Loss of Vision Is No Hurdle to Her Mission -The New Indian Express

CHENNAI : My lines go crisscross while writing on the board. But when Revathi Ma’am, who is visually challenged writes, one can’t help but marvel at her ability to maintain straight lines,” says Aparna, a student from Meenakshi Soundararajan College of Engineering. Revathi S teaches chemistry and environmental science. Be it writing on the board, establishing a rapport with her students or correcting papers, she seems to have worked out a way to handle them.

“I associate the students with their name and voice. With the direction from where their voice comes, I can even find out where they sit.  I personally know all of them and like them equally. If anyone does not perform well, I call them to read the answers of the toppers while correcting the papers. That way, I can evaluate the papers and my students get to know how to present the answers next time,” says Revathi.

Her students have always been performing well, says K S Babai, secretary of the college.  “Handling 420 students is no easy task. Even with these issues, she has mostly given us 100 per cent results and her students good moral values. She is more than capable to give her best with frequent changes in syllabus without even referring to books. She has immense memory power, vast knowledge and above all, the willpower to manage without any help,” Babai adds.

Revathi says she got her dexterity from her training from National Institute for Visually Impaired in 2010, when she lost her eyesight due to diabetes. She was taking a sabbatical after her training and later began her second innings in teaching at the college, where she was working for many years.

“Around 45 days of training at the National Institute for the Visually handicapped (NIVH) moulded me. The training has made me walk independently and wade through difficult times with ease. For instance, it is there I got one of the most valuable gifts,” she says, pointing out to her watch that calls out the time. “ I don’t even need to ask people for the time,” she adds.

She also attributes her sound knowledge and love for teaching to good teachers throughout her education.  Their exhaustive training coupled with her willpower and knack for handling students with ease has made her succeed in the profession.

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Curated from Loss of Vision Is No Hurdle to Her Mission -The New Indian Express