I still remember my X class
science sir, Sandip Mitra’s way of life. For us, the students, he was the
coolest teacher we’ve ever had. As we
grew up in one of the most reputed institute of our time, in Panvel- MSAS, we
had the privilege of learning under the most capable faculty. Sandip sir had
done MSc in Physics.
His life, as we knew, involved
waking up early and travelling from Airoli to Panvel, daily! :-O I always
wondered how someone could travel daily, and take a morning 7.30am lecture so
enthusiastically. It is still a wonder for me how he could manage it for
several years. I don’t remember him using an umbrella in rainy seasons. He had
a red colored jacket, and his jeans would dry up by afternoon. He came with
headphones in his ears, walking, enjoying rain. He smiled, his eyes told it far
deeply than the curve on his face. The school was too disciplined for teachers
to bunk lectures, and the principal would personally visit the classroom in
case of unavoidable free lectures. 9.40 or 9.50am recess bell gave us 10-15mins
of free time, most of which involved watching sir playing basketball in college
premises. We too played sometimes. The school schedule got over by 12.30pm,
following which, sir wondering in laboratories, conducting practices of XI, XII
till 2.30pm. Don’t know what a teacher’s life involved after that, but, sir
almost daily played basketball in the evening, 5 to 7.30pm. If not basketball,
football definitely. If you were to search for him in the evenings, MSAS ground
was perfect location. He also taught in private tuitions- Sai Classes. He
probably never took evening lectures because those grounds probably had a
higher priority in his life. Even after 7.30pm, this energetic man didn’t leave
for home, rather, played badminton inside school with other colleagues. I
remember my other Panvel-living teachers trying to convince him to leave for
home. This cycle continued, I witnessed from my VIII to XII. This guy remained
the same. Awesome!
He had a Sony Ericson W750i
Walkman phone, which was stolen/misplaced and he got another phone- same model!
I too liked it! In that era, technologically, it was a perfect choice. You
would find most of the teachers in vicious thinking cycles of which
phone-laptop-gadget to buy.
As a science and physics teacher,
his skills were wonderful. Had it not been him, and ofcourse Chandrashekhar
Shetty sir, I wouldn’t have been into science. He had a marvelous way of
teaching, getting numericals solved, attracting students to listen the ‘most
boring’ subject people usually feel.
I don’t know what sacrifices he
must have had made in his career, but surely, had it not been MSAS, he would
have been a great scientist. He was fast, intelligent, motivated, happy and
greatest teacher I’ve ever had in my career so far. He still works in MSAS,
Sector 8, Khanda Colony, New Panvel. And I still see him sometimes in an year,
in same school. It is good to meet motivated people, especially those, whom you
admire.
The life we desire depends
largely on the way we are brought up. Our aspirations, hopes, dreams are
usually linked to those of the fellow people, people who were involved in our lives
during those school days and those we admired. I still admire Sandip sir’s
life, and I too someday, will become a teacher, for it is those relations, team
spirit, enthusiasm, health, friendship, attitude on those grounds is what helps
profoundly in teaching. The level of this positivity a teacher has, is what
makes him the best.
