Teachers’ Day special: In conversation with teachers

Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the birth anniversary (September 5, 1888) of scholar and Bharat Ratna recipient Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. A well-respected teacher and thinker of his time, this is what he said about the profession, "Teachers should be the best minds in the country".

How did you get into the teaching profession? Did you always want to be one?  

Purabi: I got into teaching by choice. I always wanted to be one as I was fascinated by my teachers at school. I had the notion that it was an easy job, as teachers just needed to teach – they didn’t need to take exams, work on projects, or complete assignments. And so, I wanted to be one in the future! 

Gurjot: Initially, it was my father’s dream to see me as a teacher as he had immense respect for teachers and felt that I would do well as one. I was already good at academics, and I was patient with everyone as well.

So, after completing my post-graduation, in 2006, I started my journey as a teacher in a college in Chandigarh. With time, I too fell in love with the profession and now it feels great to be able to help students in their quest for a better future.

What has been your most memorable experience as a teacher?

Gurjot: At that time, I was working as a teacher for a Higher Secondary school (Gurukul Global) in Chandigarh (2013). There was a boy in my class who was absent for quite a few days as he had a spinal injury. On Teachers’ Day, when I entered the class, I was surprised to see that the students had decorated the class. They had taken special permission to come early to school that day so that they could decorate the classroom. To top it all, the student who was injured was there too. He said he came just to wish me on Teachers’ Day. Those gestures touched my heart.  Purabi: There was one particularly mischievous student, whom I used to scold for not doing his assigned tasks on time and for other disciplinary reasons. Years later, he saw me on the street and came running to meet me. He told me that he was now working in a company in Mumbai. He also thanked me that day for guiding him well in school. I was really touched by his gesture.

Do you recall your first day at school as a teacher?  

Gurjot: I was really young when I joined a college in Chandigarh as a professor, and nobody initially acknowledged me as one. Later on, I started wearing a sari for my classes, it took me some time to get a hold on my students.

Purabi: My first day of school as a teacher was back in 1999. I was nervous to face the students. I was a little apprehensive about how they would welcome me. But to my surprise, with a smile, I won their hearts within minutes of meeting them.

Can you recall any experience with a student - a comment or a gift that touched you deeply?

Purabi: Every gift we received from students on Teachers’ Day holds a special place in our hearts. Once one of my students gifted me a painting, which she had done on her own. That was very special to me.

Gurjot: In 2014, I had to shift to Bangalore. As a farewell gift, my entire class made a huge handmade card for me, and all 35 students had written their wishes for me on it. I still have that card as it’s close to my heart.

What has been the most challenging experience as a teacher?

Gurjot: There was a boy in my class who used to sleep in the class quite often. When I tried to ask him why he was always sleepy, he became agitated. Later, I called his parents and talked to them about it, but they were defensive. I came to know later that the boy was in bad company and had started going to late-night parties and was not getting enough attention at home. As a teacher, it is a challenge to reach out to such students who don’t open up easily. It becomes even more difficult when parents refuse to see reason and are not receptive to our feedback.

Purabi: As a teacher, we face challenges every day, and we have to be careful about how we interact with each student, as every one of them is different. Every day we cater to students from different social and economic backgrounds.

Your message to fellow teachers on this Teachers’ Day.

Gurjot: A student is like a book, let’s not judge them just by seeing the cover. Every child is different and as a teacher, we should support them to be better individuals first.

Purabi: Teachers mould lives. Let’s infuse positivity and confidence in students and help them become able citizens of our country. I would like to wish all the teachers a very Happy Teachers’ Day.

(Purabi B Medhi works as an English teacher in Maharishi Vidya Mandir Sr Secondary School, Guwahati, Assam.)

(Gurjot Kaur teaches Accountancy at DPS South, Bangalore, Karnataka)

(As told to Monali Bordoloi)