Debunking - Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach!

The teaching profession is undermined by people who have been taught and whose lives have been molded by wonderful teachers. Isn’t it a sorry state of affairs? Why else could such a statement have been coined and by whom? “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach!” Really? Doesn’t this mean that those who swear by this saying are condescending and look down upon this noblest of professions, waving away the teacher’s painstaking labors by a mere wave of their hands?
This statement connotes that the persons who cannot achieve any real goal in life and have no other option of a vocation left, pursue teaching and adopt it as a means of livelihood. It implies that the vocations apart from teaching are hallowed; such as engineering, medicine, architecture, law, computer programming, etc. Isn’t it laughable then that all these so-called vocations also have to be taught by expert teachers? Does one become an engineer, doctor, architect, lawyer, programmer, etc. without being guided and coached? In fact any skill in life has to be taught and learnt! If one considers a hypothetical situation wherein a person has trained oneself to become any of the above-mentioned professionals, still he/she has been self-taught, that is been his/her own teacher!
The statement also smacks of inbuilt prejudice and bias towards teachers. It somehow implies that teachers are good-for-nothings who have nothing better to do than teach! It even smugly indicates that teachers have low levels of achievement, motivation and ambition. The ones who swear by this dictum haven’t probably heard about great teachers who went on to conquer hallowed bastions of power like Dr. Radhakrishnan, the second President of India (whose birthday on the 5th of September, is celebrated in India as Teacher’s Day) and innumerable others.
Then what about those who have been home-schooled by their parents or relatives or friends? Could they have imbibed knowledge on various topics entirely on their own? Even if one relies on the internet for gleaning information, doesn’t the internet become a teacher?
Hence it can be safely said that one cannot become an individual in his own right and gain an identity, without a teacher, be it a ‘guru’, a school teacher, parents or any other modes of teaching. It would augur well for those who naysay the teaching profession, if they introspect and revamp their negative attitudes that revile the noble teaching profession. They must overcome their superiority complex and recognize and appreciate the fact that they wouldn’t have been the persons they are, had it not been for their unassuming, caring and knowledgeable teachers.
Not everybody can be a teacher, as this is an exacting profession where the teachers are constantly on their toes, updating their knowledge and skills, sacrificing their time and efforts for selflessly bettering the lives of their students. Teaching is an art and the craft has to be learnt, honed to perfection; to seem effortless and perfect. Gratitude must be ingrained among the students or else whatever they achieve in life will be shallow and not worth their while!
Now one could say that “Those who can, teach, those who can’t, are the envious ones who make such stupid statements!”
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The copyright of this article is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Yours Truly!

I’m busy all year around
But mostly during elections.
When in need, you’ll never find me around
Except when I canvass before elections!
I’m always on the look-out for donations
The big ones don’t mind my machinations
I believe in give- and- take relations
And not in any fake emotions!
I become large-hearted before elections
Nasty, frustrated and spiteful after losing some
I create scams and scandals during vacations
I love criminals and even harbor some!
I know nothing, but can speak on everything
I fear none and favor some
For me, money, position and power is everything
I often use them for gains handsome!
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan

‘Mother and Child’ Story-writing Workshop

Priya’s Vision Academy
announces a unique
‘Mother and Child’ Story-writing Workshop
This one-day workshop will focus on the aspects and techniques of writing a good story. Both mother and child can participate in the fun-filled session, bond and learn together.
Fees: Rs.600/- per pair, Rs.300/- for singles.
Timings: 10 am to 5 pm Lunch: 1 to 2 pm.
Duration: One day
Dates: 21st and 28th December, 2013 at Somwar Peth
22nd and 29th December, 2013 at Pashan-Sus Road venue.
(You may choose any date and venue as per convenience.)
You are requested to get a full-scape notebook, pen and lunch-box/water-bottle.
Certificates will be awarded at the end of the workshop.
Please contact Mrs. Swaminathan on ph. no. 9850019553 for registration.
Hurry! What are you waiting for?

Marriage or Mirage?

I just read a news-item that depicted how ostentatious weddings have become in this age. The themes are varied and have the wedding planners on their nimble toes as they scurry around and leave no stone unturned to provide the ultimate wedding experience to their well-heeled clients. I read about couples taking their marriage vows in hot-air balloons suspended high above terra-firma, emerging out of giant lotuses, scuba-diving together and having rose petals showered on them from the skies (if not heavens!) above, marrying in exotic locations, etc.
While this experience will be definitely thrilling for the newly-weds and enthralling for their wide-eyed guests, what remains to be seen is how these couples plan to spend the rest of their lifetime together. Often, after spending a fortune on these lavish ceremonies and either going broke themselves or making their parents bankrupt, do these couples feel sheepish or are they oblivious to the most obvious fact that marriages are beyond all these trappings. Marriages are meant to bring two individuals together in the presence of their closest ones. The vows are meant to be sacrosanct and for keeps.
A colleague of my brother got engaged and married to a guy at a bewitching dream ceremony in a five-star hotel. Needless to say, as per their hallowed status, they had lodged their guests at the same hotel at considerable cost. No expenses were spared to keep everyone in good cheer and high spirits. After the wedding night, the bride had a nasty feeling which refused to leave her. She had blundered by marrying that guy. They weren’t just cut out for each other!
She felt that they wouldn’t be compatible at all and confided in her closest friends that she wanted to go in for a divorce. To say that they were stunned would be an understatement. All of them racked their brains and tried to offer her various solutions to her dilemma. Some pointedly asked her why she had agreed to the match in the first place, if she hadn’t been sure about her feelings for that guy. She shrugged helplessly, agreeing that she had impulsively decided to go ahead with the match.
Her friends sensibly advised her to keep her cool and give the relationship a try for some months at least to see if there were any hopes for her to continue with the marriage. After all, her father had spent all his savings on her wedding and she had a sister to be married off after 5 years. Reluctantly, she agreed. Alas, matters reached a point of no return too soon. Precisely a month later, she decided that enough was enough and she would be better-off alone. The couple divorced by mutual consent. A pity, isn’t it?
The point here is, marriage isn’t just about showing-off and dressing up to the hilt or displaying wealth obscenely. It must be a union of two souls and two families, who promise to be together through thick and thin, supporting and cherishing the others. The beauty of marriage is in the decision of spending the rest of their lives together. Yes, this precious moment of union may be cherished uniquely by a divine ceremony, but one mustn’t miss the woods for the trees. Getting carried away by the lavish rituals is so easy and the presentation mustn’t be only gloss and glitter. The foundation of the marriage must be rock-solid, irrespective of whether a couple is married in a civil ceremony or in an awesome celebration.
Hence, the couple must be fully prepared to be together for life before entering that hot-air balloon, unless it wants its dreams to go bust, after encountering the harsh reality of day-to-day life with all its accompanying trials and tribulations.
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The copyright of this article is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Questions

Life is full of questions
We keep trying to find their solutions
Life is full of pretensions
Hence we always have apprehensions
Life is full of surprises
No wonder we keep guessing!
Life is full of uncertainty
Hence we look for accurate predictions!
Life is full of answers
Provided we ask the right questions!

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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan