Ironically, the gravitas of precepts of teachers and the other elderly is often realised belatedly. However, the revelation is useful for a more meaningful life and key to sustained teacher-student bonds.
The news of demise of Mr S.C. Sharma, our teacher in class VII, immersed me down the memory lane of school days in mid 1960s. As House teacher, when he invited some of us to speak on the day’s topic, ‘Tolerance’, none other than one Dinesh raised his hand in willingness, as usual.
Otherwise known for his kind and humane demeanour, that day the usual cold response of students infuriated Sharma Sir. He asked us to play ‘Murga’ (rooster), a common form of corporal punishment in schools of Delhi those days. It was very strenuous, nerve-breaking feat, more so in movement, even for the stout-bodied ruffians. After a few minutes Sharma Sir had pity on us; he relented, made us comfortable, and emotionally impressed upon us, “Today I feel disgusted at your reluctance or hesitation in coming ahead and speak out, if only few sentences. As you grow older, such opportunity shall be hard to come by, and you could be overcome by the vocal and dashing ones, losing your prospects to win.”
With years, I increasingly realised the significance of somehow or anyhow snatching one’s turn and boldly & clearly advancing one’s viewpoint during job interviews, group discussions, office meetings, negotiations and purchases. For honing spoken language skills, another teacher ever emphasised not to mix English with local languages. The messages took time to click.
It is so ironical that we often awake to the elderly precepts in mature years by which time we have perhaps already lost significantly; like the one we were taught in cursive writing at pre-primary level, “A stitch in time saves nine”. It is this revelation that imparts uniqueness to the teacher-disciple relationship that is ever so sustaining. Extending his jurisdiction beyond delivery of course content or skills, a model teacher reflexively inculcates in learners values with positive implications. “Those who educate children well are more to be honoured than they who produce them; for the parents only gave them life, teachers the art of living well,” said Aristotle.
The elderly, with their own foibles & eccentricities are not foolproof. So the convocation message by Acharya in Traitreya Upnishad enjoins the graduating students to espouse only his virtues, and not the vices (Yanyasmakam sucharitani, taani twayopasyani, no itrani). Life is not long enough to learn only from one’s own experience; wise are those who learn from their own follies, the wiser learn from those of others with minimal loss of time.
The paradigm shift in pedagogy from traditional to virtual class room has not undermined the teacher-learners bonds because teaching is not mechanical transfer of knowledge. There are issues not covered in academics, yet rudimentary for evolving as a full-fledged person, enabled to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life.
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Originally published in Deccan Herald, edit page, on 9 April 2020.
Link: https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/right-in-the-middle/learn-before-it-is-too-late-823100.html
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