aninditalakan-ljxop

Let me tell you a secret recipe for becoming a good teacher.

Are you laughing already? Not yet?

Perhaps you are thinking, “Has she gone crazy?” No, I haven’t! But this question — Is there really a secret recipe for becoming a good teacher? — has haunted me for years.

Ever since childhood, I have loved teaching. Back then, it was a joyful way of expressing myself — almost like a game. I loved interacting with young minds, understanding them, nurturing them, and becoming a small part of their journey.

But somewhere along the way — while growing from a child into a teenager and then into a young woman — I think I forgot what it truly meant to be a teacher.

And now, in my forties, when I see so many people caught up in their busy, unsettled lives — often searching for passion while feeling exhausted by the demands of work — I find myself searching for the true essence of teaching.

To me, teaching is like meditation.

It is breathing. It is loving. It is entering the innocent world of young minds.

Teaching brings me joy and happiness. It relaxes my mind and empowers me. Yes, often it seems that teachers are doing so much for their students. But perhaps the real question is — Are we?

Is teaching only for our students? Or, in some way, do we become teachers for ourselves too?

The answer may seem simple. But perhaps the journey towards that answer is the very road that will lead us to the secret recipe of a good teacher.

Let me take you back to the relationship between Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, the great 19th-century Indian mystic and spiritual leader from Bengal, became the Guru who profoundly influenced the young Narendra Nath Datta — later known to the world as Swami Vivekananda.

Their relationship was not built on blind acceptance. Vivekananda questioned his Guru. He doubted, challenged and sought answers. Yet, through these questions and differences, their bond grew stronger — a bond that history remembers even today.

Now, my friend, you may wonder — Why am I talking about all this? What does this have to do with teaching?

Ask yourself: Why is the Guru–Shishya relationship important?

In this 21st-century world, where knowledge sits at our fingertips and information is available 24/7, perhaps what matters even more is the connection that helps us look beyond information and see farther.

And that brings me to the first ingredient in the secret recipe of a good teacher: CONNECTION.

A connection that goes beyond textbooks.

Beyond marks.

Beyond judgement.

Beyond constantly asking, “What am I going to achieve from this student?”

It is this connection, that is built on trust, patience and love.

Perhaps the relationship between a teacher and a student should carry a little of that Guru–Shishya spirit — sharing what we know, guiding without imposing, and nurturing without trying to create replicas of ourselves.

Not seeking to change them completely, but helping them discover, shape and mould their own unique selves.

Because before we can teach a child, we must first learn to connect with one.

And perhaps that is where the secret recipe begins…

Ingredient No. 1: CONNECTION.

Let’s pause here today.

Until my next post, when we explore the next ingredient in the Secret Recipe of a Good Teacher!

With love,
Anindita