”Be the change you want to see” – Alliya Naaz

This remark of Gandhiji “Be the change you want to see”, speaks to me.

My mother has constantly been an advocate for education. Against all circumstances, a strong mom insisted that her daughters receive top-notch education. No matter what prejudices exist in society, in my mother’s opinion, education empowers a person. She was an inspiration to me, and I have done my best to develop the skills necessary for lifelong learning and information acquisition.

I envisioned inspiring at least one person in my life the way my mother had done for me. I started my voyage into the uncharted with this vision. I’m the first woman in my family to seek employment in a foreign city. Though it was a difficult choice, I made it for my love for my daughter.

I am Alliya Naaz, a native of Bangalore. I began working in 2000 and finished my master’s degree in English literature in 2019. I explored many career paths, job functions, and job profiles before settling in the teaching industry in 2004.

I started my first teaching job as a Spoken English teacher for primary grades in Tirupati. I provided instruction in reading, listening, and speaking. Before the school year was over, I had impacted students’ hearts. The students’ love and curiosity for studying was evident to me. My distinctive teaching style gained popularity, and the students began to adore my enjoyable teaching style. Thus, the fundamental beginnings of an effective instructor begin. I am at the height of my career right now as an Assistant Professor of English in a self-governing college connected to Bangalore University.

I’m going to share a few learning opportunities that have come my way.

• Language Barrier: Because my students and I rarely spoke the same language, the only choice was for me to teach English while they learned English.
• Lack of Confidence: Students were afraid of being judged, therefore they hesitated to try and were afraid of failing.
• Time Management: Practice makes one perfect, yet with time constraints, students couldn’t practice much.
• Resistance to Change: We argue that change is constant, but we are nevertheless resistant to it because we are afraid of the unknown and do not want to leave our comfort zone.

It gives me a sense of satisfaction and pleasure to think about how I influenced the lives of my students.

One memorable moment, among many, while I was traveling by bus and a few girls at the bus stop started shouting ma’am at the top of their lungs, waved at me, and stated that “they started working in an MNC in Bangalore because of me.” I was overjoyed to see them in such excellent spirits. They were Bachelors of Commerce 6th semester Batch#5 of the soft and interview skills training session organized in Government First Grade Degree College for Women Kolar, Karnataka. They are first-generation college graduates who work outside the home to help support their families.

Later, the bus driver asked me about my identity and my activities. I explained that I am a teacher and that they are my students. He stated that it was the first time he saw students show the utmost respect to a teacher, which he considered an accomplishment. He called me a star. Teachers ought to be respected and recognized. I’m glad you’re traveling on my bus.

I count it a blessing to work with students of many ages, socioeconomic groups, creeds, and religions. An important lesson that I picked up along the way is that “Being self-sufficient and independent is the key to happiness, which may be attained via education in many areas of life.”