Everyone encounters various teachers throughout their lives, often in different forms- the traditional teacher, life, parents, friends, mentors and many more. Some teachers make the subject you find a complete drag the most interesting thing in the world while some teachers change your perspective about the world. Teachers have a hand in shaping who you are and they can either make you or break you. Some help and inspire students so much that the students defeat all obstacles and truly become exceptional. Let’s look at some such incredible stories.
1. Sachin Tendulkar and Ramakant Achrekar
Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest batsmen to set foot on the cricket pitch. Some Indians even regard him as ‘The God of Cricket’. Behind this exceptional man’s success lies the hand of his coach-Ramakant Achrekar. Sachin Tendulkar has never shied away from recognizing his coach, rather he grabbed every opportunity to appreciate him and let the world know the importance of his coach in his career and life.
Image source- Daily O
“Like many of his students, I learnt ABCD of cricket under Sir’s guidance. His contribution to my life cannot be captured in words. He built the foundation that I stand on” said Tendulkar. He often shares anecdotes such as how Achrekar sir took him on a scooter to another ‘maidan’ match as soon as he got out in one to help him practice. Achrekar sir discovered master blaster when he was just a kid, and helped him not only play to his full potential but also helped him live straight
2. Hellen Keller and Anne Sullivan
Hellen Keller not only found a teacher in Anne Sullivan but also a companion and a life-long friend. Hellen Keller became blind and deaf after 19 months of her birth due to an unknown illness. She was an American author, political activist, lecturer and the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Anne struggled with acute vision problems herself. She was a 20-year-old graduate of the Perkins Institute for the Blind.
Image source- The Declaration
She was called by the Kellers to teach their daughter. When Anne started working with Helen, by first manually spelling out words on her hand, she realized that Helen was extremely gifted. Under the guidance of Anne, Helen learned to both read and write, and by the age of ten had also mastered speech. Helen with Anne always backing her, fulfilled her dreams and triumphantly faced all challenges to make her mark in the world. Anne Sullivan had everything that anyone could ask for in a teacher.
3. Emily Blunt and her teacher
Who could ever think that the famous actress Emily Blunt who has won our hearts over and over in movies like ‘Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘The Girl on The Train’ stuttered as a young girl? She developed stuttering between the ages of 7 to 14 and could barely hold a simple conversation.
Image source -Pinterest
It was a junior high teacher for her who helped her overcome her problems and become the incredible actress she is now. Emily said “My parents took me to speech coaches and relaxation coaches. It didn’t work. Then one of my teachers at school had a brilliant idea and said, ‘Why don’t you speak in an accent in our school play?’ I distanced myself from me through this character, and it was so freeing that my stuttering stopped when I was onstage. It was really a miracle.” Her teacher was truly one of the keys to her success.
4. Bill Gates and Blanche Caffiere
Bill Gates is a man who doesn’t need an introduction. The principal founder of Microsoft, American business magnate, author, investor, philanthropist, and humanitarian, Bill Gates has shared on his blog the story of how his librarian and teacher had a great influence over him.
Image source – The Indian Express
Bill Gates said "When I first met Mrs. Caffiere, she was the elegant and engaging school librarian at Seattle’s View Ridge Elementary, and I was a timid fourth grader. I was desperately trying to go unnoticed, because I had some big deficits, like atrocious handwriting ... and I was trying to hide the fact that I liked to read—something that was cool for girls but not for boys ... Mrs Caffiere took me under her wing and helped make it okay for me to be a messy, nerdy boy who was reading lots of books." He mentioned how she helped him embrace and grow his curious nature and ask important questions.
She helped him get out of his shell and listened to him. The fact that Bill Gates still remembers her and didn’t hesitate to show the role she played in his life says a lot about her and her exceptional teaching.
5. Anand Kumar
Anand Kumar is a mathematician and an Indian educator. He is known for his super 30 programme in Patna which coaches underprivileged students for IIT-JEE (Entrance examination for IIT). He is so passionate about teaching and his subjects that the students resonate with the same passion.
Image source -The Hindustan Times
By 2018, 422 out of 480 students he coached, made it to the IITs. His genuine devotion to developing capable students resulted in the creation of a film based on his own life.
The above five stories are just gentle reminders of the profound impact a teacher can have on a student. This Teacher’s Day lets go beyond the school culture of presenting gifts and cards and cherish memories and experiences that have contributed to making us who we are, Weather it was the Maths Teacher who threw chalk when you could not get integers rights, your English teacher who always told you to be conscious about your choice of words, your siblings or parents who would always try to come to your rescue a night before an exam or submission or you yourself , when you concerned yourself with the responsibility of another person’s learning.
Celebrate your teachers, surprise them with a phone call or remember them with tons of gratitude.
Happy Teachers Day!
- Written by Sunidhi Shende
- Edited by Maitreyi Mehndiratta
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to join the Board of Young Leaders Program by Eat My News. Click here to know
more: bit.ly/boardofyoungleaders
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