I was happy after posting the paint brush files of my son on my blog at Paint Brush of Triambak. I called him and showed him the display. He was also excited and elated. The guy is really a master in hiding his happiness. I know it when he is happy because I am his father and know him since his childhood. There was that typical quite posture and little smile on his face which conveyed to me that the boy was happy. It is other thing that after watching television and movies, he has borrowed some gestures of exultation. However, when he is expressing his normal feelings, he never shows his jubilation. He just becomes mum. You can only judge his happiness from his brightened eyes.
He tried to read the comments which I had placed against each display. He was more attracted towards the second display which I have titled as "The Greeting Card by Triambak". I helped to remind him that when it was made. He soon recollected and told me that it was when he was in nursery class that he had drawn that. I made some alteration to the comment which I had written there. He also enquired about a file in which he had drawn a house. I apologized to him that I had deleted that. He did not show any reaction. I suggested him that he should always save whatsoever he would do on computer and I proposed that I would display it on the blog.
On the whole, he was happy. I was sitting on my chair placed before me computer table. The keyboard was just before me and had covered it as I was just sitting before the computer. He was sitting on my left side away from the computer. The mouse was just before him. I had placed my right hand on the mouse. Suddenly he spoke, "Pappa, May I draw one more picture like these ones!" I allowed him. He asked me to remove my hand from the mouse. He virtually grabbed it from me. Now there he was. He got hold of the mouse. Clicked start. Entered Programmes. Moved to Accessories and reached the paint. He opened a new file. The rest was a spectacle to watch. I watched him using the control panel. I accept that there were some operations which I did not know about in the Paint Brush. I just watched how he moved the cursor. Enlarged it. Then reduced it. Soon, I believe, within three two four minutes, he drew the presented figure. Then he asked me to save it. I clicked the save option and simultaneously inquired if he knew how to save. He nodded in affirmation. I then asked about naming the file. He immediately came up with the name. He asked me to save it as a ‘Design’. I did as he directed. I was actually amazed at the speed at which he had made this drawing. While looking at the Design I just remarked that the corners of the Design are empty. He immediately grabbed the mouse and performed some more actions on the sheet. I found it really amazing. I just kept admiring what he was doing. I again pushed ctl+s and saved the document. I was really proud of him.
A Gratitude:
Here I want to pay my gratitude to the teachers of my son Triambak.
I first remember Mrs. Ahluwalia. She was her teacher at Pre-Nursery School. She is the owner of Little Flower Play Way School, Passian Chownk, Phillaur. The same Passian Chownk where Shradaram Phillauri, the author Om Jai Jagdeesh Hare, the Punjabi Vartak and probably the first Novelist of Hindi and the first revolutionary of Punjab. It is Mrs. Ahluwalia who introduced him to colours, shapes and alphabets.
I then remember Vanita and Viney. It was Vanita at Victoria International Public School, Phagwara, who taught her in Nursery class. He can now easily read and write. He can understand English and makes good attempts to speak in English also. It is all because of her, that he is quite good in Hindi and English. Viney, her husband, encouraged him to use computer. The comfortable level which he had shown with mouse and the control panel was imparted to him by Vaneet. It is other story that the owner of the school, whose only qualification is that he is a rich man but hardly tenth pass, does not have the vision to retain teachers like Viney and Vanita. No doubt, I have learnt that he remembers them. This is not a story of VIPS only. It is a general trend now and bane of education in India.
I just asked Triambak that how he should pay his gratitude to Vaneet who has taught him the computer so well, he said that it was not Vaneet who had taught him those drawings. He said that it was his present teacher Ms. Navroop, who had showed him how to use the pain brush. Well this is what he thinks. I know that Vaneet has also played a role in it. I just then quizzed him about Vaneet. He told that Vaneet just allowed using the computer in his room. Well, it is what the child feels for his teacher. I pay my gratitude to Ms. Navroop Kaur also.
If someone reads this post, then I will just ask the reader to remember the teachers of Nursery and Primary School Teachers. They are the people who lay the foundation of the future of the child. But Alas, the society does not pay respect to this section of society, this section of experts. They are ready to respect the Doctors, Engineers, Professors and Bureaucrats. But, I strongly believe that these primary teachers are the real builders. Just a few days back, an article on blogging by school teachers had appeared in USA Today in which Elementary History Teacher has been featured. The teacher while reflecting on the article has given her impression separately on her blog. She writes , "I was quoted in the article saying, "As a teacher, I feel like people don’t listen to me. Parents don’t listen to me, politicians don’t listen to me, the media doesn’t listen to me---but everyone tries to tell me how to do my job.""
She further writes, "I could have probably added some other groups in the mix such as some researchers, authors, pundits and the biggie for me…my professional educational organization (union)."
She continues in one of the paragraph as, "We are the ones that sit across from the student, one-on-one, witnessing the child’s behavior, witnessing the child’s thought processes, redirecting the child, celebrating accomplishments with the child, and picking up the pieces by changing course to give it a go again when there is failure. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying politicians, parents, the media, etc. don’t have a right to be part of the conversation. They do, but so often we only hear they are right, and we are wrong. I’m the one sitting there with the child." She was rather annoyed with some of the remarks she received. But the thing is that the society has to learn, that it is teacher at this stage of life of a human being which matters. But the society do not respect and recognize their work. This is how we treat them.
Now, kindly do not shrug off by saying that is about America. What about India? The politicians say that teachers are available for 500 rupees a month. This is how we rate them. It is they who make us. But we never recognize them. When a son or daughter is successful in their life and establish themselves in their profession, the parents proudly say that it is their nurturing which has played the vital role. Even the people, who make it good in life, do not remember their nursery or primary teachers. They may have expired when one starts reaping the fruits in life. The successful toddlers who are then globe trotters, never once ever think about them.
Anyhow, I also pay my tribute to my nursery teacher Mrs. Khurana of Bal Vikas, Late Mrs. Hardev Kaur of Government Senior Secondary School sector 16, Chandigarh, Madam Shaminder, Madam Brar, Sir Purohit and my Physics teacher (This is how you some times remember the teachers, only the subject of the teacher) who taught me at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Patiala.
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