In junior classes whenever my sons would prepare for debates, speeches, recitations, elocution, extempore, stage performances I would imagine my class fellows speaking their mind over the podium. Though I was never directly involved in these activities I remembered my teachers’ giving practices. Their emphasis on full stops, commas, sarcasm, humours, and an array of emotions was really commendable. The voice modulation, ascent and descent in tone, the monotone was all I imagined very explicitly and vividly. Those were not the days of internet but reading and experience were the guiding fronts. Assimilation of these inputs I realized, years later had become my strength. I may not have mastered the talent but loved to repeat the same with my children. I was particularly impressed when my son organized a talk show on “social networking” in his class. His practice speech was inspiring. I even heard him rehearse a speech that he delivered on India’s Independence Day in school, was flawless.
It was 1980’s when a young teacher in her mid-30’s with sharp, loud, and clear voice Ms. Neera Gupta would come to take our English class. She was someone who would inspire us; she would not only talk about grammar but about conduct, language, effective delivery of speeches and everything that could add to our personal value. We all enjoyed being with her in the class.
It was an interesting Saturday when she came to take our last period. We in twelfth standard wanted to sing a birthday song for a friend in her class. She said a firm no but yielded to our pressure on a condition that after school the entire class would sit in school porch sucking their thumbs till the whole school left. We agreed. Exactly ten minutes before the school bell rang, she told us to pack our bags and down on knees went the entire class sucking their thumbs. We all thought it to be a cool joke but made a fool of ourselves when the entire school laughed their wit out at the comical sight we presented.
Mam you may have forgotten our names or even this incidence, but we will remember you always.
HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY.
Hi back in late 70's I was Neera Gupta's student in Sophia. I still remember her as a wonderful teacher. Any idea of how she is?
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