The teachers who made me who I am

Each of us is shaped by the many teachers who come into our lives and show us a path previously unknown. My passion for teaching too stems from this joy of guiding students into their chosen journeys. When I take a step back and look at my own choices, I am a product of the many people, places and things that have shaped my worldview. Here are some of my favourite teachers who changed my life forever.

Family

Parents are a child’s first teachers. This has been true for me not just with my parents, but with my entire family. Both my parents instilled in me from a young age that I should and can pursue my best.  I also have role models aplenty in my family. I’ve been fortunate to grow up around people who worked hard and achieved the goals they set for themselves. Over the years not only have I gotten my family’s unconditional endorsement, but I’ve also been lucky to have them be my teachers long after childhood. 

As my family has grown over the years, every new member continues to teach me something important - this includes my children. Most often you’ll find that children may be angry in one moment, but happy in the very next. They find joy in the simplest of things, let go easily and move ahead to continue learning. This is something I think all adults can learn from little ones!

At every stage of my life, I have had strength in knowing that no matter what lies ahead, I have the collective wisdom, support and encouragement of my family. 

Sports

A 2018 report by Ernst & Young revealed that 94% of women in the c-suite played sports at some point in their lives. I don’t think this is a coincidence. Thanks to my family’s encouragement, sports have been a huge part of my life right from my childhood. My grandparents would drop me and pick me up from my practice sessions after school and would encourage me to attend even on the days that I didn’t have the motivation. Sports taught me so much about being competitive and about learning itself - whether that is learning from my own performance, from opponents or from teammates. It taught me how to win but more importantly how to learn from losses. I think that mindset is crucial in one’s professional sphere too. Life is never a straight journey to the top. Perseverance, like in sports, is vital. 

Books

After biology, English was my favourite subject in school. I am an avid reader and like all bookworms, I count books as one of the most important teachers in my life. My taste in reading is varied so I’ve benefited from a wide range of narratives. Complex theories like the ones Yuval Noah Harari lays out in his books ‘Sapiens’ and ‘Homo Deus’ have always fascinated me. Being an educator myself, I am drawn to books that dig, explore and present a new perspective. Sometimes I’ve found this in charming children’s books too. Charlie Mackesy’s ‘The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse’ is a favourite of mine in the genre. 

Friends 

Friends can become the family that you choose, and having a strong support system of friends, can give you the confidence to believe in yourself. In my case, my college friends taught me that I loved teaching! I studied biotechnology in my undergraduate program. This was at a time when the discipline was just getting started in India and my friends and I would band together to study concepts while preparing for exams. That was the first time that I took on the role of a teacher, albeit with a group of friends. Witnessing that ‘aha moment’ when someone understands what you’re trying to teach them was rewarding, to say the least. That’s also when it clicked that I had just found something new that I was passionate about. 

Students

I don’t think one can be a teacher without learning from their students. In every class I’ve taught, with every question I’ve been asked, I’ve learnt something new. At BYJU’S, we have a yearly activity where students can ask teachers the most random, most inquisitive question they can think of. And every year I am amazed at the curiosity and the thought process that goes into the questions I receive. Being surrounded by this thirst for knowledge is infectious. It makes sure you never stop learning either. I think students have taught me a lot about living in the present and to never stop learning. 

Building BYJU’S with fantastic colleagues 

Over the last decade, leading teams has been a life-changing teacher in my journey. Failing fast, but winning big taught me the power of experimenting and disrupting your own business model. Compounding on relationships taught me that with the right people, no goal is too high to reach. And lightning-fast execution taught me the impact of anticipating the consumer’s needs and delivering ahead of time. 

My colleagues have been invaluable teachers on this journey too. They fearlessly challenge every assumption about learning to constantly innovate and break the mould. Their passion for education helps us bring the best solutions for students everywhere. Building BYJU'S alongside them has been exceptionally rewarding. Helping the world learn, has been the biggest teacher I could have asked for.

The journey is just getting started, and I know I have the strength of all my teachers guiding me towards the next step!