Hello BRIGHT Run Family,
These days, technology has enabled connection in more ways than we can think.
Greater than a quarter of a century or more than 25 years. That is how much time has surely passed since I last talked to her.
My social media feed brought a photo that I was least expecting. It was probably taken in more recent times and showed two of my teachers from my high school days, in a personal setting. One of them, Rama-di (as we called her, ‘Rama’ being her first name and ‘di’ appended as a symbol of respect) was the headmistress of the middle school I attended.
Our class sizes were large; in fact, the classes were divided into sections so that they could be managed better. Each section followed its own routine. It wasn’t easy to find a substitute teacher if the instructor for a particular course was absent for some reason. However, finding a teacher was very important to manage the time and keep the students (often more than 60 students in a section) engaged in course work.
I don’t recall why, but it was between the completion of our board exams and the publication of their results (a period of two or three months, when students wait for the results and have a lot of free time), that I went to the school one day. Rama-di was trying to find a substitute teacher for Grade VIII, Section D, to instruct the mathematics course. When she saw me, she requested that I go to the section and help the students.
I happily took this opportunity. I went to that section with Rama-di, who introduced me nicely to the students and then left. I remember solving some math problems on the board, talking to the students, and checking a few copies, before the bell rang. Then, I took my leave and went back home. I ecstatically shared with my family that I had enjoyed being a math instructor that day.
Those days, as a teenager, I dreamt of many future versions of myself, and all were equally important. Today, I am a faculty member, and I use a lot of my time to train students. Many times, I have felt that Rama-di was the first person who entrusted me with the duties of a teacher and helped me to experience the feeling of being a teacher.
Unfortunately, the caption of the photo on my social media feed indicated the news of Rama-di’s demise. As I stared at it, I felt sad. Simultaneously, I relived several of the fond memories of our interactions in school. She was an affectionate person and a very good teacher.
In this case, the social media feed, a product of modern technological progress, acted positively and connected me to my fond memories. As a researcher in Artificial Intelligence (AI), I hope that AI’s progress will influence our lives and thoughts positively in the future.
With good wishes,
Ashirbani
Dr. Ashirbani Saha is the first holder of the BRIGHT Run Breast Cancer Learning Health System Chair, a permanent research position established by the BRIGHT Run in partnership with McMaster University.
