Transitions and Karma – An Ode to Teaching

Mata, Pita, Guru, Devam.
Mother, Father, Teacher, God.

Children in Indian families are more often than not made familiar to this phrase of four words at a very young age. Mother, Father, Teacher, God. Four simple words, one profound meaning to it – worshipping God holds no ground if that same amount of love, respect and honour is not given to the Mother, the Father and the Teacher(s).

When I was younger, this phrase seemed illogical to me. How is it that mere mortals trump over the power of God Almighty? Barely understanding its depth, the phrase became a joke among my friends and me. I spoke to my mother in a harsh way, and my dad was no different. The treatment they got, however, was mild compared to the torture I put my teachers through, especially in secondary school.

Teachers. The mere sight of them ignited nausea-inducing chemicals in my brain, and I used to take it out on them all the time. In fact, if you ask me today, I would tell you how surprised I am to escape from high school without major disciplinary actions taken against me. My sharp tongue and eye for faults were every teacher’s nightmare.

The trainee teachers bore the worst brunt of my brutality. I copied homework and tests, ran out of class five minutes before recess, barely used the buckle on my pinafore and my comments on their teaching materials and styles were earth-shattering. Most of them cried, some even complained to the headmistress. I have had dusters, chalk and even a 1.5liter water bottle (filled to the brim, no less!) thrown full speed my way.

If you had asked me 7 years ago to venture into the teaching line, I would have pointed to your face and laughed my eyeballs out.

Karma, as they say, is a bitch.

I stand here today in front of the world as a teacher, teaching degree students…I stand here today as a teacher, with my friends pointing to my face and laughing their eyeballs out. I do not need to tell you what they are thinking while they do that, because I am sure you are probably thinking the same thing too.

Bitchy, she is…this Karma woman. *sigh*

I never knew I had the talent or the knowledge to teach. In fact, until I was asked to come into the field by Miss Lina, teaching was not a career option for me. Surprisingly, when I started, it came naturally to me. I enjoyed standing in front of the class, with all eyes and ears focused on me. Transferring knowledge was like second nature – I have not had any problems making my students understand what I am talking about, neither have I had trouble plucking examples from nowhere to give them.

I would not say things have been smooth-sailing for me, and that I have the King Midas touch on my students. Far from that, actually. There were days I screamed at them for not following instructions, there were days they were punished for not listening in class, and there were days I cried because I could not understand why it was so difficult for them to cooperate with me. Funnily, it was during those times that my naughtiness crept back into my memory and reminded me that everything that happening is a norm, and students will be students after all.

Teaching degree students for six months has told me that this is the line I want to be in. When I was called in for my evaluation last semester, I was filled with dread, wondering if I made any impact on my students at all. The positive comments and feedback given were a huge boost for my confidence and definitely cemented my hunch: that this was what I was born to do.

Call it a calling or call it a realisation, something tells me that in this birth I was meant to be an educator, and meant to impart my knowledge to my disciples. Okay maybe I dramatized it a little, but you get what I mean.

The transition from student to teacher has been drastic, and I am still trying to settle into my new role in life, but for now, I believe that no other career would be able to provide me with the same amount of job satisfaction, and I am HAPPY where I belong.

Karma, take that!