an educator for the last two decades across various geographies of India, Dr Sambyal, while sharing her experiences-filled journey in the profession, feels that after parents, teachers are playing a vital role in transforming the lives of students.

And, she said with the changing times and the mindsets of the students, especially post-Covid and National Education Policy (NEP), the teacher fraternity needs to act as a mentor and facilitator who can also be good trainers to make students good learners.

Born and brought up in the family of a former BSF officer in Samba district of Jammu region, Dr Sambyal, who pursued her schooling at the BSF School, Paloura, Jammu, has also been awarded the Jagatguru Shri Krishna Samman certificate of appreciation and the Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award by Mentorx in the year 2020.

Sharing a few tips to be a successful ‘guru’ in the present scenario of the education system, she feels that the teachers must be approachable to strengthen communication skills with students for better understanding, adding, ” safe and structured classroom environment must be prioritised to make students to be regular in attending sessions.”

Dr Sambyal feels that bribery in any form should never be encouraged to convince students for transformation or perform well in academics.

“Teachers need not to be friendly or behave casually to impress students but instead must be ideal to them and have an aura of moulding young minds towards a bright future,” suggests the educationist, adding that teachers must learn about the behaviour skills of students and deliver interesting and encouraging sessions to attract larger participation.

Dr Sambyal, who was also part of the NCC and achieved the best cadet turnout (the Cherry Blossom Award, New Delhi) after she participated in the Rajpath Parade, has many awards and rewards in her kitty.

Among the few to be counted are Acharya Chanakya Shikshavid Sammaan 2020 by Fun2learn, Education Legend (Eduleaders Summit & Awards 2019 @ Jammu) by CED Foundation, Top Performing School Educator (Progressive School Leader Awards 2019@ New Delhi) by CED Foundation, and Progressive Principal Of The Year (School Excellence Leadership Award 2018 @ Chandigarh) by CED Foundation.