Just a teacher...
The college in which I teach is a small pool of knowledge, where wise and intellectuals discuss in one corner and uninterested, yet pretentious ones chatter in another corner. In one teacher, I saw concern for students while another teacher showed indifference; other one seemed to have one or two favourites in each class, another teacher got worried over daily workload and one even was vengeful and knowingly didn't listen to a pursuing student, who apparently misbehaved in class.
When I enter class, I see youth, energy, yet boredom. Boredom, because of monotonous class room study. I am a language teacher, but if I ever had a choice then I would teach them to write in innovative ways, like sitting alone in Mcdonald's and giving a descriptive version of each table and things happening on it. I would encourage them to be happy and self-motivated. I would assign them to talk to strangers on road and tell me about one new person they talked to, each day. I never believed in marks, I have been my best critique. I would enthuse them with patience and show them how to do the small things deftly to achieve a big thing later. Grammar comes with practice. I would practice grammar with them on terrace in a sunny afternoon. But when teaching becomes confined to limits, learning also gets confined. So, here I am a caged yet enthusiastic teacher, who wants them to learn the right thing and who doesn't go to teach them for only money or for employee perks or for short-lived appreciations or for gossip or for self glorification. I found the most naughtiest of the classes, most well-behaved during my lecture. Most rowdy students tried to listen to me, realised their mistakes and a few uninterested lot even started studying!
Nowadays, when students hardly know how to show respect to elders, some of my students willingly help me out, give memorable gifts on Teacher's Day. Some of them left college and got settled in jobs in different other cities still, don't forget to send me greetings every year on my birthday or Teacher's Day. Some of them, simply love me. I am thankful to them for everything. Making my impression on students was never my motive. I always wanted them to learn the right thing in my subject as well as the right behaviour and I always exemplified in front of them. There were times when most difficult students willingly accepted their punishments, saying sorry, just because that punishment was given by me, even the notices of suspension, which bore my signatures were taken seriously and before going, students would come to say sorry and some even promised to be better persons in their life ahead. I don't know to what extent they understood and to what extent they tried but I know they will never give up.
Confidence is important, optimism and sincere efforts are important and success will follow. I am already successful as far as I helped bring about a positive change in the minds of youths. They will grow up to bring about a positive change in my country one day. It is said that most of the teachers are patriots at heart. I am, but I am also a humanist. I don't believe in one religion. I believe in celebrating life in every form. I believe in love. I believe in help. I believe in respect. I believe in what I teach and I believe in my students. These students might or might not become scholars but they will certainly become good humans. 'Believe' because this is the only magic. All the magicians succeed because they can make people believe. If you believe, you do, if you do, you succeed!
I once had a good teacher, I am now a better person. No matter how far I will travel, no matter what I accomplish in my life, I will always remain a successful student for that teacher. But I would want to go back to her and say proudly, "Ma'm, I didn't crack competition, I didn't study on resources and money, but I studied. I didn't become what I dreamt of becoming but I learnt to write. I started writing a lot and went on to write books one day. People read me, recognised me and colleges asked me to teach their students what I knew best. Now, in your shoes, I feel the responsibility of carrying them to their boarding points for their journey towards their destinations. That's how I became just a teacher..."
The college in which I teach is a small pool of knowledge, where wise and intellectuals discuss in one corner and uninterested, yet pretentious ones chatter in another corner. In one teacher, I saw concern for students while another teacher showed indifference; other one seemed to have one or two favourites in each class, another teacher got worried over daily workload and one even was vengeful and knowingly didn't listen to a pursuing student, who apparently misbehaved in class.
When I enter class, I see youth, energy, yet boredom. Boredom, because of monotonous class room study. I am a language teacher, but if I ever had a choice then I would teach them to write in innovative ways, like sitting alone in Mcdonald's and giving a descriptive version of each table and things happening on it. I would encourage them to be happy and self-motivated. I would assign them to talk to strangers on road and tell me about one new person they talked to, each day. I never believed in marks, I have been my best critique. I would enthuse them with patience and show them how to do the small things deftly to achieve a big thing later. Grammar comes with practice. I would practice grammar with them on terrace in a sunny afternoon. But when teaching becomes confined to limits, learning also gets confined. So, here I am a caged yet enthusiastic teacher, who wants them to learn the right thing and who doesn't go to teach them for only money or for employee perks or for short-lived appreciations or for gossip or for self glorification. I found the most naughtiest of the classes, most well-behaved during my lecture. Most rowdy students tried to listen to me, realised their mistakes and a few uninterested lot even started studying!
Nowadays, when students hardly know how to show respect to elders, some of my students willingly help me out, give memorable gifts on Teacher's Day. Some of them left college and got settled in jobs in different other cities still, don't forget to send me greetings every year on my birthday or Teacher's Day. Some of them, simply love me. I am thankful to them for everything. Making my impression on students was never my motive. I always wanted them to learn the right thing in my subject as well as the right behaviour and I always exemplified in front of them. There were times when most difficult students willingly accepted their punishments, saying sorry, just because that punishment was given by me, even the notices of suspension, which bore my signatures were taken seriously and before going, students would come to say sorry and some even promised to be better persons in their life ahead. I don't know to what extent they understood and to what extent they tried but I know they will never give up.
Confidence is important, optimism and sincere efforts are important and success will follow. I am already successful as far as I helped bring about a positive change in the minds of youths. They will grow up to bring about a positive change in my country one day. It is said that most of the teachers are patriots at heart. I am, but I am also a humanist. I don't believe in one religion. I believe in celebrating life in every form. I believe in love. I believe in help. I believe in respect. I believe in what I teach and I believe in my students. These students might or might not become scholars but they will certainly become good humans. 'Believe' because this is the only magic. All the magicians succeed because they can make people believe. If you believe, you do, if you do, you succeed!
I once had a good teacher, I am now a better person. No matter how far I will travel, no matter what I accomplish in my life, I will always remain a successful student for that teacher. But I would want to go back to her and say proudly, "Ma'm, I didn't crack competition, I didn't study on resources and money, but I studied. I didn't become what I dreamt of becoming but I learnt to write. I started writing a lot and went on to write books one day. People read me, recognised me and colleges asked me to teach their students what I knew best. Now, in your shoes, I feel the responsibility of carrying them to their boarding points for their journey towards their destinations. That's how I became just a teacher..."
Comments
Post a Comment