"The best teachers are not just in academics, they are everywhere!" says Karishma Arora

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्वरष्णुगुरुर्देवो महेश्वरा

गुरुर्ारक्षात परर्ब्ह्म तस्मैश्री गुरवेनमः

“I still remember when I was in class 11 and was a little tense about appearing for the board exams, when my Economics teacher, Mr Vimal Kumar told my mother, “I have full faith in Karishma that she will get a national rank in the upcoming board exams.” Those words stayed with me, and his confidence helped me believe in myself.I consider my parents to be my first teachers. From teaching me my first words to answering my endless questions, they have taught me everything. Like every other Indian parent, my parents too have never stopped being my guide. Today, as I enter adulthood, I look back and feel eternally blessed for their persistent guidance throughout my childhood years. I will always be grateful to them for being my constant source of encouragement and inspiration.Over the years, many teachers have helped me realize that education is not just limited to the syllabus but is so much more. A few of them have inspired me so much that I often think of joining the teaching sector in the future. My school principal, Mrs Chanchal Saxena of  SD Public School, Muzaffarnagar, was one of them. She motivated every one of us, no matter what our grades were, believing in us and urging us to work hard. Having teachers who have immense faith in you can do wonders for students. I am very thankful to my teachers for constantly encouraging me and helping me procure AIR 1 in the CBSE class 12 board exams.

As a student of Psychology, I am extremely grateful to all my college lecturers for igniting my imagination, instilling a deeper understanding in psychology and helping me evolve as a person. Many teachers try to bring an edge to our learnings by going the extra mile in teaching. For example, there was a professor who made an analogy to help us understand about ‘intelligence’ and then another professor talked about the psychology of disability by connecting it with Ramayana, and my mind was simply blown away.

Their classes really helped us think about concepts and ideas from a very different perspective and also developed our critical thinking. Time and again they brought examples from their personal and academic life and also helped us understand feminist perspectives for which I am extremely grateful.

The best teachers are not just in academics, they are everywhere! A teacher I am immensely proud to have in my life is my Kathak Guru, Smt Geetanjali Lal ji. I feel so honored to be able to learn and relearn under the tutelage of such a brilliant, empowered, and inspiring woman. She has always challenged me to be my best version and made me fall in love with Kathak.

Wishing a very Happy Teachers' Day to all the teachers who have helped me shape my life in so many beautiful ways and to all the teachers out there who commit their valuable time to the growth of their students.”

By Karishma Arora

(Karishma secured the first position in the class 12th CBSE Board Exams, 2019. She is a recent Psychology graduate, with a minor in Philosophy, from Lady Shri Ram College for Women (Delhi University)

(As told to Monali Bordoloi)