All through our lives we come across a guide, a friend, a special star in the dark sky. These angels can be classified into parents, friends, acquaintances or to find a word that incorporates all of them- a teacher. We come across teachers from our very beginnings and that’s from birth- our parents. They teach us to take our first steps, speak our first words and prepare us for a new atmosphere-school. School is where 14 years of our lives are spent in the most fruitful manner. School life is never complete without mentioning the base of our school- the teachers.

It’s very true when they say teachers are the backbone to every profession. Our teachers teach far more than just mere subjects- they teach us to live and conquer life. Teacher’s adopt us and groom us like their own. Five days a week, we spend eight hours with them every day till we graduate. They specialize in various fields but all have the same motive: to make a butterfly from the caterpillar. Teachers are like candies-they come in various shapes and sizes, some sweet, some not so sweet but when absorbed gives us immense joy. Teachers go out of the way, advising us on life’s various aspects and grooming us to face the world.

I never really understood the importance of teachers in my life until I experienced a little incident. When I was in lower kindergarten I had a teacher- a very warm hearted one Ms. Niranjala. I was quite sad with her once when she scolded and punished me for running in the classroom. Her scolding made an impact on my 4 year old mind and motivated me to be the best in class so as to become the teacher’s pet. I used to promptly do my homework and “teach” my mother what I had learnt that day. My teacher grasped my potential and went an extra mile by granting me access to story books and books for higher kindergarten. She motivated me to read with the right phonetic expression, diction and clarity. All were taken aback by the sight of a 5 year old me engrossed in the Nancy Drew detective novels. By the end of the year, my parents were very proud of the progress I had made. Hadn’t it been for her constant push and guidance, I wouldn’t be a passionate lover of the English language. Even though science was my favourite subject, creative writing always had a special place in my heart and credit goes to my teacher Ms. Niranjala. I began to write short stories for my parents and even read it out to my teachers.

This also reminds me of the efforts my music sir Mr. Faustino put in to train me for an event by playing the classic “do re mi” notes so that I could reach the pitch. To receive a standing ovation from the principal himself and bagging the first place would be a mere dream if it wasn’t for my music sir who sat with me for hours strumming the chords. It’s to him I attribute my love for music. His patience, effort, guidance, sincerity brought out the best in me and I went on to playing music well motivated by him.

My teachers helped me not only in extracurricular activities- they have also built a strong base for me in crucial subjects like math, science and social studies. I remember when I was little my mom’s fear of me not doing too well in Arabic since it was a foreign language. My Arabic sirs over the years haven’t just prepared me for the school exams. They have also enabled me to communicate and understand Arabic even in the outside world.

The most unique thing about teachers is that no matter how old they grow, they never seem to forget us. Very often, we neglect our teachers by disrespecting them and troubling them during class hours. We forget that even when they’re burning with fever they attend school, so that we don’t miss out on valuable time. No one has reached great heights without a teacher in their life. After all, teachers are like the incarnation of God on Earth. I salute the teachers I have come cross in my student life and all teachers who spread the light of wisdom for a better tomorrow.