BIG BOSS - SOON TO BE WATCHING OVER US NO LONGER ✨️✍️

A short while ago I received some rather painful news. My boss at work, was going to be transferred. This bit of news wasn’t totally unexpected, as we’d been guessing that this would happen, right from the beginning of this academic year. He was completing his tenure of 6 years, and very often Principals get transferred, after those many years in our school. So, rumours about this 'transfer', had been doing the rounds, right through the academic year. Of course, although we feared that it might happen, heart of hearts we never really wanted it to.😔

For me personally, this Principal has been my first boss, since this is the first institution I’ve ever worked in. He was the person who interviewed me, and gave me the opportunity to work in this school – a job I have loved so much, ever since the day I joined. 

My job has hardly ever seemed like a job, because of the familial bonds that exist, among the management, the staff – both teaching and non-teaching, and of course, our beloved boys. 

On the countless occasions, when we’ve gone out for school outings and trips with him, his extremely jovial nature, has often made us forget that he was our Principal. In school however, he was always my Principal and my boss, and I have always respected and admired him tremendously, for being able to maintain a healthy balance with the staff, when it came to being a firm and tough Principal during school hours; and a very approachable and friendly individual, once school was over.👍

In the past five years that I’ve been a part of this school, things haven’t always been hunky-dory though. There have been times when I have disagreed, with my Principal’s perspective on certain issues. I have also not always agreed, with the manner in which he has dealt with people and situations. Besides this, there’ve been times, when my Principal has given me a piece of his mind, as any boss would. Occasionally, little things he has said to me intentionally or unintentionally, have even hurt me tremendously. 

Despite these few 'not so nice' moments though, I’ve always had the deepest love and respect for him; and I thank God ever so often, for having given me a boss like him, right at the start of my career.✨️

Apart from his nature and personality, my Principal is also a man of ideas, and his mind is constantly at work, trying to think of innovative ways to do the same thing. In his quest and zeal to be creative, there were often times when his expectations of us teachers, skyrocketed. They also seemed unreasonable and over-ambitious to me. On certain occasions, I even found myself saying, “How can he possibly expect us to do all that?”...and yet, after unwillingly having done something, that he literally forced us to do, we realized that although the experience had driven us up the wall, and had almost made us lose our minds completely; at the end of it all, we had 'grown tremendously', simply because, we had pushed the boundaries, that we had set for ourselves, and tried to do something, completely different from the normal.

That is one quality my boss has, that has really helped me to become a 'better teacher'. I have grown at every step of the way; and I owe a large part of the credit to him, because it was he who provided the opportunities, to hone my skills and develop my talents, by constantly encouraging me to do something 'original and innovative'. 

My 'creativity' has bloomed under his guidance and direction. He never stifled my ideas, just because I was new to the profession, or young in years. On the contrary, he constantly encouraged me, to 'think out of the box' and lauded me, each time I succeeded in something innovative, that I set out to do.😊

Now that he’s leaving us, I’m happy that he’ll be going to an even bigger institution. It’s going to be a much bigger challenge in comparison, considering the sheer numbers and the reputation, which that institution carries with it. However, I look upon his transfer, as an opportunity for him to spread his wings, and go where others before him, haven’t dared to tread. I know that he will do great things and every success of his will only make me prouder still of his achievements.😄

Sadly though, I will really miss him; and I know that there are countless others in my school – students, teachers and parents as well, who share this sentiment.😔 

Fr. Bosco D’Mello was my boss, but he was a boss who aimed to be the best; and inspired others, to reach for the stars as well. Above all, he has always led by example; and that’s what makes him a great human being, an amazing priest and a Principal par excellence. 

Thank You Fr. Bosco for all that you’ve done for me, and for our school. Words will never be able to truly express, how I feel at this moment; but this is my small attempt, to express what you mean to all of us at Don Bosco.✍️

SUMMER HOLIDAYS 😊💕

‘We’re all going on a summer holiday
No more working for a week or two,
Fun and laughter on a summer holiday
No more worries for me and you
For a week or two.’🎶

The lyrics of this popular song by Cliff Richard, seem to encapsulate my feelings exactly, as another academic year is almost at its end. In a month from now, I’ll be absolutely free. Free to do as I please, for a little over 30 days. Free to while away the hours. I will have lots of time to myself, which is a 'rare commodity', right through the year. 

For an entire month, my vocal chords will also get a well-deserved break. My ears will experience an amazing sense of calm, that seems to evade it, all year round. My mind will not be working at the speed of lightning; and multi-tasking (an art, which I have mastered), can very happily take a back-seat.😊

After having read what I’ve just put down, it would be pretty obvious, that I’m really looking forward, to the month of May and the long-awaited vacations, that are a part and parcel of the life of every teacher. I really won’t deny that I am.

After the stress and strain of the entire academic year gone by, it is definitely a well deserved and well-earned break; and almost every teacher I know, looks forward to the month of May, simply because it’s the only time in the entire year, when we are actually completely free. No doubt we get a lot of holidays at other times during the year; but those holidays, always come with a full itinerary of corrections, lesson planning, other things to plan out, or some activity to prepare for.🤪

As opposed to that, these 30 days are completely 'sacrosanct'. They are devoid of any school related work. They are precious moments; and we get a chance to savour literally every second of them, to our heart’s content. I know that these holidays are something, that all my friends envy me for; because no other profession, can boast of a month-long break every year, which you actually get paid for.

However, to those who think this is totally unreal and unfair, I would say; step into my shoes any day, and at the end of the academic year, I doubt there would be anyone, who would feel the 'BREAK', is undeserved.

Of course, everyone I know, looks forward to holidays. We use it for a wide variety of reasons. To chill out and relax, to maybe catch up on our reading, to do the things we’ve always been meaning to squeeze into our busy schedules, but never got down to doing, to recuperate from the stress of the routine, that often ties us down, to rejuvenate ourselves so that we can re-charge those tired minds and limbs, that have been anxiously looking forward to a well deserved period of rest and relaxation, to catch up with family and friends, to make up for lost time; and mainly, it gives us time to 'just be ourselves'.😊

One of the only pitfalls of the summer holidays for me personally though, is that it takes me away from my boys, for a really long period of time; and while it is often said, that absence makes the heart grow fonder, in my case, being apart from them, only increases the sense of loss and longing for the re-opening day, when I will be able to meet them all again.

Life truly has an uncanny way of bringing us full circle, back to the very place where we began our journey. At the end of a long year, we can’t wait for the holidays to begin; and as the holidays progress, we look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel, in the form of a new year and a new beginning. That’s the circle of life, I guess - one that has no end. ✍️