Shaping young minds

As a student, one comes across several teachers and educators, but there remain only a handful who impact our lives. The ones who stand out are usually those who step beyond their expected role of a mentor to personally help their pupils.

Be it coming to terms with one’s identity or navigating through a personal issue, our favourite teachers are mostly those who were willing to provide answers to questions that were outside the regular curriculum. On Teachers’ Day, three individuals from Delhi-NCR talk about the one teacher who went above and beyond to help each of them.

A FRIEND AND EDUCATOR
Delhi University student, Yash Manchanda (20) recalls being anxious and uncomfortable on the first day of Class 11. “As an introvert, social situations, such as being in school, were pretty difficult,” he shares. However, the pressure of the day subsided after he attended his first psychology class with his teacher Arushi Ralli. “She handed all of us a note; she wrote one for all 43 of her students. It was unlike anything I had seen before,” adds the Karkardooma resident who goes on to share that his teacher helped him navigate through his anxiety issues and made him fall in love with psychology. “She taught me empathy and I am still in touch with her.”

A SUPPORTIVE STANCE
Hailing from North Bengal, Pratyan Chakraborty (left)—who currently stays in Shaheen Bagh, Delhi—took a while to come to terms with his identity as a queer person. “I used to be the kid who got bullied all the time,” says the 18-year-old. Owing to the lack of awareness about queerness among teachers, Chakraborty hardly had anyone to support him. However, his English and Geography teacher named Alok was very helpful.  

“I did not speak to him about my identity but we did talk about me being feminine and the bullying that happened.” In fact, Alok would also go to other classes and address the issue of bullying on a larger scale. “He always showed up for me,” concludes Chakraborty.

CONVERSATIONS THAT MATTERED
Psychology graduate Mimaansa Garg (22) remembers walking up to her psychology teacher, Smaraki Samantaroy after a lecture in Class 11 to ask her how to get herself tested for depression. “I probably read some symptoms on the internet and was scared. My teacher was taken aback. She asked me why I felt so.” Since then, Garg would meet her teacher regularly in the school library to talk about the issues she was facing. “My teacher would ask about my friends, studies, and how I cope with anxiety and would offer her help. It was unlikely for a teacher to give so much personal attention,” concludes Garg from Model Town, still grateful to Smaraki for helping her.