“The mediocre teacher tells... The good teacher explains... The superior teacher demonstrates... The great teacher inspires.” —William Arthur Ward
ANNOUNCEMENT
Our Ex-Hindi teacher (S.F.X. High School, Peddem, Mapusa) Mrs Theresa Joseph wife of the late Mr George Joseph expired on 30/03/2024. She leaves behind her beloved daughters Annette, Tessy and Tiana along with their families and her grandchildren.
Her funeral was held on the 1st of April 2024 at 10.30 am at St. Cajetan Church, Assagao
She will be truly missed!
OUR MEMORIES OF MRS. THERESA
It was not a subject that would make us scientists, doctors or astronauts...
It was a language that tethered to our heritage, anchoring us firmly to our roots
The teaching style wasn't about dazzling us with techniques, like in math or chemistry... It was about the love you infused into your lessons, the wisdom you imparted with every word.
There wasn't a meticulously crafted lesson plan that made it captivating... It was your genuine connection with us that held our attention.
Discipline didn't come from a stick or ruler; it came from your warm smile.
Your persona wasn't about airs and graces; it was about the quiet simplicity with which you conducted yourself.
While the world might have overlooked it, we knew your true intentions— You wanted for us to thrive, to succeed, and at the very least, to navigate through life with confidence. - By Jacqueline Fernandes
In honouring your journey, we embrace the memories that shaped us and the lessons that continue to inspire us.
Jacqueline - "I write this with a heavy heart after hearing about the demise of our dear Mrs Theresa. I had the privilege of meeting her at the fete that was held in 2021 on the school grounds. I was unsure if she would remember but she did and she told me so while she warmly hugged me. She was happy to see all of us that day (pic above).
I remember two main things from the past -
First was that she was so sporting. This was evident from a pic posted on our FB school group by Jennifer Dsouza.
We once had a students vs teachers volleyball match. All our teachers participated. The moment all our teachers walked from the school to the volleyball court on the ground opposite the main gate, we were awestruck. That was the first time we saw Ms. Theresa in a sporty skirt. I think all of us had the same thought... we all loved the change from the sari to her sports attire. She looked so beautiful! I do not remember who won that match but she played alongside her beloved husband. Sirs Joseph and Jude and Mrs Clara did most of the playing and covering up for Mrs Theresa and Mrs Jeffrey... It didn't matter who we cheered for (us or our teachers), but we were all so happy that we had such wonderful teachers who stepped out of their comfort zones to make that moment memorable.
This is another thing I remember all too well. I was reading so many similar comments from others in the group. Yes... Hindi was never my favourite subject. Failing unit tests and always praying and hoping I would get passing marks of 7 or 35 marks for the 100-mark exams. I knew that's all I needed. Even today I am no good at Hindi. But back in the 80s (We passed out in 1989) when the internet, phones, Google Search, and Google Translate had not yet come into our world we had to depend on the good old books and by-hearting. For me, translations were key to memorising and understanding how to answer papers. Mrs Theresa knew I was very weak and would ensure that the textbook was translated. I wrote the meaning just above the line like most of us did. She even told me how to distribute my marks so I would ensure a good score. She advised me to learn the big answers (4 questions x 5 marks each = 20 marks) which would take care of a chunk and how to score the rest. All I was interested in was a passing score.
This is just an example of how bad I was. My father kept every report card that was posted to him. That's how I found these.
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This was my final report card from Std 6th - Mrs Theresa was our class teacher.
Christina Braganza - I was in 5th Standard on the first day of Hindi at school. I did not know a single word of Hindi. Ms Theresa was our Hindi teacher and I was sitting on the first bench. She requested all the girls to open their Hindi readers. Since she spoke in Hindi I did not understand her so I just sat there because I had not brought my Hindi textbook. Sitting on the first bench and not having a book she told me again in Hindi "Khade Raho." I did not understand so I asked my neighbour Rupali what is she saying. She told me that she is asking you to stand up. After I stood up she asked me again in Hindi "Tumara pustak kaham hai" I did not understand so I asked Rupali again. She replied that she was asking where is your book. She made me stand in front of the whole class in my place and say "Aaj se me in tumare saath Hindi mein hi bolungi air tum bhi mujhe jawab Hindi mein hi denghi. English mein baat karoge to mein tumhe jawab nahim doonghi.
This was the beginning of my journey to study Hindi. It was gradual, I struggled and I learned and by the time I was in 10th, I was fluent in Hindi and I could speak Marathi too. Ms Theresa motivated me and I was blessed to learn this language when I did. During my higher studies in Bombay, I was not lost and I coped with case presentations and health education talks incredibly well thanks to the Hindi I learnt from Mrs Theresa. I got a chance to visit our school and thanked her for the initiative taken by her which changed my life. I was able to help my colleagues also during my student period. What I appreciated was her patience which allowed me to make mistakes, talk and learn from my errors. I can truly say that I learnt to speak because of her. God bless her and may her soul rest in peace
I encourage you to write down your best memories of Mrs. Theresa in the comments. If you like you can send them to me and I will add them to this post.
