Assalam o alaikum, here is Sameer Abbas from class 10th E. This is my fourth interview for the BLA Blog. Gratefully, I have the opportunity of interviewing the senior Urdu teacher Miss Sanjeeda Qadri.
Sameer: How are you?
Miss Sanjeeda: I’m fine, thank you!
Sameer: Since how many years have you been teaching in BLA?
Miss Sanjeeda: I have been teaching in BLA since year 2008 and this is my 15th year in BLA. I also have a 25 years old teaching experience.
Sameer: Which classes are you teaching nowadays?
Miss Sanjeeda: I am teaching Urdu to the 10th grade.
Sameer: Which was your favourite class in your teaching career in BLA?
Miss Sanjeeda: My favourite batch was the 2017-2018 one because the new syllabus hadn’t come so Urdu was more difficult then, than it is nowadays. But I am glad that in that year, I got 5 High Achievers in all of Asia and in the whole region respectively. Edexcel also gave me an award in Urdu.
Sameer: How has your career been overall?
Miss Sanjeeda: My career has been excellent and wonderful, and I think this is a positive work because I do not emphasize upon the earning, rather I only strive to educate others. Every year and even every day, I strive for a change in my and others lives, and every year I add something new and begin with a new plan.
Sameer: Is teaching great and fun?
Miss Sanjeeda: Yes, I think teaching is great and fun, but people think that I am strict. I don’t like questions in the midst of a lecture as no one likes them, but I like it if someone asks a question after a lecture and I give my best to answer it.
Sameer: Are you satisfied with teaching?
Miss Sanjeeda: Yes it is a positive work and I feel happy. I also think that Allah has blessed me with this job and He has made me for teaching students. My fear is that someone would ask me a question and I wouldn’t answer it- it would be the worst thing in my life.
Sameer: What is your qualification?
Miss Sanjeeda: I am a BA and B.Ed.
Sameer: Who was your best and the most irritating student in your whole teaching career in BLA?
Miss Sanjeeda: I think everyone is best but there was a girl in grade 9 who couldn’t learn Urdu and usually cried during my period. It was her second day when I announced that everyone should start working on their Sawan e Hayat (biography) project. The girl literally cried and asked how she could write a huge complicated Sawan e Hayat. I helped her out and Mash’allah she scored grade B in Urdu. I remember another student in year 2017. His name was Ballaj and he came from Norway. His mother told me that he will not be giving the Urdu board exam. He usually saw Urdu and tried to learn it. Hence I, by myself, gave him two lines to read daily in class. He never shouted nor did he ever chat with anyone. One day, he asked me to read aloud as he wanted to give me dictation. Just reading two lines every day developed his interest in Urdu so much so that he himself told the headmistress that he wanted go in the 10th grade and wanted to give the Urdu O’ level examination. Mash’allah, he became a high achiever in Urdu, and when he was graduating from the school, he stood on stage and said that the main person behind his success was me. It was the most memorable day of my life and I thought I had achieved what I wanted.
Sameer: What is your dream?
Miss Sanjeeda: My dream is to teach students and make them achieve great in life. Not only has Allah blessed other girls, but He has blessed my daughters too which is evident in that with only a little struggle, my daughters are progressing high and are succeeding in every path of their life.
Sameer: Any inspirations or role models?
Miss Sanjeeda: My inspiration is my father. He was a writer and a musician and had many talents. However, he died when I was in the 7th grade. The one thing of his which inspired me the most was that if he was ever angry, he became quiet and never scolded. He was a loving person and I think Sir Sanaullah Qazi (Allah grant him peace and blessings in heaven) was just like my father.
Sameer: Any great memories in BLA?
Miss Sanjeeda: Yes, one of my favourite memories in BLA is having five high achievers in the session 2017-18. Another memorable event is that I wrote a poem for Sir Qazi, in which I said that he was just like my father, during the teachers’ award ceremony. I liked that the management trusted me and made me secretly avail the opportunity to read out the poem for Sir Qazi without informing him.
Sameer: Do you wish to share any lessons, morals or kind words with the students?
Miss Sanjeeda: I think that people should share their good habits with others and respect others. They shouldn’t waste time- rather they should help others and be positive in every circumstance of life. I consider myself as an overall checker that I check and focus on technical things, like washing the handle of the kettle which is a very minute thing and is the most easily ignorable thing. I personally don’t feel afraid from improving others and myself too.
Sameer: Any questions?
Miss Sanjeeda: How is my teaching style, Sameer?
Sameer: Miss, I think your teaching style is the best. I haven’t seen any teacher completing Paper 3 and Paper 4 along with Paper 2 in just one month. You are strict but the strictness is necessary to have students score an A+ grade in Urdu. You are the best teacher. The thing I like the most about you was that you somehow manage to bring the old books and distribute them for free among the students. You are the most generous teacher I have ever seen. Thank you for your time Miss!
Miss Sanjeeda: Thank you for interviewing me. Allah Hafiz!