Koraput: Taking science practical classes in rural schools in this tribal-dominated district would not have been easy if Om Prakash Mishra, 48, had not penned the book titled Experimento.
This science practical handbook gives a pictorial presentation as to how various science experiments could be conducted with locally available resources.
Within four years of its publication, the book has been a favourite among science teachers in rural schools as conducting experiments was always a challenge for non-availability of required equipment.
When the writer of Experimento receives the National Award for Teachers in New Delhi on September 5, it won't be just for fulfilling his basic role of teaching at a government school but also the books he has authored for strengthening academic activities in rural areas.
Mishra, who teaches science and mathematics and is also the headmaster in-charge of Government High School of Jeypore, is the only teacher from Odisha, among the 45 nationally selected teachers, to bag the award of the Union ministry of human resources development this year.
Mishra, who was honoured with the state government's best teacher award last year, had begun his teaching career at the remote Mathapada High School in the district's Boipariguda block in 1998.
During his stint at Mathpada, Mishra realised that practical classes was difficult to be conducted in rural areas, as scientific equipment were not easily available.
Hence, in 2015 he planned to write a science practical handbook to help the teachers in rural schools.
Then to help Class VIII students clear the national means-cum-merit scholarship he prepared a 40-day practice book Kinetics.
"As tribal students of our district were unaware about logical and modular reasoning, which is part of the scholarship test, they used to fail in clearing the examination" said Mishra.
He added: "Hence, Kinetics was written and it helped a lot of students and the success ratio of the district increased."
Mishra has also co-authored two books titled Transit and Transit-2 - a bridge course in mathematics for students of classes VII, VIII and IX.
"It has been found that most of the students who join high school lack basic knowledge in mathematics. Hence, to provide them basic knowledge in mathematics before taking up the regular syllabus the two books have been prepared," he said.
The award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs 50,000 and a silver medal.
"The award will inspire me in exploring new methods and techniques to simply education for high school students," he said.