Priti Teacher

"Teacher's Day" "Thank You Teacher"

5th September 2022.

Eleven-year-old Anand walked to his teacher’s home.

Seeing Anand at the door, Priti came running.

Watching them, Priti’s mom smiled, remembering how her daughter became a teacher to Anand.

Anand’s mother was a maid in Priti’s house. He lost his father and a sister to Covid. Not wanting her son to loiter in the slums where they lived, she would ask him to sit in the lobby of the building till she completed her work.

One rainy day, Priti’s mom asked him to sit in their home.

He was awestruck seeing the huge flat. He could hear voices from a room.

After some time, he saw his mom going into the room with snacks. As the door opened, he ran stealthily to see who was in the room.

A young girl sat before the TV, listening to her teacher. Anand watched, awestruck.

He was studying in the 4th standard when it was closed because of the lockdown. He missed school. ‘How I wish my school also taught us like this through TV,’ he thought. But realised that most of the students were poor and did not have a TV.

His mother tried to close the door, so he did not peep in, but Anand kept it ajar and listened to the teacher. He could not follow what the teachers were explaining.

As he sat listening, Priti came out of her room and saw him.

‘Who are you? Why are you peeping? ’ she asked.

‘I am Anand, Sheetal’s son. I was listening to the teacher,’ he said, pointing to the TV.

‘She is my Math teacher. So difficult!’ Priti spoke, hitting her forehead.

‘Can I sit and watch?’ he asked.

‘OK!’ she said and returned to her sessions.

The next day, he asked his mother to request Priti’s mom to allow him to watch the lessons.

Not wanting to curb his enthusiasm, Priti’s mom asked him to watch from the side and not disturb the class.

Anand sat through all the lessons. He could understand a little of the mathematics taught, though he did not follow what the teacher was explaining.

That evening, after the class was over and Priti was relaxing, Anand asked her, ’ Will you teach me 1-20 numbers in English with pronunciation? ’

Priti wrote 1-20 and told him the pronunciations that he quickly wrote along the numbers. That night he practised it and learnt to write and speak the numbers.

The next day, after her class was over, he recited the numbers to Priti.

‘Good, you have picked up fast,’ she said, clapping.

‘Will you teach me 21-40 today?' And also teach me to speak in English, so I understand what the teacher is explaining,’ he asked.

‘Hmmm. I will teach you on one condition,’ Priti told.

‘What condition?’ he asked.

‘You will call me “Teacher”,’ she said, authoritatively folding her arms.

‘How old are you? ’ he asked.

‘I am 7,’ she replied.

‘I am 8. How can I call you, Teacher? ’ he asked.

‘If you want to learn English, call me, Teacher,’ she retorted.

‘OK,’ he accepted, not wanting to miss learning English.

From the next day, Anand would watch Priti’s class lessons. Post her classes, she would teach him to read and write and also speak to him in English.

Priti took her role as a teacher seriously. She gave him homework to ensure he had learnt what she had taught him. Most of the homework was a replicate of the homework assigned to her. She loved checking his work. Like a teacher, she would correct his work with a red pen and give him 3 stars.

Anand wished her every morning. And show his homework. When she gave him stars or “Good” remarks in his notebook, he was very happy.

He sat in a corner of the room and heard the teachers with intent. He picked up English well enough in six months to understand the online lessons. He loved mathematics and would solve multiplication sums fast.

‘How do you know the answers so fast?’ Priti asked him one day.

‘ It is easy if you know 2-9 tables,’ he replied.

‘We are told to learn by rote 2-16 tables,’ she remarked. ‘It is so difficult to remember all the tables.’

‘I will teach you an easy trick. Ask me any difficult number,’ he said.

‘13*7=?’

‘91,’ he answered promptly.

‘17*9=?’

‘153’

‘OMG! How do you answer so quick!’ She asked.

‘It is easy. For 13*7, you first multiply 3*7=21 and add 10*7=70. Add 21+70=91.’

‘Similarly, 7*9=63. 10*9=90. 63+90=153. Easy, isn’t it?’ he asked.

‘Yes, that sounds easy. Let me try. You ask me, but not very difficult,’ she warned.

‘16*8=?’ He asked her.

‘Let me think. 6*8=48+10*8=80. Now 48+80=128. Right?’ she asked.

‘Correct!’ he clapped. ‘It is easy, isn’t it?’

‘ Yes, now I will try this method,’ she said.

‘So, from now, I will call you “Teacher” and for math lessons, you call me “Sir”?’ he asked.

‘No way!’ Just for teaching one trick, I will not call you Sir! ’ she laughed.

For two years, Anand visited Priti’s home. He spoke in English with her and would work on the test papers she gave and submit them to her the next day. Priti would check the answers with her answer paper and give him marks.

This arrangement continued until Priti’s classes were conducted online. However, from June 2022, Priti had to attend her 6th class in school.

Priti’s mom had noticed Anand’s interest in studies. She spoke to a Govt- run English medium school.

Anand began attending English medium school.

‘Happy Teacher’s Day, Priti Teacher,’ he said, bowing and offering a “Thank you” card.

‘I too have a gift for my first student,’ she answered and gave him a compass box.