They taught me!

 In the Times of India, there was this news item about blind students studying German. That reminded me of the batch of visually impaired students who studied Spanish with me at the BMCC  Language Lab. It was indeed a unique experience in multiple ways. Indeed, they, too, taught me many aspects of the learning, and, living, too, process.

First and foremost, their attentiveness was fabulous. Spanish apps were not available then. My voice was their only means to Spanish wor(l)ds. They literally used to hang on to my words. Their attention used to be so intense that they literally used to remember every word. One of them, Raju, used to quote page number, line number,too! It humbled me to no end, made me still more responsible as a teacher.

What I appreciated the most about them was their joyousness. They used to participate in every college activity most enthusiastically. I still remember the way they had all dressed up for the Traditional Day. They had come to the Language Lab  specially to show me their unique attires, and their happiness, when I praised them, was sky high. 

They were hyper independent. Together, they would navigate the toughest road. If I praised them for that, they would narrate their encounters of the scariest variety with a laugh. Laughter was their USP. They had affairs, heartbreaks, silly and not so innocent gossip, too. Typical teenagers!

They taught me to be still more sensitive. Let me give you an example. I was teaching the passport, its structure/format/details. There was this entry "color de ojos"/colour of eyes. The batch was an inclusive one. The other students came up with prompt answers, black to blue! Then one of those visually impaired girls suddenly said, " Do eyes have to have colours? There is only dark black in front of us!" That goosebumps experience taught me to be still more sensitive and subtle in my choice of language assignments. Similarly, they told me of the horrible questions they were often asked by the so-called-normal people. I loved the way they used to fight for their rights. 

That batch taught me how to be grateful for so many of the positivities of the 'nomal' life granted to us gratis. Most of all, what I learnt in depth was  how never ever to "other", the backbone of literary theory even today! No wonder, I continue to love the "blind" feel!

Pratima@eyesight is not vision!