Excellent teachers can change lives. Research has shown that good teachers encourage critical thinking, reflecting and learning across disciplines. These are the skills that can set us apart from others in life. And Ameen Sir is one such teacher who comprises all the essentials that could make him an excellent teacher.
Teachers comprise the world’s greatest treasure, and great teachers are blessings from God to enough lucky societies. There come hundreds of teachers in a learning life. Every year celebrating teacher’s day gives a chance to recall those teachers who had made the lives of numerous students more interesting and meaningful.
One such great teacher is Dr. Mohammad Ameen Sir. A beacon of love, wisdom and exalted view. My first meet with him back in 2017, just few days before teacher’s day promised for inspiring journey. It was our first step to five year journey.
During these years he managed me to stand firm and stay focused. It was a journey that kicked off with dedication and sincerity; a hypothesis that resulted in scores of readings, writings, and deletions. In everyone’s first stage of research the most troubling, rather confusing, stretch makes one to plunge into many doubts, and I was not an exception.
And on the track I too started looking for an escape—an escape to say good bye to that treasured acumen; a dream that I had nurtured over many years. Had he not been at the other end; the results would have been quite different.
I don’t want to exaggerate the things, however, this is the reality and story of many others that future will historicize. To be in his mentorship is enjoying the ecstasies of wisdom. He opens the vistas from known to unknown and goes on to travel – sataroon say agay jahan aur nbe hain.
His humbleness is to be cherished. His generosity will never lead one to compromise in his research acumen, ethical concern, moral conduct, or his work in any means. For him compromising in principles one holds high is never a thing to be even uttered.
His scholastic approach is dear to all. Ask him any question, or for one reply, and you may get many. He is never short of material and that is something very attractive and rewarding. His “let’s enjoy the confusion” made many rejoice, at least me.
On every juncture of research, one could hear him say; there is no way other than reading a lot, exploring the depth, and getting deep into the ocean to get a pearl. His meticulous approach to read drafts multiple times made me wonder how close he looks for an exception. Reading between the lines and then noticing the minutest errors always made me stuck.
A teacher like him really makes the difference. One could always find him to the other side. A good teacher can make a world of difference to a student’s life impacting everything from the classroom learning to the long term success. He/she doesn’t only teaches the syllabi, however, makes a student enough capable to learn the zig- zags of life.
He at many times puts himself into student’s position, to take the boat to the shore, to rejoice the engagement of wisdom and knowledge. His teaching philosophy is unique to each person. I have had the honor of being taught by some brilliant teachers from my schooling up to university life. My argument is not that I am less influenced by those teachers or I haven’t learned from them, one could be slave/servant to a person who has taught even a single line. However, Ameen sir’s uniqueness needs a golden script.
He often fixed me to trails for academic purpose, gave restlessness to sleep, to rewrite something over again and again, to come with new approach to see the same thing, to go back for claiming its authenticity, and to be truthful made me worn out. However, I am certain of one thing that is the ‘holiness of his heart’ to quote Keats.
Great teachers teach on a range of topics, but their best lessons are useful and handy things to apply anywhere. Things may disturb you; nonetheless, sir’s habitually saying that ‘be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind’.
Learning from his dynamic scholarship over the years always showed a path to move ahead without fearing and without anxieties. The marks which he engraved in my academic life always enlightens even in the darkest chambers. A teacher could never be a great if he stops his studentship of learning things and adding to existing knowledge. He always engages himself with heutagogy. His infectious relationship towards profession is exemplary.
I can go in depth in talking about him. Right now, this draft may not be the best piece so far; however, I expect that following a feedback I am going to be able to write an engaging piece.
Thank you sir, you really made a difference to my life.
Happy Teachers’ Day.