PSBB Teachers 12 - Ambika Mam

[Start of Series]

(Part 11 here)

Class Teacher/Moral Science/Geography - '95
Ambika Mam - V'th to VI'th was the second quasi-major transition in a PSBB(TP Road)'ian's life. And aptly, Ambika mam was our class-teacher (apart from handling Moral Science & Geography). If ever there was a teacher who impacted a majority of us students with philosophy, spirituality & morals profoundly up to that point of time in life, for most PSBB'ians around my time, it has to be Ambika Mam. She had a deep, soothing voice and a wonderfully warm personality, at the same time, a stern glare from her could make even the naughtiest of chaps own up to any mistake he did.
Yes, there was also a few students who felt she was too preachy or something on those lines, but it was great to have had a teacher like her, especially at that time of life when we were about to enter our teens.
I must also make a special mention of the fact that my stint at Class-Leadership (ahem!) started thanks to her. For most part up to then, "Class Leader" was synonymous with Harish Anand - one of the most popular PSBB'ians from my batch, a very enterprising bloke and a good friend. I don't know where I'd got the desire to be Class Leader all of a sudden, especially considering he was quite well-made, popular & a good student (must-haves for Class Leaders in PSBB :D) in class while I, while not small by any means, was definitely smaller than him, besides being very quiet & reserved, but I remember confiding in my mom that I wanted to be Class Leader. I was also fresh from two consecutive All-Rounder medals (my only two :P), and this probably played a part in my desire, but I can't be sure. However, I had no idea my mom would actually tell this to Ambika mam, which she did, on the first Cycle Test report card day. And the ever-encouraging Ambika Mam made me Class Leader soon thereafter. And this leadership experience (whatever little it was) rubbed off on me all the way up to college, so I think extra-gratitude to Ambika mam for making a shy, bespectacled, chubby, then-chamathu, Powder-Subramani (I'm guessing this phrase is going to stick, thanks to Chutney :D) like me Class Leader (yes yes, including the coveted badge!) of VI 'A'. :-)
I think she handled Moral Science also for us, for a few years after that. A fair call it would be, I hope, if I said she was one of the most universally liked teachers in TP Road.
Since I was also this extra-chamathu guy who could bear to see no "wrong things" happening [:D], I remember telling her secretly about one specific boy-girl incident in 6th standard along with another friend. This pottu-koduthufying business didn't end then...there was another incident in 9th std in Main school when I pottu-koduthufied about another girl's disrespectful words about a sir to her. No surprises then that I was no favourite among my classmates. :D
Through this orkut community, I heard she moved to Lady Andal and then to Bangalore. Like the community description says, she is one teacher whom most students will most likely never forget all their lives. :-)


(Part 13 here)