Wangling Puen Gi Dueshey

Teachers were the most feared people back in the olden days and worst still was the notion of school. How many of us have heard stories of our older generation tell us the tales of how their parents would bribe the officials who came to take the young boys for schooling. In just about two decades things just seems to have taken a somersault.

People, I mean parents of every five year olds would start fretting and fuming if their little ones are denied admission in the school. Many parents have even resorted to making fake birth certificates just so as to get their little ones enrolled in the school.

Although most now value the need for education, the value of schools and teachers have actually been reduced to mere nothings. Thousands of fingers have been pointed towards the teachers ( with few parents even resorting to use their whole palms on the teachers, such a shame!)and many question the standard of our education system.

In such a confusion filled Field; where only the less favored ones choose to venture; nine years ago I chose to set my path. Today, as I work my hearts out, giving all that i've in me,I never for once regret my decision of becoming a teacher. Every morning, I set off to my school with my heart filled with the love of a mother, ever ready to play mother to hundreds of children in the school.

But today of all, with pride I write this down: we aren't just paid civil servants who click with the hands of the time to fill our bellies. We are a lot who work with not only our brain but also our hearts. My school is going to start a new thing that will further widen the space in our already love filled hearts.

We hear of many untoward happenings in the lives of our young generation. Although we keep all our senses alert and open; somewhere a black hole has remained that has engulfed our young minds; pushing them into hellish situation. And many of such cases happens because the children lack proper ears for their problems. So my entire school has been divided into small manageable groups. Each of the lady teachers are getting eleven girl students and each male teacher will get eight male students. The teachers and the students are going to be bound spiritually ( the idea has been borrowed from the 'Dorji puen'system). A Lama has been specifically invited for the same. So tomorrow, the teacher along with the chosen group of students will be given a special relationship. This special group is going to be called Wangling Puen Gi Dueshey. Translated, this literally means Wangdi Chholing ( name of the place where our school is situated) and the Puen gi Dueshey would mean 'attachment/ feeling of a sibling'(correct me if I am wrong with this translation. )Whatever the translation, in our respective groups we are going to provide the love and care that every family member is worth of.

Following this binding, officially the group will meet every last Friday of the month. On these Fridays,the teacher will try to provide the 'listening heart' to any emotional or social trauma the child might be facing. If possible ( and why wouldn't it be possible?) the teacher will make visits to the students' house to get better understanding of the children's home ground. The group will work to promote love and provide emotional support.

In knowing our children's problem lies the solution to their problems and with the formation if this special group our school wishes to curb the problems faced by our little ones. So, here we go, opening our hearts to accommodate few more members in our heart to make a change in the otherwise unseen troubled lives of our little students.

That's why I shall always remain proud to be a teacher!

Eensy Weensy madam

Few days ago,  I overheard two class three students calling me 'eensy weensy madam' as I walked past them. I gave them my best smile and they reciprocated with a sheepish smile. 
I had walked into their class with a reluctant heart for this was not a level I had ever taught in my nine years of teaching experience. And my reluctance bred further pain as I struggled to start a proper conversation with my students. "madam, nga Chey English meyshey la. Nga Chey Dzongkha Cham chi shey la. " tears sprang like a bag of marble unleashed on the floor. 
Quivering with bottled up bitterness, I stood silently, thousands of bitter thoughts drowning me. 
Suddenly, like a long lost sister, a feeling of solidarity emerged within me. It tweaked my heart. With a renewed gusto I clapped my hands and having their full attention, I announced, "can I teach you a song." 
The word 'song' elicited a renewed vigor in my students who were splattered all over their class like an unkempt garden. 
To ensnare their whole attention I wrote down the whole song on the board and added a picture after every line to explain my lines. 
"hey, a spider" some giggled while some pointed fingers at my spider. I tried my best to draw a water tap and made my spider climb on it. 
Drawings accompanied song written on the board, I then cleared my throat. Everybody arranged themselves; all set to sing the spider song. 
So then began the journey of the eensy weensy spider from the chalkboard to their little lips. I was so carried away by the gusto with which they sang the song that by the time I realized how loud we were singing, principal was standing on our door, with a smile dancing on his lips. 
He had come to check some statistics. 
Back home, tired and totally spent, I reflected; bringing back every smile - starting from my principal to the thirty something students and i felt a smile stretching over my own lips. 
Now, no longer does the shadow of reluctance darken my mood no matter which class I go to. I take each class with a new song and my heart dances in tandem. 

I love you Ama

On this day last year,my ama left and I felt my sky being ripped off. But each day as I missed her presence in my life, I found myself more firmly rooted to the earth. For this lady,my ama, taught me to make families with the neighbors; forgive the sins of one's loved ones and live eternally in the pool of love and hope.
Today I feel that same sky flying away and I shed tears of loneliness but I feel a protective shield in my heart, that shield of love you placed in my heart.
This is the last picture of hers that I took during the last moment of our togetherness God blessed me with. She was all mine on this day! I'll always love you ama!