Teacher,Teacher!

Throwback to those days when I was in school, probably in the fourth standard.We played all sorts of games ,unlike the kids of today who are more into staring at the monitors of their PSP's, tabs, smart phones and computers.We played outdoor games like cricket, kabaddi, kho-kho, lagori, hockey and football and when it was raining we gathered on the staircase of the building and played carom, cards, Happy Families or teacher-teacher. I loved being the teacher even then and taught my building friends lessons that I learnt in school.They enjoyed being my students and during these childhood games I made up my mind to pursue teaching, Immediately after my tenth standard boards I joined a teacher training institute and I have never regretted that decision of mine.

I was the first teacher in my family and proud to be one. Even after all these years I have always considered it a blessing to be a teacher though as the years have progressed I have seen a drastic change in the way the teaching  fraternity has been viewed by society. There is a huge difference in the students I taught during my initial years and the students in my class now. Even the role we play as teachers has made a giant leap.Teaching has always inspired,amazed and satisfied me like nothing else has.I have grown as a person and learnt so much from my students. I have realised so many of my drawbacks and tried my best to overcome those short-comings through these years.I can confidently say that I am a much better teacher than what I was during my initial years.
As a teacher we play an important role for the children in our class.We touch lives and have the onus of the all-round development of the child under our care just like their parents.I take my role as a teacher quite seriously and am happy to see how I bring about a positive change in my students.

Sadly,the teachers are not getting their due.The teaching fraternity does the get the respect it should. Teachers shape minds and mould lives.They do much more than just complete the portion and teach what is in the prescribed curriculum, they encourage better living, change behaviour, instil confidence, imbibe values and encourage the children to think.The citizens of tomorrow are being shaped in today's classrooms yet the teachers who do that , those who lay the foundation of the children's lives, are neglected.The small pay packets are just a tip of the ice-berg, the voices of teachers, their grievances are  not being heard. There are many teachers who are passionate about what they do but then there are also the bad eggs in the basket who do a shoddy job and the rest have to bear the brunt.

The rigours the teachers go through each day is understood only by their immediate family members while the others just see it as shorter working hours and many holidays.The satisfaction teaching gives is immense as the love and adoration we get from the students is unfathomable and the knowledge that we have played a part in their growth and progress gives us a sense of achievement and pride. It is high time people appreciate the work of the teachers, specially the ones who lay the foundation of learning in the pre-primary and primary school where they learn the basics of the three R's-Reading ,wRiting and aRithmetic.

Every year during Teachers Day I feel a sense of immense gratitude for all the teachers who touched my life and made me what I am today and I hope I too have touched a few lives of the students I have taught all these years.As a teacher each day is a new challenge and teaches me something.This Teachers Day I asked my class students to draw on the theme My Teacher and I and this is what they came up with.

Fun Outdoors!!!

Field trips are a source of great excitement for students.The excitement begins as soon as they get the circular regarding the field trip and it slowly but surely increases and peaks on the day of the trip.Inside the classroom situations these bundles of energy are manageable but once outside they are difficult to manage.

We planned to go in the last week of September and decided to show the movie Mary Kom ,an inspiring movie of the pugilist who made a name for herself and her country in spite of all the challenges she faced.A ride in the new mono rail was also in the itinerary.

The students arrived early and were a noisy lot as they sat in the hall waiting to board the buses.Teachers had a hard time controlling their excitement and after the roll call we boarded the buses.Had a great time singing songs all along the journey to Bhandup.They sang the parents day songs,a bharud and a Japanese song that I taught with gusto.Once inside the mall we made ourselves comfortable and watched the movie.The screaming and talkative kids watched in complete silence and enjoyed the inspirational movie.Immediately after they had a hundred queries about the movie like how can a small baby be operated upon,what does  hawaldar mean ,why they were not given food to eat at the sports camp,why her father did not want her to be a boxer,why didn't Mary's husband feel bad about not playing football,why she does not have a bigger and heavier  body if she is a boxer,why didn't the man who won against her in the street fight become a boxer and play for India if he was a better fighter than Mary Kom,why did he become a bad man later,why it is always so that mothers support their children more than the fathers,how is Nainai now,why didn't they show the real Mary Kom's husband at the end of the movie when they showed Mary and her kids,why they did not play the national anthem at the movie hall as they always did before the start of the movie,......and the queries kept coming and I did my best to answer all of them patiently.Yes,as teachers answering innumerable queries like these is a part of our daily job.

Thankfully by the time they got into the buses they were very hungry and food got their undivided attention.It was so heart-warming to see the little ones enjoying eating with their friends,sharing,laughing,talking and discussing about the movie.They enjoyed the burger and snacks provided by Adventure Tours and the yummy goodies packed by their moms. Stomach satiated,they now began their queries about the mono rail.Soon we reached the Wadala depot from where we were to start our rail ride.It was my first ride on the mono rail just as it was for all the other kids.We took turns and made groups of four classes each and rode the mono rail.The inside building was clean and sparkling but there were hardly any other regular passengers.There was a number of security and staff on the monorail premises.The view from the clean and well-maintained building was a contrast to how it was outside.All around ,as far as our eyes could see we could only see hut-ment colonies,garbage piled up,diminishing and encroached upon mangroves,polluting chimneys and the filthy Mithi river.We could also see high rises,fertilizer and petroleum plants and the express-way.

Anyway,with great excitement we awaited our turn and boarded the mono rail.We occupied the first compartment,right next to the motor-man's cabin.The noise and commotion the kids made inside the compartment!!!They jostled for seats and a place near the windows for a better view.Others made a beeline for the rods which were in the centre and the sides of the compartment.The security was dumbstruck as why these kids were so excited and kept looking at them(with a frown )as if they were from Mars.The few passengers who came in with us kept on smiling looking at the excitement of the kids.All through the ride the kids kept on their running commentary about what they could see.Some kids went from one window to another to look out while others tried to hang on to the handle provided for the standees.There were huge shouts whenever the rail made a sharp turn and when it stopped at the stations,The ride took us from Wadala Depot to Chembur and then back to Wadala Depot so it was quite a long ride.Anyone would assume that the latter part of the ride would not be too noisy but it was not so,the noise level was constant throughout and their excitement did not diminish one bit.After the ride we walked back to our buses and again the kids took out their snacks and sang songs on the way back to school.

We reached before the scheduled time so we sat in the classes where there were more queries to answer.Students said they saw all three types of pollution from the mono rail.The students had just learnt about pollution in the EVS unit -Cleaning Our Environment and they said they saw land,water and air pollution during the ride.There was a discussion on the causes,effects and solution to these problems of pollution .I was happy to know how concerned they were and their urge to do something about it.That is the special reward of field trips,the students get to see what they have learnt about in their curriculum.It gives them a first hand look at real life situations and conditions that they have learnt about through their books.Soon,it was time to leave and the kids kept talking about the exciting time they had at the field trip when they were handed over to their respective parents.Undoubtedly,these kids would keep talking about their days experiences to their parents right until their bed time.

What the kids really want is loads and loads of fun and excitement, be it indoors or outdoors! In the process they learn so many things ,this is the real learning.Will be reading about their experiences in their essay this week.Happy to be a part of their experiences and share their excitement.

Here are a few snapshots of the field trip.

The station as seen from the outside....

What's famous in Mumbai.....all these!!!

The hutment colonies....vote bank for politicians!

The beauty~!!!

View of the main building

With two of the teachers

The route we took....to Chembur and back.

Lights,Camera,Action!!!!

All the world's a stage and we are all actors.......

At some time or the other school life has given each one of us n opportunity to show our talent on the stage before an audience.I remember how exciting that moment always has been for me.The feeling of apprehension,the butterflies in the stomach,the jitters and the shaking and quivering before the show and the sense of exhilaration and accomplishment after it.I was a late bloomer and I really got a chance to show my true talent in the later years while I was in college.So I understand how important it is for everyone to have an opportunity to showcase their talent before an audience in order to have more confidence in themselves and to find their true calling.we can never understand where we will shine unless we try.

The Annual programmes in the school and the other competitions are a way to encourage the kids to participate and showcase their innate talents.as parents and teachers it is important to give each one of them a platform to perform,be it music,dance or drama.As a teacher it has been a great pleasure to see the little ones shine on the stage.How wonderful it is to see our efforts as teachers bear fruit when we see them perform on the stage before an audience.The teacher-student bond becomes stronger when we actually observe them minutely to fathom the role each child is to play.The auditions for the song,dance and skits give us an insight into where their strengths lie.Some kids are very sure of what role they want to play....and most often than not it is the main lead they are vying for.It is the responsibility of the teacher to make them realise that no role is small or to be demeaned and each one's role is important to make the skit or dance programme a success.The importance of team work can be taught while working on the annual skit or dance item.They learn to work together and understand that nothing is possible without practice,practice and more practice.When they are appreciated on their efforts they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.T heir confidence soars to new levels and they are on cloud nine when they hear the thunderous applause after their performance.

Yes,there are also those who do not want to be in the limelight and want to be in the shadows.It is up to the teacher to see that each one has an opportunity to come forward on the stage, if only for a few minutes, just to make them lose their fear of facing the audience.Each one has some talent or the other and it is for the teacher to tap that innate potential of the child and bring it out.It goes without saying that favouritism should have no role to play in the selection of students for the performances and only merit in performance should be the criteria for selection.

Putting up a good dance performance or a skit by students is not an easy task but it has rich rewards.I have been fortunate enough to have put up numerous skits,dances and group songs in my tenure as a teacher and each time the feeling of accomplishment has not eluded me.I have won accolades for the performances at ward level and other inter-school competitions.It is challenging to get the best out of children,specially so if they are very young.For the little ones it is a stepping stone to future challenges.
We, as teachers, are not just readying them for their performance on the stage,we are readying them for life..............and that is a huge responsibility so we better do our best.The world is their stage and we are training them to face the challenges they will meet in their performance called LIFE!

Talent Show !!!

PHEW!!!! (Sigh of immense relief )
YAY!!! ( Exhilaration at our success)

These two emotions sum it up.I am referring to the School Parents Day programme that took place in our campus last evening.What an evening it was!

The event was a huge success and there were appreciations galore for all the teachers and students alike from all the parents and grandparents who came to witness it.This was an opportunity for the little ones to showcase their inherent talents before their loved ones.The students ,as expected were too excited for words and just could not keep calm.Yet they showed great discipline and performed their acts to perfection.

The preparations for D-day began a month in advance.It included the audition of pupils for the different roles,selection of singers and dancers and the selection of props and costumes.All the practice had to go along with the academics so care was taken to see that none suffered.the children were thrilled to bits and each one got a chance to perform twice-once in the song and once in the dance or skit.

The Art and Craft teachers extended their support and gave form to our ideas.What would stage presentations be without the right props?To the last day the teachers were on tenterhooks wondering whether all would go smoothly without any hitches.At the grand rehearsal too there were many a flaws and it made us wonder about the final outcome but thankfully Aall Izz Well !

The parents were flabbergasted with the amount of talent in kids and applauded each act.They craned their necks to see their little wonders perform on stage.The performance was at Gopalvan,a much-talked about venue of Smt .Sulochanadevi Singhania School ,which is an open-air stage amidst trees and chirping of birds.The theme that STD 4 presented was Khushiyan or Happiness. Each child had made smileys for their parents and they wore these for the function, so it was smiles all around.Each item portrayed the significance of happiness in our lives in a novel manner.The icing on the cake was the appreciation showered on all the teachers and students by the Principal and senior heads.

The appreciation from parents and the large smiles on their faces made our day.Kudos to the kids on their wonderful performances and a pat on our backs for the success too.I am sure the children will cherish these golden moments for years to come and I am glad to be a part of their fond childhood memories.

It is these moments that make me proud that I chose teaching.There is nothing more satisfying than seeing your efforts bear fruit.

Once again I say it - I am proud to be a teacher!

How Exciting!!!

It has been often said that little kids can teach adults many a lesson in life. I am fortunate to be working with kids so there are so many magical moments that make me realize that there is really so much we can learn from kids. 

Today I came across this status which was put up on Face Book by one of my friends- ‎"There is real magic in enthusiasm. It spells the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment." - Norman Vincent Peal


What a wonderful statement! It is true that excitement can make a world of difference in our lives. I witness this enthusiasm in the little kids each day in all the various activities they do throughout their school years, specially so in their formative  elementary years. They are excited at all the little things and sometimes adults like us may wonder what is so exciting in this. The children get excited at the smallest of things. For example they are excited to hear that they are getting an extra PE period,  they get thrilled to see a smiley and a star in their class test they are exhilarated  when  they win a match against the next class and they feel on top of the world if they are  selected for any competition or presentation.


 Even something as minor as a teacher requesting them to erase the blackboard or distribute the notebooks in the class also brings them untold joy. It is this excitement , this joy ,that keeps them going. This very excitement makes the teaching -learning process so much more successful. In fact keeping the thrill, the novelty and the interest alive in the children is one of the first lessons we ,as teacher  trainees learn .Get your students interested in what they are doing and  your work is half done.


We all were all little once (though that may seem like it was ages ago) and have gone through this phase of total excitement. Where then has this excitement disappeared? Why don't we display the same excitement at our workplace now? Why do we take up all tasks as chores to be done instead of enjoying our work?

 Is this the reason why there is so much dissatisfaction all around? Of course, people are earning well but are they really happy with what they are doing? Is this why we are still craving for that something more which is beyond our reach?


Excitement in the little tasks, living in the moment and positive attitude is what we can learn from these little children who forget their minor scuffles, failures and disappointments and move ahead with renewed energy and thrill. I am amazed to see that even at the end of a tiring day at school the little children have a jump in their step and waste no opportunity to run or slide on the tiled floors, while we teachers give a sigh of relief to know that the day has drawn to a close.  What we need is to bring in the excitement back to our lives. Live the moment and enjoy the little pleasures that life has to offer. We all know that there are challenges in life but by brooding or getting depressed nothing will be solved. Look ahead positively  and a solution will be found.


So the next time you get an opportunity,  do play with your kids and join in their excitement as no one can teach us this better than kids. Better still why wait for the opportunity ,find the thrill in whatever you do and pursue a hobby which you have long forgotten. Love your work and see how you will find for yourself the difference between mediocrity and accomplishment. 

 Find the magic of enthusiasm and let it bring a sea of change in your life. 

Let's Rap!!!!

Our school is part of the school exchange programme through which some of our students visited Netherlands and Denmark with a couple of their teachers.As a follow up of this,there are some teachers visiting our school this Monday.They are coming from Netherlands and as expected there is a huge bruhaha about it.There is hectic activity taking place in the school to make the necessary arrangements to showcase our school and its ideology before the esteemed guests.

Std 4 has been given about 5 minutes to present our item and I was given the task to do something to highlight our schools car pool project which was conducted this year by STD 4.Keeping this in mind I wrote a rap song ( for the very first time) and put it to tune.As we have 12 divisions of STD 4 we selected 2 students from each class and I began training them.

It was really a great experience, as though I have written and directed many plays and choreographed many dances for school functions this was something different.The children who were very shy initially to dance the 'oh-so-cool' steps for the rap song slowly found their groove.They enjoyed themselves and danced away and sang the rap song .Within half an hour they could learn the song and the dance moves.Young kids are fast learners!It was far more difficult to teach my co-teachers a dance which we were to present for a Children's day function.It took nearly 5 days to make them get the steps right. But then,kids are kids after all..........the best learners!

When I was given the task at the spur of the moment (on Friday) I was a little apprehensive as to whether the kids could master the steps and learn the song at such short notice but I was proved wrong .The kids made a few placards on car pooling for this activity too.I would like to share the rap song with you so that anyone can feel free to use it for their school project or activity to encourage car pooling.Of course, they can make the necessary changes to the song as per their needs.

The lesson I learnt is that it is not difficult to teach if the learners are willing to learn.Children learn best when it is something they really enjoy.As teachers we need to take their likes and interests into consideration if teaching needs to be more meaningful and successful.

As for me,I had a blast dancing the cool rap song moves as dancing is the best form of relaxation.Even today when I tell my hsband about how I taught dance moves to my kids, he asks me how I don't feel uncomfortable or shy to dance before my kids.My reply is that I am totally at ease with my kids.I enjoy teaching them action songs,dance steps and role play.It is wonderful to see their eyes sparkle with intense interest and excitement to see their teacher in action.It helps if you are a teacher who can go down to the level of your kids as this makes teaching-learning more fun for the teacher and student.

So on Monday I will have a few more practice sessions and then hopefully these little ones will make our school proud with their performance. Fingers crossed.........!

Here's the rap song.............

Boom-boom-chak!Boom-boom-chak!
The Sulonia car pool team is back!
Boom-boom-chak,boom-boom-chak!
let's now hear our carpool rap!

Don't get stuck in traffic anymore,
Riding alone is Oh,such a bore!
When you ride together,
You save on precious fuel,
To save our environment,You have to carpool!

Boom-boom-chak,boom-boom-chak!
The Sulonia carpool team is back!
Let's now hear our carpool rap!

So all you people-Do what is right,
Start carpooling for a future bright,
Reduce greenhouse gases,
Boom-boom-chak!
Reduce driving stress,
Boom-boom-chak!
Reduce fuel consumption,
Boom-boom-chak!
Make traffic jams less.
Boom-boom-chak!

Boom-boom-chak,boom-boom-chak!
The Sulonia carpool team is back!
Let's now hear our carpool rap!

Just Like Mom.........

As a teacher in the Elementary section each year in the month of June I welcome my new batch of kids and they are mine for a whole academic year. I do my best to make the best of the time I share with them and at the end of the year I have a sense of immense satisfaction when I see the results, not in the academic front alone but also in the attitudinal and behavioural changes that I see in the little ones.

Each year the month of April draws near and I realize that these little ones will move ahead to the next level and then I will have another batch to nurture. I always wonder whether they will remember the teachers who have taught them even when they grow up to become youngsters and adults later on. Will they remember the values I have so vehemently tried to inculcate in them? Will they remember me as fondly as I remember my teachers?

So it was just another day at school today and I was observing the children as they were writing the notes. Kayzin had a complaint to make about another student who was not writing neatly and she blurted out aloud, "Mom, Shlok is not writing neatly." As there was silence in the classroom all the kids heard her and some of them giggled. Shlok thought this was a good chance to poke fun at her and said, "Mom??Is mam your mom?" To which Kayzin nonchalantly replied, "So what? Mam is also just like my mom." This reply made everyone silent once again. I gave Kayzin my best smile(if there is anything like that) and had a spring in my step for the rest of the day.

It made me so happy to hear that! It may seem so trivial to some but as a teacher it made my day............simple words but with great meaning. Who says teaching is a thankless job? We,as teachers,have the love and affection of our students.We touch their lives just as they touch and reach out to ours.Am proud I chose to a teacher.
Just like my mom..........Really??
Thanks Kayzin!