A warm-hearted, loving teacher by the outside, Shri Sajikumar is the same on the inside! Fond of music and an occasional player of Tabla instrument, music is very close to his heart and his life.

An art teacher by profession, Shri Sajikumar VS is a name that no one can forget. Inspiring his students to create and commit to art is a major highlight of his career and the commitments he has been devoted to.

His entire teaching life has been associated with the Navodaya Vidyalayas. Through a variety of schools and teaching centres under the aegis of Navodaya Vidyalaya, Shri Sajikumar VS has been utterly motivated and inspired to cheer his students and create a new appreciation for his field.  Awarded with the esteemed National ICT Teachers’ Award in 2011, Shri Kumar has been appreciated and recognized for his efforts and enthusiasm showcased in his profession. Not only have his zest and zeal proved to be enlightening for his students but also his whole devotion and contribution is a tale of unending inspiration.

Throughout his 30-years long career, Shri Sajikumar VS has made milestone efforts and contributions in the field of teaching. By following his heart and soul, he brought an effective change in a variety of ways.  To generate improvement and betterment in the learning of students, he has not only inculcated moral values and inspiring habits but he has also defied all odds and proved that

~where there is a will, there is a way!~

INNOVATION and INSPIRATION

Being a teacher at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Port Blair, and later in Thiruvananthpuram, Shri Sajikumar VS brought together the principles of innovation and inspiration and dawned upon a change for the students and their schools altogether. An art teacher enthused to bring a transformation and ruin all the myths, Shri Sajikumar adopted several ways to do the same.

By clubbing art and infrastructure, he inspired his students to make the best use of their surroundings. Thus, he initiated community practices of wall paintings and on-premises art production where students could not only learn through art but also make their surroundings and school campus beautiful. From theme-based art to mural paintings, educational artwork to landscape sceneries, the students and their beloved teacher Shri Sajikumar VS have collectively produced some wonderful designs and paintings that add beauty and elegance to their learning environment.

As a teacher and an individual who is ought to make learning a fun process, Shri Sajikumar VS has also undertaken innovation as an important work ethic and urged his students to dig deep into the past and revive the importance and trends of the long lost art cultures and art forms. Besides, he has also been actively participating in mixing old heritage with newer traditions to produce different trends that make learning more interesting and exciting! 

CONNECTING ART, SCIENCE, and TECHNOLOGY

An enthusiastic teacher, Shri Sajikumar is simply an enlightening soul who strives to improve, ignite and take inspiration from the surrounding beauty of life. By connecting art, science, and technology in his classes, he has made astonishing projects for the students to learn effectively and efficiently. By developing BIOLOGY PARK, MATHEMATICS PARK, and PHYSICS PARK from scratch, he has proved his role as a teacher and rather inspired his fellow colleagues to walk on the same path.

Like other art teachers who work for the beautification of the school campus and classrooms, he has just stepped further to help his students understand science and technology in an interesting manner. In an education system where students get bored with classroom teaching and bookish knowledge, he helps his students to trigger innovation and accelerate interesting work. Indeed, he has made school a fun place!   

The development of science parks not only required his efforts to create the premises and get them constructed but he also had to design and formulate sculptures and models from scratch that could be used for educational purposes. The amount of hard work and dedication put in such a work is extremely commendable and a quality example of how a teacher can step outside the classroom to make teaching possible and passionate.

INDIAN HISTORY and ART EDUCATION

A respected member of CBSE Art Integrated Education Guidelines Preparation Committee Member (2019) in his schooling days used to feel that the education did not pay much emphasis on the Indian art forms and their history. Even to this day, he thinks the same way. Yet he was determined to change the way and teach his students about the education he did not get to learn about. Therefore, he sought to teach his students about the various Indian art forms and their lost history. In this way, he presented them an insight into their own national heritage, unlike the books that only talk about the European art forms and their culture!

A member of ICT Course Curriculum Development CIET, NCERT, Shri Sajikumar VS has been an ardent advocate of the Indian heritage and the role it plays in the field of art. A renowned teacher in the field, Shri Sajikumar has always felt the need to put together Indian history and art education to help his students get a better understanding of their studies and the curriculum. His contribution to the field of the art technology has also been a talk of the town!

Sajikumar strongly believe that, if we give this basic education of art at the age of 10- 14 it will continue forever. I observed that from class 6 to Class 9 is the ideal time for Creative subjects working with this age-group class team is very interesting. This is the time we can help the child to give an opportunity for understanding their own individuality and creative skills. This era help the student to become a lifelong learner. Actually more creative hours and personal individual care are needed during this age period with positive values.

PERSONAL INTERESTS

A warm-hearted, loving teacher by the outside, Shri Sajikumar is the same on the inside! Fond of music and an occasional player of Tabla instrument, music is very close to his heart and his life. Art has always been with him and throughout his decades-long career,  he has nurtured and pursued his hobbies and interests. An excellent chef by interest, Shri Kumar is known for his finger-licking dishes and unique cooking style that no one ever forgets!

SarkariSchool.in salutes Saji Sajikumar, a teacher who is turning stones to make education effective, easier, and exciting for his students!

(With Soumyaa)