She jostled with doubts and queries after the first week of school. “Why didn’t I continue my career in the glamorous journalism field?”, “Why did I choose to be a teacher?” “Will I be happy?”
When so many ‘Whys’ and ‘Hows’ gather and stage a protest in an already rough terrain, the mind stops working and decides to accept the situation gracefully. So, the young lady immersed herself and decided to give her best. Some were the best of days, and then, some were the worst of days. The charm of a new situation, a new story, a new problem, or a solution kept her busy and the years rolled by.
Years: 2008 to 2018, Venue: Birla School, Haldwani, Somerville School, NOIDA
The scenes changed and so did the questions. This young woman enjoyed her days spent with youngsters – she felt like a young girl and work didn’t appear to be a chore but a meaningful experience. Now the questions did not bother her as she knew their answers. Troubled faces did not upset her because she knew the magic of transforming them into smiling ones. Consistency, they say is the key to success.
She remembered HW Longfellow’s lines, “In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of life, Be not like dumb, driven cattle! Be a hero in the strife!” She was THEIR hero. And this was the same journey, but, with a twist! A career that troubled her and led to a lot of confusion in the beginning became a source of joy. At the end of each day, a sense of achievement, contentment, and happiness prevailed. On other days when gloom, desolation, and disappointment, made some space in her students’ minds, her creative career kept her hopeful and she told her students, “Never Mind. Nothing is the end of the world. We shall try again. You matter and mean a lot to us. So, keep going.”
Year: 2020, Venue: Online Classrooms
COVID-19 pushed us all into a new, isolated world. The school sans students was a body without a soul. The chirruping of students, the sound of their steps, the melody of their daily squabbles, they were all missing. The pandemic taught us all to be more human. Those unprecedented times were the testing times for two communities – Healthcare providers – the DOCTORS, and the Educators – especially the SCHOOL TEACHERS.
History will speak of all the pure, beautiful souls who ensconced themselves in their rooms, did not care about the working hours, learned IT skills, and adopted more creative and innovative methods of teaching. The hard work behind the whole process made this transition smooth.
Year: Present: 2023, Venue: RKKGPS, Jodhpur
Call them teachers, facilitators, or life transformers; they are here to stay. Amidst ephemeral pleasures, the one thing that is going to stay with any child is the love or care that they receive. Everyone understands the language of love. How much empathy is shown to a student in a Mathematics class? Or how considerate his language teachers are when his diction and grammar go haywire?
With innumerable stories etched in her heart, the young woman learned something that she would like to share with her fellow educators, “Each child is different. Be confident to follow your heart and keep treading the path. Your love and affection will empower them”.
And the journey continues…
