Teacher’s darling

I remember I was doing my bachelor’s degree in education. As part of the course, we were deputed to different schools to do practice teaching. We, the green horns, were bestowed the title of trainee teachers. The dress code was strictly the sari. I was filled with trepidation at the prospect of facing a class of 40 students, coupled with apprehensions over having to manage a sari. The thought of travelling in a public bus in it gave me butterflies in my stomach. As it happened, I discovered a chartered bus that dropped me close to the school.

I arrived at the school well in time, armed with my teaching aids such as charts, pictorial material, roller board, and so on. I stood at the gate, feeling that I was on the threshold of life — yet filled with trepidation. Engrossed in my own thoughts, I was taken aback to find a 12-year-old boy trying to catch my attention. I woke up from my reverie to look at him. He said, “Are you the new teacher?” On my affirmative, he said, “Should I carry the bag to the staff room?” His earnest face and toothy smile won my heart. By chance, I was allotted the same class to teach in which he was. When I entered class, he greeted me with the same winsome smile.

After wishing the students, I told them to be seated and went on to arrange a separate desk and a chair for the supervisor at the back of the class. I took out the register containing the lesson plan and placed it on the desk. The same little boy observed my actions very closely. I then took out the roller board from my bag and stood with it. Anticipating me, my young student eagerly pointed to the nail next to the blackboard to hang the board on. I thanked him.

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I then turned to the class and told them I would be looking forward to their cooperation. I instructed them in the rules of our interaction: during the course of the lesson, I would be asking questions but no one was to shout to attract my attention. They were to just raise their hands. I would give a chance to everyone. That first lesson went off without a hitch. The class was very responsive.

I was happy with the turn of events. Teaching 40 kids did not appear such a fearful prospect after all. And my new student, with his engaging smile, whom I had befriended on that first day, became my lucky mascot. I suddenly looked forward to shaping young minds as a life vocation.