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Note of Thanks to a Long-Lost Friend

Thank you so much sir, for your favour. I will be highly obliged if you could read this rather long and tedious note of thanks from a long lost friend. Once when you were director education, Delhi, I attended a meeting, you had with school principals. I was representing my school as incharge. What a pleasant surprise it was to see you again after about 20 years! Got overwhelmed with strong emotions. Everything came back. I was in the army when we met for the first time at DDU hospital when our sisters were undergoing medicals for their teaching job. I instantly got hooked to your extremely calm, decent and polite demeanor. I met you at your residence in Pitampura each time I visited home during my leaves. Through these meetings I was not only informed of a lot of things, possibilities and alternative ways of earning and living, but also, and more importantly, got my perspective widened in so many ways. You obliged me by attending my marriage ceremony. I felt proud to have you as a frie...
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Three Approaches to Effective English Teaching

In this short article, I will reflect on three specific approaches to teaching English language, which I have used successfully over the years (15+ years) with my students, majority of whom belong to senior secondary classes. These three approaches are - being articulate, judicious use of mother tongue and establishing a connect with the students. These approaches have worked for me as a language teacher, but they can equally serve as effective tools for any teacher teaching any other subject for that matter. First things first, to make an impact in our class, We need to be articulate while speaking English. Being articulate does not mean being highly proficient in spoken English, though that can always be an added advantage, it is just being clear and distinct while speaking the English words, phrase and sentences. A simple sentence, spoken with clear stress, intonation and rhythm can itself work as an effective stimulus variant in an otherwise Hindi dominated classroom environment. T...
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A Clarification Concerning a Professional Relationship

Dear sir, I know you are not happy with my response but one week back, because of full storage issues, to free up some space I deleted my data, which unfortunately included some what's app data as well. By making a phone call, I wanted to explain my situation and also if you asked I might have contacted someone from the group to ask for the earlier posts for your benefit. But it looks like you are not ready to listen anything from my side. Anyway that's your decision. But not picking up my call in spite of myself doing everything that I could (giving you my own interview experience, telling you all the details that I remember, getting you added to the group, sending you some of the posts today) is to my mind a little unreasonable. It just shows you will speak to someone only till your favours are returned. Anyway, after joining the group, it won't be difficult for you to get those earlier posts. Okay dear, thanks for some of the beautiful memories. And accept my apology if ...
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Shifting Distance

                                                           A and B, two friends and their families were on their way to Nainital for a fun tour. They stopped at a wayside restaurant for snacks and tea. They were long time friends. From their childhood onwards, they remained in touch with each other barring a few gaps when they remained busy in their life pursuits. Despite such gaps, they assisted each other in their unique ways. B being comparatively rich, helped A (often hard-pressed) on several occasions in kind or cash. A being humble and compromising always played second fiddle to B.  A, despite having a ready wit and intellect at his command, never persisted on carrying on a debate with B. A struggled a great deal in his life. In his own way he developed a technique of pampering B. He just could not afford to lose his friend. Som...
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To My Student

 Sorry Neha, I would like to explain my situation with the following points. I hope you will understand. Firstly, as students, your (the whole class's) awareness level is very high. I think you can manage your studies with any teacher, even without any teacher. The challenge for students of this school is bigger than yours. They find it difficult even to get passing marks. Secondly, RPVV is a little farther from my home. Here, some travel time will be saved for me to attend to some family responsibilities.  But above everything else, I now feel that it was a wrong decision. I find it difficult to manage here. I miss you all more than you do. If I had power to reverse my decision, I would have come back immediately. But the government system works like this. No teacher can change school as per their will. Maybe principal sir has power to call me back. But I don't have power and confidence to tell him to do this. And I didn't tell you on that day just because it generally bec...
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On Transfer

 Dear friends,  It had been a wonderful journey throughout. It's difficult to elaborate on each and every detail of what I learnt over the last five years. One thing that stood out, had been the impact of worthy leadership of our most honorable principal sir. A whole book would be insufficient for incorporating all the resources of his brilliant self. Most striking has been his characteristic style of handling complicated situations. His disarming style of talking has a soothing effect. Many have been the occasions when I approached him with an aggrieved self but returned calm, composed and assured.  He has been indulgent towards my capricious self throughout. Actually, he is a person who can understand you as a core rather than a surface. You don't have to show your abilities to him. He is astute enough to know your true self. He believes in making fresh beginnings every single day. Baggage of past cannot hold back him back. I thank him from the bottom of my heart for al...
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