Teaching

A while ago, six or seven months to be vaguely exact, I looked around and realized that even though I was doing pretty much everything I could have wanted, my surroundings were quite distant. Things that define me, things that I love doing – they form an integral part of me; these were things that I hadn’t picked up for some time now. I guess that is the problem with being extremely busy. The level of satisfaction and to be fair, the anticipation of satisfaction was fast diminishing coz I was stuck in what seemed like a thousand jobs. A full time occupation of another kind was keeping me pretty content, but then again distance means adjustment and expectation (or the lack of it). I hadn’t gone cycling in ages, had muted the guitar’s beckoning, hadn’t seen a football match since Kgp and intensely missed the late night mess top bhaat sessions from last year. One frust day would take me back to Kgp’s bliss. I had been writing though and it was personally gratifying most of the times.

It is here that I got the opportunity to teach formal English. This was an absolutely different field and a challenge of sorts – something I’d grown fond of. Most importantly though, this was something I could see myself doing. And boy, am I glad I accepted the offer! Teaching a language, though not tomfoolery, is still convenient and exciting fun. Had it been something quantitative like Math – a more suited subject for someone like me with an engineering background – I would probably have to stick to norms and stereotypical questions as such. However I have the prerogative of giving my imagination a free rein. I can experiment with a thousand different methods, tell anecdotes, share stories and talk about the scent of fresh rain on dry earth, conspiracy theories, or the impact of such-and-such deal on the Indian economy. I enjoy that! The students are my age group and need to be treated like friends. I focus on issues that affect us and that hopefully creates a mutual understanding. It is then that we study English. I figure that the respect of students, who may as well be my peers, can only be earned through knowledge. It can not be forced upon them or elicited through conventional student-teacher means. If they listen when I speak, and I make it a point to speak kindly, it is because they know there is something to be learnt. And that right there is respect. They share their problems after the class, English being one of the many. Twice a day, everyday of the week, is a separate batch and a separate, new story.

Some of my colleagues gawk at such open closeness – one of them severely reprimanded me when he heard a student ask me when I would be ‘vella’ enough to talk. I realize my priorities though. Teaching through friendship is the message I want to carry forward and that is how it shall be. I have loved the experience and however bad my day might be before 6:00 pm, a Scooby snack and a two-hour English class is just the perfect way to end it.

This is where I am forced to say goodbye though. Life is going to be a torrid mess in the near future in one of two ways, and I will not have enough time to prepare a lecture and teach anymore. I hope to take it up again someday coz the stint has been that amazing. Till then I guess... So long, and thanks for all the fish!