HIGHS :
The chocolates and toffees that accompany my students' b'days. Most of which I pass on to weight-oblivious family members.
The authority to order people about and inform them that you are the law.
Eating lunch on time, just like the students.
The permission to give free advice without being considered didactic.
The liberty to dress up in and consider looking good part of your daily responsibility :-)
Saying something as inane as " I presume you have only one father, then why on earth are you not writing 'dad' or 'father' with a capital letter at the beginning of the word in your letter-writing classwork ?" and getting away with it. (Although the students did look suitably scandalised. And for a minute, I myself was like " Shit, I'll be fired.")
Being praised profusely for your creativity in something as trivial as the cover of your lesson-plan file.
Getting to read all the poems and stories and plays you loved in college all over again. And interpreting them anew.
Students giving up their rickshaw for you, although they were before you in the queue.
Being able to quail a human being just by glaring at him/her long enough ;-)
LOWS :
Losing my voice every weekend. Hoping to regain it by two days of silence and the absence of the species called students anywhere within a 10 mile radius.
Losing sleep over the preparation of lesson plans of 3 classes for the whole year.
Having to scold the tiny creatures of classes IV over trifles such as
"Miss, he is beating."
"Miss, she is kicking."
"Miss, he is spitting."
"Miss, he is laughing (at me)."
"Miss, he is saying/writing bad things."
"Miss, they have changed their places (without your permission)."
Bringing home piles of unchecked exercise books (a la dirty laundry).
Losing sleep over the pathetic state of their grammar, syntax and bizarre spellings.
Being allotted a specific chair and position in the staffroom, which you are not at liberty to change.
Not being able to wear just what your mood dictates to work (in my case, usually jeans and a T-shirt).
Checking the tendencies of young teenagers to flirt with their preferred 'other', while in class.
Using my precious voice to answer the same silly questions everyday as in :
"Miss, may I drink water ?"
"Miss, may I go to (the) toilet ?"
"Miss, may I share the book (having forgotten to bring mine, as usual) ?"
Missing out on my daily quota of maachh-bhaat and afternoon nap because of the school timings.
NOTE : This is a fun post. Not meant to trivialise school teachers or the teaching profession in any way.
