'He taught us with the help of gramophone records'

What's the best advice you received from your teacher?

Recently we asked you, our readers, to share with us the best advice you received from your teacher. Here are some of the responses we got!

Says KB Basant from Malaparamaba, Kozhikode:

Like many others, I learned the English alphabet in the fifthth standard.

So, being transplanted from a Malayalam medium school to Loyola School, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in the seventh standard was akin to a fish being placed on terra firma. I must have gasped for words, if not for breath.

Luckily for me -- and many others like me, there was Fr Stanford, the then Principal of the school. This Canadian priest took upon himself the task of teaching us spoken English.

He would take us to the terrace of his residence in the evenings and with the help of gramophone records try to teach us the correct way to speak the language.

It was indeed a welcome gesture from the Father, who left the school soon thereafter. And I too forgot all about his kind act towards students like me.

My felicity with words is nothing significant to write home about. However, a couple of years ago I wondered about the persons I should be grateful to, for inculcating in me a love of the language and for providing a working knowledge in it.

It was then that I remembered Fr Stanford. So during 'Karkataka Vavu' -- the day one observes the rituals to pay homage to departed soul --, his kind deed used to come up in my mind. It is not that I was unaware of the irony of a Hindu ritual for a departed Christian priest. More embarrassing was my confusion whether he was alive or not.

So one day I met Fr.C P Varkey, the next Principal, who now resides at Kozhikode, Kerala. In the course of the conversation I asked him casually about Fr Stanford. I was informed that he had returned to Darjeeling and was no more.

Today I remember him again. The closest I came to gurukul education of yore was perhaps when I sat cross-legged opposite Fr Stanford under the canopy of the sky to learn a foreign language. I am now in a better position to appreciate his compassion and patience.

May his soul rest in peace. Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shantihi.

U Jawaharlal, Editor, IRDA Journal from Hyderbad shares his experience:

My education was in one of the lesser-known schools, although I was brought up in Hyderabad City. Ironically, the school was named Mufeed-ul-Anam High School, which is close to the historic monument Charminar.

The school was not greatly known for scholastic standards, although quite a few of its alumni have made a mark for themselves in various fields.

I would like to speak about the role of three of my teachers of that school who have made a tremendous impact on me; and have made a huge contribution to what I am today -- not necessarily for my profession. At the outset, I would like to mention the name of Mr A Venkata Narayana who taught us English and Geography.

I have not had occasion to learn the analysis of sentences (English grammar) the way he taught us -- very clear and succinct.

In Geography, we did not have the luxury of a textbook. This simple man used to come to the class with the relevant map for the day. His description of the geographical factors made such an impact that he made an indelible impression on our minds; and I have not forgotten a word of what he uttered in class even to this day.

He has laid the perfect foundation for me in both the English language as well as world geography. In my opinion, very few teachers match his brilliance.

The next teacher I would like to talk about is Mr S Jagadiswara Chary, who used to teach us the dreaded Mathematics. From complicated formulae to twisted solutions, he used to teach simple ways of remembering and approaching a problem so as to solve it.

Be it Algebra, Geometry or Trigonometry, he showed us the way to finding simple solutions. That, I am sure, mattered a lot in later stages of competitive examinations and being successful in life. A great teacher indeed.

The third teacher who made a great impact was a very simple gentleman, Mr U Surya Rao, who used to teach us Science. More than the complexities of the properties and characteristics of chemical substances, the scientific temper that he used to inculcate in us came to great utility in our later stages.

He always had simple techniques to enable us to remember otherwise tough subjects. I am a great beneficiary of the scientific temper and orientation that he taught us in early stages which comes in good use even to this day. Further, he also had (and still has) a great influence on my personal life, as he is my father.

Dr Vishwanthan Ramaswamy remembers:

I still remember my professor, Dr H P Tipnis at The Bombay College of Pharmacy.

His best advice was, "The most learned person is the one who knows where to find the information when he needs it." How very prophetic his words are in the age of Internet.

And finally, here's what Raj Kancham has to say:

Ten of 16 years of my education was imparted in my mother tongue and after that I moved to English medium.

Hence, I could not pick up much of the English language during my studies. I faced a similar problem when I started with my first job.

Meeting my mentor 10 years ago was the game-changer for me. She taught me how to look at the language and made it easy to learn for me.

She told me to learn at least five new words on a daily basis by reading the newspaper and to keep a dictionary handy to refer the meanings of the words.

I practiced this trick for a good amount of time and now I can speak the language without any problem and at par with any other English medium student. I feel this lesson was a game-changer for me and if I look back upon my corporate journey, I am very thankful to that person. Thanks a lot, my dear teacher.