The Jester Who Reigned Supreme

There are several reasons for which I consider Std. VIII-A as the base upon which the pillars of my present life rests. It was the cornerstone of a transition from timid,mindless obedience to increased involvement in class activities, and also, to an extent, the bursting of my ego bubble. I have no qualms in admitting that prior to 8th, i was...in lenient terms, a "a dull,lonely,arrogant snob"....Some may wish to use harsher(and more demeaning) words, but I feel these are enough to convey the essential! Though that does not imply that I'm an angel now, at the very least, I feel a lot better about myself personally!

Something that I will cherish forever is the FREEDOM that I felt in 8-A. I have always stated that, of all my teachers, SHIRLEY Ma'am will always remain dearest to my heart. She is the first, and perhaps the only teacher, who I've felt connected to on such a personal level! Her down-to-earth, understanding and amiable nature have earned her my allegiance right from my very first Hindi class to my final one in 10th and beyond.........May God Bless Her!

But 8-A brought me another period in our daily schedules which gave me almost as much joy as every Hindi class. Maths had always been among my favourite subjects, but my love for the subject had always remained a cut above my liking for my subject teacher(s), until 8th Std. ANANTHA KUMAR SIR....or AKS(read as अक्स , not as initials) for short, is definitely among the most dynamic personalities in the teaching profession. His rating strictly as a teacher would probably have been 7 or 7.5 upon 10 at most, but as an educator, i'd struggle to award him any less than 9. The reason I distinguish the two is because of his ability to establish connections with his students on a personal level, which forms an integral part of the curriculum of holistic education. His openness and comical nature set his students at ease, which, over my 14 years of schooling, I have found to be an accomplishment which few educators can boast of regardless of their towering CVs! The freedom we enjoyed in his classes was unique! Students, when given freedom, tend to misuse it through internal discussions, rather than improving student-teacher interaction! Yet, that barrier was hardly ever a factor in AKS' classes......wise-cracks and doubts were shared with equal willingness!

He was witty, humorous, had strange mannerisms (like rubbing his hairy neck, which seemed to itch quite often when Praveen or George interrupted class), and was....all in all, a goofball, but an endearing one at that. His dialogues were perhaps not incredibly witty, but his delivery was OUTSTANDING. Even his most repetitive dialogues never failed to draw peels of giggling laughter, thanks to his "unique" English accent and beaver-like grin!....His outwardly friendly nature bore an impact upon us all. Our self-consciousness ebbed away, replaced by the rare ability of laughing at one's own mistakes. It lightened the atmosphere and made learning in class, believe it or not, enjoyable. I believe that as a person, I benefited tremendously from his short tenure at our school, for I learnt to loosen up, break away from the moulds which sought to shape my life like all others, to think out-of-the-box, and to exploit my freedom to be MYSELF with no fear of societal pressures. It was also the first time that punishments appeared enjoyable rather than grim or degrading! In that regard, my peers were far ahead of me, but I felt glad to have been given a start! He was a man who showed little hesitation in letting out his inner child and interacting with students on their own terms, a quality that is truly to be envied!

TRADEMARK DIALOGUES :

* "GEORGE MATHEW (pronounced as JORJ MAATHUU) , YOU GO TO CAGE!!"
(CAGE implying the gap between the door and the blackboard, usually
reserved only for the dust-bin)
* "WHAT MAN??" (the standard reply to anything half-amusing or bemusing)
* "WHAT MAN, LIVING IN INDIA AND DREAMING OF PAKISTAN??"
(directed at day-dreamers)

For these, and a multitude of other reasons, I, and undoubtedly all my fellow classmates from the legendary 8-A, and the other privileged few who studied under him, shall bear fond memories of AKS for years to come. Though he may have appeared to be the court jester, his subjects accorded him respect due to none less than a king !