"When I am teaching at my best, I am like a _____."

Learning Forward Academy  

Rani Pritam Kunwar School Moradabad

Joy Of Learning Cohort 2023

Swati Saluja

When I am teaching, I am not me...I feel like a waterfall pouring down her knowledge on her students, who will carry it like rivers in different fields of society...Sometimes I also feel like a Potter who will mould the students according to their capabilities in various forms.

Rashmi R. Wright (class teacher of 1st -D)

I feel like a pilot 👩🏻‍✈️ in the classroom when I am teaching at my best. In control of whether the young passengers arrive at their destination on schedule with the knowledge, they have achieved during the journey, In charge of making adjustments to avoid turbulence, feel Responsible for the safety and well-being of each person placed in their care for the entire trip to make it a successful one. Sometimes I feel like an artist👩🏻‍🎨 too, as it's my passion to make sketches, who take up words and try to create an image with students and try to show the beauty and magic of words; well, while teaching, I try to encourage my students to use their imagination.

Rekha Kapoor (Class teacher of 2nd C)

When teaching at my best, I'm like a Waterfall 🌊, pouring down knowledge and wisdom✨. I find my students to be the rivers🌼 carrying the resources of knowledge and understanding, paving their way through life's challenges.

Ritika Wadhwa  (Class Teacher of 3rd E)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a MOTHER who, while teaching, also teaches about the ethical and moral values which are essential for the students. Moreover,  I take care of them in the prospects of academics and other aspects like How their personal life is going on? Are they going through any issues - emotional challenges etc. 

Shafali Johri (Class teacher - U.K.G. C)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Gardener. The relationship between my students and me is similar to how it's of a gardener to his/her/garden. So I can nurture all the students like how a gardener nurtures the flowers and the plants, each one more unique than the other, each with its own needs and behaviour. I provide them with the ethics and morals required for positive growth, like how a gardener offers the best quality soil with manure to help the plant grow. And like a gardener who keeps providing water regularly to maintain that healthy growth, I keep providing them with guidance in this beautiful journey where in the end, they'll bloom like a beautiful flower. To summarise, it will be the students, aka plants, that will grow and be able to witness this world and improve it, but I will always be there to help them reach that point.

Sanskriti Tandon (Class Teacher of 3rd D)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a learner who wants to know every student's mental status and accordingly teaches them about individual moral values, which are essential for the students. Moreover, more than an academic mentor, I impart various other aspects of hygiene and etiquette to individual and 

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a learner. In a world with a lot to learn, and do their best for society. As a learner, I will be one with my students and help increase their knowledge.📚 For me, teaching is part of learning. As I am teaching, I am also learning from my learners, as they are diverse. Each learner in the classroom brings his or her unique background and ability. These are the elements that I invest in my teaching. Moreover, I allow learners to be themselves.✨

Rajni Gupta (Class Teacher of 3rd C)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Mother. A teacher, like a mother, is the most important person in one's life. They are not involved in the academic development of their students, but they also shape the students' character, calibre and future. They make it possible for a child to reach his / her full potential, open their children's minds, spark creativity, motivate them, and make their dreams into reality. 

Swadha Bhardwaj

When teaching at my best, I feel like a goldsmith. While working on each precious piece of the element, a goldsmith keeps honing her/his skills while ensuring that the final product shines the best it can and adds to the grace of those who wear it without compromising the set standards and hallmarks. In the same way, each of my students is special and has different levels of potential and requirements while on his path to leading a fulfilling life, as well as to be able to contribute to every sector of society he/she passes by in his/her own unique and remarkable way. That's what we, as teachers, aim to do. Building up a well-structured and standardized society! 

Kamakshi Sharma

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Role Model. Teaching is like acting. School is like theatre where you create a bond with your children; you face many ups and downs, new creativities and many more expressions of your children. You act, and children react, and they play with you, learn with you, and feel safe with you, and after some time, they consider you as their Role Model and Inspiration also. 

Asha Singh (Class teacher of U.K.G. B)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like an effective communicator, both in writing and verbally, and I have a solid ability to plan and organize effectively; 

Rebecca John Masih

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a candle because the teacher is that person who makes the minds of their pupils more bright. It means that the teacher gives information that the pupils don't know. And point them the right way in their lives. Every teacher consumes himself to light the way for others.

Manisha Bansal (Class TeacherU.K.G D)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a mother-teacher. Who multiplies and adds happiness and knowledge as a gardener who plants the seeds of learning in every student's life. I want my students to understand through the play-way method to grasp everything quickly and effectively.

Shwetank Singh (Computer Teacher)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a  Friend. With teacher-student friendship, students feel at ease around me and are likelier to come to me with their learning gaps. With friendly nature, I communicate with the children, explain concepts to them more effectively, and understand where they lack. Besides, I feel more comfortable around them, thus making it easier to deliver lessons. A teacher must be like a friend to his/her students because students respond better to friendship than authority. If the students perceive their teacher as a friend, they will never hesitate to express their doubts.

Charu Sharma

I am like a trader who gives her students knowledge and wisdom; in return, she learns new things like creativity, the ability to see things from different perspectives and teamwork. In this manner, we both are in a WIN-WIN situation hence learning something.

Ekta Sharma (Computer)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Tree. Teachers and trees both play a significant role in nurturing and growing the minds of others. Just like a tree provides nourishment, shelter, and oxygen to the environment around it, I feel the same by providing knowledge, guidance, and support to my students. Trees are deeply rooted in the earth, providing stability by providing my students with a foundation of learning and personal growth. Since trees significantly impact the world and are essential for human beings, my being a teacher makes a positive difference in my students' lives.

Meeta Gulati (Class teacher of L.K.G. - D)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Mother who, while teaching, also teaches about the ethical and moral values which are essential to the students. Moreover, I take care of them in the prospects of academics and other aspects like How their personal life is going on? Are they going through any issues, emotional challenges etc. 

Beena Singh (Administration, Sanskrit)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like water. As water has no shape and size and adapts, mixes and takes the form of anything that comes it is way, I believe in moulding my students to be like water, whatever may come, through my learning methods. Education is the foundation of our student's future, and through my ideas and experiences, I inculcate the habit of exploring in my students.

Asma (Class teacher of 1st-A )

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Nation Builder for my students. As a Nation comprises of children way more than adults. The Children are the future, and the teachers are the ones who are getting them ready for their tasks. Also, teaching is the only profession that creates many other works... And for the same, the teachers have to teach the child good communication skills, managerial skills, reading and writing skills and everything which helps them contribute to a better Nation and for a better person. 

Tabinda Jabeen  (Urdu- Class 5th to 8th & Craft- Class U.K.G.)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a RAINBOW 🌈. A rainbow has 7 colours that look beautiful and fill different colours and shades in our lives. Like a rainbow, I supply all the colours of knowledge and education in my students' lives. I try to clear every concept and doubt of my students regarding my subject. I give my best to my students.

Naina Soni

When I teach, I consider all my students as my own children & teach them as a MOTHER. ❤️

Priyanka Ruhela

I am like a passionate teacher whose only aim is to make my kids better human beings and exceptional learners. I always practice empathy and compassion and encourage them to be honest and work hard with complete dedication to become better individuals and learned, creative people.

Bhawna Arora

When I teach at my best, I am like a  guide, guiding my students through different aspects of life. To know them how to enjoy life's beauty, keep moving forward with beautiful memories of their journey, and keep building their character and learning new aspects of life. Teach them to overcome difficulties and head for new goals and destinations. 

Rachna Bisht (Class teacher VI-A)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Farmer. A farmer works hard to feed the nation, whereas a teacher works hard to build the country. A teacher plants the seeds of knowledge in students' minds that grows forever. He/she extracts the hidden talents of their students to the surface. A teacher holds the tiny finger of the young saplings and feeds them with vital information to walk through the right path. Overall a teacher helps his/her students to grow stronger, happier and more productive.

Ritu Goyal (Class Teacher VIII B)
When I am teaching at my best, I am MYSELF. To further add to the context, I am practical and sensitive both. I encourage my students to do something other than rote learning. I want my students to understand everything they hear, see, and feel because knowledge never leaves you, even when pitch dark. You might need to remember what you have LEARNT, but you can NEVER forget what you have UNDERSTOOD.

Neeru Lathey

I am like a passionate teacher whose only aim is to make my kids better human beings and exceptional learners. I always practice empathy and compassion and encourage them to be honest and work hard with complete dedication to become better individuals and learned, creative people.

Nidhi Narula  (Class 3rd A) 

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a compass pointing students in the right direction to achieve their life goals. I am the guide helping students on their individual learning journeys and navigating them towards happiness.

Rajni Mehra

When teaching at my best, I am like a storyteller, weaving ideas and concepts into a compelling narrative that captivates my students' imagination.

Kulmeet Madan

When I'm teaching at my best, I'm like a gardener. My goal is to help my students grow and succeed in their lives. They are like flowers that bloom tomorrow and are seeds I'm planting today. As a teacher, I plant seeds. I provide them best quality manure in the form of knowledge, ethics and moral values to help them grow well and shape a good character and a pleasant personality by following moral values.

Poonam Mehra ( Class - U.K.G.)

While I'm in class, I feel like a mother; no doubt a mother is a first mentor, but in school, we are the ones who guide them to deal with life, be it in education or moral values. Being a motherly mentor to my students, I not only a guide and support them but also become strict with them when required.

Such behaviour with them helps us learn from students and inculcate the value of education in them.

Evon Anthony (2-D)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Stockbroker who multiplies and adds happiness and knowledge, subtracts and divides sorrows. When I teach, I am a teacher for my students and a friend who can guide them and understand their needs and wants.

Jyoti Singh

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a learner. As I am teaching, I am also learning from my students, as they are diverse. Each student in the classroom brings his or her unique background and ability. These are the elements that I invest in my teaching. Moreover, I allow my students/learners to be themselves. While teaching, I am more of a mentor and organizer of learning experiences and situations. If my students are happy at the end of the day, so am I. Teaching is all about becoming a bridge that connects my students with their true self/potential and helps them to achieve their aspirations.

Rakhi Gupta (Class -2nd B)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a Painting Artist. A person who creates art using creative imagination and skill. The one who is always ready to experiment. He/she is known to be able to fill a blank canvas with beautiful colours. He/she has the power to convey thoughts and emotions through pieces of art. I see my students as canvases and the knowledge I gathered, as the colour palettes I love to fill their minds and lives to make them better human beings who are always ready to showcase their distinct talents and make the world watch them in awe. Like an artist, I feel proud of all the masterpieces I have drawn or will draw in the future.

Manjit Palit

When teaching at my best, I am like a proud potter moulding raw mud into the best shape. 

Naushaba Sami (Class Teacher VII A)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like an Empath. An empath is a person who understands the feelings and emotions of those around them to a great extent. Being an empath helps me know what my students might feel regarding anything related to academics or otherwise because a teacher is responsible not only for teaching and conveying subject-related concepts but also for the overall development of an individual.

When I empathize with my students and keep myself in their shoes, it helps me infer and guess what problems and queries they might be facing and experiencing while studying a particular topic. I recall the issues I faced as a student, which helped me effectively explain and clear my doubts.

Having said that, I further conclude that to make the teaching-learning process effective, a teacher has to play multiple roles, and he/she has to be a Multitasker and has to possess a combination of different qualities with a perfect balance because in a classroom each child is a separate individual with a distinct personality and additional capabilities. Hence, a teacher has to develop different roles at other times, depending on the need of the hour. So it is tough to pick one attribute; however, I tried my best to highlight and single out one trait, and I hope I did justice to the question.

Asha Mamgain

When I am teaching at my best, I am like an Architect. An architect designs a building, and the strength of the structure depends on how strong the foundation is laid. In a very similar way, as teachers, we mould the foundation years of our students by giving them the proper knowledge, sharing with them the importance of valid values, and guiding them to identify the right and wrong aspects, not just by teaching what is written in the books but also, by sharing with their number of stories to teach and guide them.

Poonam Dubey

While teaching at my best, I am like a mother who finally has learnt how to bring balance to her children's world. It's when I can connect with all my students regarding the key concepts, their relevance and applicability in real-life scenarios. Being a teacher, I am more into seeking what binds together the curious minds of the students in the best available, positive and illustrative ways while building up a wholesome classroom environment. Enabling solutions and guidance towards solutions while keeping an eye for detail directs my whole approach towards teaching. Besides, being a parent myself, I am well-versed in the faith that the parents of those students are keeping in us, so I ensure that I impart values to their budding behaviours and personalities whenever I can. 

Ishpreet Kaur

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a shadow. As our shadow is always with us, just like that, as a teacher, I also accompany my students with their learning and developing stage. I always motivate and encourage them to do their task and become successful in every walk of life. I look upon as a guide, a mentor, and a friend to my students. I also try multiplying and adding happiness and knowledge, subtracting and dividing sorrows.

Natasha Singh  (Class - Nursery)

When I am teaching at my best, I am like a  Mother who feels invigorated and fulfilled. Every day, I make a little effort to improve young lives. When my head hits the pillow at night, I rest assured that I will try to make the world better and more comfortable for my students. Teaching is a life, a calling, not just a job. I see each student as unique, and I realize that his/her gifts are special and deserve to be developed and celebrated. I consider myself lucky because my career gives meaning to my life.

The exercise is adapted from the book 

Courage To Teach by Parker J Palmer

Joy Of Learning (11 Sessions) The teachers collaborate and work in groups to explore the 22 values and discover how the values help in an individual's personal and social development. The Values come alive at their school and enhance learning at the classroom level. Read more