Ms. Pochiraju earned both her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education from Osmania University in India. She then obtained a Master of Science in Microbiology from Nagarjuna University in India, and her Master of Science in Biotechnology from IASE in India. After coming to the United States, she took additional credits at Stanford to become a Certified Child Nutritionist. As a Biology Subject Expert Teacher in Biology, her goals in the classroom are to instill students with intrinsic motivation to learn, to develop well-rounded students, to nurture student curiosity, and to encourage students in Scientific thinking. Ms. Pochiraju chose BASIS Independent Silicon Valley because she always wanted to teach at one of the best schools in the nation. BISV has a globally benchmarked and proven gold standard academic curriculum that offers much support for Ms. Pochiraju to attain her goals as a teacher. Her philosophy around education is that all children are unique and must have a stimulating educational environment in which they can grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and socially. It is her desire to create this type of atmosphere where students can meet their full potential. She enjoys providing a safe environment where students are invited to share their ideas and take risks. In the same vein, she believes that students learn best when they feel that their teachers are dedicated and approachable. If students know their teacher is working hard and want to support them as they learn, they're more likely to succeed. For this reason, Ms. Pochiraju keeps an open-door policy at all times and strives to build rapport with each student. To maximize student engagement, she uses a lot of fun strategies. Ms. Pochiraju utilizes hands-on-activities and collaborative activities that involve the active participation of students in order to experience scientific concepts. Another method she uses is the idea of learning through argumentation. When students debate a concept with a peer, they encounter new contrasting ideas which encourage them to think differently or more deeply about a specific topic. She also likes to include both real-life scenarios that involve analyzing current problems, and games and simulations in her lessons. In her spare time, she enjoys playing badminton with her son and family, experiment with cooking a variety of cuisines, dance, listen to spiritual discourses and learn new things (Currently she is learning a new language). She also teaches Microbiology at one of the private colleges. FUN FACT: You may not think that a Biologist would be afraid of both injections and house lizards, but she is!​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌​‍​‌‍‌‌​​‌​‍‍​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‍‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌