Given the sheer number of hours that a student spends in school, a teacher is quite literally a ‘friend, philosopher and guide’ — irrespective of whether they show a tough kind of love towards their wards or are the sweetest of them all. At the end of the day, textbook learning and marks apart, a teacher is the one who turns students into citizens of tomorrow.
‘I am what I am because of my teachers’
Gaurang Shah, fashion designer
I can’t pinpoint just one teacher, as every teacher taught us to be gritty, inspired and to follow our dreams. Each one of them taught us discipline, helped improve our overall skills by guiding and motivating us to participate in games and cultural activities. They also taught me how to be a practical person. Right from my young days, I had a passion for textiles and my teachers always encouraged me to do whatever I wanted with total commitment. I am what I am because of my teachers.
‘He made shy students bold’
Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, politician
My favourite teacher at HPS was NRK Murthy. I was not a great student, but even when everyone else gave up on me, he encouraged me. He encouraged questions and debate, and made shy students bold. He never scolded anyone for speaking against him...and even encouraged students to speak out. At the same time, he would not tolerate bad English and vulgar words. He later became the Principal of Ramanthapur Public School, and I was immensely saddened when he died of snakebite.
‘Her memory remains vivid till this day’
Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Principal Secretary IT&C, Govt Of Telangana about Animation, Gaming Industry
The teacher who influenced me the most was my nursery school teacher, Mrs Crabbe, a British lady who had to ‘teach’ a bunch of unruly children in Nursery class! I particularly remember the way in which she taught us nursery rhymes. She would enact each of those rhymes, get all of us in high spirits and let us enjoy the singing and dancing that accompanied the rhymes.
As an adult, I now realise that she went beyond the call of duty. She could have taught those rhymes in a monotonous way but she instead infused effort and energy into them, ensuring that all of us enjoyed her classes. Despite being one of my earliest childhood memories, her memory remains vivid till this day.
‘Challenged me to go beyond my limits’
Jayadev Galla, TDP MP and industrialist
My history teacher, Patrick Rice, who was also my tennis coach at Westmont High School, US, is an attorney in the Chicago area today. He motivated and challenged me to go beyond my perceived limits, and to dream of a future in which I could make a difference to the world.
‘Technology has taken over today’
Dr. G.V. Rao Director, Chief of GI, Minimally Invasive Surgery and Transplantation Services, AIG Hospitals.
A true teacher takes your hand, opens your mind and touches your heart. What I am today is the outcome of how my mentor, Professor N. Rangabashyam, popularly known as NR, the doyen of GI Surgery, influenced me and several others, consciously and subconsciously. Our generation was molded by empathy, technical superiority and the confidence of our mentors with limited resources. Today, with technology taking over in a big way, teachers appear to have taken a back seat.
‘Lessons went beyond textbook learning’
Sona Chatwani, Chairperson of FLO
Mrs Gay from Rosary Convent taught me lessons beyond textbook learning. She has been such a great influence on my life. I love her and cherish my school days to the core. She inspired me with a great hope for the future, and urged me to dream and be a good human being. Not only did she instill the habit of reading the morning newspaper in all of us, she also played a major part in all of us becoming women of substance.
‘Treated like their own kith and kin’
S.K. Joshi, IAS, Chief Secretary of Telangana
At age 5 or 6, my tutor — vexed by my lack of attention, told me that I would only be good as a grass mower! My uncivilised reaction compelled my mother to reprimand me for it. Today, after so many years, I want to say thanks to all my teachers and gurus for their guidance. I did my schooling from Government Inter College Bareilly and amongst my favourite teachers are P.K. Agarwal (Physics), Gautam (Chemistry) and Baljeet Singh (Maths). There was no commercialisation in those days and teachers used to treat students as their own kith and kin.
