The Power of Chalk and Challenge

When I was younger, I always despised the idea of becoming a teacher because I did not find this job challenging. The monotony and the monotone of the profession would make me groan inwardly. However, I always managed to get good grades. Though I did not like the profession, I liked to study. Fast-forward ten years- life has whirled a totally different tale! I am a teacher and I love my occupation.

A few days ago I read this somewhere- ‘If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet’. Isn’t this true? Even in life, nothing is constant. Things change, people change, circumstances change and consequently, decisions change. My decision to become an educator was a product of a circumstance and it turned out to be one of the best decisions. It is only now that I realize how much power I have. Not only I am an influencer but also a philosopher. Teaching spins so many other professions into one single trade- the teachers are engineers, for they mend/ repair the thoughts and actions of young minds; they are doctors, for they assess, run tests, diagnose and then prescribe; they are farmers, for they provide the right knowledge that nurtures the child and prepares him for the heartless world; they are builders, for they use values (cement) and knowledge (mortar) to build the personality. Often I marvel at the magic of this profession.

An ally, a philosopher and a guide, a teacher is that one important person who works to the best of her ability to bring out the best in you and doesn’t demand anything in return. She only seeks love and respect. Investing bounty hours daily, she is that mould in which the clay settles and takes a definite form. While the students progress in terms of grade and life, a teacher is like that first step of the ladder that remains where it was years back. A teacher never becomes older; she becomes wiser. Like any other supreme power, a teacher, too, has weapons of her own and these weapons are chalk and challenges. With the right mix of both, she can do wonders. She can make the silent talk, she can love the unloved, she can give courage to the impatient, she can induce a fighting spirit in the weak and she can transform carbon into a diamond.

Sadly, we have forgotten to give our teachers the due that they deserve- the respect and acknowledgement that they have rightfully earned. It is high time for us to grab pen and paper and express our gratitude to our teachers without whom we would be fish without water!

No, she is not your mother, nor your sister nor your aunt nor your neighbour,
She is your mentor- your teacher,
Respect her,
Cherish her,
Treasure her!