The Graduation Robe

(from the book The Rising Sun and the Full Moon)

(profpghosh.com )

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Today, I will go back to my school days. The school I studied in had a special section for the good students. This ‘special section’ supposedly had ‘better’ teachers. The idea, perhaps, was that only good students deserve the guidance of good teachers. Maybe mine was a case of sour grapes, as I was not a part of this elite section. Friends, the school I have been associated with as a teacher works on the premise that all students are good students.

If I am asked what is the most flattering description of a teacher—a hero or a role model—I would say a hero. A role model impacts our lives for a shorter period. Once their role is over, they disappear from the scene. Heroes have a much longer half-life. They remain with us for a very long time. We say a hero of the century.

My experience tells me that a teacher who knows his subject well but doesn’t know his students can’t be a good teacher. Good teachers are compassionate and caring. I very strongly feel that a teacher’s performance evaluation by his students helps a teacher greatly. Getting rid of incompetent students is easy. It is time to recognize the need to get rid of unqualified teachers.

I remember a young colleague of mine. He was an outstanding student. Since he was an excellent student, he needed to understand why some students take so long to understand even simple things. He always tried to move faster in the class. Some students needed help to keep pace with their speed. The students wanted the young teacher to reduce his speed. The senior teachers advised him to move a bit slowly. He agreed, though reluctantly. My young colleague gradually learned to proceed with the class. He understood that some students need time to understand even simple things. He learned to be patient.

I will now tell you about my other colleague. He was an average student, but he was one of the most popular teachers in the school. Naturally, all the students were very fond of him.

It raises the question—can a mediocre ever excel? Can a mediocre overcome the sense of mediocrity?

It is possible to overcome the sense of mediocrity.

As you all know, climbing is difficult for those at the baseline. For those who are at the top, maintaining a position is quite a challenge. Those in the middle of the ladder are the most vulnerable and confused. Those in the middle have an equal opportunity of moving up and the chance of sliding down. These are the people who are likely to face the most formidable challenge.

Effective teachers ensure that students are learning and understanding what they are teaching. My experience tells me that students can’t learn unless the teachers succeed in capturing their attention. Effective and successful teachers know that all learners are different. They thus address their needs by differential instruction.

It is the opportunity well utilized that takes an ordinary to an extraordinary level. One suddenly doesn’t get transformed into a talented one. Talent doesn’t change overnight, but opportunity does. The seizure of opportunity transforms one from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

Friends, a mediocre tale may not appeal, but the tale of a mediocre can be inspiring. Mediocrity may not excel, but a mediocre can.

Another question comes to my mind—should one follow someone else’s footsteps or chart his course?

It is our approach that is the decider.

We know that drawing is different from tracing. When we draw, we encounter discontinuities. These discontinuities disappear when we trace them. But many of us like to live with a few discontinuities. These discontinuities form our driving force to move forward on our terms.

My profession has taught me another lesson. Everything is not for sale. Many things are free, but that doesn’t mean we should have them. If someone pays your bill, it doesn’t mean you should overspend. I have learned that education should be understood by these yardsticks and valued accordingly.

We all know that the possibility of being caught and the magnitude of punishment are the two things that deter us from going the wrong way. There is another perspective. This perspective tells us that our internal reward mechanisms are compelling. Often, they guide us to take the right path. They help us to overcome dishonesty.

We act selfishly if the act maximizes our payoffs. It is also true that we are sensitive to the costs that our dishonest ways impose on others. Our dishonesty has a rider. We behave dishonestly enough to profit but honestly to delude ourselves of our integrity. We are careful that our positive self-view doesn’t get spoilt.

I shall never forget what my mother once told me. She said I am a good student. She said this when I informed her that I had failed. When I told her I failed she was more upset than I was but did not explicitly show her disappointment. She said I failed because I did not study. She said I could do much better, but only if I wanted to. I wondered what Ma had seen in me that I had not seen.

I asked Ma how she knew me more than I knew myself. She kept quiet. She did not say anything.

I appeared for the same exam again next year. This time, I believed in what Ma believed about me. The convictions of Ma created in me a will to excel. I became more confident about my abilities. I did pretty well in the exam this time. The course of my life changed.

She knew that her conviction was not enough. No one can be rescued or guided by someone else’s beliefs. She said nothing would be possible without being convinced about their abilities. Ma knew convictions and confidence come through self-realization. Conviction is not enough. One needs a matching intellect to do well—a mismatch between will and mind results in discontent. The intelligence is not an extension of someone’s beliefs. It comes imprinted on the grey slate we are born with. Intellect is inborn and can be chiseled and polished. Here, too, Ma played a role.

Failure awakened my dormant intellect. Ma saw imminent danger in my failure. She would not have succeeded had she enforced her ‘will’ upon me. She opted to use restraint. My Ma knew that ordinary people are better learners.

It gives me great satisfaction that I am a teacher. I have known that a teacher’s commitments to his student and the student’s obligations to his teacher extend well beyond the classroom and formal schooling.

I will never forget you, my young friends, as you are the ones who so patiently prepared and shaped me for what I am today. We are the two sides of a coin. I am grateful to you, my young friends, that you have understood your responsibilities so well, and that has helped me to understand my responsibilities better. It is not automatic; we have earned it.

Once, a university professor was asked—What will change everything? The professor said he wants the end of conventional centralized, age-stratified schools. He wants to see some schools opened where each child follows his learning track at his level and rate. He wants all the children to do playtime and gym-type activities together.

I know opening such a school needs another level of determination and resources, but, my dear friends, I wish to start such a school—The School of Upna Life.

In this school, knowledge will not be a burden, no problem will be trivial, and learning will not be dictated. In this school, the mutants will co-exist with the clones. In this school, there will be hope that dreams can become reality. In this school, mirrors will turn into windows.

I shall end my talk with a hopeful note.

I want to tell you one of my favourite stories that I have shared with some of my colleagues. You might have noticed a framed photograph of a most beautiful person in my office. If you have seen the picture, you can’t miss the calm confidence on the person’s face. She is my mother.

Ma married when she was eighteen and had just completed her Intermediate exam. Ma decided that she should continue her studies. She wanted to be a graduate. After the marriage, there was a big gap, but that did not deter her. Ma knew wisdom was not knowledge. Wisdom requires experiential demonstration, and that is precisely what my mother did. She completed her graduation as a private student.

Once, I asked Ma, why she decided to continue her studies after such a long gap. She said she wanted to get photographed wearing the black graduation robe. The photograph you have seen in my room is that of Ma wearing a black robe.

After so many years, I know why Ma continued her studies. She wanted to give me company as a student, as a friend. She tried to provide me with courage and conviction that if she could do it at this age, why can’t her son, who is so much better than her, do it at such a young age?

Friends, I am proud of my mother. I am pleased that my mother is proud of her son.

My family celebrated my success. I am still celebrating my mother’s success as a mother and a teacher in my school of life.

My mother did not believe in rote learning. She gave me the courage to say that ‘I can root out my insecurities and self-doubts’. She gave me the confidence that ‘I can do it’.

Friends, I was so fortunate that I got the tutelage of a rule-breaker mother.