I was destined to be a music teacher. I was also destined to do an “odd job” for 30 years, for livelihood, though I used to teach music, whenever I had free time. Now I am doing my most loved profession – teaching music, as a full time music teacher.
What is so special to be a teacher? Yes, you have to be special, very special. You have to teach students with different IQ and talents. You have to step into the shoes of some students to teach and you have to step up to teach others. That is what a good teacher has to be.
To teach music or any other fine arts, one must be patient, calm and composed. I had pondered many a time to find the right way to teach music. Alas, I could not find the right path. Just because the receptiveness of students differ. Hence I teach according to the mindset of each student. To be more precise, I had to teach with utmost care to the less receptive and with consummate ease to the highly receptive.
But I had the fortune of teaching an autistic child, Pooja Ramesh, which happened to be a turning point in my teaching career. Abundantly talented, Pooja was given intense training and I had the privilege of being the Guru of
the first autistic child to present a one-hour concert. I should never forget the efforts taken by her parents, Ramesan and Sujatha. The concert was an instant success, only due to the unrelenting efforts of Pooja’s parents.
Now I teach music to two mentally challenged children and one autistic child, other than Pooja. I should say that teaching music to differently abled children is not a cakewalk. I had to take immense care to ensure the niceties and nuances are properly delivered.
At this juncture, I would like to thank Fr Dr Paul Poovathingal and Prof George S Paul, who have placed faith in my credentials. They had always backed me in all my endeavours.
Moreover, I thank God Almighty for having showed me the way, the path which I was destined to travel.
narayanan.desamangalam 