learning and growing

Even the worst of days can make you smile. Today was obviously a very bad day at work but I came back to see a lovely written work by one of my ex- students who is now in Delhi. I always knew he was different. Today I am sure he is. I am not allowed to disclose names but I am so proud of him. Keep up with the good work and your perspective of life. Someday I might see you as a director of some film. And trust me, I won't be surprised. I have seen that suffering poet in you. That passion to get shattered emotionally and then rise. Not just that I also remember how you indirectly made me realize that a good student is not one who criticizes a teacher but is one who understands and accept a teacher even behind the teacher's back. Thank you so much. If only I could meet you in the next one year i could share with you how some of my present students think that I like getting flattered by unnecessary compliments. You would have laughed even at the possibility of such a situation at h...

It is one year today since you passed away. I still remember all the promises that I made to you just before burning your body. And trust me papa, I have been able to live up to those and I have got so much more to do within the next one year. A lot many problems had been solved, a lot many yet to be dealt with. Life has changed so much. I wish you could answer me one question though. You asked your daughter to dream big, to soar high. But you never told her how to do it without your emotional support. It is hard. I am still looking forward to a few projects in this upcoming year. Will I be able to do it? Of course my friends and family members think that I can just like I have so far. They tell me that I am too strong. And yes they are right. I am. I never knew i was. But since your death I have realized I am. I have been to hospital once after your death. I remember everyone crying for me because I had a terrible breakdown. But i remember my own thoughts. I remember telling myself on...

My class eight students are all suddenly hyped about LGBTQ. They just want to know about it. Why? Because they find it funny. Or maybe because one student is prompting others to ask me questions related to this because that student probably belongs to this LGBTQ group and is either too young to realize that or too shy to accept that. Or maybe thinks that the teacher ( which is me) is rather too dumb and too good to understand that. Like you have all my attention if you speak up about your problem. Duh.Never mind. It is not as dumb as people who think that supporters of LGBTQ causes also belong to that group. There is a difference. Sadly India is still a country which has a long, long way to go when it comes to the rainbow movement. And narrow mentality is common to the masses, leave alone kids of 12 or 13 years of age who hardly know what sexual orientation is all about. Being a liberal teacher is hard. Students take you for granted very often and think that they are smart enough to c...