This article is dedicated to my mom who has been teaching and nurturing young children for the last 30 odd years.
Well, there was just one small thing that my mom hated in her teaching profession - " Exam paper correction". These were the times when gloom would fill her up and she would hunt for people to help her in the correction chore. Well, it was run-time for me. Sometimes my dad would be the sufferer and would help her in totalling up the marks. Well, that my mom had to redo the correction again after he did it, was another matter. He would however argue judiciously, "So what if they get an extra mark here and there, poor things! As if it would make that much of a difference!" ...and so the correction saga would continue. For me and my cousins, it was mainly correcting the fill-in-the-blanks or the one-word answers cuz we could not be trusted with more.
And so we would start with a frown! However, I must say that my mom's students did make it amusing for us most of the times. The extent of creativity that children can show while answering exam papers is truly amazing. They were so funny that we used to literally fall off our chairs laughing. Mom used to feel offended and would snatch the papers from us!
Well, I should say that most of her students are doing great in life right now and in the coolest jobs. We all write hideously some time or the other in our childhood (or even later)!
Here are some master pieces that are forever imprinted in my mind:
1. What are the two great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?
- Mahindra and Hariappa.
2. Who is the Prime Minister of India?
- Mr. Watch-pie.
3. Can you suggest a slogan for eradicating illetracy?
- Each one eat one.
(They were taught - Each one teach one)
4. What is the importance of the following: Mt.Everest, Delhi, Mount Batten, Mrs Annie Besant.
- Annie Besant climbed Mount Batten.
and so on and on............
Well, the wonderful yesteryears!! The wonder years!!
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