When did you start teaching and what did you teach?

 

I am from Karnataka. I was teaching in Karnataka, in Mysore. I was born and brought up in Mysore and then I taught High school students in Mysore for 7 Years, before my marriage. One year before that, I taught in middle school. Here, we need teachers to be able to reach in both Mediums, Kannada and English, to be selected. After my marriage, I moved to Mumbai. So, I taught for 7 years in Karnataka.

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I left Karnataka in ‘78. After that, I immediately applied to Garodia School and was selected. Mahesh Garodia asked me to give a demonstration and I agreed. Since I was from Karnataka and used to teach in both mediums, I had no problem. The only problem was that my Hindi background was not good at all. That time, Nishant was in 9th standard and I gave a lecture in his class itself. I was asked to teach Math, and I remember that I discussed ‘Simultaneous Equations.’

 

I was not nervous at all because I had already been teaching in Karnataka, but these students from Mumbai were very smart and wanted to trouble me as I was the ‘new teacher.’ But being an experienced teacher, I had no fear at all. When they started asking many irrelevant questions, I asked this one girl to solve a simultaneous equation on the board. She got so nervous because she couldn’t solve it.

After that, I got my appointment letter on the same day and started working at P. G Garodia.

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We know that teaching is one of the most underappreciated jobs in the world. So, what pushed you to take it up instead of any other profession that you could do with your qualifications?

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I don’t agree with you there because the way some people, especially in Maharashtra, respect teachers so much, whether you teach their children or not. I used to meet so many people on the local train and when they came to know I was a teacher, they showed me so much respect that it made me happy to take up this profession. Anyway, I was a sportswoman, I represented the Karnataka State for 6 years in athletics & Kho-Kho so I was bold enough to face anything in the classroom.

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What made you apply to P. G. Garodia School in the first and what kept you here? What was your first day like? And what was the first-class you taught?

 

I was very happy to work in P G Garodia English High School. The school was very close to my residence Nandadeep, just about 7 minutes walking distance. I had not applied for a job anywhere else, so when I was selected, I was very happy. I don’t know, the 1st class as I said was the demo class, then they gave me classes 5, 6 & 7, but in 2 years I was promoted to teach classes 8 & 9.

 

 

Throughout the years, there must have been a lot of changes in the school, but I think what happened in the last two years must have been the most drastic and sudden. So how did it impact you and your teaching style?

 

I have not retired, I had some misunderstanding with the then Principal – Mrs Sonia, as I helped my colleague Mrs Nair because her father has passed away. I had to take up her paper checking bundle since I was the Head of the Department. This Mrs Sonia didn’t like. The last 2 years of my job were not very happy, so I left the school

I don’t appreciate these online classes because I felt that both the teachers & the children are disturbed. Going to school & learning is very different from online classes since the students are not exposed very well. Discipline is a big problem.

 

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Over the years, you must have formed an image of how your last day would be. So how was it different from what happened?

 

Life is not full of roses, we have to face whatever life gives, whether we like it or not. Everything is written in fate. My husband was from Bombay, but after taking VRS, we moved to Karnataka for my daughter. Unfortunately, I lost him & I am living here alone, taking care of home & myself, staying busy with social activities, temple & bhajans. Life is going on. Have faith in God.

 

My last days with school with children had been wonderful. With the students, I was happy and had contact with them. The other side of it- the politics I have already forgotten. Even now I say I am happy that I worked for P. G. Garodia School. The students were really good.

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What do you remember most vividly in all your years of teaching?

 

What do you want me to say? I was happy teaching. I took up the profession because I was concentrating more on sports, I didn’t want to go somewhere else. Teaching, mixing with the children, mixing with all different people from across India, especially teachers who were mainly from Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. It was good.

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According to you, how different are you comparing your first day at school to your last day? If you were to do something differently, what would it be?

 

I use to give tuitions to students of other schools- Fatima, Vidya Bhavan. I wanted to continue the same afterwards, but couldn’t since I have now shifted to Karnataka.

 

For the past several years of your life, teaching must have been a major part of your life. Now that you are retired, what do you spend your time doing?

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I am not teaching. I didn’t want to take up tuitions here in Karnataka. But I loved teaching my grandchildren. They have learned addition and subtraction from me. So I am happy. They are now in America.

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- Taken by Aekta Doshi, Batch of 1992