The Guru Within: My Path to Teaching and Learning

If there is one word that could define this year 2020 is the word 'GRATITUDE'. The very fact that I am drafting this message seeing everyone in the family in good health is more than enough a reason to be grateful for. The first among the list are our farmers who made sure we had sufficient food to ourselves and our families during the troubled times. Our soldiers those withstood constant aggression from China putting their life at stake. The doctor and nursing fraternity, that stood upto the job like never before staying away from their families to save the mankind. Also the other frontline COVID warriors. Cudos to all of them. Your courage has always reminded and reinforced us towards our responsibilities. Next, I must mention the governments, both at the centre and the state. They broke all records, in terms of scale of operation, to reach out to the have-nots. I never saw our govt so proactive and as much in action as they did during the pandemic. It was visible. Pace of de...

Usually I share my feelings with people speaking to me. As no one is with me right now, then I found a reason to write. Right from the morning, I am writing something or the other. I have written a list of differences I have observed in the United States and few places in India(as much as I can) and also wrote some of the similarities as well. Then traced few lines as how to make myself a better teacher, some changes I would like to see in my  style of teaching . Honestly, I gave a lot of thought into my writing. Towards the end of the day, Susan came and took me to an Indian couple, basically from Mumbai, who had come with their daughter studying in the 9th grade. The girl had problem hearing with her left ear and her parents had come to know about the girl's progress and importantly to express their concern about their daughter's difficulty in following the classes. I should tell tell you this. I had the couple's permission to take part in their conversation after all I w...

Have we become the society that reacts only after something unfair happens and more so only when it is reported in the media? and so soon forget it as another breaking news is out. It could not be the only case after Nirbhaya's and will not be the last. (Though I wish this should be the last). It is only that it excited media at the time when all other news seemed to be not worthy enough to draw the TRP. Neither COVID nor the Drug scam. It's always safe to blame it on govt and pretend like we are championing a cause. But the fact of the matter is every citizen of the country should be taking the responsibility if our women folk are feeling unsafe. If at all you want to make the present govt responsible, why not hold the previous govt, during the time in which these criminals are born. Sounds stupid, doesn't it? Does it mean there were no abuses on women during the term of previous govt. I am sure that is not the case. Right now everyone is working to get political mileage o...

    Teachers’ day unlike any other previous ones has come. Unlike every time we will have only virtual wishes this time around. School premise which was so colorful on the same day last year, is standing lifeless in the absence of students and teachers. Children used to keep as many surprises in store for us. And I, like any other teacher, will greatly miss them. My heart is heavy with having not to do what we did every day. Looking forward to something exciting in every morning assembly, lovely interactions I used to have in classrooms, every challenge and opportunity the children posed to me during the day, having children walking into my office with their side of the story, teachers meeting on how to improve classroom rigour and how to organise events, the election, the environmental day, the independence day, ever happening practice sessions what not.. For us, the teachers, celebrating teachers’ day in the absence of children doesn’t really mean great. Never before we re...