‘Believe in yourself’: How this Madurai teacher taught her students to be confident

How much can a simple Instagram page change lives? This was what I.S. Sumathi, a teacher from Panchayat Union Middle School, Therkamoor, in Madurai district, thought while starting the @_.future_genius._ Instagram page in September 2022.

“The students were thrilled because it was something they had never done before,” said Sumathi to The Hindu. Fast forward to 2025, the page has lakhs of followers and a blue tick due to its popularity.

Deepika, believe yourself! | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

At a time when teachers, parents, and all authorities are asking students to stay away from devices, social media and whatnot, Sumathi stands apart for using the very same for increasing her students’ confidence. Helping them grow wings to their dreams, Sumathi ensures that all students get a chance to be in front of the camera. She spoke about how social media is a vital tool in today’s age and how students should be taught to use it responsibly instead of avoiding it.

The first step

“Before I started Instagram, not many people were posting videos. My only motivation was that since others use social media for different reasons, why can’t I use it for education instead of competing with others?”

Under government schemes like Ennum Ezhuthum scheme (Numeracy and Literacy scheme, which ensures students under the age of eight get basic arithmetic and literacy education), teachers are expected to share activity videos in educational Telegram groups. These schemes have a learner-centric, activity-based curriculum that is unique. This is where Sumathi thought apart, “Why not post the same videos on Instagram?” That thinking brought thousands of followers to the page and school, to the extent that many private schools also adopted the activity-based teaching methods.

From being reluctant and unsure of how the internet might react to the content to understanding the importance of exposing them to the real world, the channel grew. The students now all strive to become ready for the real world out there waiting for them.

The journey

With 26 years of experience, Sumathi fondly remembered her grandfather, who was a teacher and how she took up teaching to fulfil her father’s dream. Inspired by her own teacher back in school, Sumathi had one goal. Become like him — one of the best teachers possible. She’s following his path through her innovative ways of teaching and ensuring her children gain confidence and the life skills needed to go ahead with their aspirations.

The viral effect

The viral videos were mainly related to a ‘Believe in Yourself’ activity that they did in class, where each student is seen pointing at themselves while saying ‘Believe in yourself’ with their name.

Thus came the famous ‘Believe in yourself, Shivadharshini’ and ‘Deepika, believe yourself’ trends that won millions of hearts.

While these became trendy due to how catchy and confident the students were while talking, there are multiple other activities, including the students talking about English grammar usage through actions and describing what they are doing.

Sumathi’s reels are basically lesson activities that one might get easily attracted to indulge in while doom-scrolling. By using handmade chart paper cut-outs of the school, stickers and drawing boards, she ensures the experience is a fun activity for her students.

The page gained millions of views, and the students got quite a bit of fame. But the efforts did not stop there; the page continued to be active and quite consistent in putting out content.

niranjana.ps@thehindu.co.in