Since we spend so much time of our lives in schools, perhaps it’s inevitable that we will develop feelings towards some of the individuals who go through so much pain and patience to share their knowledge with us. i just wanted to share my thoughts regarding two such teachers who crossed my path.
Mrs. Hameeda (from Pakistani School in Abu Dhabi) and Professor Wilson (from Canada) - Mrs. Hameeda was the school’s unofficial grandmother, always taking care of everyone, a perpetual smile playing on her face. She was Pakistani but she always used to wear a sari. On top of the sari, she used to wear (this was standard required attire for all teachers in my school) a flowing black robe. So when she used to walk down the halls, the fabric from the sari and robe used to flow behind her…making her look elegant. She had a shock of completely white hair which it seemed she rarely used to brush; she carried this huge, soft, black bag that used to contain her three essentials: a red pen, samosas wrapped in a napkin, and her box of paan. Sometimes, if some of the girls had forgotten their lunches, she would share her samosas with them. She never hit anyone (even though we did deserve to be disciplined because some of us were genuine brats). i remember her talking about her brother in Canada who had got frostbite on his left ear, and how there were places in the world so cold that if you went outside without proper attire, some of your external appendages (like fingers, ears, etc.) could get frostbite. Little did i ever imagine i would be living in one of those God-forsaken cold climates She was more than a teacher to some of us, she was like an elderly female rishtidaar, the type of grandmotherly figure who sits up with you late at night and tells you ‘jinn-bhoot’ kahaniyaan while brushing your hair and chewing paan. This does not negate from the fact that her teaching skills were exemplary as well, but she managed to teach us without making us fear her. She was very, very loving and caring.
Professor Wilson… what can i say about him. At a time when i wasn’t certain at all of what i wanted to study, he guided me… gave me his undivided attention whenever i used to visit his office. Most of all, i think what i appreciated the most, is that he spoke to me one-on-one on his own level, not how some professors speak in a condescending manner to their students. On the last day of class, he got a standing ovation from our entire class - all the guys went upto the front of the class to shake his hands and thank him. i’ve never seen that happen in any class in my uni life. His teaching skills were such that he created a passion and an interest in the subject. And deep down inside, once you go to know him, he was so open-minded [we discussed Islam numerous times], so polite and so interesting.
hmmm there are other teachers who made a lasting impression on me, too… but don’t wanna put anyone to sleep Anyone have fav/worst professors they’d like to talk about?
Hmmm, I remember one teacher from grade school who was scary. She used to hit us with her ruler if we were not printing our letters properly. That year, I had a bad habit of slipping my shoes off of my feet when I worked at my desk. On little boy took my shoes and threw them out the window when this teacher walked to the office. When we had to line up for lunch, I was barefooted and in big trouble:) She hit my feet with her ruler! I did not like 2nd grade at all!!
Now that I am in the university, I have many wonderful professors. They are wonderful and understanding . . .and do not hit us with rulers
actually nadia…you gave way for me to release all my pent up hatred
in class 5…our discipline incharge…i forgot his name…mr pareira or something…
that man…was soooooooooo rude to me i can never EVER EVER forgive him…he really really insulted me…kasmay when i think abt it …
coz of not even my own fault but someobody elses [ive always been a super shareef tameezdaar student], i was sent out of the class and he came by and he’s randomly like ‘you’re such a trouble maker i wish i could slap you’
can you believe it?
i dint say anything, but i cried so much afterwards and for days i felt sad abt it…
i used to HATE him…HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE :s
Ohh, Irem - what a nasty thing to say to you by a teacher! grrrrr Makes me wonder why some ever chose the profession. What was the nicest thing a teacher ever said to you?
Teaching is one of the most sacred profession one can chose to follow...For many, it is greatly satisfying, knowing the fact that they have helped spread knowledge, whatever little knowledge it might be…and that someone will actually benefit from that…I do believe that regardless of how “useless” a thing looks when its being taught, its never useless…if nothing else, u learn “how to learn” properly in different circumstances :)
People in this profession ultimately want the best for their students…even if their “disciplining” methods are questionable, deep down they believe that it will somehow help the person later on in life…I am not saying that’s the case with all the people all the time…after all, they are also human, some probably do err every now and then…
Based on that, I can’t really label anyone that I’ve come across as as “bad” teacher…
And there have been teachers who’ve left an ever-lasting impression…people who not only taught the subjects they were supposed to, but also taught us about life…there was Mr. Rasheed in Pakistan, who taught me Cambridge I and II Biology…a very very down to earth and hard-working individual who had been through a lot in his life…he had lost his parents at a very early age…had one elder sis who was married, so ended up living there for the earlier part…she wasn’t workin however, and eventually he was left to fend for himself after he had done his FSc…so he started doin the odd jobs here n there, scrapin money together to survive and to put himself thru univ…and he worked a few yrs at a tandoor makin rotiyaaN at nite, and studying all day in the univ…he managed to graduate with honours and after that he started teaching…he learned a lot through lifes experience, and he tried to instill the same hard-work and humbleness in all of his students…
I also remember Dr. Bradley from a second year humanities course here in Canada…First time he walked in class, no one thought he was a prof…he was wearing khaki shorts and a T-shirt, had a back-pack with a torn shoulder strap and a pretty big beard…if first impressions make or break a person, well my first impression was its just a guy takin the course :D He turned out to be the coolest prof I’ve ever had…the course material had a lot of reading (a 900 page course-kit containing articles in microprint to start off, plus 3 more books) and wasn’t all that “interesting”…he made it interesting though by doing different things…and the class was also pretty huge (almost 1000 students) and yet he was always very attentive, prompt and courteous whenever someone needed guidance from him…I ended up dropping that course though, couldn’t finish it cuz I got 2 bz with work and the course load was simply 2 heavy for me to handle…took the course the following year…it was someone else teachin the course and the course wasn’t even half as interesting as Prof. Bradley had made it…the way Prof. Bradley had taught the course, it actually made me think and i acquired the necessary analyzing and critiquing skills which helped me in all other course as well...
I think I’ll stop now :D this post has been long enuf already :p
Worst teacher: class 6 & 7 - Mrs. Ashraf (karachi public school)
Mrs. Ashraf if you're reading this....I HATE you!!!
Worst teacher#2: class 3 Sir Daruwala (karachi public school)
still remember those scars from his beating. also as a punishment once asked the whole class to stop talking to me for a week. what an @$$
Come to think of it...all professors in pakistan sucked big time...I hate them all.
The nicest thing…hmmm…many things…but the one that comes to my mind right away…my undergrad advisor…Tom Langenstein…i LOVED him so sooo much…he was a wonderful wonderful advisor…this one quarter my grades really sucked :S and i was talking to him in his office…and i was really really down…felt bad abt my performance :S as i was leaving his office, i heard his voice from behind, IREM, i turned around, and he’s like, YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M PROUD OF YOU AND I HAVE FAITH IN YOU…
i just said…thanks Tom…and came out…but it brought tears to my eyes i can never ever forget those words he said…i really needed to hear that that day
Irem, awwwww. Mr. Pareira sounds AWFUL. i dunno why, some are like that. It reminds me of an Arab teacher we used to have, Mrs. Maha…when she didn’t like some of the students, she used to throw chalk at us :o hahaha … i can laugh about it now, but back then - it was pure torture to have her as a teacher. i’m sure she felt it was pure torture to have US as her students She never threw chalk at me though :~/ Just my friends
Anahndi, Thanks i’ve had lots of experiences with rulers…metal rulers, wooden rulers, you name it, i’ve seen them all They used to devise weird punishments for us… like putting a pencil inbetween the knuckles of your finger, then use a ruler to hit you on the knuckles… creative though i must admit.
Desimunda, That was SO TOUCHING to read. Do you know what happened to him? Where is he now? Is he doing alright? Is he happily married? How is he yaar? Do you know anything of how he’s doing now?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts yaar; that was a fabulous post
Some teachers can have that lasting impression upon you that Irem’s Mr. Langenstein had… they leave you with so much faith and teach you to believe in yourself. They enter a very challenging profession, but (most of them) don’t let their passion and love for their job, fade away over the years.
wow you guys really do know your teachers. I can't ever remember being so close to any of my tutors at high school. I think if I went back, if any of them are still there, none of them would remember me. Most of the teachers we had taught subjects for an hour or two a week for a just a term, and thats if they weren't supply teachers! We didn't get to bond much. Primary School was different. It was smaller to start of with. One of my earliest memories are of my Head of School. I was 4 years old and first few days at school, I think I'd forgotten my school lunch, so Mr Jones takes me into his office and offers up his lunch box for me to eat. I didn't eat of course - it was salad - but a great, practical lesson in sharing. Another time he dropped me off home from school when I was late in being picked up, although I only lived 10 minutes away. He was a great old man.
Another one of my primary all-star champions was Mr Walker. At the time he was probably a twenty-something but boy did he have a reputation for making boys and girls tremble with his sarky comments, with his gangsta style East London ways. I'd been victim to his vitriol once so I hated him. By Year 6, he was my form tutor and from day one, his one-to-one prep talks so affected my life, it was amazing. He was most definitely my best teacher ever. I'd love to meet him now, if I could.
I'll see if I can do something so that we can have a "Dedication to our Mentors" thread. I've always wanted to formally thank some of my teachers who've made a difference in my life, and what better way than to thank them at large.
The first ever teacher who made a difference in my life - late Mr. Siddique in Emirates Private School. He invigorated the mathematician in me, and only God knows where I would have been if it weren't for him. I mean, that's been the career foundation for me. He was harsh and strict, but very effectual. His death came at a time when I was getting ready to leave the country for further studies, and in my heart I regretted it so much that I couldn't thank him for his help. I was around 13, and that's the first time I remember crying on someone's death. In fact, a lot of students who used to resist his ways were taken aback by his untimely death. It was an experience since it showed me how attached you can be to someone from within no matter how you behave at the exterior.
The second key teacher/mentor for me was Mr. Kamran Malik in Pakistan who was my A-Levels Business studies teacher and the school Principal. He showed me what hard work meant - he had his ways to motivate students and encourage them to go beyond textual knowledge. I was about 15 by then, and that was the first time I realized the meaning of appreciation and recognition. He would take me to the front of the class exclaiming his confidence in me as a student, and purporting that I would get straight As' in my A-Levels. I did manage to get As'... and some Bs' - kind of let him down, but just to experience that level of confidence through someone else can do wonders for a person.
Finally my current Ph.D. supervisor, Dr. Brian Detlor - he's an amazingly wonderful supervisor - understanding and considerate unlike a lot of other people at his level. He's been the major reason that I stuck to my University for pursuing a Ph.D. instead of going elsewhere even though there were opportunities.
Kudos to all those who've made a positive difference in our lives, and may God grant us all the power and spur to pass it on to others inshaAllah.
Dr. Bryan, he substituted for our chemistry professor today (who went out of town). He is simply charming, and the youngest professor on campus. I think I fancy him.
One of my English professors at the University was extremely handsome, charismatic, and humorous. He taught American Short Story, World Poetry, and the 18th Century Novel classes I had to take during my sophomore and junior years. Though many of his classes had the potential to be very boring, he made poetry and prose come alive.
He would read to us, explain the humor in a writer’s work, and then he would laugh so hard and loud. Or he would read a poem, a dark poem about the torment a child’s death has on a marriage, and tears would be in his eyes. The whole class would simply sit in awe of this man’s teaching style.
Even though I am a science major, he was my favorite. Easy to develop a crush on someone you find funny and intelligent:blush:
Sir Sheikh was a teacher in the Pakistani school in Khober. he was not an ordinary man. most people think one way but he was always on another plane. his life was threatened many times in Pakistan when he refused to change students' marks for bribes but he refused to budge. even in Khober he often used to speak out against the corrupt administration. he gave more than just his time to his students, he used to pour his heart and soul into them.
it's been more than ten years since we last met and unfortunately we parted on less than cordial terms because of my mistake and stupidity. now, I heard that he moved to Bahrain and became the principal of a school there. if I ever meet him again in this lifetime, I'll beg him to forgive me as cliched as that may sound. the most powerful impact on my life was this man's.
Prof Smith was less of a teacher and more of an entertainer. he only taught one class and it used to be a continuous three-hour session. But nobody in the class would breathe when he talked and he talked for three hours more or less continuously. very, very gifted speaker. incredibly intelligent and friendly person. I remember him staying behind and talking to his student till 11:30 pm though he had to drive to Toronto after the class from KW. he is also the CEO (I believe) of his own company. he only teaches because he knows he has a gift for teaching and wanted to share it with his students. otherwise he has no need for the petty financial renumeration that he gets from the school, methinks. anybody who teaches or has an aspirations as a teacher should go and study his methods.
Ms. Sellers was a math teacher in high school. very reserved, dignified kinda person. I was prolly the only student who joked around with her. very devoted and dedicated to what she did. I heard some time ago that she retired. very nice teacher, will always remember her.
the worst teacher/prof: there've been many but the one that stands out is Abid Ch. who used to teach us O-level biology. he was renowned for his mental torture techniques. people used to make their decision to go into pre-engineering or premed based on whether he was teaching Bio the next year or not. he once openly told a very good and smart friend of mine that he wouldn't get an A in Bio just before our final exams. not only did the guy get an A in Bio, he was third in class. then he went on to UPenn, recently graduated and has a job as asn investment banker lined up. :) Abid saab scarred so many people for life that sometimes it takes guys 5-10 years before they gather the courage to talk about his abuse. to this day, stories keep coming. one of the saddest people I ever met.
A beautiful thread indeed.. I guess I needed it since I am missing my family n teachers from back home..To start with, Sir Layaqat at a public school in Pakistan was the teacher who actually made me study and appreciated every single step towards success. Moreover, he is still in touch with my family and inquires about my studies and progress here in the US. He loved working with students and surely encouraged me to pursue my dreams as he was the one who took me to the national level debates, quiz programs in different schools and enhanced my knowledge outside the text books. He just gave me fairly an indication that I am unique and fascinating and he just wants me to make his proud in future... I hope, I dun disappoint him in my life. I must admit, if it wasn't for him, I might not have ever thought of going back to my old school and visit my teachers whenever I went back to Pakistan in last three years.
Another professor who played an important role in my life is surely Madam Sultana at Islamabad College for grls...she was a strict Biology teacher and a very tough teacher to get good grades, for instance, she would give you no credit for putting in Crick and Watson instead of Watson and Crick who discovered the model of DNA.. so you can see her grading standard was different and inflexible. But, she was my inspiration while living on campus there as she was around too and would be up anytime I needed help.. she gave me midnite mitosis and meiosis tutorials just to make sure I did understand that stuff quite well. Basically, she was the one who built up my foundation and desire for undergraduate studies in Biology. She criticized me alot but never demeaned me.. I wish I had words to say Thanx to Ms.Sultana for all her efforts and hardwork.
yeah my undergrad Advisor Brian O'Connor is in the list too.. I took Physiology with him n loved it just because he was passionate about his subject and had the skills to keep students attentive in the class for almost 1 and half hr... His lectures, review sessions, exams were the living proof of his enthusiasm and surely a very organized way to judge the compatibility and preparation of a student. He exactly knew how to take best out of a student and never accepted less than what you are... I wish I could have stayed in his class forever :$ and Thanx to him for making horrible high level Physiology a piece of cake for us.
I never ever had a worst professor in my life.. should I consider myselfy lucky but then I surely missed something that everyone is talking about. :-)
She was more than a teacher to some of us, she was like an elderly female rishtidaar, the type of grandmotherly figure who sits up with you late at night and tells you ‘jinn-bhoot’ kahaniyaan while brushing your hair and chewing paan. This does not negate from the fact that her teaching skills were exemplary as well, but she managed to teach us without making us fear her. She was very, very loving and caring.
Anyone have fav/worst professors they’d like to talk about?
mannnnnnnnnnnnnn she was seriously something 
i can never ever forget those words he said…i really needed to hear that that day 
i dunno why, some are like that. It reminds me of an Arab teacher we used to have, Mrs. Maha…when she didn’t like some of the students, she used to throw chalk at us :o hahaha … i can laugh about it now, but back then - it was pure torture to have her as a teacher. i’m sure she felt it was pure torture to have US as her students 
She never threw chalk at me though :~/ Just my friends 