A Thank you Note to my Teacher's. Happy Teacher's Day!!

A wise man said "A Teacher takes a hand, opens a mind and touches a heart". Indeed, I feel lucky to have had several such teachers who took time not only to patiently teach but to nurture and instill strong confidence in (what used to be) a very timid me. It's no secret that I never liked (ok, hated) school and tried every possible trick in the book to skip whenever I could. If it wasn't for a special few, I don't think I would have overcome that feeling and be where I am today. As we celebrate Teacher's Day, I feel the need to thank those teachers who strengthened me in my journey through school and college. I am forever grateful to my special five!! so bear with me as I explain why.

To begin with...

Mrs. Noreen Harris was my kindergarten teacher. I remember crying the entire way on my first day of school. I stopped only when I saw her kind smile and stepped into the class only after her encouraging words. What was special and what I remember most is that she let me learn at my own pace. There were days I wanted to do nothing and there were days I wanted to do everything (yes, all at once) and she let me. There was homework too, of course! but I don't remember her being angry if I never completed it (and that was almost everyday). Mrs. Harris taught me to be me! She made me enjoy kindergarten exactly like a child should, with lots of fun and no stress to know absolutely everything (like schools these days). Thank you Mrs. Harris! for your kind and loving nature that helped ease my fear of school.

After a quick (and unhappy) stint at boarding school, my parents enrolled me in a new school where everything seemed frightful and alien.
Mrs. Nora Alweyn was my third grade teacher. Nora Miss, as I lovingly called her was my saviour in this alien world. Till today, I can remember much of what I learned in her class because she taught through stories, songs, and wonderful examples that have stayed in the mind forever. Nora Miss never shouted to point out a mistake. She would call me to her desk, and very skillfully make me realise how I could have done something better. That has stayed with me always and I strongly believe that is exactly the way to boost a child's confidence. I sincerely hope that my son will be lucky enough to have a teacher like her. Nora Miss, thank you for teaching me from your heart!

Grade five came so quickly and although I was quite settled in school, I still lagged way behind in "academic excellence" with a rank that sure made me feel like I was a big failure. Mrs. Betty Colaco was the silver lining to my very dark cloud. I never felt as important in my (school) life as she made me feel. In Betty Miss' eyes I was capable to being a class leader, a reader, an example to other kids (I love that she made everyone feel important and gave everyone a chance to lead). My confidence knew no bounds and that made me want to excel. It was not how but the way she taught that made a huge difference. I can never forget the game of Simon Says - (Do This, Do That) which we played many times during the last period of class. It made me forget about wanting to rush home when the school bell rang. The care she took to get me up to speed when I was absent. She made me feel that every contribution of mine was important be it singing, acting or storytelling. Betty Miss, thank you for making an ordinary me aspire to be extraordinary!

Things moved on and I was soon in grade eight. If you know me well, and I mean really well you will know that maths and numbers have never been my thing. Blame it on whatever and jokes apart, it took me a while to understand many mathematical concepts! Enter Mrs. Shanta, my eighth grade maths
teacher and those of you who know her will agree when I tell you how difficult it was to concentrate on her teaching the dreaded subject while admiring her beautiful (and kind) smile, immaculate dressing and perfect hairstyle. She never hesitated to clear my doubts while sometimes having to explain the same problem several times (which she patiently did) until I was confident. It was never left at that because she even double checked with a round of questions without making me feel stupid in front of the class. Thank you Miss Shanta! for being patient, positive and persistent, I will never forget how special that made me feel and my fear of maths definitely grew lesser that year.

School ended and college was not as great as I expected. I never felt inspired to tear apart and review novels and books in spite of being a Literature student. It was almost time to leave, and in my final year when Miss Hyacinth Pink appeared and blew me away. I had never written for an audience before that. But Ms. Hyacinth gave me a chance when she asked us to write a thesis on any one of Shakespeare's plays. If I ever loved Shakespeare or Literature, it was that very year when I poured over Anthony and Cleopatra and gave my 100 percent for the final presentation. She gave me the much-needed encouragement to question, to stand out from the crowd, to be bold. Thank you Ms. Hyacinth! for awakening the creative side of me and for helping me see things from a wider angle. 

Yes, some teachers may never be quite as patient or kind because teaching is a tough job that requires equal amounts of patience and skill. I am glad to have had my teachers help in my journey to reach my dreams. Thank you for your guidance and love.

Happy Teacher's Day!!!