Being a Teacher!

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It's always a very weird feeling, when you stand across the table and look at the people/kids you are teaching. The first thought that enters into your mind is that you used to be one of them. As a sense of power prevails and just for a moment maybe you know what it felt for your teachers. That power however is not of authority, it is of knowledge, that leaves you hungry for more. The clueless eyes, waiting to be enlightened and the sense of understanding, the look of it, when you see on the faces of the individuals you are teaching often leaves you with a sense of achievement and great pride. I always used to love teaching, I used to dress up in mum's sarees and teach myself by writing on home boards or whenever we used to go to Ludhiana, I totally used to play teacher in nanu's school. In 12th standard, I received the best student teacher award and somehow I thought maybe this is my calling. To educate people, but just like everything else I could only pursue something till the time it does not begin to bore me. 

Now, often when I go as an examiner in a university, like I went today, It's a very strange feeling. The moment you enter into a classroom during an exam there is this tension that fills the room. Students heave and sigh, some panic, some look at each other, some shake and then you realise how difficult we make our lives. I used to be a very strict teacher, fun but when it came to teaching, I did my duty diligently. I was known as a terror where I taught apparently, but known to teach very well, kids actually wanted to study in my class and I guess that image was okay as long I was able to teach better and be known as a good teacher. Children used to opt to come to my class but over the years, I've mellowed down. Life tends to do that to you. It breaks you in ways that you never thought you will be broken. So, now it's mostly about encouraging students to take interest (but this doesn't mean that I've gone overly soft and stopped grilling students) nope because it still enrages me that people think they can get away with a lot of things versus people who really put their heart into studying in order to do better.

Destiny conspires in the strangest ways possible. I got into a stream that I did not want to get into at all but was forced to by my mum. I finished it, with a lot of hue and cry, gave my lectureship exam, cleared it, so if I wanted to, I could teach in a university. I tried teaching for a while but the lack of enthusiasm was something that got to me, so I switched. I moved on to teaching adults and somewhere even though it tends to become a little disheartening and maddening when they are not interested but it makes it all the more worthwhile when they show how you've made an impact and taught them and built their capacity to do their job better. So, I guess I like it.