Pushpa Mam

Computer Science department was a very small department in Sahyadri college, with all young teachers. I met Vidya, Savitha, Diana and Suma their. Our department was not having any separate staff room. So we used to share with Mathematics department. We four, And three madams from mathematics department and Somashekar sir. In Maths department, Pushpa mam, Sakuntala mam (sorry I forgot the name of another mam!) were their. Somashekar sir was working as guest lecturer.

It was a strange combination. Lectureres from Computer science department were so young and lectureres from Maths department were all senior lecturers. But we enjoyed like anything. We used to chat and laugh so much that everyone used to complain. In 2004 Pushpa mam retired. But I learnt a lot of things from her. In engineering college, I had never seen students struggling for fee. Parents take care of everything. But in Sahyadri college, I saw so many students, working in garages, shops etc. During the beginning days I used to be angry about few students who were not that regular. Then Pushpa mam told me that they do part time jobs, and how difficult it is for them to balance both the things. Infact during exam time, and beginning of the semester, many students used to come to Pushpa mam, saying that they are not having enough money for fee.

I was still adjusting to that profession. And I used to wonder how come Pushpa mam is having so much patience. Students used to discuss all their problems with mam. It seemed to me as if mam is having infinite memory, which makes her capable of identifying every student. Because in my class around 90 students were their, but I used to remember 10 to 20 people who were good in studies. But it took me some time to realize that it is not extraordinary power it's one's interest.

As years passed, I became mature, my childishness vanished. I don't know how, but I started feeling as if my students are my responsibility. I became more involved in teaching job. And now with in one class I can identify my students. Remembering the names might be difficult, but their faces I can't forget. And not only their face, within 15 days I will come to know the capability of every student. It is not power, it's the feeling that they are my students, which gives us patience to listen to their problems.

How I used to think, why Pushpa mam take so much risk of paying fee for students, listening to their personal problems?. But now I do it. And it is not a risk for me. It gives me pleasure of sharing the problem of my student. I am no more the lecturer who used to keep quite even if her students laughed at her during her first class. I am known as the strict lecturer. I learnt all these things from Pushpa mam. And thank you mam thank you for all those wonderful lessons you gave me.