Ode to Shri Gopalji, my English teacher

Sunita Prajapat, age 13, is a Class VII student at Matysa Bhawan Senior Secondary School, Khalda village, Shayari Tala Mod, district Jaipur, Rajasthan. This is a rural school about 50 km from Jaipur city. Sunita comes from a poor family background but wants to succeed. This poem is about her favourite teacher, Shri Gopalji, who teaches English.

There are many teachers in my school

But Shri Gopalji is my best teacher.

He is our class teacher.

He teaches us English.

He is about forty years old.

He comes daily to school.

He works hard.

He loves his students.

We all respect him.

He helps the poor students.

He is a good player.

He plays football in the evening.

—Sunita Prajapat, Class VII, Matysa Bhawan Senior Secondary School, Khalda, Rajasthan

Editor's Note: More examples of Sunita Prajapat's artistic talent can be seen below in her sketches.