Visakhapatnam teacher wins national honour for redefining classrooms
For Madabathula Thirumala Sridevi, classrooms are not just places for textbooks and tests. “Teaching has never been about memorising lessons or chasing exam scores,” she tells The Coastal Times. “It is about creativity, inclusivity, and helping children grow into responsible citizens.”
That belief has guided her for more than two decades, and now it has earned her national recognition. Sridevi, headmistress of Pandit Nehru Municipal High School in Bheemunipatnam, has been selected for the National Best Teacher Award 2025. She is the only teacher from Andhra Pradesh to receive the honour this year, joining 44 others from across the country. President Droupadi Murmu will present the award on September 5, Teachers’ Day.
Looking back, she recalls how her journey began in 2001 as a School Assistant in Biology at MVDM High School, Visakhapatnam. “I started with a single classroom, but a big dream,” she says. After a stint at KDPM High School, she was promoted as headmistress in 2021. Along the way, she received both district and state-level best teacher awards.
Her efforts to modernise learning set her apart early on. Nearly a decade ago, she introduced Chromebooks in her school. “I wanted my students to see learning as an adventure, not a chore,” she says. “Technology can empower children, but it must go hand in hand with values, ethics, and practical skills.”
Her vision, however, goes beyond digital tools. She insists on inclusivity, especially for children with special needs. Through her “one day with the park” initiative, she takes students regularly to the all-abilities park on Beach Road. “When children learn outdoors, in nature, they open their minds in new ways,” she explains.
Community engagement is another area close to her heart. She has led campaigns against single-use plastics, organised tsunami mock drills, and even hosted weekly radio programmes on girl-child education. Under her leadership, her school became 100% anaemia-free through the regular supply of iron and folic acid tablets. She also keeps a close eye on the midday meal scheme. “Food is part of learning. If a child eats well, they learn well,” she says.
Her students have carried forward her spirit of innovation. Recently, they designed a cloudburst indicator after studying the Sikkim floods, with the aim of helping communities evacuate in time.
For Sridevi, the national award is not just personal recognition. “This award truly belongs to my school in Bheemunipatnam,” she says with pride. “It is a launchpad for joyful, tech-enabled learning rooted in community values. My greatest reward is seeing our students live by our motto: Come to learn, go to serve the nation.”
Even as she prepares to receive the award in New Delhi, her focus remains on her students. “This honour only strengthens my resolve to keep innovating, nurturing compassionate problem-solvers, and standing up for causes like girls’ education. My journey began in 2001, but in many ways, it feels like it is just beginning.”