7 lessons from a headstrong 7th-grade teacher
My 7th grade English teacher, Ms. M, had something about her. She liked pushing her students beyond their comfort zones. She would goad her students to debate, give theatrical performances, read books, brainstorm ideas, give presentations on their life stories and inspirations. She did everything to fan the airs of creativity and confidence within us. She would even teach us through her own innovative set of games.
My classmates loved her.
But, I had a little problem.
You see, I was a shy kid, unable to mouth answers that I knew by heart; unable to stand the eyes of the crowd staring at me while I try my best to retrieve nuggets of the presentation from the back of my mind. I was timid. I was nervous. I liked my comfortable shell. Moreover, my reluctant speaking skills were below average. Yet, my teacher wouldn't have any of this. She wanted her students to be confident and bold. She expected us to be lions and lionesses of our classrooms, stride on stage and set it on fire with our talents and ideas.
So, she approached me one day. “What stops you, Vanditaa?”, she asked. “If you can’t stand in front of your classmates, how will you stand in front of the world?” I had no answer. The question stayed with me. That day, I realized she did not want her students to just set the stage on fire, but the world too.
From that day on, I began participating in her classes. So, I spoke in broken English in class and feigned nonchalance at my classmates’ quiet stares. To improve my English, I read lots of books, as suggested by my teacher. I drilled my mind for ideas for our next assembly performance, taking my classmates and myself by surprise. I discovered a part of me that was open, creative and fun: a part that I never knew existed, a part that I grew to love.
I carried this part of me into my adulthood. And whenever an exciting opportunity came my way and I would hesitate, I would ask the same question my 7th-grade English teacher asked me: What stops you? The answer would always come out to be me: myself. And I would always tell myself, that it was time for me to break my small self into something bigger. Like the way my teacher did it for me many years ago. She showed me how.
Wanna know all the secrets to the best lifestyle?
Ms. M changed my life by playing the role of a mentor. I have imbibed some qualities of being a good mentor from her. Here is my take:
Focus on growth & goal
Ms. M had a single-minded objective: to give her students the skills that would stay with us for a lifetime. Skills that would give us lasting confidence. To ensure we grew into the confident young adults she envisioned in her head, she filled her classrooms with opportunities for her students to learn, think outside the box, create and discover their talents. And nothing deterred her from ensuring the growth of her students: not even the students themselves!
Call a spade a spade
Ms. M always made it a point to give feedback to her students. If a student was over-confident, she told him so. If a student needed to work on his presentation skills, she told her so. Her feedback always contained a touch of concern and love for us, preventing our young hearts from getting disheartened. In addition, she also encouraged us to work on our weak points.
Acknowledge potential
Ms. M acknowledged her student’s potential - which they were unaware of. To unlock our potential, she would push us into unchartered territories. As a result, many writers, speakers, directors, actors, idea generators were born in our classroom.
Have enormous patience
Ms. M, with her enormous patience, heard out and tried to resolve a doubt asked a hundredth time. No matter how difficult a lesson was for a student, Ms. M would try to make it simple until all her students got it right.
Helps you grow through situations
When a friend of mine flunked her exams, she was in a turmoil. In addition, she was burdened with her parents’ disappointment. Ms. M understood her mental state and decided to help. She mentored her, giving her tenets of wisdom and the strength to carry on. She also helped her devise a study plan and gave her some exam tips. Because of Ms. M, my friend did not just go through a hard time, she grew to be a stronger person!
Facilitates decision-making
While we were not making any big decisions in the 7th grade, Ms. M respected our decisions about how we pulled off a theatrical performance before the whole school. We decided every aspect of it: be it our characters, costumes, length of play. And she would always be there to rescue us from our goof -ups. A truly good mentor empowers you to make your decisions. However, s/he will always be there to take care of you if your decision goes wrong.
Is an inspiration
Ms. M’s creativity, enthusiasm, kindness, and determination always inspire me. So much that I used many of her activities while teaching English to a bunch of underprivileged students who were simply overjoyed as a result. Just by playing the role of a mentor, Ms. M not only touched me but also students of the next generation.
Includes inputs by Amol Wagle, Art of Living Faculty
Written by Vanditaa Kothari
