DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM … A TEACHER

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam always used to say that he would like to be remembered as a teacher. He grabbed every opportunity to teach students. Administering a pledge on national development to the youth was his passion.

Minutes before his end came on Monday 27^th July 2015, Dr. Kalam was teaching students at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong.

“Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber and future of an individual… youth have a dream and also they have a pain. The pain comes out of their dream; they want to live in a prosperous, happy and peaceful India. This type of student’s environment ignites me and leads me to interact with young minds”, he said in an interview.

“One of the very important characteristics of a student is to question. A teacher should have a creative mind and encourage questions. At times, I find that teachers are in a hurry to finish the syllabus. But, there should always be discussion”, the former Indian President said during the course of the interview to national daily newspaper, The Hindu.

Retracing back to one of my memories about Dr. Kalam, on 22 December 2007, during the foundation week of CIE, Department of Education, Delhi University, where he delivered a lecture whose words have been etched upon my mind since then.

He summoned the prospective & existing faculty staff to commit themselves to his 11 commandments  for a proficient teacher.

1.  First and foremost, I will love teaching. Teaching will be my soul.
2. I realize that I am responsible for shaping not just students but ignited youths who are the most powerful resource under the earth, on the earth and above the earth. I will be fully committed for the great mission of teaching.
3. As a teacher, it will give me great happiness, if I can transform, an average student of the class to perform exceedingly well.
4. All my actions with my students will be with kindness and affection like a mother, sister, father or brother.
5. I will organise and conduct my life, in such a way that my life itself is a message to my students.
6. I will encourage my students and children to ask questions and develop the spirit of enquiry, so that they blossom into creative enlightened citizens.
7. I will treat all the students equally and will not support any differentiation on account of religion, community or language.
8. I will continuously build the capacities in teaching so that I can impart quality education to my students.
9. I will celebrate the success of my students.
10. I realise by being a teacher, I am making an important contribution to all the national development initiatives.
11. I will constantly endeavour to fill my mind with great thoughts and spread the nobility in thinking and action among my students.