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| Rathi Gopinath, Sishya Learing Centre, Panniyankara, Kozhikode. |
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Once when
her son, their only child, was backward in studies, she had felt sad like any
average mother. Later, when he became a
successful Disk Jockey in Bangalore, she was perhaps the one who rejoiced in
his success the most. The change was
partly because she had gone on to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitude
needed to recognize and help students with learning disabilities.
Rathi Gopinath,
who got married after Pre-Degree, got back into studies after 5 years and
completed post-graduation in commerce. It
was while working as a teacher at Alpha to Omega, a special school for learning-challenged
in Chennai, that she understood her calling in life was to help such
children. To do full justice to her job,
she acquired post-graduation in psychology as well as a dozen diplomas in
learning disabilities from different universities of the world.
Based on
these inputs, she formulated her own technique of helping such children. In the Sishya Learning Centre that she runs
at Panniyankara, Kozhikode, she employs her method of empowering them.
According
to her, the vital thing is to enable them to think for themselves. Whether the students are facing challenges in
learning or not, this method will help them acquire new skills and improve what
they already possess.
Once she
had to face the challenge of teaching 15 children who had been thrown out of
their schools. These schools were
unaware of their learning disabilities. On keen scrutiny, she was able to spot their
problems and equip them with learning skills in a span of 5 years. Many of them are preparing for higher studies
now.
“The first
thing that a teacher should do is to create a smile in the heart of students. When that happens, there will be smiles on
their faces too”, says the creative teacher.
Schools in
different parts of the world make use of Rathi Gopinath’s method. Though all jobs offer their own delights, the satisfaction
of seeing learning-challenged students read and write is immense, she says.
Courtesy: V.R.Jyothish (text), Ajeeb Komachi (photo), Vanitha, July 1-14, 2016
