They say love is the most indefatigable elixir for pruning unworthy emotions and soothing jaded pains. If we take a detour from how love is traditionally perceived, we’ll understand it as a feeling that turns people into human beings. In a world that is reeling under insurmountable pressure, inexplicable sufferings, and unbidden anxieties, love comes forth as a cathartic expression, forging people’s trust in each other and resuscitating our faith in humanity. Perhaps, this is why the profession of teaching is closest to building affinity, empathy, and compassion while sculpting the child’s future.
The popular adage, “With great power, comes great responsibility’ fits the bill with being a teacher. Navigating through the journey, you are on an emotional roller coaster ride nearly every single day of your life. With children beckoning you for little things, learning new things yourself, experimenting with pedagogical innovations, creating a safe and sound environment for them to flourish in, and understanding their behaviors and actions like the back of your hand, comes under the umbrella term of being a teacher. Being a teacher in a technologically braced world like today’s means taking off on a blindfolded journey of uncertainties with your ‘empathy’ gloves and ‘non-judgmental’ visor on. Not to miss the transformation you go through in the process of mentoring and mothering children.
Although there have been many truly transformative instances during my teaching tenure, there was one that etched its mark permanently. It was 2022 when I became this child’s class teacher and I was cautioned against his truant and eccentric behavior. In the beginning, I could sense that he was distracted, mostly looking out of the classroom window while muttering something indecipherable to himself. It seemed weird to check on him every time but eventually as I started to know the child better, I could sense a strain of deep loneliness in him stemming from the recent traumatic loss of his father during the pandemic.
This child had escaped from home after his unexpected encounter with death and was found on the Ghat of Holy Ganga, in search of the true meaning of life and beyond. This was one of its one-of-a-kind experiences for me to have seen and heard about. It was only when I dismissed my speculative lens and started knowing this child better that I could enter the labyrinth of his doleful mind. I slowly started involving him in classroom discussions, asking his opinion about certain themes, handing him petty responsibilities, and making him align with the environment around him.
Eventually, he opened up and started showing significant improvement in terms of his academic and personal growth. I remember he would sit back after the lecture and talk relentlessly about the world, its problems, and several other things that clouded his mind. It was apparent from his passionate talks that he wanted to be heard. He was impatiently on the lookout for a patient listener who would make him feel that his thoughts mattered.
During these conversations, he would wear his heart on his sleeve and sneak me into the realm of the unknown. This child was different, purely divine, a mystical presence with a visionary mindset, a child way beyond his years, in terms of maturity and understanding of the world, at large. Despite this understanding, I never tried to budge into that vulnerable space that he’d been keeping away from everyone’s eye.
On a similar occasion, he told me that he had escaped his home because he never thought Death could be so devastating. It left him bereft of his father and a vacuum that would never fill. It made him question the tenacity of human life and the grandeur of death. He wanted to spend his life exploring this bitter truth that universally pervades human existence. This child has now graduated from school with flying colors, invested in his aim of becoming an IIT-ian.
On his last day at school, he left without a goodbye but with a note on my table that I held closer than any precious jewel. It read “You’ve not been a teacher but a mentor who lighted my way when I was about to lose myself in the dismal darkness of ignorance and depression. Your patient hearing instilled new hope in me and made me feel important. I shall always cherish the classroom discussions and the thoughtful deliberations we had when my perception of the world had grown pessimistic. Thank you for making me live again.”
In the tapestry of my recent memories, there’s one thread that stands out boldly, weaving its way through the fabric of my life and leaving an indelible mark on my journey. It’s a memory that resonates with the essence of growth and gratitude, a reminder of the profound impact teaching has had on my existence.
As I reflect on this memory, I am filled with a deep sense of appreciation for the choices I’ve made and the lives I’ve been privileged to touch. Teaching, I realize, has been more than just a profession for me; it has been an anchor of self-discovery and nourishment, guiding me along a path of personal and professional development. With each lesson taught, each student inspired, and each moment shared, I have found myself growing in ways I never imagined possible. The challenges I’ve faced and the triumphs I’ve celebrated have shaped me into the person I am today – resilient, empathetic, and driven by a passion to make a difference in the lives of others.
I say this with pride – I am not just a teacher; I am the Teacher. I am the embodiment of dedication, perseverance, and the unwavering belief in the power of education to transform lives. Through teaching, I have found purpose, fulfillment, and a profound sense of meaning that transcends the boundaries of the classroom.
Shared by : Shobha Arora Chutani,
Educator English language expert
