On World Teachers’ Day, I found myself looking back — not at awards or job titles, but at a simple mango garden where I once held MBA classes under the open sky. What I learned there, surrounded by curious students and rustling leaves, shaped my understanding of what teaching really means. This story is for them — and for every teacher and student who knows that learning doesn’t need walls.
I have published a story in this respect. You may like to read or listen https://medium.com/@drgurudas/beyond-the-classroom-walls-9914440e7b00
Beyond the Classroom Walls: What Teaching Gave Me
On this World Teachers’ Day, I remember not just the lectures — but the laughter, the mango trees, the midnight lamps, and the lifelong lessons shared between teacher and student.
I wasn’t just a professor teaching MBA students. I was the Vice President (Academic) & Dean at RCM Bangalore — yes — but what I remember most are the classes outside the classroom.
Literally.
The President of the Institute used to encourage us to take sessions in the open. And the students? They didn’t need much convincing. They loved to gather in the mango garden — boys and girls sitting under trees, chatting, soaking in the air of freedom while somehow, learning more deeply than ever.
There were no PowerPoints. No reference notes. Just a subject I knew well, and a book I read the night before.
That was the challenge.
To walk into an open-air class with no aids but preparation and presence, and to still engage curious postgraduates.
Each 45-minute class ended with a 15-minute discussion and Q&A session. Sometimes, students would plead for “no class” — just games in the garden or a treasure hunt. And would you believe me if I said this wasn’t kindergarten — but MBA students?
It only confirmed something I’ve come to believe deeply:
Students, whether in prep school or post-graduation, learn best not from the syllabus — but from the teacher who shows up for them.
The Role of a True Teacher
A teacher is not just someone who delivers content. A true teacher connects, plays, challenges, and grows alongside their students — even across decades of age difference. I have learned it deeply especially from my Guide at Indian Institute of Technology in Ph.D. course.
I was fortunate to receive the Best Teacher Award, but I believe the greater credit goes to the students who accepted me, trusted me, played with me, learned with me, and allowed me to teach them.
I played alongside them in the annual sports events. I stayed up burning the midnight lamp, not to grade papers, but to learn more — so I could give more. That was my duty. That was my joy. Reverse learning enriched me well.
The Graduation Day That Moved Me
At SSRC College in Bangalore, during one of the annual graduation ceremonies, I witnessed something unforgettable.
The students — from India and across the world — were taking the stage, one by one, to receive their degrees. The energy in the air felt like it was spiralling upward — a celebration of not just academic success, but personal growth.
As Director, Post Graduate Studies, I spoke few words of encouragement. But it was more than a speech — it was something I felt deeply, from one human to another, grateful to be part of their journey.
From Industry to Impact
I spent decades in industry before turning fully to academics. But the joy I found in teaching — the real, living connection — far outweighed anything else I had done. I didn’t just teach theory. I watched futures take shape in front of me. Students from Africa, middle east and west Asia, of different religion and faith, were very near and dear to me.
Years later, at Bangalore Airport, I suddenly met one of my former students. She took me to visit her business setup. The pride she had in showing me her success — and the respect she offered — filled me with quiet satisfaction that no award could match.
When a student grows, society grows. And a teacher is part of that growth, forever.
A Bow to My Teachers
Today, on World Teachers’ Day, I don’t just celebrate my journey. I bow in gratitude to my own teachers — the ones who helped me become who I am.
To all teachers — whether you’re guiding kindergartners, postgraduates, or lifelong learners — thank you. You are building lives, not just delivering lessons.
Teaching is not a job.
It’s not even a career.
It’s a calling.
And it’s the noblest one I know.
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Enjoy Life Each Day!