Poddar Group of Institutions, Jaipur, Assistant Professor of Science Department: Ms. Yogyata Agrawal Interview

Ms. Yogyata Agrawal has been working as an Assistant Professor at Poddar Group of Institutions, Jaipur, Rajasthan. She has done M. Sc. in Physics from Banasthali Vidyapeeth and M.Phil in Nanotechnology from NPL Delhi as part of her education. She has published 3 international research papers in the field of nanotechnology and has 10 years of amazing experience in the education sector. And for her amazing contribution in the education sector, she has received a number of awards.

Being a faculty of the Science Department, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

As an Assistant Professor and coordinator of Physics at Poddar Group of Institutions, my core responsibility is to set up demonstrations and assist and supervise students while they conduct experiments. Establishing classroom, labs, and field trip rules and regulations and ensuring that all students understand what is expected of them also comes under the scope of my responsibilities.

How do you establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty?

I always follow the approach of open, honest and transparent communication to build trustworthy and healthy relations with my fellow faculty and students. In addition to this, I also attend their extracurricular events on a regular basis to stay connected with them after classes.

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What is your philosophy of leadership?

My philosophy of leadership is to lead by example and build trust between my team members as trust is the foundation for any successful team. And I have also created an inclusive and collaborative work environment where everyone's efforts are acknowledged and appreciated on time and my team members feel comfortable expressing their ideas and opinions. Apart from all this, I am open to all kinds of suggestions coming from my team and whenever I interact with them, I listen very carefully in order to make the right decisions at the right time. Lastly, I prioritize mentorship, so that my team can learn from me as well as from each other.

How do you strategize and update the curriculum to make it befitting for the students?

A proper system and feedback mechanism is in place in our college to acknowledge and record students' inputs and suggestions. Because for us our students' growth is more important than any hard-coded curriculum, hence as and when required we update it to suit the needs of students and the outside world.

How do you build and maintain a positive culture in your college?

For the purpose of maintaining a positive working and learning culture in college, we have established a disciplined environment in college and regularly take inputs from students' parents and also involve them in college events and activities. In addition to this, we organize talent hunting programs, encourage students to participate in them and never forget to support their innovations and appreciate their achievements with rewards. 

How do you prepare your students to deal with the outside competitive world?

Today's students are more and more competitive, whether it is in academics, games, or finding jobs. Hence we regularly encourage our students to improve their skills, upgrade their knowledge, not to compare their individuality with others and give more emphasis on their own growth. Apart from this, we teach them to focus on their individual set of competencies and talent rather than viewing competition as a threat because we believe in developing a mindset in them that could enable them to adopt a holistic approach to life.

Which extracurricular activities are organized by your college to enhance the skills of students?

We firmly believe that in order to keep student’s physically and mentally healthy and positive, extracurricular activities should be given equal weight as academics. And to help students develop their innate abilities, undiscovered talents and managerial or leadership skills, we have established a variety of clubs in the college like cultural club, sports club, research and development cell, creative club and digital marketing who regularly organize cultural fests, activities, sports events and games and creative learning sessions and also conduct experiments. 

What challenges have you faced in uplifting the education quality of your department during the pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented changes in the way we teach and learn. And being a Science Teacher, one of the biggest challenges for me was to engage our students in online learning sessions. And because face to face interaction was not possible, we were bound to adapt to new ways of teaching. Apart from this, we have had to find innovative ways to keep our students interested and motivated, while also ensuring that they are learning at an appropriate level. Last but not the least, we have had to make sure that our students remain safe by implementing social distancing protocols and other safety measures. 

What approaches do you bring in apart from curriculum to teach the students?

For the purpose of teaching students beyond a hard-coded curriculum, we are following constructive, collaborative, integrative, reflective and inquiry based learning approaches, hence regularly involve them in various kinds of exercises, games and role play. Apart from this, professors from prestigious institutions are regularly invited by us to educate our students on various other topics, their own struggles and make them confident enough to tackle real world issues.

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Any valuable advice which you would like to give to the students for a prosperous career ahead?

I would like to advise my dear students to believe in their skills and capabilities and never be ashamed of acknowledging their mistakes on time. Because, recognizing your mistakes will help you identify areas of improvement and give you the motivation to work harder and learn more while your faith in yourself and your abilities will give you the confidence needed to take on challenges that come with a successful career. And always make a sincere effort to achieve your goals and stay dedicated if you want to accomplish difficult tasks. Be confident in whatever work you do as this will allow you to take risks without the fear of failure and this risk taking attitude is actually very much required to have a prosperous career ahead.