For my pre-school teacher, who taught me to write right

You held my hand and helped me hold a pencil
Taught me to write the alphabet and the numbers
Thus began my journey into the world of knowledge
As I learned by asking, seeking and questioning
And I discovered by reading, listening and watching
Today, when I'm able to write a thousands of words
I often try to go back to pre-school days
And try to remember your name...
As I grew up, many subjects got added
But what you taught me never got faded
For every subject, writing was the medium
While adding, multiplying, dividing or subtracting
While describing, narrating or answering
If science needed reports to be written
History, civics and geography had their share of write-ups
My writing skills improved of the years
And I was happy to be trying creative, reflective pieces

And when some of them got published, I was elated
To see that I could write something more than the essays
That test your knowledge and comprehension in exams
Then came the phase where I got critical feedback on what I wrote
My writing was reviewed and assessed by fellow professionals
You'd have been happy to see me becoming an author
Today, in my free time when I write
It's my way to connect, express and share
You may have faded into oblivion
But what you taught me had remained as a precious gift
The story that started with a slate and a pencil
May have moved beyond a pen and a paper
To a laptop, a mobile device and a fancy gadget
Whatever be the medium, your teaching will be invaluable!

Hey, teachers leave the kids alone! Should they...?

"Hey, teacher leave them, kids alone!
Hey, teacher leave us, kids alone!"
I wished, like the other kids that my teachers vanish
But none was able to fulfill my wish
Nevertheless
My love for Pink Floyd will never diminish.

Today, I'm glad to acknowledge
I wasn't left alone as a kid
My teachers stood by me
And I dared to dream and be able to stand tall
'Cause some teachers were not 'just another brick in the wall'
Their teaching was neither bound by books nor the classroom walls
And I'm grateful to most of my teachers
For being what I am, not just another brick in the wall!

Did I hear it all? They've heard it before me.
Did I read it all?  They've read it before me.
Did I see it all? They've seen it before me.
Did I feel it all? They've felt it before me...
Pink Floyd could sing and Ivan Illich could write
About de-schooling society and irrelevance of 'education'
While Postman and Weingartner and others
Told us enough about being subversive
Such radical thoughts on teaching and education
Have mostly verged on hypocrisy, in reality.
As I can say from personal experience
It was nice to get carried away by dreamy stuff
Not knowing where to strike a balance
As if I was sailing on a rough sea
This is where my teachers anchored my boat
Made me think, question, accept, deny
Helped me in forming my identity
Instilling courage, confidence and competitiveness.

Teachers are always the most sought after
As learning never ends
So will 'teaching' and facilitating
Since learning is a lifelong pursuit
And a journey in search of knowledge
The search for teachers would always remain
Someone who can guide, instruct and mentor in different fields
And tell us 'to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield!'
As did Ulysses in the famous poem by Tennyson.

When I look back and reflect on the lessons that life has taught me
Deep in my heart I've a special place for those who inginited my curiosity,
Inspired, nurtured my inquisitive mind and boosted my enthusiasm.
Not all were designated as 'teachers'
Nor was all learning in the classroom
Never was it limited to the textbooks
But I'm lucky to have met them throughout
In childhood, adolescence and my youth.