A Mid Term Report Card

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Dear Kapil,
You have completed one and a half month in your class now. You have had long and arduous days. Some days have brought joy and some have brought disappointments. No one said it was going to be easy to be a teacher. Everyone said it would be satisfying - that it has been!

Over the last few days, I have had the opportunity to zoom out from the details and look at the wider picture. Here are some of my observations that may help you!!
  • You have just seen the tip of the ice berg when it comes to the magnitude of work that lies ahead of you. Your kids have an incredibly long way to go till you can be sure they are on a purposeful and different life path. Change will be slow. Change will be painful. However, change is inevitable if you believe and act as per those beliefs. Change will also catch pace once you have mastered a few teacher tricks and techniques. Be gentle on yourself.
  • There will be things within your control and things outside your control. You have always been good at being able to identify the two buckets. In the last few weeks, I have seen that you have let that line blur. Remember, you are not as busy as you think you are. Remember, you are not as tired as you think you are. You are either effective or ineffective. You are either efficient or inefficient. Be true to yourself when you measure your effort. But be gentle. 
  • You are restless and impatient when it comes to work. Not everyone is. Respect that. Put effort in making working styles meet. Everyone is in this movement for the right reasons. Share openly. Learn. Co-create magic!
  • Don't lose your temper on your kids. If you do, don't let the kids know!! Self control and self discipline are indispensable. The kids are smart and they will know. They will learn to show control too.
  • Balance your personal and professional well being. While work is exciting, it is important that it doesn't entirely define who you are. Remember you love travelling. Remember you love writing. Remember you love photography. Do spend time on them. You are not running a sprint but a marathon. Sustain yourself.
Love,
Kapil

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