Gerald D'Cunha

  “Sometimes, when you lose your way, you find yourself.” Mandy Hale   W hen the roots are strong, the tree, invariably, grows strong. When we take good care of the saplings, they, invariably, grow into robust trees. That’s how our lives, too, shape up. The reason why we all try to provide our children with fine values and discipline is, precisely, for this reason – we want them to grow up into fine adults. Every generation of parents has been doing it. But, one thing has, always, mystified me… The destiny is shaped by multiple factors. Sometimes, despite utmost care of the saplings, the trees grow crooked. At some other times, despite lack of care for saplings, they grow up into fine trees… The struggle, rejection and personal quest are incredible character-shapers. Hence, I hesitate to foretell the fate of a sapling… John Lennon said, “There is nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be.” Y esterday, I had been to a school for the underprivileged kids. ...

O ne of the most precious privileges showered upon me by God is the privilege of becoming a teacher. Nothing else beats this… nothing else can replace this. Like millions of teachers all over the world know it, I, too, know that being there in a class room, day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year – yes, being there in the class room and impacting the lives of our students is unique about our profession. Our students come from different back grounds… some are from great families and some are from the broken ones… some kids are loved at home and some are abused… some have discovered their talents and callings in life… some are clueless… some are compassionate and kind and some are outright violent and volatile… And, there we are, as teachers… battling with our choices: to accept and reform our students or to condemn and give up on them… We are there before them in our class room, every day and round the year with the choices: to work for t...

  Pic.: Vinod Krishnan     “You may strive to be like them (your children), But seek not to make them like you. For, Life goes not backward, nor tarries with yesterday.”   - KAHLIL GIBRAN I n my school days, there were two kinds of teachers.   The first kind was the majority: They were too strict… quick to react on our mistakes and indiscipline… They punished us for the smallest of the smallest things even… Threw us out of the class, sent us frequently to the Head Master’s room… They regularly packed us back home, summoned our parents… And yes, they even thrashed us black and blue (and got away with it easily in those days).    The other kind was the minority: They were more tolerant towards our ‘sins’… tried to change us by constant counseling, trust, patience and foresight… Yes, they did lose their patience, did shout and scream at us… but, that was not to ‘punish’ us, but to ‘change’ us, help us see our mistakes and m...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty “Raise your words, not your voice… It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” -           Oprha Winfrey M any a times, when we keep screaming and shouting at our children or our students, our intention is very simple and straight: they should listen to us, show remorse and change… But, do they? Mostly, they don’t. What, generally, happens is: they yell back at us, argue and make the scene more volatile… or, they get suppressed by our authority and sulk… or, they keep just mocking – visibly or invisibly - at us seeing our weakness and helplessness… Rarely do they show remorse or empathy… rarely do they listen to us and change.   That frustrates us more… and, it doesn't allow us to come out of our shouting-and- screaming bouts, easily… We find ourselves in more turmoil, now! Time and again, I have realized that shouting and screaming at our young-on...