The relationship between a teacher and student isn’t unidirectional. Learning is mutual, with both parties imbibing something from each other. The best teachers don’t just make the pupils better people, but become better versions of themselves in the process. This Teachers’ Day, some of the city’s educators shared their key learnings from the classroom with My Kolkata.
Jayanthi Srikant, who has been teaching at Birla High School for 18 years, has learnt the value of being in the moment from her students. “Their natural curiosity and enthusiasm reveal the value of being present and mindful, living each moment with genuine wonder. My students have taught me that true connection and fulfilment come from embracing the here and now.”
Jayanthi Srikant, an assistant teacher at Birla High School
Srikant also finds herself inspired by the kindness of her students, and they reinforce her belief in empathy. Speaking of their perseverance, she says, “The way they overcame academic challenges and adapted to the pandemic taught me resilience.” Her students haven’t just shaped her teaching, but also her outlook on life. Srikant attributes both her personal and professional growth to her pupils. “They remind me that we are always growing, always learning and inspire me to strive to be the best version of myself,” she says.
Neena Singh, the director of Akshar school, feels that seeing herself from the perspective of students has been an eye-opener. One of her biggest learnings was to not be judgemental, which happened through a backbencher visiting school years after passing out. “She said that despite being a backbencher in school, she was an entrepreneur who had set up three factories and was running an export business. She said, ‘My parents are so proud of me, and I hope that you are too.’ That moment taught me that one’s performance in class doesn’t matter, it is what they do in life. I knew that it is important to support them in whatever they want to do, without judging them for it,” she beams. This anecdote also prompted her to always see things from both sides of the coin.
Niladri R. Chatterjee, professor and head of the department of English at University of Kalyani
The lesson to abstain from judgement was imparted in an equally profound way to Niladri R. Chatterjee, professor and head of the department of English at University of Kalyani. Teaching has reminded him of everyone’s inherently deep-rooted patriarchy, including educators. “Once, a student approached me with a question. Her appearance spoke of economic deprivation, and I automatically assumed that she would have conservative mindset, and ask a homophobic or transphobic question. Despite identifying as a feminist and curating a gender studies course at my university, I judged,” he confesses. Her question? ‘When two lesbians have intercourse and one of them uses a sex toy, are they replicating a heterosexual matrix?’ Chatterjee took a minute to gulp some water and steady himself. “I had learnt my lesson, to never make assumptions.”
Much like Singh, it was reconnecting with a former student that proved transformative for Preeti Roychoudhury, the head of department of English at Calcutta International School. A few years ago, she received a Facebook message from the student, inviting her to the premiere of her film. “When I expressed how touched I was that she thought of inviting me, she told me that in Grade 10, I had left a remark on one of her essays saying, ‘This deserves to be made into a Disney film!’ Years later, her first film had been bought by Disney, and she remembered that simple word of encouragement.” This moment reminded her to be mindful of memory, and how students can remember the most minute details of a teacher from years later. “A simple and uninhibited smile has so much power, be it in a classroom, while walking through corridors, or even in the supermarket,” she explains.
Preeti Roychoudhury, the head of department of English at Calcutta International School
Roychoudhury is also amazed by her students’ ability to multitask, a quality that is particularly pronounced in the digital age. “Today’s students don’t just study, but dance, draw, sing, socialise, and participate in co-curricular activities with so much energy and vitality! Their enthusiasm is contagious,” she gushes.
Kuheli Mukherjee, who teaches at Sakhawat Memorial Govt. Girls' High School, is in awe of how her students use technology.
Kuheli Mukherjee is the Assistant Mistress (English), at Sakhawat Memorial Govt. Girls' High School
“I asked my students to post a picture of a kingfisher, which is our state bird. They posted pictures of a variety of kingfishers, mentioning that the white-breasted one was our state bird, there were other types, too. I learnt about these kingfishers from them. The discussion and the pictures on my padlet wall proved to be an eye-opener for me,’ she said.
Ceiloni Sengupta, English teacher and history coordinator at Indus Valley World School
Ceiloni Sengupta, English teacher and history coordinator at Indus Valley World School, has learnt from pupils the art of letting time run its course. “They find time and patience for a reprimand to unfold, reach its crisis point, and peter out to its invariable ebb.” She adds that most adults struggle with their shortcomings and find it hard to embrace criticism, which could potentially help them grow. “Children have taught me the invaluable life skill to balance the breezy and the lull, the fury and the calm, the miasmic and the miraculous, with playful maturity and matter-of-fact readiness. Quite like when they pull a long face after a salvo on miscarriage of responsibilities, and then excitedly scramble for the lunchbox at the sound of the recess bell,” she smiles.
Leslie Francis D'Gama taught at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School for over two decades
For Leslie Francis D’Gama, who taught at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School for over two decades and is currently an education consultant and columnist with My Kolkata, his greatest learning — is learning itself.
“Twenty-five years after they finished school, some of my students casually came up to my wife at a class party and told her, ‘He didn’t teach us anything. He made us do all the work while he sat at the back and watched us!’” Naturally, his wife was astounded. The real reason that D’Gama adopted this approach was his wonderful discovery of how students could transform into educators themselves with the right nudge. “Very early in my career, I realised that we teach best what we most need to learn. This resulted in the kids in my class preparing and delivering lessons with almost no help from me… or Google or Wikipedia, which didn’t exist then. They taught me how to accept mistakes, make corrections and learn from everyone!” he smiles.
