A Day of Thanksgiving

If you can read this, thank your teacher. Parents give us life, but teachers teach us to live well. The destiny of each child is more or less decided even before the child starts to learn, by the teacher standing in front of the kindergarten classroom of the child. It is akin to clay in the hands of the potter. The way a pot shapes up depends to a large extent, on the skill of the potter.

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Thoughts give rise to ideas, ideas to action and actions shape the child’s personality and life. Being so, a child receives their first thoughts from home. But from the time a child is enrolled in school, the majority of their constructive time is spent at school. Hence school is one of the major influences in life.

Going further, in school it is obvious that the bulk of instruction a child gets is from its teachers. Whatever a child is exposed to in childhood gets imprinted in their mind forever. For this reason, the major responsibility for the values a person stands for
or not, for their character and future, lies after the mother, on the teacher.

In uniform for a change....		Do I look impressive enough to scare my teachers?

Each one of us in the deepest recess of our heart, treasure and cherish memories
of our childhood. Doubtless, for all of us, there would be one teacher whom we still can’t help recalling without a smile. One of those kind and benevolent souls who, for the sake of us, traversed the extra mile to instill confidence in our small and innocent hearts. The teacher who just would not give up if we did not learn our tables properly—the one who would just not accept wrong spelling and sat with us after school to make sure we learned them...

It is in recognition of these selfless souls that Amrita celebrates Teacher’s Day as one of the most important events in the school. It becomes one of those rare days when the teachers are allowed to unwind and students get to stand in the teacher’s shoes.

Welcome Ma’am. It’s your day today!		My good God. What are you doing?

No one would enjoy being surpassed by another in any sphere of life. However, teachers are unique in that, for them, there is nothing more heartwarming than seeing their pupil exceed them and scale new heights that they themselves have
not ventured to.

Amrita Vidyalayam Hyderabad, celebrated Teacher’s Day, on the 5th of this September 2008. Though a working day, it was practically a unique day of fun with the roles of the staff and students interchanged.

For a change, the staff were in uniform selected by the students themselves. Each teacher was welcomed with a traditional reception on the day by applying tilak and taking arathi. For all the success of the day going according to plan, we have to admit, one thing went out of schedule. After each student welcomed his assigned teacher, they on their own accord prostrated at the teacher’s feet as a natural course of action, reiterating the gratitude and reverence they associate their teachers with. It was a touching moment for the surprised teachers who were overwhelmed by the students gesture and rushed to lift them up.

Any doubts Ma’am? A reversal of roles.		Ma'am... No cheating....

Next on line was the padapuja performed by the students to all the teachers. The auditorium, arrangements for the puja, the schedule—everything was arranged by the students themselves. By the time the teachers arrived at the hall, the students were already at their places with the required items, waiting for the teachers to arrive.

Subsequent to this a sumptuous feast was lying in wait for the staff. The merriment began after lunch. The teachers were invited for the games and tricks the students had devised. It was a sight to see the teachers being mediated by the same students who would otherwise not raise their voice in the presence of their teacher. The teachers were also challenged to match their wits with each other in various mind games.

Meanwhile the classes were taken over by chosen students who took their roles of maintaining the class for the day very seriously. Students dressed up as teachers could be seen going on rounds to make sure the school is running properly. By the time the day got over, the teachers and students were so much immersed in fun that it was with real effort that they dragged themselves home, already looking forward to this day next year.