On teachers day, greetings to all who teach and learn. This is a day to celebrate what we do for the joy and the difference it makes to lives.
And a time to reflect on why we do what we do, how we do it and when we stopped doing what we thought was our purpose. A day of thanks and renewal.
A time to remember our teachers who made us who we are – the good, the bad and the funny ones
A time to call up friends and share anecdotes of the tricks we played, while our teachers turned away, smiling unseen and let us have our moment.
Also a day when we remember the great educationists and what they stood for – S Radhakrishnan of course. But also Maulana Azad. J Krishnamurti. Sri Aurobindo. And even Mahatma Gandhi. And take a moment to know that almost everybody could be a teacher. And then realise the wonderful opportunity that hides in this fact.
It is a day to reflect on the students we have had, and how our lives have been enriched by them. Then and now. The joy of meeting a student and their family in the market – the little glow we carry with us after such chance meetings
The little nuggets of time that we carry with us – moments when we managed to snatch inspiring conversation as a teacher or as a student. The moments when we shared music and books. Or a little mention of a philosophy. That long discussion that shaped us in ways that we did not know then.
From the Upanishads, a simple definition of education – on one side the teacher, on one side the student, in between there is knowledge, powered by discourse. It is this discourse that creates magic. We also teach when do not know we are teaching, sometimes just by being who we are. In the Guru shishya parampara, teaching included not just the arts and sciences, but the philosophies and defence too. Life skills, attitudes and values all come from the teacher.
The bonds between a teacher and a student are deep – even if it does not feel so today. The process of learning is an emotional engagement that starts with a student declaring the vulnerability of ignorance. This is why the teacher has a position of trust, a responsibility and a duty of care. The teacher’s power and duty come together to build the student’s knowledge and ability to use that knowledge.
Teaching well is a little bit like being in love. The joy is in being consumed by it. It takes dedication, motivation and true will to become a good teacher. In a good lesson everything but the learning ceases to exist as we cast aside the real world for a bit. The happiness of a good teaching day stays with us for ages, and the misery a bad lesson can cause is the stuff of legends. As ever, with experience, we learn to take the good with the bad, learn to settle for routine. Knowing that there will be these moments that will make it all worthwhile.
On this teachers day, in the Indian tradition, I bow to those teachers who came before me, and I bow to those who will come after me. Each of us doing what we can, laying a brick here, a stone somewhere else and binding it all as if it takes no effort. I bow to the knowledge we share, to the skills we demonstrate and the characters we build. I bow to those moments when we see our students coming unstuck and we step up and nudge them back in place. Above all, I bow to the divine in us that guides us when we would not know how to, I bow to the state of grace that is a teacher.
Meeta W Sengupta 
I’m touched by your post Meeta. Tough I had been teaching in universities for 36 years and retired, I felt small and non-entity for your multifarious concept of true teachership. Still I feel honoured and tutored as well. Great work indeed. Thanks from me and my colleagues.
Prof. Sinha,
I am touched and honoured by your praise – it renews the faith. I hope we can all, as teachers and as colleagues in one form or another make learning joyful as well as useful. Thank you.
Loved this line…..Each of us doing what we can, laying a brick here, a stone somewhere else and binding it all as if it takes no effort.
So true……The joy of meeting a student and their family in the market – the little glow we carry with us after such chance meetings
Am not so regular on twitter.Had responded to u once when u had asked who all are teachers here?
I truly believe that teachers are very akin to mothers.There’s a true mother in some,likewise a teacher too.It upsets me to hear a teacher teach in the next room who actually would be better off in some other profession .Its like that advertisement of that of the librarian in a wrong job….
They talk of improving education.How would they when they do not think of the educators in the same breath?The former is incomplete without the other.
Do join our Teacher’s group on facebook http://www.facebook.com/groups/HowWasClassToday/ where we have conversations about class experiences and share blogposts (and cartoons) that we find online. I had asked for teachers on twitter for this group) Thanks for the lovely comment, I totally agree with what you have said.
Mam, i don’t know you but as a student i have came to be known of your intimate feelings. I want to bow low down in front of all teaches of world and most importantly i want to do a low bow to you as you are a goddess for me. It seems to be flattering but its true.I want to touch your feet
That is very kind of you. As teachers we know that all around us are teachers in their own way – and we bow to all. As our ancient texts say, we repay our debt to the previous by passing the learning to the next. Do keep passing it on.