Celebrating September - Getting Ready

The spell of autumn brings back memories of teachers.

This September, sharing stories of three impactful teachers from my pre-university days.

Today, starting with my +2 Physics teacher. We all called him ‘PKM’ Sir. Even he too, acknowledged this name of his. He was a professor of the Engineering College, called REC then. Yes, we took tuition from him. That is how the world would see. I realized much later, I learnt much more than Physics from him. And I know it is just not me!

My school leaving board results were yet to be out. Two of the neighbouring boys who scored great in entrance suggested his name. Blindfold enthused with their success I went and got myself enrolled. Yes, he did have a word and reviewed by class X results. It was not all that great but my maths and science was good enough to cross the toll gate. It was just a few years that English as a subject, was dropped from the entrance exam in our state. But what mattered was Physics, Chemistry, Bio and Maths - Mission Entrance, started!

“Who is coaching you on maths?”

I named someone.

“Great! Maths and Physics will meet somewhere, so the trains have to run in parallel.” The sense of assimilation of knowledge, that was just a message for me, then. There is an emotion called 'peer-respect' a bond that is much beyond how maths and physics are entwined. Over years I realized the sense that was left between the words.

Mrs. Biswas, our strict school physics teacher had taught us enough to face this learned teacher with all confidence till the pages of Newton’s laws. With trajectory and DPC's (the famous curriculum book) harder problem texts turning lengthy, life was not easy. Forms of energy unfolded one after the other in his classes. Once in a week that was the routine.

Looking at the problems and posing as a great thinker, we looked at each other. He gave hints. Now look at it. He said there are always a few simple problems in the one single hard one. Search them. Though have not been able to solve all problems in life, many a times this magic still works for me!

Unprepared us often avoided eye contact with him. The worst used to be, he would randomly pick (how accurate he would be to pick the one who was most unprepared) and table a question. Continuous pick and choose made all of us well prepared one day. We had appeared for our TEST (college selection for board exam) and were in revision phase. He said now if you fumble to teach the chapters to someone-else be sure you have something yet to learn there. What a checklist!

The college had closed and we were getting ready for the series of exams. The tuition classes were over, mock tests almost coming to an end. That was the last day at his place. A learned teacher, a strict coach, a witty man, who never forgot to celebrate when the football club of his choice won the regional games, shared some wisdom on the last day of our tuition.

The batch before and the batch after always appear to get the easy papers. And the fun is every batch thinks so. In the exam hall when the paper looks too tough for you, be sure it appears tough for all. It is always a fair play!

The physics question paper in the entrance exam ditto matched his predictions. He knew, it was happening! But later I realized this was not that single exam it is valid for life.

It’s long time I meet him. I forgot many chapters of the physics book. But these conversations stayed back. Sir, you have been one of my best coach for life!

All of us have one such teacher in our life. One teacher who had influenced many ways to get ready!