Under the Microscope...

I first began teaching when I was 18/ 19, when friends would approach me to get their doubts cleared. I started taking up tuitions of my next-door neighbours (now very good friends of mine) at the request of their mother. By the time I graduated ( 1993) , I had made up my mind that I wanted to take up teaching as a profession. Easier said than done! My parents wanted me to become a Chartered Accountant, but nothing could make me change my mind because by that time, I had realised that even after 5 nightmarish years of studying accounts, I wasn’t really able make any sense of what my teachers had tried to teach me. Much to the chagrin of my parents and brother I applied for a teaching job ( I needed to be working to get admission to a part-time course in B.Ed) in a school located in a god forlorn part of the city.

After a brief interview, I was appointed as a teacher in the Secondary Section. I was to take up English in Class 5 and Economics Class 10. Whew! Now I thought that teaching English to the 10/ 11 ear olds would be a cakewalk and it would be a pain to teach Economics since I really really hated the subject.

And here’s what happened on the very first day of my teaching career. I entered the class a very confident teacher, armed with my English textbook, all set to wow the children with my teaching . The lesson was about Microscopes. I explained the lesson in great detail showing them pictures of microscopes and flashcards of new words. ( I must mention that 90% of the children were first generation learners and most of them would converse with me only in Hindi) so after I was through with my droning I encouraged them to ask questions if they had any. I was pretty sure that I had done a great job and that there would be none… one hand went up and I nodded at its owner (actually dared him) to go ahead and ask his question.

Boy: Teacher..(thoughtful pause) germs/ micro organisms bahut chote hote hain na? (The germs/ micro organisms are very small aren’t they?)

Me: Yes, they are very tiny.

Boy: Hum log unko dekh nahi sakte hain na? (We can’t see them with a naked eye, can we?)

Me: Nahi..Err, no. (getting a li’l panicky now)

Boy: To phir usko pakadke microscope mein kaise daal sakte hain? (Then how can we catch them and put them under the microscope?)

You could have knocked me down with a feather. Don’t even ask me how I wiggled my way out of that question! I won't be able to answer you anyway. I think I lost time ... just blanked out and honestly I have no memory about what took place in the next 10 minutes.
What I do remember is my resolve to be a good teacher (when I came to). Well, I have been true to my word, and 12 years and several schools later I have 2 awards for being 'the best teacher in my section' and several appreciation letters to my credit. That incident was surely THE turning point in my life! Today I make sure that I am more than thoroughly prepared before I enter a classroom... 'cos I wouldn't want to cut a sorry figure in my class ever!
*Grin*