A middle school geography and history teacher would use hand-drawn illustrations to make lessons easier for students. This was much before the age of electronic screens and smart classrooms.
Another teacher was a favourite among students because of her affection and respect for her students.
Two veteran teachers of Loreto House, Uma Ahmad, 91, and Shernaz Chinoy, 82, were in an online conversation with a former student recently, sharing their memories of the school and their personal journeys towards becoming teachers.
Ahmad recalled how she would use make simple illustrations on the blackboard to help the students.
“It is because children want to see something apart from just a printed page,” she explained.
Suppose, I wanted to tell the students how somebody would travel from India to Australia on foot, I would draw the places on the map and show them how difficult it would be. This would grab the kids’ attention. I like to illustrate what I am teaching, said Ahmad, who had no formal training in drawing or painting.
Both Ahmad and Chinoy were in conversation with alumna Oindrilla Dutt as part of Timeless Loreto Classics presented by Loreto House Alumnae Association.
Ahmad was in Loreto House from 1971 to 1997 and taught history, geography and English.
Chinoy used to teach history, geography and English at Loreto House from 1975 to 1995.
Chinoy remembered how when she was teaching a war story — Caught in the Crossfire — and told her students that crossfire can be verbal as well and asked them if they had been caught in one.
The students shared stories from their home life of being caught in crossfire between parents. She said she admired their courage.
“I think a lot of my teaching has been based on personal relationships and so much on affection and respect. I don’t mean their respect for me. I mean my respect for them as people,” said Chinoy.
Both the teachers retired from Loreto House and never thought of changing schools in between.
Ahmad recalled how she approached Mother Patricia, the then principal, after getting job offers.
“I would get this salary. Mother do you think I should take the job to which Mother said ‘yes, during the holidays.’ She refused to let me go,” Ahmad said.
For Chinoy, it was her love for the children that kept her at Loreto. “If I left Loreto it would mean leaving the children I loved. I didn’t want to do that,” she said.
