It’s Teachers Day tomorrow, and I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all teachers a Very Happy Teacher’s Day.
A lot of teachers have influenced me, and shaped the way I am today. Right from my school teachers to my Professors – Prof. Sudhakar, Prof. Dabholkar, Prof. Dharkar, Prof. Shetty, Prof. Borde, Miss Irani and so many others – my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to each and every one of you!
I’d also like to pay tribute to all of you by writing about three very special teachers, who I probably will never forget till the day I pass on.
First - Mrs. Agnihotri: My Marathi teacher in Rosary High School. Marathi is a subject most students – especially those studying in English convent schools – love to hate! But it was Mrs. Agnihotri who made me love this language.
She was in her 50s when she first taught us the language. Short, possibly just four feet nothing, with a back that was bent with age, she could reach only up to the bottom one-fourth of the black-board (which was later replaced by a green one). Maybe I am dreaming, but there were times when the chalk dust would fall on her glasses and she had to stop writing to clean them.
She insisted on speaking to us only in Marathi, and God help those who could not respond to her with proper grammar and pronunciation. Interestingly, I realized that it was the students having Marathi as their mother tongue who used to be at the receiving end most of the time.
Strange, but isn’t it true? The people who are worst at the grammar of any language are the people who profess it to be their mother tongue. I reckon that is because they tend to pick up the language as it is spoken ‘on the streets’ rather than in its pure form.
Anyway, I digress, as usual!
Mrs. Agnihotri introduced me to P. L. Deshpande, to spoken Marathi. She is the reason I get compliments for a good command over the language.
Thank You, Agnihotri bai!
Second – Mrs. Suzie Chacko: Possibly the best teacher a student can get! She taught us science in school. We used to fondly call her ‘Amma’ (mother). And a mother she was to us. It is nearly 3 decades since I saw her last (she had apparently left the school a few years after I passed out, to join her husband in Dubai, so I was told) but I still can see her vividly whenever I close my eyes and think about her. Dark, plump, speaking with the typical Malayalee accent, it was her eyes that first caught your attention. The eyes would smile when she was happy with us, and breathe fire when we were at fault.
I also know that a lot of students hated her. And they had a reason for that. They hated re-writing. You see, Amma had a unique style of teaching. In the 35 minute science class, she would spend the 6th to the 30th minute explaining the concepts of physics, chemistry and biology to us. And God help anyone trying to do anything except pay full attention to her. Asking questions, debating a point, arguing over a concept – all was allowed, even encouraged. But sharpening pencils, taking notes, doing something else invited a rap on the knuckles and kneeling at the door of the class.
The 31st to the 35th minute was for dictating notes very fast, which the students had to write down using their pencils.
That leaves us with the 1st to 5th minute. Ahh, now that was the fun!
The notes that she dictated in the previous class had to be re-written using the ink pen, with all the proper drawings etc. as homework. The handwriting and the drawings had to be perfect. These would be checked in the first five minutes of the next class. And any student who did not complete this homework had raps on the knuckles and had to attend the class kneeling at the door for the entire duration.
Not only did Amma instil a love of chemistry in me (which was later fanned by Profs. Dabholkar, Dalal, Shetty, Borde, Miss Irani et al in college) that lasts till today, she is also one of the people primarily responsible for my good handwriting.
Thank You, Amma!
I have lost touch with both Agnihotri bai and Suzie Miss. And I am not sure whether Agnihotri bai is still alive or not. But if either of you are reading this post somewhere, I would like to let you know that you are still in my heart and in my prayers.
Third – Mrs. Khan: She started off as a teacher in a municipal school and was a Headmistress when she retired. She has been an influence behind a lot of youth in areas like Nagpada, Madanpura and Dharavi growing to be decent, educated and well-respected people.
She was my first teacher. She taught me the alphabets – both English and Arabic. She taught me how to speak, how to behave. She instilled a sense of responsibility in me. She taught me to differentiate between right and wrong, to control my emotions. She taught me disciple and chivalry. She taught me Islam, and to respect others for their beliefs.
She is the reason for me being the man I am.
Whatever I am today, is because of her.
She is now in her 70s, and I still meet her everyday.
She is my mother!
Lovely!
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