Today is 5th September. So, it is yet another day on the calendar. I am quite definite many think so, or at least have begun thinking in this way. September 5 is celebrated in India as 'Teacher's Day'. Observed after the birthday of India's second President - Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, it used to be the day when schools celebrated this amazing individual called 'Teacher'.
Students on their part put up shows to entertain those whom they held in high esteem and even aped them sometimes, for they believed that someday they would turn out to be half as good as them. We wrote songs, sang them out aloud, danced and entertained and made sure that the day was a memorable one for our teachers.
The teachers on their part were equally participative. I remember my convent school in Belgaum where all teachers had turned up as students and put up a fantastic show. How could it not be funny when the Head Sister, who was the principal of the school, turned out in pinafore with plaits! We students had only seen her grumpy face and hid every time somebody whispered "Hide! Sister Rose is here!"
Times changed and schools soon became colleges. Teachers became "way too complicated" or "extremely strict" or just "boring". I am not trying to act saintly here. I have been part of the junta which said all these and more! Those few who felt that 'a' particular teacher was good was promptly termed 'nerd' or 'dork' or just too uncool to hang out with! Means for entertainment turned to freak outs, parties, rock concerts. Time flew past soon and in the exodus September 5 was forgotten too soon.
Employment, family and deadlines hardly allow time for oneself, let alone someone out of the close circuit. And today, when all of a sudden some unknown number flashed on my cell phone, it did not take a minute for me to cut the call. The reason was not a meeting but just the wish of not adding more fuel to an already high tension day of work. On an instinct, I called the number to find that it was a dear teacher, whose number I had lost somewhere in the passage of time. The lady was gracious enough to let my blunder go unnoticed. But it did stir my inner soul to take stock of things that were left behind somewhere in the many milestones of life.
Here's to all the teachers!
Students on their part put up shows to entertain those whom they held in high esteem and even aped them sometimes, for they believed that someday they would turn out to be half as good as them. We wrote songs, sang them out aloud, danced and entertained and made sure that the day was a memorable one for our teachers.
The teachers on their part were equally participative. I remember my convent school in Belgaum where all teachers had turned up as students and put up a fantastic show. How could it not be funny when the Head Sister, who was the principal of the school, turned out in pinafore with plaits! We students had only seen her grumpy face and hid every time somebody whispered "Hide! Sister Rose is here!"
Times changed and schools soon became colleges. Teachers became "way too complicated" or "extremely strict" or just "boring". I am not trying to act saintly here. I have been part of the junta which said all these and more! Those few who felt that 'a' particular teacher was good was promptly termed 'nerd' or 'dork' or just too uncool to hang out with! Means for entertainment turned to freak outs, parties, rock concerts. Time flew past soon and in the exodus September 5 was forgotten too soon.
Employment, family and deadlines hardly allow time for oneself, let alone someone out of the close circuit. And today, when all of a sudden some unknown number flashed on my cell phone, it did not take a minute for me to cut the call. The reason was not a meeting but just the wish of not adding more fuel to an already high tension day of work. On an instinct, I called the number to find that it was a dear teacher, whose number I had lost somewhere in the passage of time. The lady was gracious enough to let my blunder go unnoticed. But it did stir my inner soul to take stock of things that were left behind somewhere in the many milestones of life.
Here's to all the teachers!
2 comments:
Well, here we also ask about that.
Teacher, school, education...without any value.
Here in Brazil here celebrate the teacher's day is on october 15th.
The school system here is the same.
Programs, events, celebrations always try to rescue the importance of education for a country that wants to grow up and teach their children.
Some places here we can see pupils fight with teachers and doing other bad things...
I fact, almost young students here can not wait until the end of school(about 8 years). It's like to be free from a jail.
Buuuuuut we've got other students who arrive to the end of school already preparing to enter in one college or some techinic course.
But we've got always try to change this situation. And it's possible.
Without school, we can not be a great human, professional person and have a good life, work....
Kisses dear Di, and sorry by my english....I need to go to school and learn more this language :-]
:-]
sentimental write..
and why not, teachers are close.
I will tell u abt one.. an english teacher from kerela.. she taught me in 9th 10th.. i was never a grea figure at school, was low profile boring and a lot of inferiority complex..
But i was good in studies, though my nos dont show it, and particularly in english.
Only because she was there, taught all of us and gave special attention to each one in the class.. she took to my name such that when my brother mohit came under her she cud not help calling him Shobhit...
school is special for me only because of her i have no other memory of school..
yet i am not in contact. why? cause contact does not matter, what matters is my heartfelt love for her and my wishes will reach her wherever she is.. God bless her..
and u too for writing this piece :)
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