Walking down the same corridors

For most people, going back to college means organising a reunion and taking extra efforts to make it possible. But for those who’ve studied at a particular college and gone back to teach there, it is a nostalgic ride with its share of responsibilities.

With Teacher’s Day today, Metrolife speaks to teachers across the City, who admit that they feel joy in coming back to campus to work. Swati Rao, a lecturer of fashion and design at KLE Fashion Apparel and Design college, says that she feels it’s the best way to compensate for all the support she got from her college. “Despite having moved to NIFT and even the UK for a brief while, I knew that I had to come back and be a part of this campus again.

There’s so much this college has offered me. The best way to give back is by offering the skills I acquired from here, back to the same place,” says Swati.

Most of them feel a sense of belonging when they come back to the same campus for work. “I see pride in the faculty’s eyes when they include me as a team member. There’s a sense of bonding which wouldn’t exist at another workplace,” shares Anupama Arani, who teaches project management and industrial relations at Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College for Women.

Other teachers who joined their own campus say that they want to contribute to better the college. Jenin Raj S, a lecturer of journalism branch of Kristu Jayanti College, says that during his college days, the department didn’t have all the requirements for their course.

“I always wanted to come back and teach here. I try to keep myself updated about the latest technology and incorporate it into the classes, so as to train the students for today’s media,” details Jenin.

Jenin jokes that despite being part of the staff now, he still addresses his faculty members as ‘madam’ and ‘sir’ and feels honoured to be part of the team which trained him.

When a workplace meets the employee’s requirements, it is the ultimate dream come true.

Manash Jyoti Mitra, a lecturer with RV Institute of Management, came back to teach here with the department of marketing as he believes in the values of the institute.

“When I stepped into college as a student, I remember being pleasantly surprised by the emphasis on culture and tradition, and I’m really glad to be back here,” he comments. Having experienced the campus as a student and now as a teacher, Manash says that the experience is different. “There is a greater sense of responsibility now,” he says.