The Amazing Grace of Teaching
Classroom Chronicles
I had been invited to teach again, again, in Vivek College.
This time around, it was a spoken English class. All the students who have enrolled for the course belong to different years, courses and divisions of graduate college. There is also a teacher, sitting in, when she has the time.
It is challenging at best...daunting at others.
For there are kids among them whom I need to teach the pronunciation of the word, 'English.'
But you know what?
The minute I enter the class room, every pair of eyes is on me, in total, complete concentration. They are so eager and anxious to learn, that they pick up and absorb every word, every cue, every gesture.
Yesterday, I had decided to teach, with the help of story-telling. I gave them a minute to prepare and informed them that I would be helping them with their grammar, and syntax, and that they could relate any story they pleased.
I was so near to tears several times, at some of the simple tales they narrated.
A child, with tears in her own eyes told the class of her horror, when she realised, as she awoke one day, that her entire right side was paralysed. She was twelve years old, and in the 7th standard at the time. Recovery was a long, slow, and painful process…but a successful one.
Another spoke about the inspiration provided by one of his friends, the son of an autorickshaw driver and a housemaid, who aspired to become an IAS officer: and did!
Another story was about a father and son who boarded a train. In the same compartment was a couple: a man and his wife. As the train began to move, the child, in great excitement began to point out to his father the trees, mountains, rivers and animals that passed by. The couple was getting more and more irritated. Finally, the man asked the father why the boy was making such a noise about ordinary things. The father was silent for some time, and then said, with tears in his eyes, "We are coming from the hospital which has helped my blind son see again. All these things, which seem 'ordinary' to you, he is seeing for the first time"
It was beyond beautiful, this session I had. And while I was explaining to the kids about Latin and Greek word roots and meanings, the Principal walked in, and asked me if she could attend the lecture, too, because she had heard so many good things about the way I taught.
I was floored. It was not a command, but a request for permission. There was no arrogance, no vanity, no hauteur in it. Just a simple request.
So then, I taught the kids, two teachers, and a Principal, about Steve Jobs' convocation address and his three stories, about the root forms of 'calligraphy’, serif and san serif, about ‘chronos’ and chronometers and 'sym' 'pathy' and at the end of it, she thanked me for joining the college, and told the students how lucky they were, etc, all of which I took with the proverbial pinch of salt, and tried hard not to get swollen headed about.
That was a difficult exercise.
But when I was going back home, I felt like a bit of the fiercely blazing winter sun had stolen into my heart and set it alight, I was so thankful.
It is not every time that one can mean so much, to so many people at the same time.
I felt blessed, twice over, both in the giving, and the receiving.
ⓒ 2024 Suma Narayan. All Rights Reserved.
Read this thought-provoking piece by David Price:
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✍ — Published by Lisa Precious / Smiley Blue at Dancing Elephant Press. Click here for submission guidelines.
