What a wonderful opportunity to pen down my two and a half decades of glorious journey as a teacher…
Who says a teacher only teaches? My journey as a teacher has been filled with discovery, learning, and self-enhancement every time I entered my class to deliver the lesson. At every place I have taught – Hyderabad, Indore, Vadodara, Noida – one thing that has remained the same is that children everywhere are a bundle of joy and inquisitiveness. They enlivened my spirit, and the classroom became a breeding ground for fecund thoughts that led to greater joy in the learning process. Every passing year has ennobled me with the immense love and adoration I have received from my students across the country. Teaching is my passion, and the degrees I have earned enabled me to excel in my profession as an English language teacher. Dealing with literature as if it were a story woven around the lives of common people, making my students into little poets who could emotionally recite a few lines from the poems, and bringing out the values inherent in the texts has given me a great sense of satisfaction.
Reaching out to my students, not only for the subject but also as their guide and mentor, counseling those who felt very low at times, motivating and preparing others to participate in competitions, and celebrating their victories as my own achievements—this is how I recall my journey.”
Today, when students send me messages about their placements, call me to inquire about my well-being, or send me couriers with small gifts as a token of gratitude, I feel that the effort has not gone in vain. Our rewards are the success stories of our students. When I look back at the path I have trodden so far, there is no pang of regret or remorse for not having chosen a more lucrative career elsewhere.
Our expertise is of no use in class if we cannot connect with the child’s world of experiences. An efficient teacher makes the best use of her knowledge, prudence, and wit to make the most out of the 40 minutes. Teachers cannot create a child’s destiny, but they can certainly affect his/her efforts to achieve it. The most rewarding moments in my tenure have been the times when principals have personally acknowledged my work and also expressed their wish to be a person like me.
Let the fire of learning and love be alive to radiate the embers of knowledge, compassion, and humanity… Happy Teachers’ Day to all the passionate people …..