The "Aha" Moment: Parul Kumar Shares Her Passion for Teaching and Top Advice for Students and Parents
“The Aha Moment is Priceless. I am fortunate to teach in a town where parents are very supportive of the school system, and students are motivated and aim high.” Today’s woman dreamer, Parul Kumar shares her inspiring journey as an educator. She has been a chemistry teacher at Lexington High School for over 20 years. She shares her top 3 tips for all students, what inspires her most about educating the next generation, and her involvement in theatre and the arts outside of the classroom. Enjoy her story!
You have been a teacher for over 20 years, and are passionate about education. What inspired your journey into Education? How did you know you wanted to be a teacher?
As a chemist by trade, I spent some time working in the pharmaceutical industry when I moved to the US in 1993 in Phoenix, AZ. However, when I moved to Massachusetts in 2001, I decided to combine my knowledge of chemistry and follow my passion for teaching and working with high school students, who can be so energetic, enthusiastic, impressionable, and excited to absorb knowledge. Teachers have always been a very important part of my life. When I look back and think of my school days, my enjoyment of a subject was often driven by the passion and enthusiasm of my teachers. That said, teaching is much more than just instructing on content - it is equally important to connect with students, mentor, guide, and encourage them. In my work at LHS, I aspire to be like many of my own teachers who have motivated and encouraged me on my path.
2. You are a teacher at Lexington High School in Massachusetts. This is a highly competitive town with some very bright children. What are your top 3 tips to get your students to be / stay motivated and move to the next level? What are some of your favorite moments as a teacher?
I am fortunate to teach in a town where parents are very supportive of the school system, and students are motivated and aim high. There is certainly a lot of competition among students that encourages them to work diligently, but this also comes at the risk of high stress. As such, my three tips to motivate students are:
Choose subject areas that truly interest you and do your best to comprehend the material: do not prioritize quantity over quality, and overburden yourself with too many challenging courses that don’t align with your interests
Do your best to avoid peer pressure - ensure your choices are guided by following your interests, not by doing what everyone else is doing
Focus on developing your overall personality - choose an extracurricular activity outside of academics that interests you and pursue those passions
Some of my favorite moments as a teacher are when my students understand something and relate it to their daily life. That “aha moment” is priceless. I also love when my former high school students come back from college to meet me and tell me that they are taking Chemistry in college because they enjoyed Chemistry with me in high school. They often find it “so easy” compared to my AP Chemistry class! Well, it is “easy” in college because of their hard work in my class!
3. You are also passionate about drama and plays among other things and are involved with the local SETU (Stage Ensemble Theater Unit) group. Tell us about this passion and how you stay involved with SETU. And after a long day at school, what do you do for fun?
I haven’t participated in drama and acting since my grade school days, so it was incredibly exciting and exhilarating when I decided to take up acting again and Subrata Das at SETU gave me a chance in his play “Devdas”. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with SETU, which is a testament to all of the very friendly, encouraging, and supportive members involved. That experience encouraged me to participate in several other plays with SETU since then.
Some of my other passions are singing, painting, and traveling. I don’t have to be the best singer or painter, but I enjoy doing them and they bring me happiness! I also love to meet and connect with other people, and through experiences like these have developed a wonderful group of friends in Massachusetts.
4. As the platform for women dreamers, what is your next big dream?
I want to support children beyond academics. I want to motivate them to see the big picture and understand the potential they have to work towards the betterment of society. I am currently also an advisor for National Honor Society at Lexington High School, through which I provide students with several community service opportunities so that they can learn the importance of service and compassion for others. Overall, I want to invest more in children because they are the future! By becoming well-rounded, compassionate individuals, they can contribute to and help create a better society.
Thank you Parul for sharing your inspiring story with us! We are excited to have you in our empowered women’s network!
Bio: Parul been teaching Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry at Lexington High School for the last twenty years. She has her PhD in medicinal chemistry from the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow, India. Besides her passion for teaching, she is a mom of two and also love traveling, painting, acting, singing, cooking, and reading!