Gerald D'Cunha

  “Teaching kids to count is fine; but, teaching them what counts is best.” Bob Talbert L ast afternoon, a husband and a wife had come to meet me. They wanted to enroll their son for class 11. As usual, I kept addressing them as ‘Sir’ and ‘Ma’am’. As the discussion was progressing, the woman, with a slight amusement, said, “Sir, my husband was your student some thirty years ago… You shouldn’t call him ‘Sir’.” Well, only after I learnt, that I had taught this gentleman three decades ago, I began to remember him… He was very lean and boyish… Now, he had put on a lot of weight and grown a thick beard, too. Moreover, they both seemed quite affluent the way they carried themselves… Would I change the gear and call him by his first name, now? “Annadata sukhibhava,” I said to the woman, a little playfully, but really meaning what I was saying, “A parent is a parent, Ma’am… My student is a parent now… Addressing him as ‘Sir’ will help both of us.” J ust in the morning, yeste...

Pic.: Pradeep Nanda R est assured, we teachers will never keep our mouths shut. And, rest assured, that it is for a very good and very noble reason…. In my case, rest. also, assured, that I won’t stop ‘preaching', either! Teachers are our friends, guides and philosophers… motivators,  mentors… the ones who don’t lose faith in us… the ones who don’t give up on us… the ones who see our tomorrows much before we do… Our teachers are our cheerleaders… our best well-wishers… But, then, our teachers are, often, too strict, too critical, too mean… Aren’t they? I had, in my life, the sweetest as well as the hardest teachers, both… The teachers who seemed least interested except in their monthly salary and the teachers who did not care for their monthly salary and went out of their way to help us, shape us and inspire us… And, I don’t think such mix – such reality - has changed or will ever change… W hy is a teacher so hard or harsh at times… even...