Here’s an ode to teachers who are the proficient warriors capable of holding the mighty weapon called education in the battle of expertise and wisdom.
Oh, teacher!
A year, year, and another school year,
I waited for each to come and go with my peer.
While the chalks are busy squeaking on the board,
My brain wondered how I even made it through every year,
My hands jumped at the resting pens, ears at the shunned voice of you.
I loathed all your assignments and interactive sessions.
I got temperature standing under the sun to steer clear of your lessons.
Now that I need not do that in this day and age
For I could hide my video in the newly set online stage.
Oh, generous teacher!
I assumed it is behind the times to be well-behaved and voguish to not unmute
Whenever you point me out to answer.
I reckoned it’s outmoded to not keep you yelling.
I pretended to be virtually deaf and dumb to beguile you.
I used the genZ techniques to not illuminate myself.
Prior to the day: the world seemed to be different,
I promptly got adequate light to unearth respect and humanity.
I cognized it was absurd enough to humiliate a teacher.
It was then my pal spoke ill of you in an online class.
It was your sight that’s blurred to come to terms with the shame.
There were your tears trying to bury your face under the esteem.
In front of the young minds you shape and the family you head,
It was your glory that’s dissolved
In the bashful drops rolling down your cheek— vulnerable to dishonor
and your heart in bits— tinged with pensive sadness.
On the spur of the moment, a sharp pang of humanity poked in my heart.
I became aware of the fact that we are all humans.
I discerned how puzzling it is for you to figure out online teaching
How unwelcomed peeping parents and sleeping students are!
Oh, for the passionate teacher! I lamented
We are all pea-brained; failed to segregate amusement from contempt.
I cannot comprehend how we bully a teacher like you,
Determined to brighten up our lives despite the nightmares!
Dear teacher, please never be disheartened and quit.
Look at those loads of hearts and minds you have molded— that’s not all.
You have been a parent to show kindness when there’s not much shown at home.
You have been a mentor to drive us to our goals when we are clueless.
You have been there to encourage us when we desperately want to talk about something but cannot.
You have been our real protagonist to make learning real fun.
So, when you wonder about such an insensible call,
Do recall how you have given wings to our dreams to soar high.
The imprudent us found it reasonable to discomfort you.
When adversities hit and times get tough,
Or, when politics drive you to despair; remember
All the good you have done.
From the true-hearted services to the passion and experiences you have shared with us.
You showered us with your beams of light
That fell on our face— enlightened our perspectives.
Every word you articulated hits differently now.
For you have been the shepherd of time— guiding us into prime.
For the life, you devoted to educating the students by all means,
Despite the cons that are inconsiderable compared to your passion
That enthusiasm and high spirit sparked an interest in what we learn.
We did grasp those theories we never thought we could.
Every day, struggling to pass on your apparently boring lectures,
I miserably failed to see the seeds of motivation and curiosity; you have been planting in us.
Like a duster that turned down the chalk
We turned down the window of opportunity to cherish and treasure
Your zeal to enhance our existence.
Oh, true-blue teacher!
To acknowledge, to grow, and to succeed,
You aided us in fulfilling our potential.
You have always pampered your three loves: love of learning,
Love of learners, and the pure love of bringing the first two loves together.
You have been an awakener more than a teacher.
Your art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.
You have encouraged a sense of leadership and we put our leader down.
There were your insightful talks and us: boneheads who have instincts for mocking.
For you want us to be outspoken— grieved to have us ill-spoken.
When our work goes out of the line,
You were not provoked but looked at us
With your kind eyes and smiled the way someone would at foreigners
Who do not speak the language— that’s how you trained us.
You painted our minds,
Guided our thoughts,
Shared your achievements,
Inspirited a genuine love
For knowledge, truth, and wisdom.
Oh, such disgrace we were!
You endeavored to light our path,
That expertly lead our youth.
For every lesson you teach, our future embellishes.
Every smile you give, our will nourishes.
Every time you motivate us to meet the goals
We travel through the garden of faith.
You have cheered our little minds to think,
Hands to create, and hearts to love from within.
You have been the candle for our lives— consuming yourself
To light up our ways to future— aglow with brilliance.
You helped us out to interpret the authentic sense of a subject
Like a gentle breeze in a soft meadow field.
In a spacious room of wisdom and intellectual enlightenment
Blind we were to not look up to you
Even more sightless to not notice the torch you carry.
You toss your views into the air that float— softly like autumn leaves
Floating around our heads,
Touch our sense— hushedly gliding along our sleeves like a dream.
Your magic wand walks them to our ears
They slowly whisper to open and uncloud our minds.
You are a great teacher, emboldened us
In every way viable
To bring out the shine
For us to gleam like green grass
In the summer— caught the light.
You have always strived hard to unwrap the hidden talents in us.
For every person’s success,
There is an immense light in disguise like you
To show them the way out and to live
The life they found too hard to make it attainable.
Oh, my glorious teacher!
Your profession is a calling.
You are a holy angel in your way— leading your flocks out of the darkness.
We’re beholden day and night
To you and your significant artistry of expression
As these times are going to shape us to a decent human.
For the crack of dawn of every poet, philosopher, or a king,
It all commences with wisdom and a teacher to bring.
I admire you each day, come what may
Not only as a teacher but as a human, you’re the finest.
An ode to teachers on the journey to inspire and enhance our lives will only be summed up when we make it up to them by being realized and responsible.
Last Updated on by jayeeta.saha