Being a teacher is no joke. It may not be high paying or allowing us the luxuries to travel business class or getting the school more profits. But it’s where the future of our children is getting shaped. And especially in the present context, being a teacher is tough.
As 15 Aug approaches, the patriotic fever starts spreading among the enthusiastic populations of India, irrespective of their understanding of that feeling. Each year we gather to celebrate our independence from the last of our oppressors – the Britishers. But is it truly that, that we are celebrating today? The Britishers left us and we …
What the purpose of education? Is it being able to reproduce loads of unrelated or irrelevant data without a pause? Or is cramming information about every subject being offered without truly understanding its significance or relevance? Or is trying to make sense of the mechanisations of our world, our existence or even ourselves? Education for …
It’s been three months since I joined as a teacher, and believe me when I tell you that these were the fastest three months of my life! They moved at a pace which I had ever experienced before. They just zipped past and now I’m busy preparing the year end reports, with an ache in …
This is one term that has been quoted again and again and again, and has suddenly gained rockstar fame and significance. Me-time. In the dictionary it means, “time spent relaxing on one’s own as opposed to working or doing things for others, seen as an opportunity to reduce stress or restore energy”. That’s wonderful.
Teaching is a noble profession, they say. I say, teaching the little children is your way saying thank you for this life that you have. You are actually not teaching; you are nurturing and laying the foundation of a better tomorrow.
The title may seem pretentious and even condescending maybe. But this is the first title that came to my mind when I sat down to write. During a recent workshop for girls from the lower income strata, I had the most invigorating and illuminating interaction. These girls had the clarity of thought that would put any of us to shame. Their dreams, their aspirations, their ambitions were as steeped in reality as they were. Listening to them share their ideas, I was left wondering why we ignore them so much? Do these young shoulders really need to carry the weight of the society, its ill-conceived norms, biased traditions, and subjugating values?
Ha, just finished with the event for the year at the school the kids are going to. The Annual Concert, titled “Think Out Of The Box”. Now I can breathe easy till next December, hopefully. The whole thing was by the children of the school – the scripting, directing, organizing, designing, et al. A wonderful effort and major confidence booster.
If you have read the newspapers recently, it was impossible to miss the innumerable columns discussing the changes being suggested for the educational system. Not again, was my reaction. I mean why do they want to tamper and tweak a system which is already so confusing? By the time the teachers and students get a hang of the prevalent setup, they bring about further changes.
