WHEN WE MAKE OUR TEACHERS CRY

In my F.Y. B. Com, when I dreamt of becoming a teacher, I had just crossed 17. All that had happened was, that, sitting there in our packed classroom and watching and adoring my own teacher, Prof. B.S.Raman, I had desperately desired to be only that – a good teacher and good writer. Because, my teacher was a damn good teacher and an author. Well, during the three years of my degree college, even though Raman Sir taught our class every day, I hadn’t spoken to him, one-on-one… I had only adored and dreamt of becoming like him. Whatever we deeply like, we attract… Yes, the ancient ‘Law of Attraction’ was silently doing its work in me…

I had to simply surrender to that Law!

Today, after some forty-four years of teaching, if you ask me, “Do you still want to teach?”, I will jump and shout – ‘YES’! If you ask me, “What do you want to be in your next life?” I will jump and shout, again - “A teacher, and nothing else!”

Everyday, we teachers scream and shout at our students… We get drained, often, frustrated. It’s never easy to be an ‘intense’ teacher like me. My temper has been so deeply rooted in my nature, that I wonder, if I would ever be the same without it… My passion, my emotional touch, my preachy streak and, above all, my instinctive emphasis on building the self-confidence of the young one than his/her academic score – yes, these things have almost become permanent part of my teacher-mould.

Teaching never was ‘work’ for me… It will never be…

I pray, “God, make me a teacher in my next birth, too. Please. Please. Please!”

Today is Guru Poornima. It feels nice when my students greet me from dawn to dusk. The day is almost gone… A thought was making me restless: Do all teachers go home with the prayer, “O God, make me a teacher in my next birth, too… Please. Please. Please.”?

16-year-old Jeeten Petkar had written this piece for our latest book, “I am Good, The World Is Good’… ‘Jaisi Drishti, Waisi Srishti’. I do not know, whether it’s right on my part to share this on a ‘special day’ like today. But, as always, I listen to my heart and share this touching piece… Because, it is so common place…

WHEN WE MAKE

OUR TEACHERS CRY

Jeeten Petkar (16)

I would like to narrate an incident that took place in my school when I was in Grade 11 in a very reputed ISC-Board school.

One day, when our mathematics teacher was absent, we were made to sit in Economics class so that we could do our math work and not freely roam about in the school. While ma’am was teaching, the Economics students were not paying attention. They were cross-talking and were making too much noise.  When their teacher told them to maintain silence, she was ignored; and, when she shouted, she was told, that her language was not understood by any Economics student in the class. But, she continued her class and tried her best to talk in such a way that the students could understand. Apparently, she had been doing it for many days. Even though she made efforts to try to make students understand and bring the class in control, she couldn’t. Finally, she lost her patience and blasted at the class, while she broke down in tears, since the students never understood her.

This issue directly went to our Principal. She was very angry with the students for their behaviour. The students were firmly told, that they would not have Economics class for a week since their teacher wasn’t ready to come to their class unless students behaved well. The students felt apologetic and were ready to do anything to bring back their Economics teacher. They knew, that their teacher was extremely sincere and caring; but, because of their lack of cooperation, they couldn’t understand anything. They realized, that it was their fault and not their teacher’s.

So, all the Economics students got into one group and wrote an apology letter for their teacher and promised to cooperate with her.

We youngsters do such things in schools and colleges regularly... We assume it’s fun, cool. But, what we fail to understand is: what it does to our teachers. Often, they lose their jobs. Often, they go home, heart-broken, and spend sleepless nights.

Is it bias? Yes, it is.

Is it harmful? Yes, it is.

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Lgh-9