All I remember about my early years at school is that I used to wake up with a notebook and run to my mother early in the morning to revise the words as there would be a dictation test and I always wanted to impress my favorite teacher by scoring full marks.
She was my first favorite teacher ever, Mrs. Rani, my Upper Kindergarten teacher. She was invariably beautiful with a long braided hairstyle and draped in elegant sarees every day.
I am sure there would be that one teacher whom we all love the most. It may be because of their style of teaching, dressing, appearance, etc. Amongst all, the one quality that we will never forget is, How they have made us feel. There were teachers who would call me by name even after several years. The very feeling that the teacher still remembers me itself always made me feel special. I was the most talkative child in the class and would always be involved in Co-Curricular activities rather than scholastics.
So, some teachers have made me feel safe, encouraged, and secure & some have made me feel like a loser, they have demotivated & shattered my confidence. I would thank both as I have learned the life lessons the hard way.
There were many teachers who have inspired me as a student. & even now as a teacher myself. Firstly, My mother, Rebecca, has been a teacher for more than 3 decades. She is such a dedicated and friendly teacher that she was selected as the ‘Most Friendly teacher in the school’ by the students & staff. She was awarded the same title by Banjara Academy while they felicitated a few teachers on the occasion of teacher’s day in 2010. Seeing her work day in and out and giving more importance & love to other kids than her own, I had decided never to be a teacher.
After completing my graduation in Commerce I wasn’t allowed to work for a corporate company. So, teaching was by chance and not the choice I made. I started teaching in 2008.
Yes! 13 years have passed already and I have had the opportunity to work among good mentors. My inspirations as a teacher are Mrs. Dolores Arulappan, my first principal who imbedded starting the day with a lot of fear of God. We teachers would stand in a circle and pray before heading to the main assembly. Mrs. Niranjani understood my nature and gave me the opportunity to grow. Mrs. Anuradha, a senior teacher who recognised my potential at an early stage and brought out the best in me. Mrs. Rema Gopal, who has been a big boon & a blessing to me. I was like clay in the potter’s hands. She moulded me into what I am today. From a teacher who would depend only on the book given, to a teacher who would bring life to the lesson to a teacher who would drive the students to have a thirst for learning and exploration. Her seminars & workshops have helped me grow as a teacher in a big way. Mr. Ananth ( My director at IMTC) made us ponder on questions and built the spiritual level. Where I questioned myself ‘Am I worthy of a child?’ ‘How can I help/Facilitate ?’ Mrs. Swati Soni (My current HOS) is helping me grow more professionally. I am also thankful to all the teachers who I have worked with and have met. I have admired their qualities and picked a few. Here are a few pointers that I would like to share with you.
- Practice makes perfect: Since every child is unique and different, practice made me learn new ways and techniques. To manage my time and class. To help children engage & also deliver the content interestingly.
- Multiple Intelligence: Understanding the need to know Multiple intelligence, has helped in planning activities for children with different MI’s.
- Seminars & workshops: The seminars & workshops conducted by various publications like oxford university press, smile foundation, etc have groomed many teachers to inculcate moral values in children and make learning fun.
- Visits to other schools: Visiting others schools for observations and during fests has helped in growing more diverse.
- CBSE training courses: The CBSE courses that are conducted twice every year have helped in recollecting tools and also naming the tools that I have already been practicing.
- Long term/short term courses: These courses are either recommended by schools or we come across through peers. They have helped in subject-related queries and classroom management.
- Best Practices: Sharing with the peer group about something that went well in class has helped us, teachers, to appreciate each other for the work well done and also to get new ideas & strategies.
This pandemic has advanced all the teachers to go online, which has proved that teachers are learners throughout their lives. Though Teaching was by chance, I’m glad I’m here to make a difference. To facilitate young children to what they are already capable of. I am now a proud Early years facilitator at CMR NPS. All I wish as a teacher right now, is to meet my students offline and see the spark in their eyes!
