I never wanted to be a teacher! Then?
Let me share how this journey started…
I had spent my childhood in a very small village surrounded by two hills in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. Perhaps that is the reason I am very close to nature and still admire the rush of trees, hills, chirping birds, especially the rainy days with greenery everywhere. Both my father and mother used to work in government sector and they were posted in the village. I cannot forget the scenic beauty of the village. My school was near the hills and my friends and I used to visit the hill for custard apples. I really cherish those memories even now. Those memories of playing hide and seek under the hills still gives me goose bumps. I have left a little part of my heart somewhere hiding behind those big trees, sitting on the big stones of hill, and eating plums.
I was a meritorious student and topped at block level in 8th standard. I took admission in the Sagar city. I could not perform well in 9th standard because of the change but gradually I started liking the school, made friends and secured 2nd position in the class as well as in the merit list in class 10th. I was good at drawing and writing. I used to take part in cultural events of society and school to explore both my hobbies. I was good in Mathematics, so I opted for mathematics and biology as the ancillary subject because my father wished for it. Neither did I try for engineering nor for medical field because I did not want to go to any other city leaving my home.
I did B.Sc. (Instrumentation) and M.Sc. (IT) from one of the reputed universities of our country; Doctor Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya Sagar (A Central University). It is one of the finest picturesque campuses in India. Nobody can ever forget their college life so I am also not an exception. I had been fortunate enough to have gained knowledge from some of the finest teachers. They taught me to broaden my horizons and delve into the depths of any subject.
I got my first job in an IT company in Delhi but I didn’t want to go that far so I had moved to Bhopal. I started my career as a trainee in Standard Chartered Bank but I didn’t enjoy the corporate culture and I decided to quit that job. I started teaching in college for BCA students. I started liking the environment and teaching but then I met a friend who was preparing for the IAS exams and it was also my hidden desire for so many years. I decided to try it once. I had taken admission in an academy to prepare for IAS and state administrative services exams. I chose two subjects for my exams: public administration and sociology; far different than the IT subjects. The technique and implementation were very different so I had to work on it. It took me 2 years to come to the level. I passed preliminary examination for state services for M.P. My teacher used to motivate me and praise me for my answer writing capabilities. I used to feel on top and started preparing for mains but sometimes we don’t measure our depth fairly. I did not give my best and did not get selected. I was in dilemma that should I get back to the teaching profession or continue giving another exam. I continued with my passion along with my profession. I tried for one more year and gave up. I could have done Ph.D. in 2010 if I had chosen only teaching or could have become administrative officer if I had chosen only administrative examinations. I learnt a big life lesson from all this, a lesson which I still apply to my profession, “Give it your 100% or don’t do it at all”.
Finally, I decided to focus on my abilities and my interests. I found that I am keen to learn new things and shared my knowledge with others without any conditions, which is one of the biggest qualities of a teacher.Also I discovered that I have a deep sense of understanding someone’s capabilities, another quality of a teacher.I cannot demotivate and humiliate anyone, perhaps is one of the greatest qualities of a teacher.
I decided to learn animation. I did diploma in animation from DQ entertainment with A grade and was offered a job in DQ entertainment Hyderabad. I did not join because I had decided to take up teaching. Meanwhile I got a job in Maulana Azad National institute of technology, an institute of national pride as a Research Assistant. I had to work on national database for tuberculosis and was a project of ICMR. I happily joined and successfully worked on the project. I got admission in PhD in the same institute in the year 2011. I came in contact with so many scholars while working in NIT, Bhopal. I was selected to present my work before the head of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research). I have published 5 international papers in SCI journals (biggest index) and participated in several conferences during my PhD. I received the best paper award too. I was informed about many new techniques during my PhD. I successfully completed my PhD in 2016 with great publications.
In 2018, I joined Vidyalankar School of Technology and have been working here as an Assistant Professor. It is my greatest joy to share not only my subject knowledge but also my life experiences with my students. I still connect with my childhood days and admire the real India.I strongly believe students should spend some time in village to know the real problems of our country, to connect to our roots and be ready to serve our nation because we cannot imagine the problems they are going through and the opportunities that are lying idle there. From my journey, I hope we learn that it is okay to be unsure or confused in the beginning, sometimes it takes real life experiences for us to gain clarity about our goals. Once we are clear about our goals, we should always be ready to overcome all the obstacles.
Human minds can either win over uncertainty or drown in the darkness and I only wish the former for all my students.
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