As students, we have many experiences in our school life. Yeah, yeah the adults may say that the OLDER PEOPLE have more experience and authority but…we have our world right? So as I told, we have the most power in our world. In school, we meet many situations, discover new things and also get to know new people. But the people who stand out the most are the….teachers.

Right now, I’m having my final exams and am to just jump into sixth standard, so I thought that I would have a slight recollection about this year. Actually, it had many changes, including my fav one, the change from eternally boring screens to the ‘I want this to be my life’ fun offline classes. So, you know, this year mattered a lot to me.

First things first, let’s start from the very first moment of my fifth grade.

I was the host of the first assembly. Outside, I seemed all cool and good but inside…well, that’s another story. The scariest thing was my new class teacher. Anjana Dhinoji. Everyone I knew told that she was terrifying, but I thought that I would try her. My eyes ran over the zoom screen, pausing for a moment on each of the students’ faces. I searched the first row where the teachers were. I was familiar with most of my teachers. My science teacher, Mrs. Poornima Somanath had already taught me for two years. MG, you should really listen to her explanation. My lips curved into a smile as my eyes found her face. Next was Shabna mam, my English teacher. I knew her pretty well too, and readied myself for her class. Right after was Ritu mam, my Hindi teacher. For real, her sugar sweet smile makes even the worst student want to learn Hindi forever. And then came Anjana mam. I examined her face. But nope, just like the elves in The Inheritance Cycle, it betrayed no emotion. But seeing her made me feel…something inside. A sort of determined, ready to do anything sensation. But no time for thoughts….BOOM.

The assembly went smooth as butter milk. But then, I was waiting desperately for the next period, the first one with my class teacher. I joined and waited. A minute passed. For me, it was like an hour (children of my age are always sooo impatient). She admitted me. Gulp. Then the white dots circling around and around and around. My head felt a bit like that now. Then there I was, in my first class.

That first class was nothing to worry about. She was pleasant enough, telling us all her rules that we must follow in her class. During the spaces of silence, I examined my new classmates. They were pensive as statues, spine rigid, solemn expressions. We listened with all our attention. By the end of the period, I felt happy. I was glad that I got such an organized teacher, even if strict. She was strict for the right reasons, and that pleased me.

The next day started the real classes. The teachers’ explanations were heavenly. Seriously, many of you might be thinking that I’m just boasting but, NO. The TEACHERS were heavenly. Again, in Anjana mam’s class, I was eager for it to start. This time, she had a PowerPoint Presentation on which greeted us. Her class started. I opened my Math book, which had a stiff spine, cause…I had never opened it. The first chapter was easy enough, but I wanted to experience mam’s class. It just blew me. Her explanation is… um….wait, I don’t have any words for that. She made everything just soo clear and we always listened because of her voice, that voice which kept you alert all the time.

The first term went like that, with me learning new things about my teachers and classmates. After that, it was the summer vacation, and oh well…wasn’t I ready to blow off some heat! After the vacation, I was suuuper lazy. Those fun days had made my brain soft, cause I had nothing to think about for real. But I wasn’t going to stay lazy for long…

For second term, we had harder chapters. And with me being lazy, it was tough. But I was put back on track by…you know who…Anjana mam. Seriously guys. Remember, I will repeat this a loooot of times as she is a LEGENDARY teacher. You might be like “Duhhhhh” but no. Anyway, I’ll carry on.

Then came the best thing ever. Offline classes!! We had to choose which we wanted and of course, I didn’t think twice. At first, I was disappointed to know who my companions were, but, little did I know what I was in for. The first day of offline school was amazingly disciplined.  You walked right up to the entrance, where the nurse checks your temperature, then walk straight ahead and take your place in the line on the right. We waited a bit and then started towards our classes. We proceeded right to the school building and through some white doors to the stairway. We were in fifth standard and had to climb the most. Finally, on top. The refreshing cool air blew across my face. But I had no time to stop and relax. I had keep on with the line of students. I and my classmates entered our classroom, 5C. I chose the seat which attracted me the most, the one near to the window, with plenty of sunlight and also a good view of the board and teacher. Anjana mam had not arrived yet, so we waited. We adjusted our bags and settled down as quietly as possible, chancing a glance at each other when we were sure the other wasn’t looking. It was…awkward. We had spent two terms together and still didn’t know each other. Ridiculous right? Well, then, we can’t change the way I sat in the past and wish that I could have went and talked to them can we?

Then, we noticed the slight shadow as Anjana mam arrived. Footsteps. My heart beat with each one of them, telling my body to alter my position and do that and this… But I sat still. I had to learn to calm down my heart someday. We saw her for the first time. Well, not for the very first time, but first time in person. She had her mask on, obscuring her face. She set her bag on the table and started to get her laptop out. Not one of us took a breath. Then when she began to talk, we relaxed. Or maybe, I relaxed. We began to slowly give back responses, nods at first, then “yes” s and “no” s. Gradually, we began the class, and immersed ourselves into the chapter.

I was excited to meet my other teachers too. My science teacher was second and wasn’t I happy to see her? She smiled and talked to us for the first few minutes, then began the lesson as the online children joined. To my shock, my English and Hindi teachers had changed. The new English teacher was my class teacher from fourth grade but I had no idea about my Hindi teacher. Her name was Yasmin Rashid and she seemed pleasant enough. But her class. It would shape your mouth to a big, perfect ‘O’. At the end, my most hated subject, the one I kept till the last week before the exam became my fav one. You know, before I was so decided that I would choose French for higher classes, but now, I have some doubts.

But that’s all about my teachers. Let me introduce to my first awkward classmates who are now my best friends. Miguel, the A.R.M.Y girl, who was the first one to touch up with me. We were shocked when we discovered that the other was a huge fan of BTS and befriended immediately. Faiha, who was my friend for 3 years by then. We were very happy to see each other and chattered away like chatterboxes. Sidra, the new girl. She is…I don’t actually know. Kinda like a mixed up personality. Eden, the new boy. OMG, I don’t know what to say about him. But I must say something. So, for your sake, he is a huuuuge chatterbox, always has a grin which reaches up to his ears on his face, hates BTS like all the other boys in my class and was the most interesting student in the class. Next was Kester, the funny one. He was always casual and cool, never panicked up. A bit weak on studies and kinda like a troublemaker. Then we CANNOT forget his assistant and sidekick, Shivahari. Boy, that pair was blowing. Then Benson. He was a normal dude, pretty innocent according to me. He was the only boy who accompanied the girls in our BTS fandom. And last but not least, Juzer. At first, when I told stories of him to my lil sister, she asked whether he gives all of us juice. Crazy. He is pretty common too, but see, a veeery important character in our class.

Yeah, my class was very fun and mattered a lot to me. Cause there were only 9-10 of us, we were deep friends and no matter how much we teased and complained about each other, there was always ‘sorry’ time at the end.

Well, maybe I stretched on too long. Woah, I did, my laptop battery is at 15% and it was at 100% when I started. So, see ya soon when I come up with something more interesting than this. But before I sign out, here’s something from me. No matter how strict and forbidding they may seem, a teacher IS a teacher. They devote their whole life to teaching silly kids like us and it is not fair when they get nothing back in return. So, at least give them the satisfaction that they have taught this year’s batch well and score impressive marks. Did you get that noted down on your diary? If yes, then I might as well get going. Annyeong