Respect, Mental Stimulation and Molding Next Generation

– What Else do You Desire From a Profession – Says

Sapna Bose, a School Teacher
JULY 19, 2018

Insights
1. In this profession, understanding the psychology of a child becomes very important.
2. The work-life balance is better than almost all jobs considering the long summer
vacation that no other job provides.
 3. Income is not bad, but the biggest benefit of this job is surrounded by the young
generation.
4. A school teacher has to work very long hours during exams and school functions.

Personal Details
Name – Sapna Bose
Profession – School Teacher
Age – 40 years
Gender – Female
City – Kolkata
Industry – ​Education

Where have you been born and raised?

I was born in Kolkata, in a middle-class family. My father was in service and my mother was
a homemaker. She used to devote time in an NGO.
I have a brother, who is an engineer.
Our grandparents lived with us and we had a great time as a family.

Who had the most influence on you?

My father was the biggest influence on me. He always believed in me and felt girls should
be given equal opportunities. He always wanted me to reach great heights and wanted me
to achieve my goals. My father always taught me that it was more important to be a good
person than being a successful person.

Please give us a summary of your career.

After my class 10th, I took up humanities as I was always inclined towards literature. I
majored in ​Bengali literature​ in graduation and further pursued masters in Bengali literature
too.
Then, I completed my B.Ed. and appeared for the government teacher entrance exam and
cleared it.
I started teaching students of the 8–12th standard.

Which institutions are best for the entry-level courses?

There are no such colleges or institutions for becoming a teacher. It is completely a
self-learning process.
Though Post-Graduation isn’t required to become a school teacher, yet I recommend going
for Masters to broaden your scope later in this profession.
For Bengali literature, I recommend ​Jadavpur University​, ​The Presidency College​, and ​St.
Xavier’s​.

What has been the approximate costs involved in pursuing the

profession you are in?
Things have drastically changed now. I completed my graduation from a government
college and the cost was around 20K INR whereas it was 25K INR for my masters.
Now, B.Ed. costs around 2–3 lakhs INR in top colleges whereas graduation costs around
40K INR in government colleges.

How does one enter in teaching profession?

There is only one way to become a school teacher and that is through B.Ed.
After getting B.Ed., you can either join private schools or appear for Government teacher
entrance exams.
You can pursue Masters and Ph.D. if you want to teach higher classes.

What is the remuneration one should expect while starting out in

teaching line?
Well, there could be two cases. One, a government school teacher and another could be a
private institution. Government Schools have fixed scales starting from around 20000 per
month and with the promotion the scale increases. For private institutions, it varies from
school to school and from place to place. It also depends on the subject you teach.
Following is the average salary of a school teacher:
Starting out — 2 to 3 Lakhs INR per annum
5 years’ experience — 4 to 5 Lakhs INR per annum
10 years’ experience7 to 10 Lakhs INR per annum

Please describe your work as a school teacher.

Typically, I start my day planning. I go through chapters that I have to teach that day.
There are times when I have to evaluate exam copies.
School starts at around 10 am. Then, I take 5 to 6 classes. My day usually ends around 4
pm.
In case there are extra classes, my schedule even exceeds beyond 4 pm.

What are some of the positives that would encourage someone

to take up school teacher as a career?
1. Teaching is a wonderful career option. It gives you an opportunity to contribute to the
betterment of society. Because you are now responsible for the future of the
children.
2. The work-life balance is better than almost all jobs considering the long summer
vacation that no other job provides.
3. You get a lot of respect from the society and immense love. It feels so good when
students (after 10/12 years) call you up and share their experiences.
4. At the same time, you can stimulate your brains with the vast amount of knowledge.

What are some of the challenges one is expected to face the

teaching profession?
1. This profession sometimes demands an extreme level of hard work, especially
during exams, school functions etc.
2. You just can’t say no to books. Because more than anything your life remains
surrounded by books.
3. There are times when dealing with kids and understanding their psychology
becomes difficult. You are the one who has witnessed the change in kids, so you
have to be extremely patient and calm when you deal with them.
 4. One has to also deal with a lot of politics. It could sometime be from your colleagues
and at times from the authority too.

What are some of the skills/technological advancement one is

required to possess in your job profile?
These days knowing a computer is a must. You also have to have a fair understanding of
social media. You need to also update with all the latest advancement that has taken place
in the field and Wikipedia is undoubtedly the most trusted source.

What kind of person would be happy in your career?

I feel teaching is a career that should not be enforced on anybody. This should be a part of
one’s own will.
Teaching requires a lot of patience, sacrifice, and hard work. It becomes a matter of
responsibility as the child’s future depends on you.
You need to constantly update yourself with the changes in the syllabus or changes in your
field. You have to understand a child’s psychology and act accordingly. To be an ideal
teacher requires a lot of persistence and patience.

Given a choice, if not a teacher, what would you see yourself as?
Teaching has always been my dream of a ‘Perfect Career’. So, I would like to see myself as
a teacher and nothing else.

What would be your advice to students or professionals who are

just starting their journey on a path similar to yours?
If you are passionate about teaching and want to be in a profession where it is less about
you and more about the society, then teaching is the right profession for you.

Contributing Writer - ​Soumik Mitro

You may also like to read ​our conversation​ with Mrs. Anupma Sharma
(​Psychology​ teacher, Delhi Public School)

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