The relationship between a teacher and a student cannot be described in words. It transcends all barriers – age ,religion, caste ,status and gender. When we are in school or college we never realize there is a bond between a teacher and a student .It is only after we leave the portals of the institution we wonder what created such a bond.
Teaching cannot be described as a profession and the teacher’s duty is not restricted to reading out from textbooks and make the children score marks in exams. Teaching is a commitment and sharing one’s experience-whether good or bad ,with the other.
I remember when I first joined nursery at the age of three I cried a lot when my father was leaving the school campus. The principal of the school was holding my hand and told my dad that he would take care of me. And he did. An old man but a very strong-willed person, he went out of the way to calm me down. He took me to the play ground made me sit on the swing and pushed the swing for me. After that there was no looking back for me. I started loving the school. I long to visit that first school of mine which was there in the most beautiful city of India, perched on the Great Himalayan mountain- Shrinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Paradise on Earth.
My school experiences in New Delhi were all the more enthralling. I can still remember the teachers ,especially the principal, who were always there to help me whenever I needed them. Even after leaving the place the principal of the school responded to my letters enthusiastically.
A couple of months back I ran into one of my college lecturers and I could see the pride on her face when she told her friend, ”This is Uma. My best student”.
I did not know how to respond ,though I knew even during college days she had a liking for me and never missed a chance to congratulate me when I received proficiency certificates. Then she sat down with me and we chatted for a long time and she wanted to know what options were there for her son after his high school education.
Now I know being in school or college is not just studying ,it is much more than that. Teachers identify a student’s potential and encourage them. One student was "an average student" ,but the teachers never failed to acknowledge his gift of sculpting and inspired him to take up architecture where he could shine. For teachers it becomes an important part of their profession to guide the student and assure them that they are always available for them.
It is not strange that unpleasant incidents can mar this relationship. As humans we tend to relate certain memories to certain teachers, pleasant or obnoxious. If a teacher picks on a student without any reason there remains no scope for any relationship. But if it is discipline that he demands then it becomes necessary for the student to understand the teacher.
When in school certain experiences with some teachers are like nightmares. But when you finish your education and then visit your teachers the chemistry is altogether different. You then realize that the best traits now instilled in you were sown by your teachers, more than your parents. A few relations are built on gratitude. When a student could not afford his post graduation fee his lecturer came forward to sponsor him.
One thing is very clear. Even if there is no bonding between the teacher and the student, the pleasure of seeing his or her student well placed in society and career is unparalleled. When a girl student turns to her teacher for help in her married life the teachers are always there to share her problems and give her the best advice. This relationship is going to last as long as the Earth exists.