Kadmanivasi. My Blog. Geeta Ramani

I realize its almost a year since I blogged! I am not surprised that a hullabaloo has been raised over the issue of the Teacher Vs the Guru. As I understand, a teacher is one who works in a school or an institute that imparts  education; one who could fall into the categories as put forth by William Arthur Ward-the mediocre, the good, the superior and the great We have come to look upon one who provides formal education as a teacher and one  who teaches a mantra or Vedanta as an Acharya.  The Guru occupies a place above; a Guru may be termed as an influential teacher or a revered mentor. The teacher is an important unit in nation building, central to both the problems of education and their solutions. Hence teachers need to be motivated and inspired. Did our Prime Minister not consider it important to address the teachers and their myriad issues on Teachers Day? Instead,  he chose to address the students at a time, when most schools get over for the day. I b...

I am touched by what   Hip Hop Grandmom  writes, in her blog, T een Troubles-3. As a teacher, for more than 30 years, I have closely observed student life and found it to be rewarding and challenging. No doubt, there have been some very good moments in the class room environment, very special memories, which have sustained me as a teacher and motivated me, to do my best year after year. However, there are some other memories, so etched in my mind, that have filled me with despair. I wonder how much in despair these young ones might have been and wonder what goes on in the minds of their near and dear ones. Do they ever recover fully? I remember two shocking instances, when pupils, two young girls, from my class took their own lives. Both were in their early teens, pretty, lively, smart kids. Both were studying in co-ed schools. One jumped down a high rise residential block of flats, in which she did not live. The other, an only child, just tied the ...