Today is teachers day . Happy Teachers Day to all the teachers .The day is celebrated in honour of a great scholar and teacher and a former President of India - Shri S Radhakrishanan .Its a honor well deserved -he was a great teacher .I still remember my father very copiously reading his speeches and explaining them to us .My father did not appear to be a very voracious reader because i did not see him read too many books -he was perhaps too busy treating patients and performing surgery becoz he was a much sought after doctor .So when he bent over newspapers and strained his ears to listen to the great man speak on radio -it meant something !! ( the only other books he recommended me to read were Daphne du Mauriers's .(Rebecca ,Jamaica Inn and the other classics written by the great lady).Once i read Rebecca -i was hooked on to reading .And i read lots and lots .My father in that sense was a great teacher -he inspired me and recommended me something which set forth a chain of events that ultimately set me to indulge in a activity which was priceless .!!
Most of us will go overboard today .The day is dedicated to the greatness of Radhakrishnan .Most of us are no where near him as far as teaching and scholarship is concerned .He is a benchmark .Children spoil us rotten today -they will bring cards ,cakes ,hand made drawings ,they will sing paeans about us !! And we will lap it all up .None of us should mind the praise-we all love praise dont we .Even at my age ,after getting fair amount of compliments throughout my life -i want more !! But should we believe blindly what the kids tell us ? No - false praise can be damaging to ones growth .There have been great teachers who taught me .All of them had a great passion , great personalities ,and great energy .A scholar may not not be a great teacher .Having knowledge and transferring it are different things .But energy ,personality , and passion are certainly very important trademarks of great teachers .Mr GC Gupta had great energy .Prof Randhir Singh had a great personality , great energy and passion . APJ Kalam had great energy and passion .Mr HP Sharma had great passion and energy .Forget the Bed and other degrees .They count for very little ..Do we have energy , personalities , and passion ?.
Thats a question which only a teacher can answer.If the answer is "yes" ,then you are in hallowed company and a great teacher . If the answer is "no" -keep trying because your benchmark is not a "day" but a person.
I was asked to speak in the special assembly in school yesterday .I was presented a big bouquet and a big big card on the stage .Every Principal and teacher must have got such tokens of affection in their schools .But a question kept nagging me while i spoke .Why do so few people want to come into the teaching profession ?
I ended my speech by expressing a wish -that maybe in the future ,a better gift to give teachers would be children telling them that they all wanted to be teachers !! A far better compliment than a bouquet and a card .And of course lots of samosas ,dhoklas ,gulab jamuns .
But we love praise .Let it keep coming !!And thank you very very much for the wonderful wishes that have not stopped flowing in !!
Thats a question which only a teacher can answer.If the answer is "yes" ,then you are in hallowed company and a great teacher . If the answer is "no" -keep trying because your benchmark is not a "day" but a person.
I was asked to speak in the special assembly in school yesterday .I was presented a big bouquet and a big big card on the stage .Every Principal and teacher must have got such tokens of affection in their schools .But a question kept nagging me while i spoke .Why do so few people want to come into the teaching profession ?
I ended my speech by expressing a wish -that maybe in the future ,a better gift to give teachers would be children telling them that they all wanted to be teachers !! A far better compliment than a bouquet and a card .And of course lots of samosas ,dhoklas ,gulab jamuns .
But we love praise .Let it keep coming !!And thank you very very much for the wonderful wishes that have not stopped flowing in !!
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