At 17 I was an angry, passionate out of control undisciplined lover of literature. Sussanah Harris Wilson was my literature and drama teacher. Watching her dive into the English language excited and inspired me. I followed after her. She taught by example. She was always accessible in and out of the classroom and felt the potential in every student to fall in love with the imagery and power of language and literature. She loves language so much herself and has this incredible relationship with it , it soon infected me… she would direct me towards theatre and unleash the actor in me! There has been no turning back. To date she is involved in my work and continues to inspire.. I relish the gift of communication and language and have made a career out of it today as an actor and anchor. Eqbal Ahmad was my social science teacher in college. He taught me to understand my role as a responsible citizen in that my responses to the society around me were immediate and important. He was tough and challenged the student by expecting more from you than you would yourself. Mediocrity was not acceptable and a standard had to maintained both in the way you wrote your analysis and what you chose to write about. The relevance of historical perspective loomed large in the classroom. Raza Kazim has taught me how to expose my self through learning and discussion .The importance of discussion and argument between teacher and student help both to expose each other and allow both to learn from one another. Nani, my maternal grandmother, Begum Qamar Sultana taught me generosity of spirit and the art of loving and opening my heart. Her classroom was life and she learned everyday till her last breath. There is something to be said from learning through human experience, through travel and building bonds with people everywhere you go. Experience and relationships, the building and nurturing of them is a rare and valuable lessons and I was taught it by the finest teacher in the world. My father is my favourite teacher because he has taught me the importance of humility and how to remain connected to the classroom of God…i.e. nature…in order to remain connected to myself and to get out of the ‘self’. It is this humility that really makes you desire to learn continuously and connect to the larger picture. I am part of the same scheme, part of the same classroom that I am learning from. I am teacher, student and lesson all in one. The organic experience that he has exposed me to is still my favourite method of teaching anywhere. Today when I prepare for my morning show on TV, or when I receive praise for my work as a presenter, I know that my presentation skills and the content, the sensitivity to social and political issues are inspired by my five fabulous teachers. The author is a stage and television actor. She currently hosts a morning show on a private TV channel.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)
