Teachers are born, not made
Three decades ago, my educational journey commenced a path that fills me with immense pride today. While it didn’t follow a straight line, it carried a profound purpose. Initially, I aspired to walk in the footsteps of my father, a dedicated lawyer.I had spent my childhood admiring him, observing from behind the curtains as he meticulously prepared his legal cases. The legal world appeared to be my destined path.
But destiny weaves its intricate tales. My dream of pursuing law was shattered when the university offering the program was too distant from my home and provided classes only in the evenings. With this door closed, I embarked on a new educational adventure, enrolling in a Master’s program in English Literature.
During those years, Punjab was engulfed in turmoil, and our family endured tragic losses — not just one but two beloved members. We mourned the passing of my brother, a doctor, and my father, a revered lawyer.Faced with these unsettling circumstances, we sought refuge in a safer location.
It was during this tumultuous period that the pieces of my educational journey began falling into place. I joined a school, and on my class roster, there was a special needs student, someone whose learning requirements differed from their peers. It was at this pivotal moment that the question crystallized in my mind: “Why do all students learn differently?”
As I delved deeper into the realm of teaching, I began to unravel the complexities of education, its challenges, and its profound impact on individuals. Through years of unwavering commitment and hard work, I not only became a teacher but also assumed various roles, including that of a school counselor, principal, and, ultimately, a district-level special education administrator in the USA. My journey even took me to international platforms, where I became an advocate and speaker for Universal Design for Learning, a framework aimed at addressing the diverse needs of all learners.
Reflecting on my journey, I can’t help but swell with pride regarding my path as an educator. It might not have been the route I initially envisioned, but it has allowed me to make a lasting difference in the lives of countless students, including those with special needs. My experiences have provided me with a unique perspective on the beauty of diversity in learning, and I’ve come to realize that becoming a teacher was indeed my destiny. This destiny has touched hearts and changed many lives by empowering them.
What I can bask on the glory as a teacher, teaching is undeniably the bedrock profession that enables all other careers and fields to flourish. While this profound impact may not always be evident on the surface, teaching plays a foundational role in developing the workforce of tomorrow in several key ways:
First and foremost, teachers are entrusted with instilling core knowledge, skills, and dispositions during a person’s formative schooling years. These form the basis for any future path individuals choose. Whether students pursue careers in STEM, healthcare, the arts, or any other domain, teachers provide the essential building blocks of literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, and learning strategies that serve students for a lifetime.
Teachers adapted when COVID-19 engulfed the world by adapting the mode of delivery in-person to digitally assisted, or otherwise — teachers ensure that all students have access to multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement with a curriculum tailored to their unique needs and strengths. By scaffolding complex concepts, posing open-ended questions to stimulate higher-order thinking, and employing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, teachers nurture students into becoming adaptable, independent learners who can continuously acquire new competencies.
We as teachers. play crucial guidance roles in introducing students to a diverse array of career options through lessons, activities, and conversations that inform their postsecondary choices. By embracing various means of student interests, inventories, and assessments, teachers provide a safe space for students to explore potential career paths aligned with their skills, talents, and burgeoning passions.
Finally, through the cultivation of relationships, engagement in project-based learning, and care for the holistic needs of each student, teaching fosters characteristics such as collaboration, communication, creativity, resilience, and social-emotional skills.
Today, I am convinced I chose the right pathway, for which I am proud, with many more success stories to share.
