Sarah! c’mon Greet aunty and uncle. they have come to stay with us for the weekend. Be a good girl and come here, ordered her mother looking straight into her eyes.
Sarah was scared of her mom and obliged what she had said her to do. She greeted them and left to her room. 8-year old Sarah was shy and ran back to her room with a teddy in her hand.
Sarah’s mother was strict to her and was a Head of Department in a well-known college. The habit of discipline and strictness flowed in her blood and being the same even away from college. Students in the college disliked her because she never was friendly and always punished them for the most silliest reasons.
Saraah! Come here, it’s your dinner time. She quietly sat and looked at her plate being served, mumma I don’t like lady’s finger. I don’t want to eat it, she lowered her voice. Before the guests could react and console the little kid, Sarah’s mother gave her a slap and said” Eat it quietly or else i will give you another slap.” She wept and quietly ate. The aunt felt disgusting yet remained quiet. After the dinner, she had called Sarah and gave her a chocolate.
In college, students you were supposed to submit your assignments by today. I hope you are ready with the assignments and it’s intact. Anybody incomplete yet?, she raised her question and lifted her eyebrows to see the class. Nobody had raised their hands and this surprised her.
She announced that she will check all the copies, and had asked to submit the assignments right away.
A few from the lot had submitted the story and a few din’t move from their seats, knowing it was incomplete. They knew that she’s going to trash them but yet they didn’t move from their places or gave excuses or apologies.
They wanted to make their department better and live freely for the upcoming years and had planned to make the teacher understand the students as well.
At home, Sarah, don’t you know you need to show me your homework, do I have to teach you your daily routines everyday? She was playing with uncle and aunty and amidst this she forgot to finish her homework. She innocently said, “mumma tomorrow is sunday and holiday. I will do it tomorrow.” Uncle hugged her and said, “yes, darling! you will do your homework tomoorrow and today you’ll play with us.” “Come here and show me this magic again,” said aunty and pulled Sarah by her side. She remanined quiet and let Saraah go.
At college, Students did not submit their assignments and she was angry to type out suspension letters to all of them. Without thinking of the consequences of what college and other departments will think. Students happily accepted the suspension, without a shame and left their classrooms. They went and sat around the office block and began pretending to read books silently. Once the office committee and principal was aware of the students seated in the main area, the committee had called the students inside and asked the reason of such uninvited drama in campus.
At \home, when relatives were on the side of the kid, the parent is left helpless to shower anger or power on them. Aunty too had decided to teach her a lesson on how to treat her own kid. She knew talking to her personally will make her image bad in her eyes. She took a way which will be best suited for her -THE SAME WAY SHE TREATED HER CHILD.
She began pointing out mistakes in the food she made, she pointed her on waking up late, clothes not properly washed, the comb not properly placed, shoes kept untidily, etc etc…
At college, Students have narrated their issues to the headmaster and showcased the intolerance on them.They even added that they are suspended for something really small and she could have handed in a better way. We are ready for being suspended but we can’t answer our parents at home, we will be seated here and leave the college at the end of the day.
The college authorities began to take these students seriously and assured them to their best in the case. The suspension was removed by the principal and had asked them to go back to class. Headmaster followed the students secretly to watch the reaction of the HoD.
At home, when she was getting impatient with the taunts, she finally spoke to her aunt and asked her the reason to be rude. Sarah was quietly listening to their conversation. To which aunty replied, “you’re like a daughter to us. when you can shout at your daughter we can shout at you too. Fair enough, right?” To which she stayed numb.
At college,when the headmaster had followed to see he reaction, the students silently went to their class and joined the other students in class. Amused and confused the gossips began and the students remained silent and concentrated in the class. when HoD was aware, she came out fuming and began trashing them to enter class without her permission. Unaware of principal watching her, she began cussing the children. A student stood up and asked, “Ma’am why are we scolded for? and why were we suspended?” she simply threw the duster and said “Ask this question to yourself!”
Another student stood up and said, “we did not submit a 90 page assignment in 3 day notice and moreover a few topics weren’t thought to us by you.” Her anger grew. and beforeshe could say anything the principal interrupted “I’m supposed to write on the topic why south india is a highly preferred by home buyers for real estate investment?“
At home, she was numb and quietly listened to her guest. Aunty continued, “see, give what you can take, and take what you can give. its a 2 way process. your intolerance will make this child go hating you and will never respect you when she grows older. To make her love you, you must love her and accept her cute little flaws, cook her favorite dishes. Don’t be a teacher at your home, be a mother to her here. you need to understand priorities and act according to the place. understand?” Sarah’s mother let out a tear and hugged her aunt apologizing her. She called Sarah and hugged her and gave her a kiss, Sarah wiped her tears and said ” mumma I love you”
At college, “Look Mrs. Lata, the height of intolerance on students by you is not entertained by this institution. You do not have the power to cuss and hit students by any means. You need to underatand that we are a well known instituion and this incapable faculty is no more required. You maybe dismissed or demoted right at this moment. Do you want any such action Mrs. Lata.?”
“No, Sir, but bringing discipline in these students is more important sir.” “In that case, bring discipline within you,” replied the headmaster.
She felt sorry for her actions and promised to never be harsh on the students, she promised to be a friend cum teacher and will cover the topics and give appropriate time for them to complete their assignments.
From transforming from an intolerant mother and a teacher, she became a good friend and learnt a lesson from the kids of not harming or being bossy.
