BOOKS AND BANGALORE

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

A Part Of You



Dreams of childhood are like clouds in the sky. We do not know from where and when they come neither do we know where and when they go. But some do stay, right till you look at them and feel their presence. ”I want to be a teacher” was one such of mine. The inspiration came from around, right from kindergarten and does even now. I get to live this little dream more than occasionally now, much thanks to the number of undergrad classes that are put on our shoulders. ‘Tutors’ that we post graduates are!

Teaching is a hard thing to do, really hard. In today’s times almost every student is a fish wanting you to teach how to climb a tree when they are busy swimming in their own aquarium, not that you would want them to. You know you know and think they do not know, but they think they know and you do not know. Now that’s a pretty complex state of affairs.

With all the student assessment, parental interference and work pressures that happens these days there are teachers just like ice cream cakes around. A good teacher is more than just smiling sweet. Who says they are good, they definitely are not. Look around, not for the one who cuts those marks for the missing punctuations or lines of poetry or for the steps in a sum but for the one who do not correct you enough, who do not tell you where you may go wrong, who do not punish you thinking you may take it to heart. It wouldn’t be a surprise if you find many. What are teachers for if they are not allowed to teach enough? I cannot thank God enough for this, I come from a schooling time, just a decade ago where things were not so. Although I cannot personally thank each of my teachers, for the school hopping that I have done through different towns and cities I know a part of what I am today is made by them. The way I have been taught is the way I teach, and for that I shall adore them for life.

To teach is not to keep an eye
To teach is not to make do
To teach is not to punish
To teach is not to preach
To teach is not to tell
To teach is to give
A part of you

-R-

1 comment:

Rajesh said...

VeVery thought provoking lines Raksha. I am a bit of Notre Dame, a bit of Michael's and a bit of Berchmans. Awesome thought.