To a Pupil – A Journey from Learner to Guide

Today, as I read Walt Whitman’s To a Pupil, it stirred something deep within me. His words, soft yet powerful, reminded me of my own journey from sitting quietly in the back benches of my postgraduate classroom to now standing before students as a professor.

In my PG days, I was eager, nervous, curious, and filled with questions and dreams. I still remember sitting with friends under a neem tree, discussing Shakespeare, translation theories particularly Derida’s deconstruction theory, and how one day we’d stand in front of a class and teach. We didn’t know then how precious those moments were, or how those dreams would slowly take shape.

Now, I live that dream. Every day, I walk into a classroom not just to teach but to share, to ignite minds, to learn in return. Whitman’s poem is not just a message to a student, it’s a gentle reminder to the teacher as well. It says, “Give not just knowledge, but yourself.”

I feel it’s my duty and more than that, my honor to share what I know with my students and colleagues. Teaching isn’t just a profession; it’s a sacred space where hearts meet minds. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing a student understand something new or when a colleague nods in agreement during a discussion.

To teach is to touch a life forever and I am grateful every single day for that chance.

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