On the path to life, somewhere, I found myself in the role of teacher! Teaching computer sciences (and some other subjects) to pre, middle and high schoolers.
What took me there is not relevant now. What I am glad about is that I have been there. One of the most satisfying experience of life till now if I ignore the payslip :-)
Being a teacher, almost naturally, brought a sense of great responsibility with itself. Like Spiderman said, "With great power comes great responsibility!". When I discovered that I am being handed over hundreds of minds as blank as a paper and being asked to draw out on them, the first few strokes into the making of that final portrait that these wonderful minds will become in just a few years to come, the power was great indeed!
About the third day into this new world, a student had remarked,"Sir, You have worn a different wristwatch today!".
In a month, I got to know, thanks to my candid approach in the classrooms, what all the students noticed about their teachers, how they idealize them, how they follow (or ignore) their instructions religiously (or dreadfully!).
To my amazement, the color of shoes, how often are they polished, how frequently they are changed, way I open the pen. (I joined in winters and used one hand as the other one used to be tucked in warmth of my pocket and this had became a habit that stays to this day :-) ) How teachers laugh, a pet word they always say, a pet excuse for not having marked the tests, a pet warning, a funny face, color of nail paint, dialect, pronunciation, their clumsiness, body odor, eating habits, when they (teachers!) slept in the class! Everything was in their notes and observation.
And I just realized how closely I (and others too) am being observed by those curious observant eyes that are keen to explore the world and acquire every bit of information from the experiences that they are about to receive.
I thought that I will be noticed every moment because there are not one, two or three, but more than a thousand pair of eyes noticing every gesture and every movement of mine. Like thousands of Lilliputians around you and I felt so enormous that could not hide from them. They were everywhere. Scrutinizing and judging me more than the interviewers do.
Maybe they would find me funny, maybe they would find me too good at something, maybe I am able to amuse them and win them over, or maybe I end up looking like a fool yelling at a cauliflower farm in front of me.
As a simple human virtue, I never wanted to be talked about as an object of humor in their community, or given a funny name to be called by when I was not hearing, or laugh at home mimicking me in front of the family, and worse of all, get imprinted in their elephant memories as such a character. We all have these elephant memories from the school time don't we?
My first reaction was of a rabbit in the jungle who just came across a tiger. I stood still, observing the danger. For now that is what I thought it was.
This impression was about to change soon and for good of both of us...
What took me there is not relevant now. What I am glad about is that I have been there. One of the most satisfying experience of life till now if I ignore the payslip :-)
Being a teacher, almost naturally, brought a sense of great responsibility with itself. Like Spiderman said, "With great power comes great responsibility!". When I discovered that I am being handed over hundreds of minds as blank as a paper and being asked to draw out on them, the first few strokes into the making of that final portrait that these wonderful minds will become in just a few years to come, the power was great indeed!
About the third day into this new world, a student had remarked,"Sir, You have worn a different wristwatch today!".
In a month, I got to know, thanks to my candid approach in the classrooms, what all the students noticed about their teachers, how they idealize them, how they follow (or ignore) their instructions religiously (or dreadfully!).
To my amazement, the color of shoes, how often are they polished, how frequently they are changed, way I open the pen. (I joined in winters and used one hand as the other one used to be tucked in warmth of my pocket and this had became a habit that stays to this day :-) ) How teachers laugh, a pet word they always say, a pet excuse for not having marked the tests, a pet warning, a funny face, color of nail paint, dialect, pronunciation, their clumsiness, body odor, eating habits, when they (teachers!) slept in the class! Everything was in their notes and observation.
And I just realized how closely I (and others too) am being observed by those curious observant eyes that are keen to explore the world and acquire every bit of information from the experiences that they are about to receive.
I thought that I will be noticed every moment because there are not one, two or three, but more than a thousand pair of eyes noticing every gesture and every movement of mine. Like thousands of Lilliputians around you and I felt so enormous that could not hide from them. They were everywhere. Scrutinizing and judging me more than the interviewers do.
Maybe they would find me funny, maybe they would find me too good at something, maybe I am able to amuse them and win them over, or maybe I end up looking like a fool yelling at a cauliflower farm in front of me.
As a simple human virtue, I never wanted to be talked about as an object of humor in their community, or given a funny name to be called by when I was not hearing, or laugh at home mimicking me in front of the family, and worse of all, get imprinted in their elephant memories as such a character. We all have these elephant memories from the school time don't we?
My first reaction was of a rabbit in the jungle who just came across a tiger. I stood still, observing the danger. For now that is what I thought it was.
This impression was about to change soon and for good of both of us...
Your post was an interesting reading...the students indeed make a note of all those things...they are an expert making cartoons and drawings of their teacher...I hope nobody has drawn my cartoon till now :)
ReplyDeleteYes! They nicknamed me though. But it again complemented one of my atttributes that I consider among positive ones. So no issues there. :)
ReplyDeleteNice. So what happened next?
ReplyDelete