Summary

The web content is a reflective essay on the author's experiences conducting college vivas, revealing insights into students' perspectives on relationships, career aspirations, societal norms, and the educational system, while highlighting the complexities and rewards of being a language teacher.

Abstract

The essay titled "Nostalgic Anecdotes of College Vivas" captures the chaotic atmosphere of college life during the HSC Vivas, a period of intense oral examinations. The author, a college lecturer, shares humorous and thought-provoking interactions with students, touching on themes such as the misunderstanding of emotions between genders, the diverse ambitions of students, and the stereotypes they hold. Through a series of questions and answers, the students' candid responses unveil a tapestry of their concerns, aspirations, and the societal pressures they face. The author also points out the shortcomings of the educational system as perceived by the students, including rote learning and unsupportive teaching methods. The essay culminates in the profound impact these interactions have on the author, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in teaching, and the unique challenges and gratifications of being a language teacher.

Opinions

The author finds humor in students' struggles to understand the opposite sex, highlighting a common theme of interpersonal misunderstandings.
There is an appreciation for the diverse career aspirations of students, particularly those that deviate from typical expectations.
The essay reflects on the societal biases held by some students, such as the belief that one gender is inherently braver than the other.
Students express frustration with certain aspects of the educational system, including the rigidness of subjects like organic chemistry and the lack of supportive teaching techniques.
The author uses follow-up questions to challenge students' preconceived notions about gender roles and abilities.
Some students reveal a deep-seated need for guidance and emotional support, often staying behind to seek advice beyond academic concerns.
The author emphasizes the significance of language teaching that goes beyond the textbook, valuing the nuanced understanding of words and their impact.
The overall sentiment conveyed is one of gratitude for the enriching experiences that come with teaching, and the unique position a language teacher holds in shaping students' perspectives and personal growth.

Nostalgic Anecdotes of College Vivas

An Essay

February.

It is a busy, busy time in college, with teachers and students rushing around in circles, concentric or otherwise. They are all looking for class rooms, or lost files, or pieces of paper, or each other.

And then there are the HSC Vivas.

I am in the second-year lecture-room, quizzing students about personal choices, after asking them the mandatory text-book and syllabus-based questions.

There is this very suave, debonair, student who answers all questions with perfect aplomb and an easy smile, till I ask him, “Do you find it difficult to understand girls?”

His smile is instantly wiped off his face and a very puzzled preoccupied look replaces it. “Yes, ma’am,” he says, frowning in perplexity. “There is this girl who is my friend. I had gone to meet her and she was very angry. I asked her why she was angry and she said she just wants to be angry.”

As most of the students and I erupted into laughter, the boy smiled gingerly and sat down.

The same question; another student. “Ma’am, they keep changing their minds…”

Question: “What is the significance of 14th February?” Answer : “It is the day that the bravest branch of Navy in the world, the Indian Marcros team, was founded.” I was completely floored by the answer.

Follow-up question: “What do you plan to do after the Boards?”

“I am going to train to be a weapons engineer.”

Phew! I am going to keep in touch with this girl. I need a couple of weapons, myself.

Question: “What are the three things you are grateful for, in your life?”

One of the three things the student mentioned was, “I am happy that I am a boy, because girls are not brave.”

Excuse me?

Follow-up question: “Do you have a sister? Is she brave? And your mother? What about her?”

“Yes, they are brave. But not like me. But other girls are not brave.”

Question: “Was there anything about College, course work or staff that you disliked?”

Answers to this ranged from “organic chemistry, because it does not follow any set patterns,” to “teachers who insult/glare when you ask them questions/don’t explain things, just go on writing things on the board, and then erase everything before we can finish copying it down.”

Question: “Do you think boys have a problem understanding the simplest things?”

The answer to this is a very fervent, “Yes, Ma’am!” Explanations range from a very simple, “They can’t follow the simplest of instructions,” to “I don’t understand why it is difficult for them to understand emotions,” and “Why can’t they THINK?/use words correctly???”

Social media? Facebook? Instagram? Snapchat? Twitter? Tinder? A lot of answers, all amusing and hilarious, but all politically incorrect so I shall regale a smaller audience with the answers later.

There are also serious issues involved here that I get a glimpse of: children who feel that the system or society has let them down, kids who think they were deceived by their best friend, students who are looking for an anchor because they find they are drifting away and they are terrified.

ALL of them stay back after everyone leaves, ostensibly to consult me about difficulties in the syllabus. After they have asked me this very obvious question, there is a pause. I wait, and then the floodgates open and I am swamped and drowning in their pain…They just wanted someone to talk to without being judged, they tell me, later, much later.

Of course everyone of the questions I ask is related to the text the student reads as part of the exam. No, I never ask irrelevant questions. What IS an irrelevant question in a language test????

When I leave at the end of an hour, I come away with the feeling that I have been part of theatre in every sense of the word. There is a richness here that defies description, without retakes, without rehearsals, raw and spontaneous. Which is why being a language teacher is the best thing that can happen to you…provided you understand words, and words understand you.

And that is why I am grateful to be a teacher.

Shoutout to Pene Hodge for this beautiful piece on gratitude for the joys of everyday life:

Everyday Gratitude

Three things I am grateful for every day

medium.com