From the taught to the teacher

Mona

Walking the campus in a student’s shoes to taking position at the dais as the teacher is quite a journey...young and restless; trying to make a mark in the highly competitive world to at times finding faults with the system...students do it all. What happens when one switches sides? 

Educationists open up on the journey twice over in their alma mater!

Notes on life

When she stepped in the iconic MCM DAV College For Women the first time in 1988, Gurvinder Kaur loved the rather green entrance. The greens also became the spot where she along with her classmates would share notes about books and life. Three decades on, it’s the green that Gurvinder still loves. Teaching in her alma mater from 1996, she is also heading the alumina committee as well as skill development community in the college. “The value of discipline is what I consider the biggest take-away from my years as a student in this iconic institution, and that I try to pass on humbly to my students today,” she shares.

Campus calling

Sangeeta Bagga beams with pride while mentioning how she is one of the ‘very well placed’ among the group of 1991. Currently the principal, Chandigarh College of Architecture, she admits that except for years of experience that she has garnered in field and in academics she still feels the same. “I wanted to give my best as a student and that’s my effort too in the current position. It feels like the umbilical cord is still nourishing,” She loves the front porch that gave vantage point, which also doubled up as the ragging point in her student days! And, she still makes trips to the canteen for the mouth-watering samosa-chana. 

On the same campus is Sohan Lal Saharan, who enjoyed the most warming homecoming when he joined as faculty in 1995. Having graduated in 1985, he takes huge honour in having returned to the campus where he learnt the basic of his trade. “Teaching architecture is not an easy job. To keep your class inspired is a daunting task,” shares Saharan. “Being on the other side of the table helps one relate better to students’ aspirations and also makes the system easy,” he adds.

Bridge the gap

For Bhavneet Bhatti, the first day at the School of Communication Studies, Punjab University, at her new job, did not come easy. Not only was she making it to the other side of the dais, but also joining her teachers as a colleague! As a student, all she had wanted was to bridge the gap between the academics and the industry, which today, eight years on as assistant professor, she has done really well. She realises that her job goes far beyond teaching the subject. “Thankfully, as a teacher I enjoy smaller classes than my teachers did. Still making it to the heart and mind of each student is one tough job.” 

In the times when one hears horror stories involving the youth, this rather young assistant professor deems it her duty to reach out to her batch.“Teachers today have to work twice as hard,” shares Professor Mohanmeet Khosla, a proud pass-out of School of Communication Studies. 

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