IT'S TEACHER'S DAY.. a day to acknowledge miracles!!

September 5^th is one of the most special days of the year for me.. probably right “up there” along with my birthday! There is a very important reason for this.. it is the official day for a celebration of my “finding my calling” in life and living it with complete joy and dedication!

I have mentioned earlier that I grew up being “Papa’s Princess” and pampered to the hilt.. but one thing was sacrosanct.. I HAD to do something “substantial and meaningful” with my life! Being happily “headless and unaware” I floated through college not really giving my future a serious thought!

After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts with Psychology and Philosophy, there weren’t really too many exciting options so I drifted into Law.. for want of something better to do.. After a year of falling asleep in class (and inspite of a First Class in the exam) I dropped out because it was dry as dust and didn’t excite me in the least..

Everyone said I had “a way with words” so I dabbled in Advertising but found it too “pretentious and fake”.. selling a sub-standard product to an unsuspecting public went against my basic nature so I dropped out of that too! I attempted to do a course in Special Education remotely but realized that distance learning wasn’t for me either! By this time Daddy was firm and clear.. “Take a year off.. find the course you really WANT to do.. and DO it!”

I researched practically every course that was available in South Mumbai AND FINALLY DECIDED TO DO THE Post-Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education” at Nirmala Niketan.. My reasons weren’t the most praiseworthy.. I wanted to do something that would never be a 9 to 5 job.. needed lots of holidays and full weekends off.. Nursery Teacher’s Training would be a cakewalk.. I thought!

Nothing could have been further from the truth as it turned out.. it was a two year course condensed crammed and squished into a one year course and we had to work hard.. and I mean REALLY hard! Had I realized this lazy me would never have signed up for it.. but then it was a matter of “do or die in the attempt” because by then I wanted to make Daddy and my teachers proud and justify their faith in me and my abilities!

Learning the process of creating an environment conducive for children to “learn by doing” fascinated me.. and this is where my somewhat above average communication skills stood me in good stead! Being with children is to see “magic” happen all through the day.. watching them experiment.. succeed.. fail.. repeat.. and learn taught me patience.. gave me confidence.. awakened my curiosity.. taught me that it was OKAY to “make a fool of myself to entertain the children” and felt like I was FINALLY doing what I was made to do!

The joy of learning and doing what I loved made me always feel like “I was never going to work” and that no two days were ever the same made it something I looked forward to every single day! Acting and narrating stories.. making up and singing songs (even though I was never and am still NOT musical).. cajoling reluctant little people to try and taste something they had never eaten before.. coming home full of paint Fevicol and sand felt so worthwhile because there were such incredibly poignant hilarious magical and sometimes heartbreaking stories connected to those stains..

I was incredibly fortunate to do a wide and varied body of work within the “Early Childhood Education” space.. taught children.. supervised teacher trainees.. became a resource person and conducted workshops.. trained teachers.. planned programmes for young children for Aptech Computers.. designed curriculum for children at Euro Kids.. and ran an NGO called the “Salaam Baalak Trust” for street children!

Looking back at my 25 years of teaching.. I am so incredibly grateful for ALL the miracles along the way.. the brilliant teachers I had (Jana Nalini Nandita and Roshan) .. the most fun and inspiring colleagues (Sangeeta Neelam Anu Renu Sadhana Sucheta Rajshree Milind Vaishali and many more) the “bright as buttons” children in my care (Vibhav Anubhav Anshuman and Tasneem to name a few.. and the complete faith and trust of the parents in me!

Whether I’m volunteering at a Balwadi.. or playing games with tribal children.. my happiest space is in the classroom.. wherever it may be! When I’m old and grey (which I technically AM even now!!) I can still see myself dancing around the classroom and animatedly acting out the “Chooha Raja” story or explaining a concept to children!

I could have been so many things.. but am utterly blessed that I got to be a teacher.. a facilitator of learning.. a tear wiper.. a substitute Mamma.. a co-conspirator in mischief.. a storyteller.. a demonstrator.. a question asker.. a witness and participant to and in the magic of miracles that happen wherever little children are every single day!

And so on Teacher’s Day.. with folded hands I bow and convey my heartfelt to everyone who has taught me anything and everything that I have learned in life.. my parents and family.. the children I have taught and their parents.. my colleagues.. friends.. staff.. neighbours.. doctors..

To share my bestest compliment ever.. A little boy in my class when asked by his mother as to who his favourite "Auntie" (that's what we teachers were called) was.. categorically stated "I like all the Aunties.. but I LOVE Pallavi Auntie.. because she's small.just like me"!! Truly a memory to cherish for always!! 

For teaching me to care.. to share.. to laugh.. to love.. to have compassion empathy and discipline.. to be punctual honest and respectful.. and most of all.. to allow me to be ME.. 100% without any filters.. and accept me for who I am.. THANK YOU.. HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY.. AND I LOVE YOU ALL!!

P.S. Blogspot always plays spoilsport and doesn't show your names when you write a comment.. so please add your names! Thank you!!