A day for the Acharya

Like I mentioned in this post, one of the best things that India has is Teacher's day(5th of Sept) thanks to our ex-President, Dr Radhakrishnan.

"Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions." ~Author Unknown

So true isnt it? No knowledge is sans a teacher some where, some time, some place. And each of us has memories- fond or otherwise of our teachers from kindgergarten to school to university. And those that turn out to be teachers, one of the noblest professions and definitely not the easiest. Even as I moved abroad, I realise that a teacher's life is that of the daily unsung heroes, those that slog and toil, being overworked and underpaid everywhere around the globe. That it takes a big soul with a bigger heart to decide to become a teacher.

I launch into a rollcall- of the teachers that will always stay in my memory.

Miss Bulloch - My class teacher in primary school. I have no idea what she taught, her face always remains in my memory as resemblin, literally, a bull.

Miss Linnie- My English teacher in middle school. She was the first teacher to instil in me the habit of using a dictionary. She'd insist on never giving out meanings of words just so we'd get off our lazy behinds and use the dictionary. Not only was she a wonderful English teacher, she'd also make wonderful greeting cards with pressed flowers which she'd sell to her students for a mere pittance. Remarkable lady and a great teacher. I have no idea where/how she is now.

Miss Manjula - My class teacher through middle school. Tall, dark, smart and terribly good looking :). She was my idol and a feast for the eyes. Its so good to see a well dressed teacher, and that she was.

Miss Damayanti - My science teacher in high school. The only way I'd learn physics and chemistry and biology.

S. Nagaraj - My math teacher in college. No one else has had me this interested in Math and score well and outdo myself as this Sir. He passed away a couple of years later. May he SO RIP.

And last but definitely cannot be the least, my resident teacher- my own mother, a chance to peek into the other side of a teacher's life and times. Like she says, in her profile, she was born to rule, but forced to teach and somewhere along the way she fell in love with it. Teaching reminds me of the papers that we'd add up numbers for Amma, the many different practice sessions that she'd teach us to prepare for her next day's classes, her first interview class, the house filled with test and exam papers- monthly, quarterly, annuals, report cards, pens strewn all over the house, Amma leaving early for her school Independence day/Republic Day celebrations- so many memories.

And of course, she will always run into one or more students at the many malls and hangout joints of Bangalore- the glee on her face, her confused look at failing to recall the student's name- totally entertaining :). Of course, one of the weird quirks of fate, I know I will never or can be a teacher. So the children of the world are spared, and how!

Acharya devo bhava!
Edited to add : Since I couldnt recall his name, I had to call in on advanced resources(aka Amma) for this name : Mr. Govindraj(4th standard). Within a few weeks of entering his class, he took one look at my wonderfully cursive writing and declared that I'd be the first to graduate from pencil to pen! Boy, was I gleaming my way out of the school gates that day to announce the great news to Amma and proceed immediately to a stationery store and procure my first pen!! Oh, the joy and such sweet memories.