Mumbai: City teacher Bhausaheb Ghadge and Ananda Anemwad from Palghar district were among the 109 recipients of the Savitribai Phule State Teacher Appreciation Awards this year. The awards celebrated primary and secondary school teachers who are driving innovation and digitalisation in classrooms.Ghadge, who teaches at a morning school in Vikhroli and a night school in Bhandup, authored a book on artificial intelligence in 2017 and has been encouraging students to see it as a career path. “Anybody who wants to be a teacher must always accept change. You can no longer simply have chalk, talk, and blackboard—we have to cater to the needs of the new generation, they need audio-visual engagement,” he said.He was also part of the state’s early digitisation drive, helping convert Bal Bharati lessons into QR-coded formats accessible to any student, anywhere. Ghadge believes in creating a free and fearless learning environment: “I am first a friend to my students; they do not fear me at all,” he added.The awards also recognised 19 teachers who have excelled in tribal areas, including Anemwad from Mahalpada in Dahanu. Beginning with a tablet to show videos, he witnessed dramatic improvements in attention and attendance, and over time many of his students pursued careers in science.Anemwad went on to pioneer digital classrooms in remote areas, using projectors and even 360-degree YouTube videos to transport children to the locations they studied. “Even while teaching a poem, I project each element on screen so that students not only understand it but also imagine it,” he said.For Anemwad, the core of teaching is empathy: “If a child has nothing to eat at home, then even the best lesson will not be absorbed,” he said.
