Uppentha? (What amount of salt?) Thaginantha… (As much as appropriate…)

Just as I was putting in some finishing touches on the curry today, I asked about the amount of salt that I should add. And the response was that I should go with my gut! When an expert provides all the directions, and then lets a loose end, what could one make out of it? Are they unsure? Are they testing you? Do they want to watch it while you decide?

Experts or teachers often let some loose ends for their students. I guess they test their students every now and then, and let them make their decisions. A teacher’s goal, in part, may be about getting students ready for situations when they are not around. So, what’s wrong in throwing in some real-life situations?! And then, who knows, the result might turn out better than if the student had just followed the instructions all the way.

When we were a few months away from our Grade 10 finals, our Telugu master talked about “Marjala shisu dharmam; Markata shisu dharmam”. (The duty of a cat towards its kitten; the duty of a monkey towards its infant). The cat does not let anyone near its kitten. It is ready to pounce if someone as much dares to approach. It assumes total responsibility. On the other hand, a monkey shares the responsibility with its infant. As it jumps from one branch to the other, the onus on holding on to the mother is on the baby. The mother provides what it can, while the infant does its part. The inference was that we were on the cusp of graduation, and the teachers duty towards students would start to be a shared responsibility. Also, the transition to the “monkey” way probably helps students develop a signature of their own. A probing teacher pushes his students outside of their comfort zone, exactly where there is growth and learning.

For the past one week, my son had been practicing with his keyboard more than usual. He surprised me with 30-minute non-stop sessions. When I discussed about his music, he showed me a video of an eighth grader from his school, putting up a great performance. His master had asked him to check it out. Something clicked inside his mind, and he is spending a lot of time these days. May be just another of teachers techniques to inspire their wards.

As for my cooking session and the salt, I did some serious decision making, and it turned out okay! We capped it off by indulging in the curry a little more than we had hoped. Credit to the teacher!