This should have been my first blog post. Because this is the introduction to me, and my dream. Forgive me earthlings, this is how things have been in my world, first things come second.. 😀
Call it starter's trouble or blogger's block or whatever - In spite of how the list of stuff I wanted to write about kept growing, I could never get to it and start a blog. As time passed, the first post finally happened the night former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam passed away.
Looking back now, it seems just an ordinary night. Many of our Presidents have passed away in the past, this was just another. There was no specialty to the day other than this event. But things were not to be that simple. The kind of thoughts and emotions the news triggered inside me swept me off like a whirlwind and churned out a beautiful blog post that (today I see) bagged 180 page views in just a month's time. Not bad for a first-time blogger, eh? :)
Here is how it came about.
As I watched the news channels announcing the unexpected death that evening I realized how short life was. In spite of leading a life so fulfilling and not wasting a moment with things unproductive, APJ still had so much left to do. In this momentary stopover he had had on earth, to be able to touch so many lives from different walks of life is an enviable achievement. Which lead me to wonder, was I using my life effectively?
Things of great meaning often start with baby steps. So the notes I had taken during my Income Tax Returns filing process took birth as the first post of "the musing dreamer".
There was no welcome, no fancy introduction, just an abrupt beginning in a DIY post. Quite like the Big Bang, eh? ;) Here it was only because the prenatal pain was unbearable, considering the impact the evening's news had on me.
The dream
--------------
I always wanted to be a teacher. Wait a minute, that's a lie. When I was a kid, there were always those odd fancies like the policewoman, air hostess, pilot and even the priestess. But never a teacher! In fact, my mom specifically asked me many a time about considering the profession and I was crystal clear that I did not want it. Then when did this fancy catch on?
As the majority of kids out there during my time I was a reluctant school goer who was pushed into academic bulimia. My school or my parents could do little to kindle my interest. In spite of the general disinterest there were tiny sparks here and there that had me going. I always managed to figure in the top 10 in the class so things were hunky-dory, with not much complaints from anyone.
Things were fit and fine until that big examination came along, called Life. I realized the difficult way how short the school prepares us for this event of events. How much better we could have done!
The first taste of unsuitability-for-life could be witnessed at the end of the four years of graduate study. Yes, there was the coveted Engineering degree to adorn our hats for the rest of our lives, but those who had sluggishly dragged themselves during the four years of study could be seen pulling and pushing and tossing and turning after completing the degree. And not in just one situation!
They struggled to:
- clear the entrance examination to the Masters degree (the inevitable, coveted GATE),
- face job interviews,
- teach students (after they managed to procure guest lecturer positions in their alma mater or other Engineering colleges),
- and even adjust to the corporate jobs that they had earlier often dreamt of.
All this because the four years spent at college were mainly an exercise at laying their hands on the degree certificate rather than imbibing the knowledge and other skill sets (I am reminded of the movie 3 Idiots here. The film smelt of life!)
Worse still, the 16 years of studies never taught them a speck on how to deal with the personal or interpersonal challenges one faced. If most of the academic shortfalls could be conveniently blamed on the student, who do I blame this on? The academia? Policy makers? Of course, there was never an item in the curriculum that prepared one for such events as dealing with a difficult colleague or parent.
Well, these schools that I am talking about are not the Vedic Pathshalas or Madrasas where philosophy is taught as a subject. These are Government-recognized educational institutions that teach you science and languages. By law that is all they are required to teach. (Thanks to Lord Macaulay!)
After all is said and done, there is this one person who could have made a sea of change to our experience at these institutions. The teacher! The teacher could have done the magic in spite of all the curriculum and other constraints. Also, the school administration could have made it a lot better for us if they had maintained a good teacher-to-student ratio that facilitated individual attention and nurturing.
After I walked some distance in life, I began to realize where people faltered. A teacher is a very important person in a student's life. In the context of the academic studies, the teacher can make or break a subject. In a wider world, the teacher can make or break a young mind. No wonder the Sanskrit adage goes "Mata Pita Guru Deivam". And no wonder the great man who influenced a billion minds wanted to be known as a teacher more than any of the shiny posts he held. I understand you there fully and completely, Kalam ji.
My dream is to start a school where kids will be turned into perfect citizens, from both within and outside the curriculum. No academic bulimia for my kids! If they are to write an answer in a test paper they would have clearly understood the concept behind the topic. They will be molded in a variety of dimensions:
To be able to achieve this the key ingredient I will need is -- the best teaching community. While corporate India has matured to a stage where talent is looking for more meaningful and fulfilling things in life, I can see a huge pool of untapped resource out there. With a little training the wanting mind can make the best teacher. This will effectively complement a dedicated teaching community, thus making it richer beyond words. My school will build the BEST pool of teachers that ever existed in the face of earth.
That, earthlings, is not just my DREAM, it is a promise!
Call it starter's trouble or blogger's block or whatever - In spite of how the list of stuff I wanted to write about kept growing, I could never get to it and start a blog. As time passed, the first post finally happened the night former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam passed away.
Looking back now, it seems just an ordinary night. Many of our Presidents have passed away in the past, this was just another. There was no specialty to the day other than this event. But things were not to be that simple. The kind of thoughts and emotions the news triggered inside me swept me off like a whirlwind and churned out a beautiful blog post that (today I see) bagged 180 page views in just a month's time. Not bad for a first-time blogger, eh? :)
Here is how it came about.
As I watched the news channels announcing the unexpected death that evening I realized how short life was. In spite of leading a life so fulfilling and not wasting a moment with things unproductive, APJ still had so much left to do. In this momentary stopover he had had on earth, to be able to touch so many lives from different walks of life is an enviable achievement. Which lead me to wonder, was I using my life effectively?
Things of great meaning often start with baby steps. So the notes I had taken during my Income Tax Returns filing process took birth as the first post of "the musing dreamer".
There was no welcome, no fancy introduction, just an abrupt beginning in a DIY post. Quite like the Big Bang, eh? ;) Here it was only because the prenatal pain was unbearable, considering the impact the evening's news had on me.
The dream
--------------
I always wanted to be a teacher. Wait a minute, that's a lie. When I was a kid, there were always those odd fancies like the policewoman, air hostess, pilot and even the priestess. But never a teacher! In fact, my mom specifically asked me many a time about considering the profession and I was crystal clear that I did not want it. Then when did this fancy catch on?
As the majority of kids out there during my time I was a reluctant school goer who was pushed into academic bulimia. My school or my parents could do little to kindle my interest. In spite of the general disinterest there were tiny sparks here and there that had me going. I always managed to figure in the top 10 in the class so things were hunky-dory, with not much complaints from anyone.
Things were fit and fine until that big examination came along, called Life. I realized the difficult way how short the school prepares us for this event of events. How much better we could have done!
The first taste of unsuitability-for-life could be witnessed at the end of the four years of graduate study. Yes, there was the coveted Engineering degree to adorn our hats for the rest of our lives, but those who had sluggishly dragged themselves during the four years of study could be seen pulling and pushing and tossing and turning after completing the degree. And not in just one situation!
They struggled to:
- clear the entrance examination to the Masters degree (the inevitable, coveted GATE),
- face job interviews,
- teach students (after they managed to procure guest lecturer positions in their alma mater or other Engineering colleges),
- and even adjust to the corporate jobs that they had earlier often dreamt of.
All this because the four years spent at college were mainly an exercise at laying their hands on the degree certificate rather than imbibing the knowledge and other skill sets (I am reminded of the movie 3 Idiots here. The film smelt of life!)
Worse still, the 16 years of studies never taught them a speck on how to deal with the personal or interpersonal challenges one faced. If most of the academic shortfalls could be conveniently blamed on the student, who do I blame this on? The academia? Policy makers? Of course, there was never an item in the curriculum that prepared one for such events as dealing with a difficult colleague or parent.
Well, these schools that I am talking about are not the Vedic Pathshalas or Madrasas where philosophy is taught as a subject. These are Government-recognized educational institutions that teach you science and languages. By law that is all they are required to teach. (Thanks to Lord Macaulay!)
After all is said and done, there is this one person who could have made a sea of change to our experience at these institutions. The teacher! The teacher could have done the magic in spite of all the curriculum and other constraints. Also, the school administration could have made it a lot better for us if they had maintained a good teacher-to-student ratio that facilitated individual attention and nurturing.
After I walked some distance in life, I began to realize where people faltered. A teacher is a very important person in a student's life. In the context of the academic studies, the teacher can make or break a subject. In a wider world, the teacher can make or break a young mind. No wonder the Sanskrit adage goes "Mata Pita Guru Deivam". And no wonder the great man who influenced a billion minds wanted to be known as a teacher more than any of the shiny posts he held. I understand you there fully and completely, Kalam ji.
My dream is to start a school where kids will be turned into perfect citizens, from both within and outside the curriculum. No academic bulimia for my kids! If they are to write an answer in a test paper they would have clearly understood the concept behind the topic. They will be molded in a variety of dimensions:
- to not be scared of authority and still show respect.
- to appreciate a piece of art, a cultural performance, or a work of literature
- to be ethical and clear-headed in all their decisions.
- to be able to express their ideas clearly and concisely
- to be emotionally intelligent
- to question and learn why a rule/law is in place and abide by it fully aware.
- (May this knowledge also help them make wise decisions if ever in a dilemma to break the rules!)
To be able to achieve this the key ingredient I will need is -- the best teaching community. While corporate India has matured to a stage where talent is looking for more meaningful and fulfilling things in life, I can see a huge pool of untapped resource out there. With a little training the wanting mind can make the best teacher. This will effectively complement a dedicated teaching community, thus making it richer beyond words. My school will build the BEST pool of teachers that ever existed in the face of earth.
That, earthlings, is not just my DREAM, it is a promise!
