Teachers- making each student feel special since…..forever

Teachers. This is a sensitive topic, especially in this COVID-themed 2020. Can you imagine a parallel world where there’re no teachers? Well, there isn’t exactly a world like that yet, but I’m sure, if there was a world like that, it would be chaos at its best. Teachers have these strange, observing technique in them that allows them to spot the flaws in each of their students. Within seconds, just like Sherlock, teachers can predict what you’re best at, what you’re worst at, what you like and dislike, and how to make you a better person. I don’t know about you guys, but all I can think about on the last year of school (except my SA2- those things are everywhere) Is If I have made my teacher satisfied, or if there is anything more outside syllabus that I can learn. The influence of teachers is everywhere, spread throughout history. As an ode to these awe-Inspiring people, today, we will be going through just some of the best mentor-mentee relationships that inspired, and continues to inspire us.

1. Krishna-Arjun

You want a perfect mentor-mentee relationship? Handed to you on a silver platter, Is the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna. After losing hope in himself, Arjuna could have gone back home, he could’ve been consoled by his brothers, or he could’ve just half-heartedly ran into the battle. But, no. What Arjuna actually needed there was none of the above, but the caring words of a mentor. A teacher isn’t only the one who teaches you school studies or the one who tutors you for them. I solely believe that a teacher is anyone from whom you learn an important, meaningful lesson, and a person who alters you from the inside. Lord Krishna was there when Arjuna needed him to be, helped him to face his battle, and In doing so, gave us verses which teach us about all aspects of life. That’s a teacher’s day special, alright.

2. Helen Keller- Anne Sullivan

This is another perfect example of a teacher’s influence In a person’s life. Helen Keller was faced with tons of difficulties throughout her childhood, and she had plenty of reasons to give up hope. But when a twist named Anne Sullivan entered her life and taught her how to embrace it and make the most of it, Helen Keller suddenly saw beyond what she had been seeing her whole life. Now, I don’t really believe in all the abracadabra magic, but I think that’s as close as we humans have got so far to actually summoning magic. I would advise all of you to watch Helen Keller’s documentary regarding this topic. For a person who doesn’t like crying a lot, I bawled hard that day.

3. Harry Potter- Albus Dumbledore

Pfft. Without Dumbledore, the Harry Potter series can very well be renamed as ‘The Tragic Death of the Chosen One Five Seconds After He Was Born’. Dumbledore was always there for Harry, whether he knew it or not, and always pushed him to his core. Like all other teachers, even Dumbledore had the observation skill set and was ready to give up on his life to make sure Harry doesn’t repeat the mistakes he did. Though 75% of the Deathly Hallows was just Harry yelling at Ron and Hermione about Dumbledore, in the end he learnt what all Dumbledore did for him as a mentor, and was so overwhelmed by this fact that he named his son after him (which Is something we will not go into now). Point is, the Muggle and Wizarding world has something In common, and that’ the Influence of a good teacher.

4. Chanakya-Chandragupta Maurya

Call it inspiration or just studying too much history, I had to add Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya In this list. A person known by most Indians today started off as a nobody back then- and who helped him in the space between? A mentor. Chanakya.

Chanakya did teach Chandragupta Maurya some skills, but what he mostly did was focusing on Chandragupta’s talents and helping him evolve it. Story of practically every teacher I know. Anyway, Chanakya implemented the trick, and guess what? Though he wears a big frown on his face in all the portraits, his plan was actually a success! He helped establish the Mauryan Empire, one of the biggest accomplishments of Ancient India.

5. Chiron- The great list of his students

Chiron was a centaur. A very wise, intelligent centaur.

I bet that description didn’t help a lot.

All of Chiron’s students are legendary. Come on, Achilles, the guy who took an arrow to the heel? Jason, the guy who went looking for a sheepskin rug? Hercules, the guy who defeated practically every monster which ever existed in Greek mythology? We’re talking about the person who trained all of them. I don’t know much, but I do know that the person who was able to teach all these hyper-reckless demigods has some strength in them.

As a teacher, Chiron is usually dismissed by some people who study mythology. And the situation isn’t much better with the real-life, non-centaur teachers as well.

I personally feel we aren’t giving teachers enough credit for keeping regular classes going In this lockdown. Handling us in a physical class is tough enough. Now, establishing authority over students like us while sitting miles away? That’s one thing the Avengers or the Justice League is Incapable of doing. I’m serious. Ask Aquaman or Doctor Strange to take classes for us for a day, and they’ll run out of the building screaming on the top of their lungs. The very job of a teacher, from what I can assume, is one not a lot of people are cut out to do, and it’s high time we respect the people who are.

I quote myself when I say that anybody is a teacher if he or she gives you a meaningful lesson you can carry with you. So, here’s the question- all of us have been altered by a teacher’s thought, but have you ever altered someone with your thoughts? Have you once become a teacher?

I can say with full experience, I have. And that feeling when someone actually learns something from you, it’s like floating in the air. And extremely tiresome, if I may add. I taught a kid English concepts for one evening, and I walked around the house like I just lifted the world on my shoulders the entire night. I can only imagine what it would be like to deal with 32 students on a daily basis and still be an influence for all of them. Salute.

So, this Teacher’s Day, I’m not going to act like the girl from the Cadbury advertisement who tells you what to do. I’m leaving the choice to you. The way I see it, you have three options.

A, you can pretend you never read this article and Ignore the fact that it’s Teacher’s Day, and get on with whatever you do on an average day,

B, you can take some time from your day to wish your teachers a happy Teacher’s Day, and make a silent pledge to see things from your teacher’s shoes next time you mess up in a class,

C, you can go a step further and educate somebody on something you are an expert at. Honor your teachers by teaching someone else.

So, what’s it going to be this September 5th, fellas?