By Favita Dias
WHEN I
joined Goa University in 2010, I was anxious. Of course,
why not, right? It was a new place and a new environment all together. Besides,
I was now all grown, a big girl, or at least I thought so. Joining the
University was a matter of pride for me, not only because I was the only one to
get there among my friend circle, but also because I was a first-generation
learner from my family.
Like most students who, on joining a new institution or a
class, are curious about the institution or the class and the class teacher, I
too started inquiring about the teachers, and tried to find out about the type
of students in the class, who I could be friends with, etc.
As the courses started, we met the professors. They all
seemed to be so high profile. We asked our seniors about the teachers, the
courses, if it is easy to pass, etc.
There was this one professor who, according to our
seniors, was a torture for the students because of his teaching and evaluation
method. He taught Classical Sociology, a compulsory course, and Social Research
Methods, an optional course. He would give only presentations in class, make
the students read long essays and, on top of that, evaluate the students every
day. I mean just imagine, you read, make your own presentation, and cannot even
bunk the class because you would lose out on class evaluation marks. Any
student would be scared of such a teacher. At least for me, and surely for most
students in my class, it would be a tough time because not many of us were used
to reading and making our own notes and here we had to do presentations
everyday or else lose marks. I would be so happy when it was not my turn to
present. He was always with this serious face, with no smile on his face.
I still remember his first class. Normally, on the first
day, teachers do not really teach. There is this ritual of introducing one
another. I assumed it would be the same at Goa University.
Mostly it was, but not with this professor. He came into class with some
pictures and arranged them on the floor. He then asked us to take one picture
and talk about why we chose that picture. I remember I chose a picture of an
old man with his grand-daughter. After we all spoke, he told us to reflect upon
the pictures that we chose and then started talking about ‘self-reflection’
through the pictures we chose.
We were only four of us in his class. I remember one of our
friends would make fun and mimic the professor. He had few teeth and one tooth
would be out and she would mimic that look of his. We would be thrilled if he
didn’t come to University, which would seldom happen. Our seniors had told us
that he had had a major heart surgery because of which he had got an extension,
or else he would have retired. I was hoping that by the time I reached the
final year he would retire.
YET, I
opted for the Social Research Methods course, even though I had an option to
take some other course. One reason was that our seniors had told us that this
course was beneficial, if we wanted to do a dissertation. Another reason was
that my best friend was taking the course.
In his Social Research Methods class, I appreciated his
way of teaching. Suddenly the classes were becoming interesting. I was getting
emotionally involved. I saw my confidence grow. I could speak up boldly in the
other compulsory courses as well. So finally I decided I would do my dissertation
under his guidance during my final year.
In the second year, I was more comfortable and would
encourage my juniors to take his courses. But, like me, even they were not used
to reading and making their own notes and presentations. It could be because we
were not exposed to any other culture of learning apart from rote learning, the
notes being dictated during lectures. So, not many would take optional courses
taught by him.
In his class, however, I noticed that even the quietest
and most shy students would speak up. The reason was that no matter what we
said, no matter how dumb we sounded in class, he always valued our opinions and
views. This he called ‘Voice’. Even if our answers were not related to the
topic, he would make sure that we did not feel like losers. He would somehow
try and relate our views to the context. He would always say there is no wrong
answer, it is always right from at least one perspective. Sometimes, if it was
not possible to do so during the current lecture, then the point made would
find a connect in the next lecture. I think this was the best thing I ever experienced
in a classroom.
He would tell us: “Never let the child in you die.”
I remember: how I grew with him! During my dissertation I
would cry when I shared my experiences with him. In the process of writing my
dissertation, I overcame a lot of my fears and pain. I was more confident than
I was when I had joined the University. Today, when I reflect back, I
understand that my dissertation could have been better if I had understood the
importance of letting myself be ‘vulnerable’. That is something I learnt later.
I was introduced to the Social Justice Action Committee,
where like-minded people took up the cause of discriminated communities. This
made me feel that I am not alone. I started fighting for reservations along
with them. The Professor never forced me to do anything, nor did he give any advice.
He always gave me his ear and then asked me questions, like “Why do you want to
do it?”, and tell me the possible consequences of my actions. It was not always
easy to get an answer for his question, but still he would insist: “Choose what
makes you feel good about. Live with the questions that you don’t find the answers
to. Eventually, you will find the answers. And even if you don’t find the answers,
it will be fine because the questions might disappear.”
The most important thing he taught me was to reflect on the
origin of the pain, the fears and the insecurity. And he would always say it
comes from our childhood. He would always say ‘Nurture the child in you’; that our
education system expects us to leave that child outside the classroom. He
always tried to help us get this child into the classroom. That is what made
learning fun.
As an example, I remember a friend of ours was very
fidgety in class, so Sir gave her the freedom to walk in the class whenever she
felt like. And then she was able to concentrate. No teacher would bother to notice
that we were bored in a class; in fact they would feel offended if we yawned in
the class. But, Sir would make us yawn and stretch our bodies when we were
bored. He would say yawning gives oxygen to our body and will help in
concentrating.
ONE of
the important lessons I learnt was the importance of vulnerability, and that it
can be our strength. Throughout my journey with him, I have felt vulnerable,
but never felt judged. Today my vulnerabilities give me strength.
Here I am now, teaching as an Assistant Professor in the
same Goa University and in the same department as
Sir. I was hoping that I would get the room where he used to sit; the room
where I have so many fond memories of him. That wouldn’t give me a bit of his
intelligence or patience; but I have great memories in that room. I always want
to be like him, and teach like him. I tried to use his method in my class and
failed miserably. I learnt that it is a demanding task. Not only because you
have to read and study in detail, but also because the system doesn’t encourage
it. Students too felt that I was doing ‘time pass’ by making them reflect on their
day-to-day habits and ways of living. They felt they were not learning anything
new.
But Sir Alito had that special thing. He would not teach
us something out of the world. He would teach us about our festivals, ways of
talking and dressing, about how we are at home. He would make us reflect upon
it and bring different perspectives into the classroom as compared to what the
theorists that we were learning in class had to say. Once, he gave us an exercise
of going to a place where we would never go, and eat something there, and then share
our experience in the class. So, taste is not only in the mouth or tongue, it
is there in the surroundings. I mean a simple example of our daily habit was
used to teach us about ‘Habitus’. That was how he taught us.
When I was facing difficulties in my first year of
teaching at the University and wanted to quit, Sir said that he would still be
proud of me and of the work that I was doing, no matter how short my teaching
career turned out to be. I was scared of being judged by people for not valuing
a job that many people aspire for, but he never did that. That was Alito Siqueira
and I am proud to be an “Alitorian”.
-------------
Favita Dias is working as
an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology, Goa University.
She is part of the first group of Scheduled Tribe women from the Gawda tribe to
be appointed as Assistant Professor at the Goa University.
Her areas of interest are caste, gender and sexuality. She writes about the systemic
injustice and humiliation that she faces within higher education.
Also subscribe to the blog Hanv Konn (re-searching the self)
About the blog Hanv Konn by Alito Siqueira:
"Learning and Recovery are Messy and Emotional"
Alito
with his friends & colleagues created this blog. He encouraged
students to create knowledge through project work based on their own location,
using multiple formats — text, digital stories and new media — and with their
own non-standard English. Such learning he felt is active, and tends to
motivate students to search and read academic articles as avid users, in
contrast to passive receivers who memorise texts and class room lectures. As a
mentor he worked with many of the essays in this blog. Looking back, he sees
this small innovative learning practice as the activity through which he learnt
best from students—their lived experience and communities, as well as teaching
methods.
Edited excerpts from the Foreword by Favita Dias:
“Each story of Hanv
Konn is more inspiring than the other. These life stories of the
writers themselves highlight some kind of injury, whether due to caste
discrimination, gender discrimination, class, language, family, etc. They touch
our deep-rooted and hidden feelings of pain, because they come from those who
have experienced the pain and have struggled with it.
“The stories offer a path to validate the pain and heal
it. They can help mobilize people with similar experiences to fight against the
pain due to discrimination of any form. Most things that we see, hear or
experience are considered to be part and parcel of life. But these same
day-to-day events, if given a deep thought, can change the way we see them.
“The texts can also be used in classrooms as reading
material. First, students can become aware of the kinds of discriminations in
our society, and the injuries that they cause. Secondly, it will help students
from the marginalized sections (and others) who have some hidden injuries. By
the simple means of sharing their own experiences they can find validation and
possibly a healing of their injuries. The stories can bring about a change in
the way students themselves see the day-to-day events in their lives and think
more sensitively about vulnerabilities — their own and of others.”
***
Alito was one of the most sincere & honest teachers that Goa, India and the world has seen. The test of his honesty & sincerity can be seen from his friends, colleagues and especially his students.
I thank Vasudha Sawaikar and Favita Dias for these pieces and for drawing my attention to the blog Hanv Konn. I am always sorry that I never had the chance to meet Alito. But then I did not have a chance to meet John Holt (How Children Learn, 1967) or A.S. Neill (Summerhill, 1921) or the hundreds of educators like Alito, who placed the child and the adult learner FIRST.
Take care. Enjoy yourselves. Peace and love. Have fun, as U learn.
Your support is my strength.
- Joe.
Pune, India; Sunday, 13 October 2019.
