ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) – Peter Manuelpillai’s teaching journey and love for chemistry began in Srilanka. Manuelpillai has now been teaching for 35 years.

He spent some time teaching in the Middle East before teaching in the Elmira school district for twenty years. Whenever he learns something, Manuelpillai wants to share it with others.

“I enjoy teaching the kids to stimulate their minds, to create a level of learning, and make them lifelong learners. So, we usually give challenges, we enjoy the learning process, their thinking, and their levels of intent”, said Manuelpillai. “Here in the U.S., we have a lot of resources for the students,” he continued.

A highlight of Manuelpillai’s teaching experience is hearing how his students think and the ideas they create.

“In the interaction with the kids, I think about how they think differently than me. They will give me different types of answers sometimes that stimulate my brain. So, I learn from my kids,” said Manuelpillai.