“Aastha…it’s Tuition and not ‘Tution’…it’s Postponed and not ‘Postpond’…You are going to write both these words 100 times!” she said. It got me grumpy then but now, I could not thank her more for all her rebuke.

Mrs. Prabha Kishore, who happens to be a favourite English teacher of lots of students, is my super favourite too. Not just favourite, she is my Morrie from Tuesdays with Morrie, yes that one person in my life I have endless admiration for and turn to for knowledge and advice.

We had a lot of catching up to do. We had been chatting for three hours nonstop. “Remember Swarn? Well, he is a professional photographer now. Remember Saurabh? He is working in Google now.’ I better share only excerpts from our conversation with you, else I’ll end up writing a complete thesis.

How long have you been teaching?

First and the foremost, I never wanted to be a teacher. After I finished my Masters in Educational Psychology from MS University Baroda, I just wished to get married, but my father urged me to go and do B.Ed and be an independent girl. My parents got me admitted in Ajmer also, but I didn’t go. And then I got a good job offer from a residential public school, Motilal Nehru School of Sports Rai, Sonipath, run by the government fund.

It was a novel experiment of running a public school from the government reserves by an IAS officer. I went ahead with the selection process and got in, despite not having a degree.

Wow, a fluke that went right!

Although my mentor insisted that I needed to have a B.Ed degree, otherwise it would become my Achilles heel. I told him that I was not going to parents for the money. So he said he’d arrange for funds for me and made me sign a bond. I did my B.Ed and topped in both Punjab and Haryana, also won a gold medal and got lots of job offers. But since I had signed the bond, I had to come back to the school. I fell in love with teaching there.

Tell us more about your students?

I had the challenge of teaching English to children coming from middle and lower-middle-class families. Forty to 45 seats were reserved for the kids of army officers, and that’s where I learnt how to teach. People are trained to teach and then they teach; mine was the other way round. I had to innovate a lot, create my method of teaching.

You’ve got to believe me when I say that her method of teaching is unconventional!

Today from our school we have 58 brigadiers, more than 580 army officers; our children did very very well. My student Sangita is heading DPS Jaipur as a principal, and she speaks excellent English.

What brought you to Jaipur?

I have taught in the school for 25 years. Luckily I married a teacher, a very understanding husband who let me pursue my dream. I got married there on the campus and had two kids on the campus itself. Then, I sought premature retirement to look after my children; my priorities had changed.

So I came to Jaipur and I was completely disappointed by the education system here, it was so commercialized, so fraudulent, even the ‘E’ of education wasn’t available. Schools are in pathetic conditions even today, so I decided to be on my own. I have truly believed that…

I Can Not Change the World; It Is Too Big For Me

But Whatever Little Effort I Can Make And Bring About A Change That Will Go A Long Way!

What did you do next?

I opened a Center For Communicative English where I teach English at all levels…from nursery to primary to secondary to senior secondary to competitive exams for international universities like TOEFL, ILETS, etc.

You are also associated with this NGO called ‘TAABAR’.

TAABAR is an initiative by one of my students. It is a development initiative for street children, a community-based model program for runaway kids, street children who are ultimately rehabilitated. We decided not to open an orphanage because the family is always the first school of a child. Everywhere else they are exploited. So, our volunteers work and collect funds to give good living conditions to the children, till their home is located.

Once their families are found, the kids are admitted to a school of their area. We fund the fee of the school for one year. The child has to report to the police station every day while going or coming back from school. This is to make sure that the child is going to school. We get the feedback from the local Thanas via Internet. I can proudly say that the success ratio has been fantastic; it is 79-80% which I consider pretty impressive.

It is impressive! Diwali celebration with these kiddos must be fun, right?

Every year before Diwali, my children (who come to study) bring clothes that they have outgrown. Two sets of summer and winter dress each. I personally see to it that the clothes are washed, fixed and in good condition. We call the TAABAR kids here (at my place). Children together play in the park. Sometimes, I take them to a mall. So that they see what a mall is. Children share their tiffins with them. The idea is to mainstream the poor kids.

And then in the evening, the children hand over their packets of clothes to the TAABAR kids along with a Diwali Gift inside; a packet that includes – 1 Candle/Dia, 1 Sparkler (phuljhadi), 1 handmade card, chocolates and some dry fruits.

We also celebrate Joy of Giving Week (1^st week of October) with them where my senior students cook for them, and organise a 3-hour workshop. It is our way of bringing joy into their lives. Also, whenever there is a shraadh in my family, instead of feeding the Pandits, I sponsor one day meal for these kids. That’s my way of paying remembrance to the elders of my family.

Despite so much development taking place, Girl Child Education remains to be a grievous issue. How do you think we can empower girls to follow their dreams?

I have adopted two girls as well. I like to empower girls in whatever way I can. When my girls do so well in life – some of them are businesswomen, jewelry designers, for me this is empowerment. I do not wish to look at the darker side which I know is a reality, I inculcate these values into my students that they have to be strong and empowered. I will never tell you just to surrender and become a doormat of the house. No!

With Suman, one of the girls she had adopted.

That’s right, a small change requires a little effort.

It requires that strength from inside and you need somebody to counsel you to bring that power out. I have students who are widows. I don’t ask them to discard their families. Families are not to be discarded. But, empowering them for their self-esteem and confidence is very necessary. My father always said, “If you have got to be Rock, be a good one.”

About your family, are they supportive of the work that you’re doing?

My Mother was called a Stalwart by the Rajmata. She was a strong and level-headed woman who empowered all her children to pursue their dreams.

What do you see when you look back?

It is so strange that teaching has become my biggest passion, especially when I never wanted to be a teacher. I don’t do it for rewards. My rewards are when students like Aastha walk in, *What? Me? Yaaaayyyy…* when they are in renowned universities doing very well. Every child has a potential. You just have to unfold that potential.I would want to be reborn as a teacher.
What exactly do you think is wrong with our educational system?

The teachers these days are doing injustice to the children and the whole institution has become a commercial complex. The basics are not taught, value education has gone for a toss, and authorities want only fees and numbers. Children are not going out of class for activities, they are not playing. Nothing is actually done to bring out the talent of a child. Selected students get highlighted again and again. There is no counselling in any school, they have a counselor for the namesake. In my opinion, every child needs counselling.

Time for some fun now. *Wink, wink…*

A phrase that you use a lot while scolding children.

I scold a lot. I’m terrible! Take it or Leave It!

An incident of the most notorious kid.

On my 55th birthday, my students created such a mess with chocolate cake mixed with sand. *What? In the screechiest voice possible* I was in such a muddle. Since then, I stopped celebrating my birthday; I generally declare it an off for that day.

I also don’t approve of the avalanche of gifts and flowers that take place.

Something that your students did that will always be special for you.

When they make a Mother’s Day card for me after making one for their Mother. There was this time when I lost my three dogs and was very upset. One of my students who is specially-abled asked why I was upset and whether I was missing my dogs. Next morning, he got me a small little doggie called Twitter.

And then I signed off just like I used to when I was her student. “Thank You, Ma’am. Bye Ma’am. See You Tomorrow Ma’am.”

This interview was first published on October 10, 2016.