Strangely enough, one of the most fulfilling experiences of my professional life has only a tangential relationship to my work.
While I am a journalist, I found the two semesters I taught final-year Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) students as — if not more — satisfying than anything I’ve done in a newsroom.
The students were eager and happy to have somebody who didn’t talk down to them. They were also well-informed, with intelligent opinions and a genuine interest in the media.
I guess my not being a teacher by profession helped because I didn’t know how to conduct a ‘lecture’, opting instead for interactive sessions. The students — not to mention I — felt more comfortable this way. It was almost as if they were conducting the lecture and I was merely filling in the blanks.
Also, the kids were really sharp and it kept me on my toes.
But that was a classroom and we worked within the framework of the topics assigned. So, I was apprehensive when I was asked to talk to a few students and their parents about media as a career on April 12. I said yes because the students being bussed in were mostly from Urdu schools and from less privileged backgrounds.
I was curious about how it would turn out, whether they had any inclination at all towards journalism. I was intrigued also by another aspect — the students knew very little English, while I am hopeless in Hindi and don’t know Urdu at all.
How would we communicate? Would they look upon me as just another slick-sounding character who didn’t really care?
So, my heart was in my mouth as I looked at the audience that Sunday. The ‘few’ students and parents turned out to be an audience of over 450. “That’s it,” I thought, “I’m sunk.”
It struck me then that what worked in my BMM class would work here. I refused to get on the dais, choosing a cordless mike instead and walked into the audience as I spoke. Five minutes later, I threw the floor open for questions. And there was a flood of them.
I was happily surprised at the eagerness those teenagers exhibited. I was even more surprised at how interested the parents were.
Like in my college classes, it was the girls who were the most vocal. You just had to look into their eyes to understand their desire to break out of the shackles of conservatism and to make something of their lives.
They asked me all sorts of questions — from how bad the work hours are and what they could expect to get paid to how biased the media were in their political reportage.
And it didn’t matter that I was struggling with the Hindi and lapsing into English every few seconds. We understood each other perfectly.
When I started, I thought I would run out of things to say in a few minutes. In the end, the organisers had to stop the talk because we had run out of time and another speaker was waiting. Several students followed me out and I continued answering questions in the courtyard.
This is not a vanity blog. It’s not about how something turned out well for me. It’s about how the students of today — cutting across social layers — always make me feel great about the future. I’m not among those who have nothing but criticism for the youth. I don’t think they take their futures for granted, I don’t think they are unwilling to work hard and I don’t think they are casual in their choices or commitments.
My students and those at the talk are evidence of this.
I miss the feel of a classroom, and I miss being around those razor-sharp minds. Maybe some day somebody will ask me to teach again.
Ashraf Engineer
Mubasshir said,
April 15, 2009 at 10:28 am
Good one Ashraf. Did see your pic and read the report in Inquilab. Career Fest was a big success, Shahid Bhai told me. A turnout of 9000 students in 2 days is a good sign.
Danto said,
April 15, 2009 at 10:32 am
Very interesting!
smita deshmukh said,
April 15, 2009 at 11:41 am
I have gone back to classroom for good. It’s an overwhelming experience..the students out there ask more and better questions than professional journalists! Join the club…fast!
Vrunda said,
April 15, 2009 at 11:41 am
Hey, I felt exactly the same way when I was asked to take a few lectures on Cultural reporting at Ranade Institute here. Though language was not much of a problem since many of the students were from Marathi medium, I was apprehensive because I have never done teaching in my life. But the students were really inquisitive, receptive and interested in the topic. Just like you, I too look at it as a fulfilling and enlightening experience.
Ashraf Engineer said,
April 15, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Fantastic feeling, isn’t it? I miss it every day, Vrunda.
Rehan said,
April 15, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I got a very good report about ur way of conducting a lecture in saboo siddique. an organiser amir my brother told me that u were the most impressive among other lecturers.
Nazim said,
April 15, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Nice experience. Reminded me of my own BMM course, of the always-ready-to-help teachers, and also our raw inquisitiveness. Damn, I wish I were college now
Ashraf Engineer said,
April 15, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Don’t we all!
anil sadarangani said,
April 19, 2009 at 8:46 pm
hey ashraf, i’ll be honest with you. the last two times i read your blog, i simply breezed through it, barely reading even a sentence. this write up seized me from word a to z.
just got back from a small town/village in rajasthan called jhunjhunu to shoot a school and the students i interacted with sound similar to the ones you interacted with. which makes me think that maybe kids of today from less privileged backgrounds have a bigger drive to strive hard to achieve. what do you think?i mean, i see people who are more fortunate or privileged and more often than not, theyve had it easy. the stories of real strife and struggle and real success usually have always been of those who have had it tougher. its the case with me too – i have been very privileged and less driven than one friend of mine who has been less privileged than me but is now more successful than me.
of course, its all subjective, but in the context of the future of India, i think there are two Indias striving for the same goal. what do you think?
Shobha said,
April 22, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Hello
I don’t know if you remember me. I am Shobha, one of your students from your BMM class (of batch 2005) 
I just read your piece in Dawn as Anamika had posted it on her Facebook profile. Its such a co-incidence that I land on your blog and read about your experiences of teaching a BMM class 
Ashraf Engineer said,
April 22, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Hi Shobha,
Absolutely wonderful to find you again! My experiences were not just about any BMM class — I was referring to you’ll and the one I taught later in 2006.
Regards,
Ashraf
rahconteur said,
April 26, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Reads real nice. Gives a little glimpse of what it’s like inside mass com/journalism classes. Always felt I could have been a better scribe with some mass com/journalism lessons. And teaching is something that’s simply not in my blood; get so annoyed when my 8-year-old son asks the same question twice (after I have answered in the first place).
Regards
Rahul
Piyush Shrivastava said,
April 30, 2009 at 6:55 am
Great Read!
I worked as a teacher in an engineering college for first five years of my career. It was demanding and salaries were pathetic so I moved to greener pastures. I used to be strict, harsh, and demanding with my students. But deep inside I admired them so much. They are so aware, so smart, and so focussed. I still cherish what all they taught me and they taught me a lot. And being with college kids makes you feel so young. This blog reminded me of all the positive energy you can get from a class of vibrant students. Thanks!