Why I love what I do?
Not because of all the lovely messages I receive on Teacher’s Day every year or for the chocolates children bring to share on their birthdays. I love being a teacher because my every day starts with so much energy and I don’t have a minute to spare during the day to think of what I am doing with my life. So here’s why I love what I do :)
a. I am the savior
Children have these weird problems that they need an instant solution of. Only last week, a first grader came to me and said that two of her friends wanted her to be their best friend and she was unable to decide whose best friend she wants to be. On an average, at least 5 among 250 children misplace their belongings in a day and they need to find it immediately. Once a boy lost one of the shoes he was wearing. How is that humanly possible? To lose a shoe you are wearing on your foot? How! One of the recurring issues of children is ‘cutting the line’ and ‘overtaking’. I don’t know how uncommon this problem is but at least five times in a day; I have to find the ‘line cutter’ and ‘over-taker’ and resolve the conflict which might go out of hand if left unattended. In all these situations, I have to act quickly and be the savior. I need to know the issue and solve it. It makes me feel really important. It sure does!
b. I am the detective
As a teacher, I have to play the role of Inspector Tyagi (you’d know him if you watched Crime Patrol) or ACP Pradyuman (you’d know him if you watched C.I.D.). I have to investigate the matter in hand, find the culprit and think of suitable consequences. Even without checking bags I need to find out who has brought fidget spinner to school before other kids find it and start complaining. I need to investigate and find out exactly who pushed first or what led to the scratch or injury before the child finds anyone in sight to point a finger at or put the blame on. The other day, a second grader fell on the ground and got bruised. I asked him what happened and he said, ‘He was running behind me to catch me and he caught me and I fell down.’ I asked him again but rephrased the question this time, ‘Were you both playing ‘Chor Police?’ In somebody else’s game of Chor Police, I am always the detective.
c. I can be the mother
Your kids may not always listen to you. They might trouble you day in, day out but as a teacher I know that I have the power to uplift my child’s mood when he or she is low. I know I can wipe that tear off and bring a smile. I know my hug is miraculous. I know I can smile at my child and that can change their day, their mood and just make them more confident. Although teachers are not mothers and may not come close to that, a teacher can be a mother for few minutes every day and that is what has a life changing impact in a child’s life.
d. I cherish the joy of teaching and learning
Every day I wake up and know that my day may not go as planned. I might lose my temper now and then. I may want to give up but alongside all the ups and downs of this profession, I truly cherish the teaching and learning process. I have only recently completed my fifth year in this profession and still I cannot decide if I am teaching my students or am I learning from them. My children teach me how to remain calm in worst situations and stay patient. They teach me how to love and make someone feel special. Most importantly because I am in this profession I know that I can never stop learning. The day I stop learning is the day my career ends. I am here to help kids keep up with the most recent technological changes, developments in the field of science and mathematics, modern art and language and above all to keep them moral and grounded in the time when we are losing humanity. I cannot do all this if I am not learning something new every day. I sure can’t.
e. For the little perks of being a teacher
I feel utterly special when my kids call me their inspiration and tell me that I have made an impact in their life. I feel proud when a former student writes a message telling me how they look up to me and thanks me for my little contributions in their life. I love how my students enjoy my personal experiences and anecdotes that I take to the class with me. That is what motivates me. The thought that every child can learn and can do it with little effort and support I provide. This is one profession that comes with high responsibilities. One like changing children’s life for better. And that is why I love what I do.
Children have these weird problems that they need an instant solution of. Only last week, a first grader came to me and said that two of her friends wanted her to be their best friend and she was unable to decide whose best friend she wants to be. On an average, at least 5 among 250 children misplace their belongings in a day and they need to find it immediately. Once a boy lost one of the shoes he was wearing. How is that humanly possible? To lose a shoe you are wearing on your foot? How! One of the recurring issues of children is ‘cutting the line’ and ‘overtaking’. I don’t know how uncommon this problem is but at least five times in a day; I have to find the ‘line cutter’ and ‘over-taker’ and resolve the conflict which might go out of hand if left unattended. In all these situations, I have to act quickly and be the savior. I need to know the issue and solve it. It makes me feel really important. It sure does!
b. I am the detective
As a teacher, I have to play the role of Inspector Tyagi (you’d know him if you watched Crime Patrol) or ACP Pradyuman (you’d know him if you watched C.I.D.). I have to investigate the matter in hand, find the culprit and think of suitable consequences. Even without checking bags I need to find out who has brought fidget spinner to school before other kids find it and start complaining. I need to investigate and find out exactly who pushed first or what led to the scratch or injury before the child finds anyone in sight to point a finger at or put the blame on. The other day, a second grader fell on the ground and got bruised. I asked him what happened and he said, ‘He was running behind me to catch me and he caught me and I fell down.’ I asked him again but rephrased the question this time, ‘Were you both playing ‘Chor Police?’ In somebody else’s game of Chor Police, I am always the detective.
c. I can be the mother
Your kids may not always listen to you. They might trouble you day in, day out but as a teacher I know that I have the power to uplift my child’s mood when he or she is low. I know I can wipe that tear off and bring a smile. I know my hug is miraculous. I know I can smile at my child and that can change their day, their mood and just make them more confident. Although teachers are not mothers and may not come close to that, a teacher can be a mother for few minutes every day and that is what has a life changing impact in a child’s life.
d. I cherish the joy of teaching and learning
Every day I wake up and know that my day may not go as planned. I might lose my temper now and then. I may want to give up but alongside all the ups and downs of this profession, I truly cherish the teaching and learning process. I have only recently completed my fifth year in this profession and still I cannot decide if I am teaching my students or am I learning from them. My children teach me how to remain calm in worst situations and stay patient. They teach me how to love and make someone feel special. Most importantly because I am in this profession I know that I can never stop learning. The day I stop learning is the day my career ends. I am here to help kids keep up with the most recent technological changes, developments in the field of science and mathematics, modern art and language and above all to keep them moral and grounded in the time when we are losing humanity. I cannot do all this if I am not learning something new every day. I sure can’t.
e. For the little perks of being a teacher
I feel utterly special when my kids call me their inspiration and tell me that I have made an impact in their life. I feel proud when a former student writes a message telling me how they look up to me and thanks me for my little contributions in their life. I love how my students enjoy my personal experiences and anecdotes that I take to the class with me. That is what motivates me. The thought that every child can learn and can do it with little effort and support I provide. This is one profession that comes with high responsibilities. One like changing children’s life for better. And that is why I love what I do.
wow sis great article on teachers. sis which is the school you teach.
ReplyDeleteI work in Aksharaa School at Kandaghari.
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