Captain Vibecraft ~ Yamini Vijayaraj

Shaping minds as a passionate educator and capturing moments as a creative photographer, Ms.Yamini brings the same vibrant energy to the classroom to make sure that her learners are heard and valued. She currently works as a computer science teacher in Chennai. Deeply passionate about nature and culture, she loves capturing the subtle elements of our heritage that are often lost in the bustle of city life. Whether birding, exploring nature walks, or photographing the little details around her, she finds beauty in the often unnoticed. She believes in giving the same exposure to her students as well and has helped some students to come up with creative documentaries at Beyond 8 school while other learners discover interesting facts about nature through camera lenses.
As a student, Ms. Yamini remembers herself as a disciplined and diligent student, often afraid of her teachers – a contrast that now shapes her own approach in the classroom. She recalls school to be often a restricted environment for girl students where sports were a limited activity, and academics were of utmost priority with no distractions, leaving all the teenage girls not many opportunities to express their opinions. It was only after she started pursuing her undergraduate course that she learnt that a free learning environment can bring such positive changes in a learner and enhance their ability to learn better.
When it comes to her learners, she believes it is important to be approachable. She shifts her approach to truly connect with her learners, even learning some quirky Gen Z slang. She does this not with the necessity to speak their language but to break the learner and teacher barrier. She also thinks it is important to be an effective facilitator for the learners and not rush into giving them an easy way out when things get a bit difficult. She believes it is important to reassure students at every step that the problem in front of them is not so complex.

Sometimes, this can be done by breaking the problem for them or assuring them that it is doable if they set their mind to it. No topic is too dry for her—she leverages AI tools creatively to turn lessons into fun and engaging experiences. Using bird photography to understand pattern recognition or checking flight schedules for data collection algorithms, she encourages her learners to find solutions to real-world issues before diving into the theory, making it more relatable and easier for the learners.
Ms. Yamini gave an interesting example of a student who did not answer most of the questions on the exam paper, leaving the answer space nearly vacant in several exams. She was gradually encouraged to practice exam papers the day before the exam, which increased her confidence and helped her overcome her phobia, and she continued to improve with each set of exams. Although the strategy may appear strange at first, a deeper look at it will help us understand as educators that simple reassurances for our students every now and then can help them achieve their targeted goals with ease.
She admits that teaching in the current scenario comes with its own challenges. Often, the outcomes of her classroom lessons and field trips take unexpected yet meaningful turns.

She recalls a photography walk centered on capturing nature, where one student chose a different path—creating a striking documentary of a local train journey. What began as a simple exercise evolved into something far more powerful, reminding her that learning doesn’t always follow a planned route. Teaching doesn’t always need to follow a set lesson plan; instead, it can involve helping and giving students the freedom to make mistakes. These mistakes might sometimes become a challenge for educators, or they might challenge learners to think outside the box. She also thinks that the world has not yet seen the effort of teachers beyond the classes. Providing a safe learning environment, encouraging curiosity, giving constructive feedback, inspiring students, and many such roles that educators need to play in the classroom. Behind every learner’s progress is the quiet, consistent effort they put into each step—often unnoticed, yet deeply impactful.
Referring to the superheroes, she connects the most; she joyfully mentions that it is Spiderman. No matter how successful they become, she thinks it’s crucial to remind her students that morality and accountability are the most important virtues. Ms. Yamini feels that the long rope of trust she develops with her learners, which bridges the gap between the learning objectives and the outcome, is her superpower. With this long rope of trust and a nurturing presence that inspires them to grow and constant incentive to keep trying forward, she hopes to assist all her students in achieving their intended results.