In a teaching career spanning 18 years, Mimi Yhoshü has dedicated 12 years serving at the Government Middle School, Officers Hill, Kohima.

Having studied in Loyola School, Jakhama, Yhoshü went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science from Kohima Science College in 1994 followed by a B Ed in 2009 and a D Ed in 2013.

Yhoshü was awarded the Nagaland State Teachers’ Award back in 2021 and went on to be conferred the National Teachers’ Award this year. “It is such a great joy and honour to receive this prestigious award and to be able to represent my state on the national level,” she informed Nagaland Tribune.

Over the years, her contribution to the school has garnered attention and praise. Particularly, her encouragement to students to maintain kitchen gardens and recycling plastic bottles. She encourages her students to do so even if space is limited. This is to “cultivate in them the art of farming and to know the importance of organic food,” she added.

Yhoshü believes that a little contribution by each individual will help make a big difference in saving the environment: “To make the children aware of the hazardous effects of non-biodegradable waste, they are taught the 3 Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) by recycling the waste into productive objects or resources like door mats, baskets and construction of walls using plastic bottles.”

It is this holistic approach of teaching, combining both classroom and practical learning, and imparting in the life skills of students conscious living and compassion for the environment that has garnered much praise. Reflecting on the current educational system she strongly believes that, “Students should get quality education in a holistic way and be on par with the national level.”

Asked what inspired her to become a teacher, Mimi narrated, “It was unplanned but, in the process, I started realising the significance of teaching and being able to mould the future of children. It involves dealing with human resources, so every day we face different challenges which makes a teacher stronger and more fascinating.”

However, she noted that the lack of proper infrastructure and basic facilities hinders the smooth functioning of the teaching-learning process. “Another challenge is that most of the students are from socially and economically underprivileged background, hence language and basic knowledge become a barrier,” she added.

But it is this challenge that further motivates her to give her best in teaching her students and doing justice to her work. Sharing her final thoughts, Yhoshü quotes the proverb “Work is worship” and encourages fellow teachers and aspiring teachers to be sincere and dedicated in all that they do.

“Hard work and sacrifices pay without our knowledge,” she concluded.