Ms. Neelam — a transforming motivator

Kavita Batheja holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and has served as assistant professor of Chemistry in various private higher education institutions. She is passionate about teaching, writing and the environment, especially on issues related to groundwater — its contamination, scarcity and misuse. Presently on a break from her teaching career due to family responsibilities, she likes to write in her leisure time.

Whenever my children complain of a subject being boring or difficult, I try to understand how much effect can a teacher have on a child's impressionable mind. Evidences come forth from my childhood experiences, where my understanding of a subject and interest in studies vacillated with age. When I am asked to summon into mind my favourite teacher, it becomes difficult to retrieve only one name with conviction, many being in the list of favourite teachers. I understand, a teacher-student liking is reciprocal mostly, though not necessarily. And there are a few students who don't like any teacher at all, though number of these is very few.

I had been teachers' pet during all my student life. The earliest interaction with teachers with clarity, I can recall into mind, were in class 6, when our Maths teacher, Ms. Neelam of Sharda Public School, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, who eventually turned into one of my most treasured teachers, changed the opinion I beheld about Maths. Prior to that, Maths used to make my blood run cold. It does happen that some teachers teach their subjects unconventionally or in more interactive and encouraging way to evoke interest in the students.

Ms. Neelam was that eager beaver and I was fortunate to have her as my teacher in early maths, that I started getting excellent grades in Maths till class 10, after which, I opted for biology as the main subject in expectation of becoming a doctor, which was a norm for many girls those days.

In childhood days we were sent to schools that were 1 to2 km. from our homes, so that we could commute on our own. And I guess that most of the teachers also stayed nearby including Ms. Neelam, a great advantage of living in a small city.

Neelam ma'am soon became so dear to me that whenever I bumped into her, either in the school or in the market, I could feel a rush of blood to the head, and greeted her every time, without exception, no matter how many times we met. I guess she had got a cue of my liking towards her, so she just smiled blushing, in return of my greetings.