LET'S TALK :)

"Let's talk!"

In the middle of a boring civics lecture , when my mind had already wandered off miles away , my train of thoughts was broken as Mrs Tomar  yelled . Mrs Tomar was one of the few people , I feel lucky enough to have known . She was a teacher affecting lives of students , beyond grades. She never taught us anything , we learned with her. Unlike most of the teachers I have seen or heard of , she never shouted at us for sleeping in her lectures. She made the lectures as a large group discussions with her 'let's talk'. We would talk about current affairs , interesting facts , different stories more from each other than her.

What more , I was excited to read newspaper everyday , to find something interesting to share . Our conversations at lunch moved from TV shows (though we would still discuss them ) to politics , society and what not . Growing up in such a constructive environment , I yearn for such discussions now. It made me feel like an international citizen. She don't even realize what wonder she has done. Giving her students something more than grades, a personality, an eye to see beyond and a practice of peer learning.
There are already a lot of articles, blogs and what not proving indian education system as outdated . I don't hold a different opinion , but then I look at people like Mrs Tomar who has transformed the system in their own small ways , while still remaining in the machinery . The change we all look for , can only be brought by pure intention , not by policy change . The need to school should be over thrown by the need to educate . I wish for a school which doesn't push students to fit into the A+ mold , but a place where we learn to appreciate our A+ uniqueness. I want a system which encourages me to work hard but not for grades but for my curiosity and my pleasure. Schools are a direct reflection of the society we live in. Let's not make them dead factories with long assembly lines but a thriving place for social and professional learning .