Two Sides of a Coin

“Literature and life are two sides of a coin. Tell yourself that when you complain about reading Shakespeare.” I could have said those words myself, but I didn’t.  They were spoken by Shumita, a teacher I observed giving a review class on Macbeth. Just like any teacher worth her salt, Shumita was determined to inspire her students, most of whom were already determined to enter the highly competitive fields of science and engineering. “Vaulting ambition. Macbeth has it. Don’t you?”

As I observed Shumita teach, I was struck by her passion for literature and her commitment to her students. Both these qualities were self-evident as I walked into her classroom, a room with blue paint, a chalkboard, and rows upon rows of desks where 45 bodies squirmed shoulder to shoulder in the Kolkata heat. Though a class of 45 students may seem inconceivable to a U.S. educator, it’s a rather light load for an Indian one. Many classes here range between 40 and 60 students, if not more.  Because Indian teachers teach at least 7 classes per day (with as many as six preparations), they see between 200 and 400 students a day. Despite her load, Shumita gave her boys nothing short of everything she had. She was teaching as actively and passionately as I’ve ever seen anyone teach. She never sat down, she never slowed her pace, and she never took a break. I sat and watched in awe. After having taught four classes myself, I was exhausted. Could I do what Shumita does on a daily basis for an entire academic year? I don’t know. What I do know is this: I’ll never complain about teaching 120-160 students again.