Around this time of the year I say goodbye to a lot of sixteen-year old pupils. This blogpost is about them, and for them.
As with every time, it’s been a mixed bag of feelings for me, some good, some bad, some memorable, some forgettable, some best forgotten. I’m sure it’s been the same for you all, too.
As always, there were a lot of people in my classes who had no intention of attending but had been forced in by parents or peer pressure, and who found nothing interesting in me or my classes, and who will forget everything happily and almost instantly. To them, my apologies: I wis
To those who came to dislike me and are determined to speak badly about me afterwards, I have just one request: speak only the truth as you came to know the truth about me. Don’t make up stories, or spread stories passed on to you. Beyond that, you are free.
To those who did enjoy my classes, and maybe are likely to feel bad when the classes are over, I have a few more substantial things to say. Firstly, no matter what you think now, for most of you that feeling of missing something good will be very temporary. Trust me on this: I have seen it happen so often that I know you better than you do yourselves. Most memories, for most people, don’t stick: they fade fast once someone is out of sight, and no longer regularly in touch. Five years from now, most of you will hardly be able to recall why you liked coming to my classes so much…
To that very small number who will retain strong and good memories, I not only give my love and best wis
A few of you have already let me know, in diverse ways, that I mattered to you. To them, my gratitude. Just please don’t go on to do something later on that makes me feel bitter about having been grateful once (to know just what I mean, read this and this).
P.S.: Nov. 26: A couple of ex-students, who left my class ages ago, told me this morning they had read the above, and were feeling wistful, and wondering how so many years could have flown so fast, and how they wished they had 'taken more advantage of the classes' while they were with me. So I guess some people much older than sixteen might be reading this post. I shall be glad to hear from them. If some of them have a few words of advice to give to my current crop of pupils, they are welcome to send in that sort of comment, too.
29 comments:
Well there is nothing more to be added to this post I guess. Its all been said. As time goes by I hope many of the junior students will realise that they learnt a lot during these classes not for the forthcoming exams but in particular for the life that lays ahead of them. Its probably exactly six years since I attended the last class. I still remember the one page write up which Sir had read out to us on the last day. It used to be a framed article hung on the left wall to where Sir used to sit. He had said that many of you may forget what I read out today but few may remember that and ask for a copy of that in years to come. Oh there was a vocabulary test as well in the last week. This post makes me feel nostalgic. Many things which you used to tell us (how trivial things are given a hyped importance many times), all the examples you used to cite (watching Zanjeer before ICSE exam) to make us believe in you have indeed turned out to be true. I may be too young to speak from my small experience, but juniors believe me you will soon realise there are many more important things to bother about in life than marks obtained in an exam.... Think out of the box, venture new places and see for yourself how different the world is than what we have seen staying in Durgapur.
Best of luck for the road yet to be traversed.
I do hope Sir, that your young students dont get bogged down trying to score 6 points, only to realise much later in life that an 80% would have served the purpose too...
Or that they don't spend the next two years in endless tuition classes and scores of mock JEEs and other similar exams, only to realise much later on that at the end of the day, most of them would be a salaried employee taking orders from the boss...no matter which college or what high degree they obtain...
I hope that they stop instead, to savour the last few years of what could be the most beautiful phase in their lives!
My best regards to each one of them.
Best Wishes,
Sumitha
To Sir,
Two years back around November,I was one of those who paid utmost attention in your classes but did not keep in touch afterwards.I too heard rumors about you but never added one of my own.I was that kind of student who took notes, listened to everything but was too shy to initiate contact over phone.
But what I did ( and I praise myself for doing it )was to remember your words.
One year back,due to a variety of circumstances, I started thinking(admittedly the best thing I began doing after a long time.
And then when I met the world I knew how you had shown me the way to be different.The regret was that I did not recognize you earlier.
Studying under you but becoming a turncoat was like reading the Gettysberg speech without recognising the grandeur of the words.
I do hope that I express myself clearly on how much I owe you.
With love,
Amit
At around the sane time in November 2005 i too left SXS durgapur into the tumultuous world of dirty politics.On the verge of joining an office ,ready to be enslaved by the thoughtless shackles of what they call SALARY,i realize that the best years of my life have passed me by. Indeed like a beacon of hope on the dwindling horizon i can see my teachers shining and radiating happiness and hope all around them,for in my memories they continue to live on.
Thank you sir,for all that you gave to us.
Dear Suvroda
I cannot believe I last met you 16 years back when I was 16. I feel privileged that I have you around to learn new things, discuss issues, argue at times and on top of that feel genuinely cared for.
It is difficult to express why you are the only teacher in my life with whom I try and develop this bond, you are the only teacher whom I go on trying to impress and fail and you are the only teacher for whom I end up arguing with virtually my entire batch of friends. I think I am too greedy - I just cannot afford to miss you in my life.
Take good care of yourself Suvroda. You are very precious.
16 years it seems is so long.
Regards
Tanmoy
enjoy, learn and enjoy the learning while you can - from teachers in the true sense of the word.
Once you enter the world which is called "professional", you will be given "mentoring", "coaching", "training" and lessons at "leadership skills". Closely observe the faces of your seniors who are going through this "fun" and "rewarding" phase and the faces of those who have gone through this for years.
Would make you want to go back to school and student days.
by all means, to keep yourself current, as well as enjoy and cherish the school life - keep going back every 5-10 years for a upgrade course, certificate, diploma... whatever.
keeps your mind and soul from rotting away....
Well, thank you very much indeed, Anurupa, though I wish you hadn't gone quite so far; you embarrass me.
That you are different, of course, goes without saying. We have both noticed, I think, that not a single other girl/woman has bothered to write a thank you note in the same vein, though I have female ex-students aplenty. One thing about boys is that they express both dislike and praise much more openly, whereas girls, even if they like you or owe you, only 'silently admire', and then get very angry when I pooh-pooh such admiration (in this context readers might look up the blogpost called 'A girl who admired her teacher', along with all comments on it).
One comment like this compensates for a very great deal of neglect and abuse. Once more, I am grateful to know that at least with a few people, I can believe that I worked for something more than just money! My very best wishes for you...
Dear Sir ,
Thank you for the letter that you have written for us. I never delayed to read your letter, I had read it the day just next to our last class with you on last Saturday.But I was late, really late to read Anurupa’s comment and above all to respond to your letter to us.
I am really sorry for that….
I do not believe still now that we already had had our last class with you that day. Even this Tuesday I had started making preparations to go to your class, until I realized that our days with you in your temple (as you described that study room of yours) were already over. I thank my lucky stars to have allowed me to get the opportunity of being your ex-student.
Anurupa at least had the opportunity to learn from her brother about you from beforehand. But all that I came to know from my father about you, was that, you were an excellent student. But believe sir, after I joined your classes I came to know all about you in a new way.
I really feel pity for all those who never got any inspiration from you, and all I want to tell to all those who find it amusing but interesting to abuse you, to the best of their ability, is ,‘ I really feel pity for you, not because you abuse the name of Suvro Sir, but because you never realize that you abuse a person, who makes his students his friends, who makes the place ‘tuition class’ worth attending and worth listening to, a teacher who teaches not for money but to share all that he knows , a person who is ever ready to learn from every situation that he faces and a person who worships his occupation and lives by his own ideals, for, he is a truly knowledgeable person(the definition of knowledge is different from yours for him, though!).’
Trust me sir, you will never find me in the crowd of your female ex-students who have managed to forget you so easily. You will always find me in the crowd of your students who really loved you, respected you and had been your friends once and agree to remain so forever and ever. For giving shape to this promise of mine, my father will always be there beside me, I know!
All I want say to you is that I thank you from the deepest core of my heart.
THANK YOU,Sir yours Oindrila…..
My grateful thanks to you, Oindrila. I wish you happy memories, and the best of luck in all your future endeavours. I shall be glad if you keep in touch. Since your father himself said that you are likely to do that, I am hopeful in your case...
Sir
As a child wearing a pair of Grey shorts I was a frequent visitor to the St. Xavier's School library where amidst flipping the pages of encyclopedias or Tintin comics, I used to have a glimpse of a MAN - with his trademark checked shirts and his round chocolate red rimmed glasses and well-trimmed mustache,..called Suvro Sir. Back then, Sir used to teach classes 9 and 10, so for a 3rd grader in me, it was only a figment of imagination to be taught by him. Sir's image as a towering giant even today remains unscathed in the secret recesses of my heart, and even though I am more familiar to him and more confident as an individual, I can't help feeling nervous at certain points of time.
My first interaction with Sir was in class 5D (maths class, Sir was the replacement after Patrick Moore Sir's retirement) and for me it was almost like God descended on earth. After class 5, I used to go to Sir every Teacher's Day and also show him if I won a "merit card".
humm..
I can still close my eyes and visualize his tall lean frame bending and with a smile congratulating me.
Since that day till today, his words mean the world for me.
Let me touch my heart and tell you all a FACT:
Till today I have been using the examples and facts he told us. I have wished many times if Sir would give us the opportunity to attend his classes in order to at least keep our grey cells active!
I read an earlier comment saying:"I simply feel pity for all those of your pupils who went to your classes just because they had to, never participating. They will realize perhaps, some day, how much time, money and most importantly opportunity they have wasted."
No, they won't. Had they had the brains to realize that, they would have done so long long ago. Let us ignore them and move ahead. That is all the so-called pity they deserve.
I just hope that some day my children too get the fortune of attending your classes, I don't mind if they have to board a plane to do that. I know it is more than worth it.
We take birth, live and die. But some..only some..leave footprints for others to follow and tell:
"Here was a man!"
Still Cigarette Smoking is Injurious to Health. But i guess, that habit is to ward off the evil eye.
Thank you, Sreejith.
Every solicitous thought wards off the evil eye!
Regarding what you said about my classes, it's been more than 22 years in Durgapur now, so some sort of tradition/legacy should have been established. If only old boys and girls had told today's youngsters 'No matter what your parents say, go there not for the notes he dictates but to listen to what he says...'!
Inspite of being a regular reader of this blog I rarely comment......But after reading this post I became too nostalgic and couldnt resist.After ICSE,HS,MBBS and MD today I realise that "All I really needed to know I learnt in Class 9 and 10"
And Thank You Sir for all that.
When I was leaving school Sir wrote on my scrapbook"IF ST.XAVIERS' HAS GIVEN YOU A CULTURE PASS IT ON........AU REVOIR AND GOOD LUCK....SIR"
I am indeed lucky to have such a culture and Alas he can no longer write this.But too all of his wise students.......if Sir has given you a culture pass it on.....SUTIRTHA
Many thanks, Sutirtha.
I fear, though, that these days pupils forget everything within weeks or months of leaving my class... and unlike a few old boys like you, most of the old-timers can't 'find the time' to write thank-you notes here!
I would like to thank you for the post about us!
Thank you Sir!
I find it rather odd that so many old boys and girls have not bothered to chip in with a line or two here...
With about so many visits to this blog and about 85 "followers", one should expect at least 50 comments.
I think, this proves false the conviction that a well written blog will attract attention and comments itself.
We share the same sorrow, Amit. Despite all our claims about 'education', we are not a reading and writing society. Far too many of my readers either cannot think of anything to say, or can't find the energy to say it... it is also true, alas, that if I had been some sort of celebrity, thousands would have written stupid comments on any crap that I wrote, only to get noticed on my blog. It does not speak highly of our culture, but that's the way it is.
Dear Sir, I hope it's never too late to take the liberty to share some of the small things you have said and done to change my life, in whatever small degree, for the better.
1)You were the first English teacher to tell me that there was a difference in the usage of ‘due to’ and ‘owing to’. This was one of the turning points in my love for the English language and its pretty nuances. The other was a few years back, when in Class 5, Parameshwaram Sir had asked me to write the word “believe” 1000 times as punishment, because I had spelt it incorrectly ("e" before "i") in a class assignment. Class 5, 9 and 10 remain the best years in my academic life. I learnt the most and had real fun!
2)Another occasion I remember - History class – and I was happily drawing geometrical patterns and sketches in my History textbook (yes, doodling is the word I think) with my pencil while you were teaching. You hauled me up, inspected my textbook, which was full of extremely beautiful imagery, and asked me to erase it all before the class ended. Since then, I haven’t left a single mark in any book – textbook or otherwise, personal or borrowed – and taken extreme care to preserve all books in the best possible condition.
3)You were also the first teacher to honestly tell me that I was no good at public speaking and gave me very poor marks in all Elocution tests. Prior to that, no teacher had ever marked me below the 3rd rank in Elocution, ostensibly because I was a “good student” and Elocution marks should not matter. I needed that wake up call very badly, and though I am still very much in the bottom half of public speakers, I have made a conscious effort to improve as much as possible.
Sir, I believe you have left a mark on each life you have touched, in myriad ways, knowingly or unknowingly, and will continue to do so as long as you live. May your legacy continue and inspire lots of bright sparks!
Sir, I got access to the blog in office only a few days ago. Actually I did not know that the blog is not blocked in the office. And when I found that the blog is unblocked I just read some older posts haphazardly from here and there. This is not a lame excuse Sir. I do not have the energy to go to a cyber cafe at night. I just want to sleep when I return from the office. And now also, I am writing from the office. I go to the cyber cafe on the Saturdays, but the keyboards are so bad and the keys are so hard that I just do not have the patience to write a post. Anyway Sir, I am giving too many excuses. I had just never scrolled down to the bottom of this page.
And what shall I say about the experiences? They were great. We had a good batch, we made merry with you, we used to have debates, you sometimes used to tell us beautiful stories. (I remember one that you told about a murderer who had got inside the bonnet of a car that belonged to a young girl with the intention of murdering her. But the girl was saved by some truck driver who had managed to see the murderer when he got into the car.) You used to play some clips recorded from BBC so that we might learn to pronounce English words better. At school also I was in your class, and in the beginning you told me not to go to you for classes, because, according to you I would be wasting time and money. After listening to you I had also thought in the beginning that, in any case I would learn the same things in school and at your house. But I would have missed many things if I had done as I had thought. I got to read so many of the books in your collection. I used to borrow a book almost every week.
We used to have a lot of fun also in your classes. I remember myself bothering Mayank Gautam to the extent that he used to get irritated and everyday threatened me that I would receive a solid beating from him. Then we used to come out of your house and he would have some heated words with me, when I used to bother him even more and make him all the more irritated. And when I found that the situation was almost out of control, I would be off very fast on my cycle for dear life, and Mayank would be after me. Next day in school Mayank would tell me, "Subhadip, oirokom korish na...konodin toke ami maar lagabo."
I remember one incident when you were calling Mayank and he was thinking of something else and did not respond to you. I called him loud and then told him, "Boshe boshe dim parchish naki re?" Mayank was furious and red in anger. Everybody started laughing, and you forgot to scold me and just sat looking at me with a funny expression on your face for sometime. Then you also broke into fits of laughter. Mayank did not understand what he should do and fell silent. He did not speak to me after that for some days.
We had great experiences Sir. But I think that my experiences after becoming an ex-student have been better than those when I was a student, because after my becoming an ex-student I have become really intimate with you and your whole family, I have received a lot of counselling from you, and a lot more which will take me a few more hours to write.
I shall meet you again when I return home during Durga Puja. I am looking forward to meeting you Sir. I am missing the "adda" with you very much.
Dear Sir,
I was probably one of those few students who enrolled in your class for the reasons that you would want people to sign up for -- and to that extent, I can never thank my parents enough.
Attending your tutorial has till date, been one of the most singularly influential events of my academic (even professional) life, comparable perhaps only to the experience that I have had at Prof. Lal's classes at SXC.
To those who have recently graduated from Sir's tutorial/ are still taking classes with him and are also still reading this blog, I would like to reiterate what others have already said before:
Forget about the notes and the lectures and the ICSE/ISC marks. It doesnt matter in the larger scale of things. And no, you cannot even put it on your CV once you have made it to college. So stop fussing about them.
Listen to the other things he says and trust me, life will actually make sense to you.
I can go on gushing about what wonderful words of wisdom he has shared with you, but honestly you have to recognize them for yourself. If you dont, no amount of my testimony will make any impact.
I travelled half-way across town to attend his classes, even though like every other high school student, I had a busy schedule and therefore, did not have to invest in anything that was not obviously directly proportional to my ICSE marks.
But boy, am I glad I did! For thanks to Sir, I was able to discover at an early age my love for writing, for words and for the English language.
And not only did he help me find out what I liked to do, he taught me that its okay to want to pursue a career in the humanities. He taught me (not so much through lecture, but mostly by example) that what matters most is you do what you love doing most. And I am so glad I followed his advice.
~Mayuri
Hi everyone,
The most vivid memory which I have of Sir's class was the rigor with which it was carried out. There was no aspect which was missing and he never disappointed people when asked questions about any subject what so ever. This points to the hours spent preparing for classes and the completeness with which they were handled, and for me that is a lesson to be learned. That is one moral principle one should take away from his classes. He is among the most sincere professionals I know and he is very modest about it and that is a quality one should try to inculcate. Apart from that, I cannot come across one factual detail/arguments about so many subjects he taught at school where he was wrong. This just means he is probably right in things which he says even when you have no means to verify or argue about them. So trust his knowledge and wisdom.
Navin
Many thanks, Navin. But even at this age, even after having been right so many thousands of times, I should tell all my current pupils, 'Don't believe everything I tell you, take the trouble to check it for yourselves as far as you can, but once you have found that I am right, never make the same mistake again. And one more thing, notice how I say I don't know when I really don't, instead of making up stories!' If that doesn't earn me some respect and attention, nothing will.
Dear Sir,
I don’t know what is there to add more in my comment. Everyone else who has shared their experiences has summed it all up…
I have heard you lamenting often that you are regarded as “note churning machine”, someone who is to be tolerated for notes as they will help you to pass ICSE or ISC with flying colours. I am still surprised that you regard the passiveness of some of the students to be your fault and not theirs!
I heard my entire batch mates making promises of keeping in touch and remembering you. I heard you scoffing at them saying that you distrust all such promises. I remember thinking that you were so mean to say something like that. Now, I must say for the nth time – you were right Sir. Such promises are just empty words. So if the present students read this, I hope that they won’t be aggravated with you like the way I was when you dismiss their promises…
You showed our batch a movie. And after the movie was over you asked questions related to the movie. It was then that I realized that movies are not always meant for entertainment purposes. There are things to learn from them. I also realized the difference between watching and observing…I understood why most of us merely watch things happen and not observe them…
I know you get bored repeating things but I will go on asking you to repeat the poems that you wrote in French. The verses are perfect and no matter how many times I hear them, it feels still feels so nouveau…Hadn’t it been for you, I wouldn’t have dreamed of learning French. It still thrills me to learn it from the same institution that you did!
To your present students I have only one thing to say – please do not regard the things that Sir does besides dictating notes as a waste of time. Take heed and listen to him. You will find lots of teachers who will dictate nothing but notes in your school and once you are in high school or college…
…But you won’t find another teacher who will care about you more than your marks, hear you out when you are troubled, try to make you a good human being and not concentrate only on your betterment in one subject (the list goes on).
In a nutshell, you won’t find Sir!
Thanks a lot sir,
Anwesha.
It will be an endless list if I start stating the different things that I have learned from Sir. All that I can say is that my English syllabus was only an iota of the different things that I came to know from him.The very thought of considering myself as his ex-student makes me feel uncomfortable. Its true that I don't take classes from him(formally) but that does not stop me from learning from him. Learning to be a good human being.
In a world where people kill their own brothers for money, there is a very slim chance of finding someone like Sir,who cares so much for his ex-students.
Thank you for everything Sir.
Love
Partha
Dear Sir,
Some months have passed by already and now I understand why you don't count upon girls.Apart from a few who bothered to keep in touch with you,the rest have already forgotten you as they are too 'busy'!
But Sir, believe me, you have been the greatest inspiration to me.And today when my results are out, when I am very upset, I know the way to cheer myself up. Guess what? It's reading your blog because it seems I can hear you...can feel your presence.
Sir, thank you once again!Whatever I do, I'll never be so busy so that I won't find time to give you a call once in a while..
With love
Anurupa.
Anurupa,
'girlie' girls (I trust that you are not one of them), I am convinced, have no genuine and lasting interests at all... beyond eating, sleeping, dressing up, shopping, partying and gossip, and berating husbands and children later on in life. How could they have lasting and grateful memories of a teacher, of all things? I have learnt to expect nothing from them (except, sometimes, malicious and entirely fictitious abuse behind my back...)
Now that another batch is about to leave, those who read this post a year ago might like to visit it once more to reflect... it might tell them very forcefully how right Sir was about everything he said, especially about how quickly people forget everything!
Sir, I can count on one hand the people who have influenced my life, thoughts, and actions in a positive manner, and 4 of them have been my teachers, including yourself.
Their voice always rings in my head and stays with me, fresh as always. I consider myself fortunate to have these lighthouses along my journey.
As a teacher myself now, I only hope that I am able to make a differnce in someones life in such a profound way.
I wish you good health and I hope you will keep teaching for a long time.
Hopefully, in the near future, I will be able to pay my regards in person.
Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season!
Harman
Respected Sir,
Warm regards.This post left me a bit sad..because,you know,I did not have the great joy of attending your classes for their entire duration...The day I left..I left behind a portion of my heart back with you.Your class remains the only one I truly enjoyed..whatever you taught,has remained with me still now..I always have thought that there is a little child within us who does all the learning work..whilst we just sit back and pretend to be adults..That little child within me was at his best with you,in your class..I like to think that your class was like a beautiful story that once happened to me..as with all stories having heart,this one needs to remain simple..So,Thank you..Sir.
I remain your student.
Debarshi.
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