I was called quite surprisingly to be a tutor for a girl doing her 4th grade,when i was doing my 9th grade.As a teenager vying for a lucrative job offer,or rather any thing that pays for my pre-adolescent desires was a blessing.
I thought it to be unimaginably mundane and simple.But as time went by,it turned out to be engulfingly challenging.
The money came alright,a good Rs.500 a month to teach fractions,abbreviation of fascimile and capitals of states.But i learnt more about myself and people in general in the process. Quite ironically,my student had taught me more than any book had taught either of us.
I was exposed to the painful amount of memorising she had to do,half of which she didn't understand.I was beginning to reconsider my faith in the Indian education system.Did this girl really need to cram a bunch of mindless facts instead of playing in the mud like a normal kid should?I was pained to notice that she had no interest in developing creativity vis a vis reading novels,even Harry Potter,drawing,painting and so on.Sadly,she only wanted to finish her studying for the day so she could watch TV.
It was enriching yet surprisingly difficult to even attempt to bring out her joy of learning,of discovering a world beyond TV and robotic mugging.
When i had to leave for good,i was satisfied that i had made some,if not much progress in preventing her from becoming a 99.9 percentile zombie who was socially retarded,caught in the web of robbed innocence and of forcibly renounced desire.
It was the first job i ever had and the knowledge i gained in the process was any day more valuable than the money i earned.
Risks and Rewards