I might have said this before, but it is worth repeating – I love teachers.
My grandpa was my first teacher. He was a school teacher. I watched him invent new methods to make people learn to read better, write better and do Math better. I think great teachers work to improve the world – one student at a time.
I think teaching is one of the noblest professions in the world. Teachers have a huge impact. I used to accompany my grandpa to the vegetable market. He was frequently stopped and saluted by one of his students. They would walk up to him and say “Sir, do you remember me? I was in your class of …” and talk about their current jobs or studies. It felt good to be walking with a person known to so many people in a small community.
I met many great teachers, during my school days. Our school was not one of the best, or well known. It was in a poor section in North Madras (now Madras is called Chennai). But some of the teachers we had were amazing people. I developed an interest in subjects like Math and Science because we had great teachers for those subjects. I used to marvel at their knowledge and dedication.
Great teachers have a few attributes in common. I mentioned this in another post on Attributes of a Great Teacher.
Sometimes I wonder why I did not become a professional teacher. One reason may be that I got interested in computers early after I finished my studies. Programming tends to be a very intoxicating career choice. I am making up for it, now, by trying to teach whenever I get an opportunity.
I can’t think of a better way to start a new year than thanking all the great teachers out there, working against all the odds to make this world a bit better.