In Kerala, where I reside, there are public schools where teachers have a hard time at the beginning of a new academic year. They indulge in “student hunt” - they have to make sure there are adequate number of students getting admitted to their schools or prevent students falling short from their present attendance log. I get in this risky phase not once, but many a times, although I am not at all a fan of going after students. This time, instead of making a poster or ad (I may make one!) to fill in the slots, I thought of resuming the blog.
For the past few months, chiefly my classes and family commitments, kept me engaged, at times stressed - and I was unable to look back here. But there are things I did and happily remember during this time. So here are the few memorable things that resonate with me when I look back.
Travelling - Lots of travelling, I would say. After my husband’s and brother’s arrival in Feb-March 2022, travelling became a weekly affair. From short walks to long inter-state trip, travelling with family was fun. It was a great relief from from the usual work and stuff. I was majorly seeing places other than home and the local area almost after 2 years. I love visiting places, meeting people, roaming around at unusual times, trying good food - the list can go on. Travelling is learning. And I had this in ample measure this time, which I wish and look forward still further.
Malayalam - I love Malayalam, the language. Even though I majored in English, it has not reduced my love for Malayalam. I had great Malayalam teachers in school and I am indebted to my community also for this passion for my mother tongue. This time, I had wonderful classes with my relative who was preparing for 10th boards. Inorder to teach, I had to research and learn, which in turn was a rewarding experience.
Music - Restarting music classes was an all-time ambitious goal I carried. I had to stop it for a while after marriage and I had this constant questioning within me whether I could take it up after having my son as well. I am very much grateful to my husband and family for staying supportive in this regard. I am yet to find what music has actually in store for me. But, all through my experience of learning, it has taught me to stay focused, be attentive, to listen to sing and not take talent for granted. It also has taught me the invaluable lesson of patience and practice. I think I have more to add on this, but not this time, may be later.
Family - I took Jordan Peterson’s Future Authoring programme towards the end of last year. It was really an eye-opener for me. It was a time consuming and draining effort. However, it helped me to have some clarity (still there are grey areas!) in shortlisting what actually mattered to me. One goal that got prioritized in my list was family. I am not a big-time family-driven person. After getting married and especially after having a kid, my priority on family changed. And I realized, I am not well-equipped here as well. It has now become a part of my research and learning - building “a happy healthy family”. Just as everyone, when arguments turn up in relationships, I try all other means - make my part clear OR avoid it OR be overcome by it. Still worse, seek for somebody else to give a suggestion/solution. I had to learn a hard lesson, nothing of these work consistently and the emotional toil and burden it leaves is unpredictable! Thanks to Dr Gary Chapman’s Five Languages of Love and of Apology. I bought his book, took his quiz and started experimenting. It has become a fun activity and I see evident changes!
OET - It is the fifth year I am into the field of OET and the third year of online training. The third year of entrepreneurship(totally accidental!) I always loved teaching and learning. ALWAYS. I call myself an eternal student which draws me to teaching. I love research, learning, taking on problems, finding solutions and passing it on to someone who would benefit. Most of my students are working elsewhere and take time from their free hours. I respect them for their time and effort and it also inspires me to help them as much as I can. Since most of my sessions are either one-on-one or tiny group sessions, I get the opportunity to know them better. When students who clear the test, reach their dream destinations, I feel extremely proud and blessed. When I see the pictures of families getting reunited - wives with their husbands, children with their mothers or in any other happy faces/talks mode - there is the sense of extreme satisfaction and gratitude I feel for this life. It is something beyond all the normal pleasures of the world. When students do not clear, I visualize them reaching where they want someday, at present, they just have to wait and work for some more time. I strongly believe in what Maya Angelou once said. We can “try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” It’s worth the try!
So that’s it for today! I hope this practice of writing continues.
😀👍
Feels there's some sort of similarities in taste and thoughts of nine🤩