Teacher's Day

       5^th September is always a special day. I must admit here that the importance of the day, in true sense, I realized only after joining the teaching profession. Over the years, I have been through all kinds of experiences, good, bad, depressing, encouraging but all of them together have become part of my life. This blog of course has given me an opportunity to reach to my students, as many as possible, who also hold memories of me good as well as bad. As I can see, we all evolve as a human being and as a professional from immaturity to a line of maturity, which experiences in life tend to push further.  As a teacher I have had the fortune of having many students who had given me so much of respect that I was often forced to question myself whether I really deserved that or not. But at least  this indicated that my path and approach was not totally wrong.

     I must express with deep sense of gratitude the contribution of my teachers in shaping my life personal as well as professional, directly or indirectly. On teacher's day I want to publish an article on one of the finest teachers I have ever had. The following article was written three years back. Given my emotional involvement I desperately wanted to publish it but without editing. But I preferred not to send it to any print media; I kept it with me. Some of my friends did know about it. This blog I find the most appropriate place to publish it.

      I take this opportunity to thank all my students for their affection knowing me fully with all my limitations, human imperfections.

    On this blog I would be as candid as one can be in sharing my experiences that taught me, sensitized me and above all made me realize how imperfect I am in dealing with others.

    Thank you.

Teacher’s Day

      Come 5^th September every year and mobile starts ringing unusually frequently, the beeps of SMS arrivals recur at high rate and at the college too, the sweet sound of “Happy Teacher’s Day!!” fall on already alert ears. A small function properly organized, well managed with lot of emotional and funny cuisine but thinly attended, in the afternoon. Of course for others it is a holiday. The significance of teacher’s day changed only when I joined as a lecturer after getting a bachelor’s degree in engineering. For somebody like me who joined the teaching profession by accident and not by intent, the time lapse was inevitable before I could enjoy teaching. The self-sustaining spirit of satisfaction that you experience when you teach well can change the way you look at life.

      In today’s world where professional attitude is replacing emotional bonding in all walks of life the teaching field cannot insulate itself in its entirety. But against all odds, I must say, some bonds survive. When you try your level best with utmost sincerity the students appreciate you. They may not express but they certainly remember you. They may not be in large numbers but that doesn’t count perhaps, because their affection and respect always overshadow the numbers.

      Few years back it was 6^th September, early morning, I was having my cup of tea with news papers in company. The yesterday’s function was on my mind and my eyes fell on unusual news about a teacher’s day celebration function. I was shocked. I was in utter disbelief; news took me down the memory lane straight to my school days.

     I was admitted to Jubilee High school, Chandrapur in 5^th standard. Grand old building, huge play ground, big classrooms; everything seemed to be tailor made to learn with lot of fun. We had all kinds of teachers but the one who caught our imagination was Akkewar Sir. He was in charge of NCC. He didn’t teach us any subject that year but his all imposing presence was easily felt.

      It was his personality that reflected his unique character. White shirt, white pant, both ironed to sharp edges along the crease, military style hair cut and well-trimmed broad moustache, all combined, built an imposing personality that was not physically big. He started teaching us when we moved up. He was very neat and clean on that front as well. Nice handwriting, clear voice with enough weight, command over the subject and add to it a friendly approach, he was a teacher everybody just loved and feared. Another amazing part of his personality was that he never went to tailor for clothes. He himself designed and tailored his dress.

     He wore a stubborn look and radiated no non-sense approach. Whenever we went to him for difficulties, academic as well as others, his response was always positive, caring and assuring, inducing in us a feeling that our problems would definitely be addressed to. Talk to him one would find a teacher with parental feelings but try defying the discipline you would be facing the commander of our NCC battalion. In any case he was perfect for the NCC job.

       It was a typical day in the school. Nothing special. We were in the classroom adjacent to the chemistry laboratory. That was the only classroom, might be the only one in the entire Chandrapur, with sitting arrangement like a theater. We were in the class only physically. I don’t remember who was engaging the class. We were desperate to get out of the forced seriousness. The distance between window and eyes was vanishing; our eyes had expanded to the size of the window, the world outside was inching closer and closer. The ground was calling. The lecture ended. The exit of teacher immediately switched the mood. We all started making best of couple of minutes that we got before next teacher arrived.

       Suddenly everybody fell silent for we got the glimpses of Akkewar Sir coming towards the classroom. He stepped in but his body language clearly indicated something was wrong. The friendly smile on his   stubborn face was   missing. His thundering voice broke the silence. He was referring to indiscipline and misbehavior of some students. He asked who they were. Everybody was experiencing tons of load on the tongue. Everybody was quite. An uneasy calm prevailed. The sitting arrangement made hiding impossible. But an eye contact with him would have catastrophic implications. With nobody opening the mouth he then called a girl. The suspense started to unfold.

       The girl had complained to him of teasing by some students. As it seemed the complaint was harmless, at least that’s how we thought. Somebody called her by her father’s name adding to it ‘mechanic’, our version, for her it was teasing deserving a complaint against. We thought the girl had stretched the matter too far. The girl had a different view altogether; the boys had crossed the boundary. For Sir, since the complaint came from a girl, the seriousness got multiplied. He just wanted her to tell the names. Even though I was absolutely oblivious of the incident it put me on the burner. Unknown about the involved ones and unsure of the girl, I was nervous as well as anxious. So was the entire class.  She named around five students and others heaved a sigh of relief. Now the focus shifted to punishment. All of us were very much curious as to see what it was going to be because one of the named students was his son. In absolute shock and disbelief we heard the quantum of punishment. He told her to slap all the boys involved in teasing. She did it.

          He didn’t spare his son. After that none of us could ever dare to indulge in any sort of comment passed on any of the class girls. That year fear overshadowed respect. But as I grew and started learning from life his stature as an ideal teacher increased steadily. He was different, never part of the crowd, had the courage to face extremely awkward situations, and always stood firmly on moral ground without ever claiming it.

          After spending more than fifteen years in the teaching profession when I try to put myself in similar situations a shiver goes down my spine. Honestly, I won’t be able to do what he did that day. So easily he could cross the barrier of fatherhood and climb to a moral high I find almost impossible to reach. I can see it but cannot attain it. May be this is the way a beacon is defined. After passing out from Jubilee High School, occasionally we met. He was always at his parental best, very much eager to know about my well being. Being a meritorious student I have always had the fortune of getting more attention from him. He has taught us how to be caring about the students even after they pass out.

        The news was of a teacher’s day function where Akkewar Sir was invited. He was then retired and was living a peaceful life. In the function he had a massive heart attack. He was immediately rushed to the hospital only to be declared about his demise. An unexpected but an ideal end to an ideal teacher! We have always heard of army men laying down their life in the battlefield. It was the only incident I ever heard of, a teacher breathing his last at teacher’s day function.

     As a teacher, I don’t know whether I will ever be able to elevate myself to the high moral ground he stood firmly on, but do fill most fortunate that I have somebody to look at in my journey as a teacher.    

     I never said to him happy teachers day and will never be able to say it. But one thing for sure the teacher’s day will never be the same again.

                               Happy Teacher’s Day!!!