Art Of Teaching

This is a small blog to thank Mrs. Sheela Wagle Madam who took special pains to set up the Nursery Section in Shreerang School along with the Junior College in 2016.

The then Secretary had entrusted the work of starting the Nursery Section along with Junior College in Shreerang premises. As per them it was a dream project of the Management that if a child enters Shreerang at Nursery level, then will leave the school only after completing XII standard in the Junior college.

As I was not much confident on the know how of starting a nursery, the Secretary asked me to contact a person who had profound knowledge in this field.

At that time, I suddenly reckoned that Sheela Wagle Madam had been called twice as the Chief Guest of Pre-Primary Section Annual Gathering and I tried to contact her.

On contacting her and telling her about our vision, she readily came and met the Secretary of Shreerang Education Society and gave her valuable feedback on the starting of the Nursery section.

To talk about her, I would like to state that she is a very active social worker. She has completed her graduation in Marathi subject and Textile designing course from Rachana Sansad. She was a textile designer before her marriage.

Most important, she had her own kindergarten which she ran successfully for 27 years and her batches were run in two sections of 90 students each. Most of her students took admission in Saraswati Secondary school, Thane.

She was and still is very much a part of Acharya Atre Katta for nearly 20 years.  She was the Ex- President of the same and has devoted a lot of time and energy for this organization.

She is also a member of Foto Circle Society, Signal School and Fandry Foundation.

She gave training free of charge to our staff of Pre- Primary and also on closing down of her nursery donated many materials free of charge to our nursery. She forwarded the names of two teachers who were working in her nursery and we took them under our wing as we wanted our nursery to run successfully just as she ran her own for so long.

I cannot recollect why she was not called and felicitated during the opening of Junior College? But doesn’t matter. I shall remain ever indebted to her for her valuable guidance.

Till today at the age of 60, she is an inspiration for me and maybe many other ladies as she stays alone in Naupada as her son is in the US and a famous Astro Physicist.  I see her energy and the way she is engrossed in all types of social activities. I admire her courage and zeal and salute her for the same. For her age is just a number.

She has taught me how to involve oneself in activities and not feel depressed or compromised at any stage of life. I have seen her accumulation of her hobbies like painting, origami, reading and writing skills. I have also suggested to have her paintings displayed as they are really unique.

I became friends with her through our common friend, Vilas Bandiwadekar, the famous coach of umpiring in cricket who is no more with us due to Covid. He was my husband’s friend and working in Bank of India.

It was my earnest wish to felicitate her but due to the circumstances which forced me to resign, I could not do so. nor suggest the same.

But let me put on record that I was very happy when during the Yearly celebrations of Ghosale Lake on 2^nd April, 2022, she was felicitated by the Senior Citizens Organization.

Thank you, Sheela Wagle, for your friendship and your constant advice and love to me. I hardly have any friends and it is great to have an inspiring and strong one like you as a friend at this stage of my life. You are living your life to your fullest and that is what inspires me a lot and has led me to join singing classes and plans for further endeavors.  

Thank you, Mr. M.P. Naik, and Senior Citizen’s Association for completing this wish of mine as I would never feel comfortable if she was not given the due honor for her selfless contribution to Shreerang. It is people like her who make us proud of their benevolence and humility.

So, it is a message to all workaholics like me who are retired and are finding life to be very boring suddenly. Follow your passion, reintroduce yourself to your hobbies, go for long rides, visit places which you could not before and remember, you have come alone and you will go alone. So, enjoy life to the fullest till your legs support you.