“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of the individual. If the people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honor for me.” – A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
I want to dedicate this blog to my wife who celebrates her birthday today, 10th of May, and who teaches at an elementary school. She has always had passion for teaching, whether at school or with our children. Heck, I have learned a lot from her. I do not have enough words to describe how much of a teacher she has been in my life, providing the timely guidance, pushing me in the right direction, though she claims it is just a nudge, pulling me out of my doldrums when I am feeling blues. I wanted limn what she means to me, to us but the intensity of my feelings may not match the words here due to my (limited) command on the language.
“A good teacher is like a candle — it consumes itself to light the way for others.” – Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This is precisely why I chose her teacher avatar to pay my tribute, though in my case the word “teacher” is easily interchangeable with “life partner” or “mom” and still keep the essence of the quote. Come to think of it, a teacher perhaps is all of the above and more.
The passion that she takes to the school in the morning is only amplified upon her return. It is a roller coaster of an emotional ride, when she talks about her day. It could be how she made a difference in a child’s day/moment/life and another it is about an event in her student’s life that has sometimes devastating outcome. It may be a simple Starbucks card with a scribble saying “you are an amazing teacher” or a mom sending a note saying how much of a difference Jaya made in her child’s life.
At times she rushes home, completely crushed because some of her students failed to deliver on their assignments. I often felt she is taking these events far too personally, bordering on unreasonableness. But then, there are other times she is on cloud 9 because a previously classified as “incorrigible” student has turned around the corner and is progressing. The sheer happiness in her face at those moments make it all worthwhile and I feel relieved that I bit my tongue at some of those times when the tide was on ebb.
She is tireless in her search for a class project that will stimulate her students, especially involving mathematics and science. The zeal with which she pursues those projects, spending school funds judiciously and when fell short, buying supplies with her own money. The effusive description of her students’ reaction upon completion of the projects is worth every penny. Here is a text she sent us after an experiment on electricity. “My students are building a class light today to learn about electrical energy. One student came to me and said, ‘Mrs Maturi, do these things cost lot of money, if I want to build one at my home to show my baby brother? I don’t think my mom will have money to buy’. I said these are yours to take home. I bought them for you. You should have seen her face. Priceless. Students built flash lights with ON and Off switches made by aluminum foil. Who says science isn’t fun! Cost me about $1/kid”.
By the way, it is not just the academics alone that she is focused on (or fixated, if I may dare say). She is also a fun teacher who knows how to motivate her students to behave properly in the class by encouraging them to “earn” brownie points. I know this for a fact because more than once I made a trip to big box store to buy individual snack packets for all the students, for movie period on Fridays.
Jaya, you have put in a lot more than is expected of your job, but I know you are getting more than you are putting into your responsibility. The difference you made in those students is worth every ounce of your effort, every moment of angst at their failure, every moment of joy at their success and more importantly changing their life for better, for ever.
Thank you for letting Abhi, Kinn, our friends and me to be part of this wonderful journey you have embarked upon enriching the lives of those students. Wishing you many happy returns of the day!!!!
