Tribute to all mother like teachers on Mother’s Day during Lockdown - Dr Vasudha Neel Mani

Born in the family of academicians and teachers and then getting married into one, being a teacher was always my first choice and childhood dream too. I always take pride in being a teacher and inspiring so many young minds. I always believed in: “Teaching is the one profession that creates other professions.”

As a child and a student, l looked up to my teachers as mentors and guide and I m sure my classmates of my school time, share the same sentiment. One thing my parents always taught me was to respect the teachers and abide by what they say. For them the teachers were same as God and their word was the last word. 

Today is Mother’s Day and all over the world we pay gratitude to all the mothers. A thought came to my mind, during these tough and challenging times, all the female teachers are taking care of their students as their children. Today is a precious opportunity for everyone to thank and show their appreciation towards mothers and Mother figures worldwide.

Teachers are an inspiration, mentors , second parents and for the rest of students’ lives, an eternal guide.

Let me take you to a teacher’s house setting early morning during these COVID 19 times. With no house help coming, her day starts very early as she has to do mopping, cleaning, cooking ,washing and all other house hold chores, before taking her online classes. She works for home and from home. Once she logs on to her classes, she  has her beautiful smile on and she will connect to all her students focusing on their emotional  well being and teaching them.  Once her classes get over, while multitasking between home and school responsibility, she ll cook and at the same time prepare for her next day lessons in the form of video, assignments and worksheets.

And most of the time when she is taking classes, her students’ parents are observing her virtually to find faults in her. No one is trying to understand her plight and what she is going through. The expectations are high and so are the teachers’ stress levels with no empathy and compassion. On one hand she is judged by parents and on the other hand, her own child feels that she is giving more attention to her students.

 Students who are loved at home, come to school to learn, and students who aren't, come to school to be loved.

But it takes a lot to be a teacher. The children look up to her as role models. Whatever the teachers say is a gospel’s truth for the students. . This blog is also a tribute to all the teachers I know, who work so passionately and diligently for our students; guiding them in their hours of need, holding them tight when they are feeling low, scolding them when they are wrong. They wear so many hats of being a teacher, parent, friend and guide.

For me, she is an unsung Corona Warrior at this time and we all need to be appreciating her efforts with compassion and affection. Her mental and emotional wellbeing must be our priority.

Today I m grateful to all the  teachers  who have been a guiding light to many students during these tough times  who have been working tirelessly and all the teachers around the world. I wish and pray that all your days are as bright as sunshine and you are always happy, peaceful and joyous.

A very Happy Mother’s Day to all the second mothers of our children…

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Dr Vasudha Neel Mani
Vice-Chairperson Learning Forward India
Principal Rockwoods International School Udaipur, Consultant and International Certified Career Coach for over 27 years of experience spanning across teaching, administration, mentoring and advisory roles with 16 years in Cambridge Education and 10 years in leadership roles.