Saturday, September 3, 2011

Teachers - Architects of a nation







In India, Teachers' Day is celebrated on 5th of September,every year.Dr.Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan's birthday is celebrated as Teachers' Day in India.So as a token of respect to my teachers,I am writing this post as a teachers day special.I wrote an article about teachers in another blog last year.But couldn't publish the same in blogspot for various reasons.And I feel this is the right time to write about teachers.


Well I don't know how many people still remembers their first 'school' teacher.The very reason for putting the word 'school' in quotes is,for any kid the first teacher will be his mother.My first school teacher is Jhansi miss.She was my class teacher in LKG.I still remember the names of all my teachers and also the subjects they handled.Such is the impact created by them.Some teachers inspired me to a great extent and I remember some teachers for some forgettable reasons too.


A teacher or a professor or a lecturer etc has a great role to play.It means,they should possess some qualities. Well any teacher can complete the portions and make his students get good marks.But nowadays that itself is highly impossible.Its really sad to see some teachers pronouncing normal English words too in an ugly manner. Anyway,let me get into the negatives little later.First of all I would like to mention about Mr.Muthaiyyah Mudhaliar here.He is my 'real' guru.He was my Hindi sir.He didn't work in my school.I used to go to his home and learn Hindi.There,I learnt, not only Hindi,but also so many other things.He used to discuss current affairs with me.Even I had a level of comfort in discussing politics with him.I was just 14 years old at that time and he was in his late 70s.Will anyone prefer to talk with such old people?I don't know really.He taught Hindi to so many people without getting any fees.From Tindivanam,he used to travel upto Pondicherry(40kms), to teach Hindi.So committed and dedicated he was towards his job.He was a man of dignity.Physically he is no more today.But still he lives in the minds of so many people.


Well,mathematics is the most difficult subject for many of us.History is the most boring subject.But,I had a great interest in history and I liked maths too.The reason is obviously the respective teachers.The way they taught these subjects differentiated from other maths and history teachers I have come across. Mr.Vijayakumar handled mathematics from 6th standard and Mr.Arun Mozhi handled history in 7th std and for some months in 8th std too.Vijayakumar sir will discuss so many things.He will crack jokes.He will tell short stories everything.But whatever he story or joke he tells,he will relate that very well with the formulas and problems(I mean mathematical problem).There are some maths teachers who will by-heart some problems and write it simply on the board,ask the students to copy the sum and move on.If someone talks in the mean time they will slap/punish/beat the students severely.Buggers,as if they are born to punish.My sir,Vijayakumar sir never did that.He will explain what the problem is and how to solve it clearly.


Similarly,Mr.ArunMozhi,my history sir,had personally a good opinion about me and some of my friends.He was the one who first taught the basics of Indian constitution to me.He handled history,civics and geography. While teaching civics, he will relate it with current affairs.While teaching history he will explain the significance of the event(wars,protests etc).How was he able to relate civics with current affairs? He used to read lot of things.This the major quality a teacher should have.I don't know how many teachers read newspapers daily.Atleast headlines.


Last year or before,I saw a debate in Vijay Tv's Neeya Naana. Generally I will not watch such programs. But the topic was something interesting.Its about teachers.So I watched the debate completely.Gopinath, popular Vijay Tv anchor,asked the teachers,who participated in that show,to tell about the recent editorial article which they came across recently.Sadly none answered.The channel exposed the bitter reality about the teachers.I am not sure if the show was already scripted,but still many such teachers are there in our society.Also I would like to mention another incident in the same show.Mr.Kalyani was a chief guest in that show.He is actually from my native place,Tindivanam.He is a professor(not sure whether still he is in service or not) and he is from Dravidar Kazhagam.He mentioned an incident in that show.While describing that incident itself he was moved to tears.He described an ugly punishment given to him during his school days. People,how much ever days pass on,an insult is an insult.Some wounds cannot be healed at all. I have come across so many teachers who had a venomous tongue.If a boy talks to a girl,using rude words,if a girl wears a relatively modern dress,using obscene words,all these things will only intoxicate the children.That too if adolescent children are treated like this,their life itself might end up in a disaster.To an extent,even I am a victim of such words.I don't want to get in detail about the words or incident and also I don't want to write anything about that stupid lady,who in the name of teacher,did all sort of non-sense.


I would like to mention about one of English teachers here.His name is Mr.Natarajan.He used to give lot of lectures about respecting elders and living a moral life.I would proudly say,to me,he is an inspiration.


Another most disturbing issue is the relationship between a teacher/professor/lecturer and a student.A teacher should be a teacher and a student should be a student.There shouldn't be anything more.To an extent a teacher can move in a friendly manner with the students and can crack jokes.But that should be well within the limits.If a professor talks about a cinema heroine or hero,during the class hours,jovially,that is different.Nothing wrong.But that professor should not smoke or drink with his student,he should not mingle with students and comment at girls.A lady professor or teacher should avoid going in bikes or cars with students.These things will give a bad picture to the students about their so called gurus.Just imagine the scenario,what if a relatively young teacher(or professor),aging around some 25-30 yrs goes in bike with a guy above 15 years?Will that look good?All these things might very well result in ugly problems.Am not against friends going in bike or car(both girls and boys).


Coming to the most important part of the article.The kind of torture given by the professors/lecturers.Utter crap.I have come across so many instances where a professor will be having a different intention on his student(in tamil they are called 'JOLLU PARTIES').Calling that girl separately to staff room,asking questions to her alone separately,leaking the questions to a particular girl before exams etc. are examples of this crap activities.Nowadays these buggers even go to the extent of flirting with the girls by making calls to them.And nowadays social network keeps everyone 'connected'.A professor purposefully gives a friend request to his 
student and after adding he comments on her photos as 'hot, cute, beautiful, mindblowing' etc.I have wondered so many times that how can someone stoop down to this level?Well here the mistake is not only on the part of the person who gives friend request,its also on the part of the girl who accepts it.A girl with some mental maturity must be able to understand the crappy intentions of the professor.She should try to avoid him in all possible ways.Sadly some girls expecting some returns from the professors,doesn't care much about all these non-sense.


And professors/teachers marrying their students,running away with students,proposing the students is something which we can come across in most of the dailies almost every day.Even cases of rapes are being reported.I would just call these morons as bastards.


Parents send their children to schools and colleges with the hope that the teachers,professors and the institution will shape up their career well.But some morons are too keen on making the students shapeless. Teachers,Professors,Lecturers - understand that you are positioned even before god.'Matha-pitha-GURU-Deivam'.Even god comes after you only.You need not be gods to your students,but atleast try not being a ghost.


Teachers are the real power of this nation.How?Youngsters are responsible for so many achievements.Even a middle-aged man,old man would have had lot of ambitions or ideas in his young age.With constant hard-work he would have achieved something at a later part of his life.If the teachers guide the children/youngsters in the right direction,the outcome will be great.A good teacher can create 100 IAS officers,1000 Doctors,so many engineers,lot of police officers etc.That's why I gave the title as Architects of a nation.


As it is an article about teachers,I just don't want to restrict myself with singing praises on some teachers.I also wanted to point out some negatives.On a personal note I want to mention the names of so many teachers/professors like Rani miss,Srimathi miss,Indrakumari miss,Jayachandran sir,Sumathi Mam,Nithya mam,Pushpalatha mam,Vanathi mam,Deepa mam,Jeba sir,Senthil sir etc.But I can't end the article.Then I should write a series of posts only.Right now I would like to stop with this.


I have told this dialog to so many people.We may commit lot of mistakes(sometimes willingly,sometimes unknowingly).At times we may also get punished for doing so.We can easily forget the punishment which we received.But when we realize our mistakes,it will pain a lot.That feeling will be even painful than death.Like that so many times I have cursed myself for abusing some good teachers/professors.Even today I feel bad for doing so.On the other hand I have scolded infact abused/insulted many teachers and professors infront of them itself with a proper plan.I feel proud of myself for doing so.Because those buggers deserved it and they deserve even more.


So many good teachers have scolded me.Only on a later part of my life,I understood they didn't scold me,but moulded me.If there is atleast something good in me,its all because of my parents,elders and teachers.

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