Teaching class 8G, a bunch of enthusiastic children, is always fun and challenging, but amidst all the fun and learning my students and I learnt a lesson. “Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” - William James

It all happened while teaching the lesson “The Beginnings of a Miracle” – Story of Helen Keller. Incidents from Helen Keller’s life deeply touched my heart and soul. As part of our efforts towards holistic development of every child, I took up an initiative and took my students to Ashray Akruti – a school for hearing impaired - children who break the walls of silence.

My students were excited as it was their first field trip that year but the experience at the special school, I am sure, left an indelible impact on these tender minds as they saw how the children, there, need exceptional attention and have to be taught with boundless patience. The students witnessed how these children find it difficult to communicate well as they don’t have the required vocabulary and find it tough to express their thoughts in the form of poems, essays and stories however they are immensely talented in other areas like music, painting and karate. Their great master pieces in paintings and craft articles astounded the little hearts. The students were interactive and light hearted and were overwhelmed by our small gesture as our students donated some stationery and food items.  I silently witnessed the happenings.

It indeed was an awakening experience for my students my ever enthusiastic, excited students, suddenly, mellowed down. The realization that they were a bit more privileged sobered them.

By the time they came out of the school they were moved by the jolt of reality. All of them had one thing to say – “Thank you Lord Almighty for making me who I am!” I could also see pearls dropping from few pairs of eyes. I knew I have done it but Robert Frost’s famous line “And miles to go before I sleep….” hit me hard and I discerned it was just the beginning.

I tried to light the candle in my students’ hearts, the light– beckoning them to tread on the right path.

I strongly feel the jaunt to this special school was rewarding, education is not just that we acquire form books but from our life, which reminds me of Rohn’s words “ Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

I am a mathematics teacher.  This happened five years ago. I was class teacher for VIII C.  One day in mid August, as I stepped in to class VIII-C, everybody was excited to tell me about new admission boy.  Karan, a thin and short boy joined newly in the class.  In my conversation with Karan, I understood that his communication skills in English were very poor.  I introduced him to the class and requested them to help him in adjusting with new environment.  Every day I was observing Karan sitting alone in the last bench feeling shy and lonely.  I tried to convince him to make new friends, and made him join in one of activity groups.  But no student was showing interest to talk and share work with Karan.

Days are passing. It was time for first term exams. Students became serious about their studies. Karan was still left out boy in the class. All the methods tried by teachers to make Karan feel comfortable became waste. Karan did not perform well in his exams. During parent teacher meeting his father said he was not an under achiever before, but he was afraid of being accepted by others.

The school planned an educational tour to Mysore and Bangalore. Karan also joined in the group forcibly by his father. All enthusiastic students with their teachers boarded the train at Hyderabad. After settled in their places students started playing ‘Anthakshari’. I observed Karan showing interest and slowly joined in the group. All the students soon noticed Karan’s talent in singing. He knows all latest songs and sings them with melodious voice. Students started cheering for him. First time I saw happiness on Karan’s face. He was in demand now. Every group wants Karan to be in their group.

At Bangalore, two days we were busy visiting places. Karan was moving friendly with other students. Another talent of Karan was shown on the next day at Mysore ‘Brindavan Gardens’. Teachers conducted a friendly dance competition among students. I asked Karan to participate in the dance competition. Hesitantly he started dancing for the music. Oh my god…. He was amazing. All of us became spell bound. Trees and flowers of ‘Brindavan Gardens’ also started clapping for Karan. Karan became hero over night.