Making of a mental acrobat

With teaching, my memory will only get better as I get older

One, two, three, four — what’s the answer? Not sure! This is the tune running through my mind currently. April is the time when the majority of people plan to go on vacation. But it’s not the same for teachers, particularly for those who train students for competitive exams such as the Common Entrance Test (CET). This year, I got to teach some batches of students at a coaching institute of repute. The work environment is akin to a mother’s house for a daughter; everyone in and around me, from my boss to the non-teaching staff, makes sure that I am comfortable. And yes, the place is close to my mother’s house, and I was thrilled to have the luxury of eating hot food cooked and served by my mother.

One such afternoon, while having lunch, my mother sounded angry as she said, “See, Eat, Tea.” I immediately responded, “Yes, yes, Amma, I am preparing for CET.” She burst out laughing, “Oh dear! See your plate, eat food, and have tea, is what I said.” 

The common refrain from my friends and mother now is “I haven’t seen you studying so hard for any of your own exams.” I agree because understanding a subject is easy, but teaching someone else, especially when there are constraints such as time and accuracy, is challenging. The difficulty level climbs up a notch if the subject you are teaching is mathematics.

How would CET coaching help teachers? Well, I can relate to that very well. It feels like an athlete is preparing for a race. So the first question the student would ask is, “How to solve one question in one minute?” As a teacher, I have to be really careful, quick, and nimble; I must imagine myself as a champion of high-jump and long-jump. After all, solving the question quickly requires skipping steps to ensure that I land at the accurate answer safely. As I get older, my memory is sure to improve with these mental acrobatics. That’s because I had to revise, recall, and repeat the process of solving problems many times before, during, and after class. I am quite sure it would be the same for all my fellow teachers as well.

So is it all worth spending a month of time in the summer with books when I see others on vacation and my children wait for the same? Yes, it’s among the best ways to polish your brain and hone your analytical skills to interpret better. Because the best way to learn is to teach. Meeting a different crowd of students every year also teaches you how to handle situations with your own children. What about vacation? We will go. Apna time aayega (our time will come).