Teaching - the Toughest Job in the World!

An excerpt from 'Redrawing India- The Teach for India Initiative' by Kovind Gupta and Shaheen Mistri

Let me try and explain why teaching is the toughest job you can ever imagine. Imagine your best self. When that is happy, cheerful, forgiving, patient, loving, kind, generous, grateful, empathetic, focused. Now, think of the number of days in a year that you actually are your best self. Think of the situations in which this best self usually comes out and the people with whom it is easiest for you to be your best self.

Well, here's the thing. If you are a teacher, you need to be your best self, every single day of the year. In a dark, leaking, cramped room, or a scorching, asbestos roof shade, that acts as a classroom. When a child throws a tantrum, or calls you names. Even when the roof of your classroom leaks in the middle of a lesson.

My biggest learning as a teacher was this: the children learn vigorous academic content from what you teach, but they learn values from the person that you are. You can talk about grit all you want in the classroom, but the minute the children see you giving up on that one child in the classroom, they will give up too. You can talk about integrity and perseverance till your throat goes hoarse but you come late to school one day, or you come to school without a plan, and children will learn from that. You can talk about all the values in the world but unless your best self comes alive every single day, chances are that your children's best self isn't going to shine. That's why it is tough.

- Revathi Ramanan, 2011 Teach for India Alumnus and Program Manager, Teach for India.

Tuza ni maza

Tuza hi asach hota ka ga,
Khup kamat astana,
V4 khup guntlele astana,
Chukun ghait tondatna tuza nav nighta,
Ni mag matra jag kahi kshan,
Sara jag nako nakosa hota.
Tasa me nati wisarlela asto,
Ata kamat man ramvun haravlela asto,
Tula tasa visarlela asto,
Pan achanak ashi athavan yete,
Ni mag matra mala mitranchi garaj watate.
Lokanwar ata farsa vishwas basat nahi,
Vachan dilela tr konachach aikwat nahi,
Natyanna ata ajibat japat nahi,
Tuza vina mala ajunahi karmat nahi.
Tuhi ashich asshil na,
V4 maza kadhitari asach karat asshil na,
Ekta tulahi karmat nasel,
Mazhavina tuzahi jag mokla asel.
Tuza ni maza khup pataycha,
Ekmekanwachun jagnach tr khara adaycha,
Waat wegli hoil asa kadhich watla nhavta,
Bhar divsa mansanchat itka ekta watel asa tr kadhi ayushyat zhala nhavta...

An excerpt!

;-) a wrong way of showing a small part of actually different topic. 

If you are a lone-player with great talent - like a sportsperson or an artist or painter - you are then free to work alone, without regard to what the world thinks of you. You have no responsibility, except to hone your own talent - to become the best in the world, and to strive for excellence. It’s a lonely journey, where you learn to practice hard and live your own failures.

But if you’ve chosen to be a manager, you’ve then got to be among people, collaborate with them, lead them or be led by them, be able to handle their frustrations, to handle their competence and their incompetence. It's an ego-crushing journey where you need to learn to allow people their space to work. It has very little to do with intelligence - it is more about developing sensitivity - finding a way to motivate people, to pull them in one direction. A journey of frustration, but equally one of triumph when you see the team working together and winning - a journey you share with your team.

They are chalk and cheese, these two lives. Eventually, whichever path you pick, you’ve got to strive to give your best.

http://www.foundingfuel.com/article/the-rahul-yadav-story-youve-never-heard-before/

Jagna...

Fb warna ata paay LinkedIn kade waltayt,
Ni pustake-pencil chi jaga ata laptop-pc ghetayt.
Jeans ni t-shirt gathodyat jaun,
Formals ata kadak istrni shobhtyat.
Beer jat nahi ata thodi whisky lagte,
Bhet roj meeting madhe saglyanchi risky watate.
Targets yet rahatat ni wel jato nighun,
Nighta yet nahi lavkar jari phone ala gharun.
Discussion cha nava khali boss tyacha aikavto,
Ani results nahi alyawar increment la saglyanna adkavto.
Warsha nighun jatat ani mag haravlya sarkha watata,
Ani mag punha ekda pahilya pasna jagavasa watata!

This is why……

I feel so lonely even on summer eves,

And I cry in closed spaces even on achieved GPAs,

I drive too cautiously and still get blamed,

With all my efforts my parents still blame!

My teachers expect and I fail to achieve,

Heights I don't fear but I'm not that strong,

My cousins tease for I live in rural place,

How much do I explain that it’s the exams that I fail!

I ask for help but my mentors quit,

The war within is what I can't win,

I don't understand the roads for peace,

That is why, it is today that I quit!

College nantr......

Mitra dur jatat ni fakta 'dp'ch distat,
Calls ni msgs cha aiwaji ata kadhitari mails yetat,
'Sahaj athvan ali' ashi ugich ph kelyawar safai detat,
Ni samor alyawar matra brahmananda wyakta kartat.
'Tasa thik challay, pan pahatoy dusrikade',
He matra saglech mhantat,
Ni 'athvta-athvta' mhanat mag CCDit tas tari ekatra kadhtat.
Bhetaycha jari asla tari wel kadhta yet nahi,
Jivlaganshihi bhetayla ata karna milat nahit.

That day!

Tears you'll shed for you would truly care,
Guilt you'll feel for not having expressed love,
That you too missed me for I had always been there,
Some time you must have spent you'll say,
And feel bad for not having met when I said,
You'll feel so low to know anything else,
You would be a bit lost without me,
That time I'll smile with my eyes closed,
That day, when I won't be there.

I understood!

To understand appreciation, 
I got criticized.
To value love,
I was hated.
To learn how to motivate,
I was ridiculed.
To lead people
I was led to the wrong paths.
To trust a few friends,
I was cheated.
To love peace,
I was disturbed.
To value knowledge,
I was fooled.
To become humble,
I met egoists.