A teacher of mine, who taught me 40 years ago, recently passed away. I visited his family to offer my condolence, and in conversation with his wife and daughter, recalled many instances of contact with him, when I was his student.
Much of what my teacher had talked to me then was about what my future may hold for me. They did not seem relevant then, as I may not have been able to comprehend the import of what he was saying.
What he had shared with me when I was a student, had seemed insignificant when he shared his thoughts with me, yet when I spoke about them with his family, now 40 years later, revealed the truth in what he had said to me 40 years ago. They returned me to my days of youth.
I recall similar feelings welling up in me when I met teachers who taught me when I was a child. What stands out in these memories is a quote a dear friend of mine shared with me, attributed to Dr S Radhakrishnan, a revered teacher and scholar himself, who said, “A good teacher is one who does not give the student what he wants but rather one who makes the student want what he has to give him.” All the teachers who taught me personified this.
The writer is an organisational and behavioural consultant. He can be contacted at ttsrinath@gmail.com