TO SIR WITH LOVE

 On the occasion of Teacher’s day today, it was the Speaking Tree  (Times of India) which caught my attention, which laid more emphasis on ‘Intuitive knowledge’ vis-a-vis ‘Intellectual’ one. While in Vedic times it was the former which was sought, the Colonial era focussed on the latter. 

I often wonder ,as to why do we realise the contribution of our teachers in shaping our personality, our lives, so late in life. While in school, academy and our other institutions we generally either resent their penchant for perfection,  their strict demeanour or are simply overawed by their immense knowledge and their persona. These years are the formative years of our lives, our professional careers, but more importantly it is their hammers which helped carve out some shape from the rough jagged pieces of rocks that we were. Obviously none relishes these strokes of hammers, we rebel, resent and always look for short cuts to get over these tribulations. More often than not, we got caught in our own webs, invented excuses which only ended up worsening the mess we created, but our venerable masters came to our rescue, punish us they did, but ensured we learned valuable life lessons. 

Education is not restricted to the three ‘R’s alone, we all are aware, it is the quest for adventure, the curiosity of the seeker, the desire to explore, all these are also highly desirable attributes for a meaningful fulfilling life. Needless to say, our parents are the first and foremost teachers. As we grow older, the realisation dawns on us, as to how they guided us through our formative early years, when we took our first tentative steps knowing fully well that it was their hand which was there to support us when we fell and helped us rise again, to when we uttered the first unintelligible syllables which they deciphered and communicated with us. Later through adolescence, teens and when we embarked on our professional journey they knew exactly the kind of push, nudge or caution was required to get us started. 

The association with the teachers starts with the formal schooling, where some leave a mark for life, although each one contributed to the individual that you turned out to be.  Yes they are doing their job, but it is the passion, the positive attitude, the pleasure of seeing their students succeed in life which I believe drives them to go the extra mile. I am sure all of us have come across them. 

“To Sir with Love” is a classic, which most of us would have read or would have probably watched the movie.  Sydney Poitier the chief protagonist against all odds wins the students over, the song by Lulu still gives me goose pimples. The plot has been adopted umpteen number of times in movies in Hindi also. It was the selfless dedication which finally won the day. Our very own “Taare Zamin Par” is another masterpiece. Maybe I am more affected as I am a teacher’s son and hail from an academic family with only me being the black sheep who chose this profession of arms. As if that was not all my father in law too was a teacher, so is my wife. Well to be fair, all wives are life long teachers, unfortunately their wards, the husbands are renegades beyond repair  without an exception. May be I should change the title to “To Madam with Love”!