From Primary School to University: The Teachers Who Shaped My Journey
Rayees Jamil | Inside Kashmir
Teachers’ Day is often celebrated with speeches, flowers, greetings and photographs. But for me, it carries a much deeper meaning.
When I look back at my journey—from the first lessons of primary school to higher education and professional life—I realise that my path was never walked alone. At every stage, there was a teacher who opened a door, corrected a mistake, encouraged a dream, or simply made me believe that I could go a little further.
Some taught me alphabets and numbers. Some taught me discipline. Some introduced me to knowledge beyond textbooks. Others challenged me to think, question, write and understand the world around me.
Together, they became part of my journey.
The first steps begin in the classroom
My educational journey was shaped in its earliest years by teachers whose influence remains deeply etched in my memory:
Master Ab Gani Ganie, Master Mohammad Sultan Ganie, Master Manzoor Ahmad Mir, Master Gh Mohammad Dar, Master Gh Mohammad Malik, Master Ab Rahim Bhat, Master Ab Ahad, Master Nazir Ahmad Lone, Master Nazir Ahmad Baba, Master Sunaullah Dar, Master Mohammad Shafi Shah, Master Guftar Ganie and Master Dilshad Rather.
These were not merely names on a school register.
They were among the people who helped lay the foundation upon which everything that came later was built.
A child's first encounter with education can determine how that child sees learning for years to come. The teacher who patiently explains a difficult lesson, corrects handwriting, encourages participation, demands discipline or appreciates an effort may never realise how deeply that moment remains with a student.
The foundations of a life are often built quietly.
From school lessons to wider horizons
As education progressed, the classroom changed, the subjects became more demanding and the questions became more complex.
At that stage, I had the privilege of being guided by teachers and professors including Lecturer Nazir Ahmad Najar, Prof. Bashir Ahmad, Prof. Mehraj Din and Prof. Mushtaq Sahib.
They represented another important stage of the journey—the transition from simply acquiring knowledge to learning how to understand it.
Higher education is not only about passing examinations. It is where a student begins to develop independent thought, intellectual confidence and a broader understanding of society.
A good lecturer or professor does not simply deliver a lecture.
They open windows. They introduce students to ideas they may never have encountered otherwise and encourage them to look beyond the obvious.
Teachers who become mentors
Some teachers go beyond their formal responsibilities. Their influence continues long after the class ends.
Among those who contributed to my educational and intellectual journey are Dr. Mohd Iqbal Malik, Dr. Hilal Sanai and Prof. Dr. Parvaiz Pathan.
At this stage, education increasingly becomes a dialogue between knowledge and experience.
The teacher becomes more than an instructor. The teacher becomes a mentor. And mentorship can influence not only what a person knows, but also what that person chooses to become.
Education is not confined to universities. My journey was also enriched by teachers and scholars who represented another important dimension of learning—religious, moral and spiritual education.
I remember with respect Qazi Mohammad Imran, Mufti Tahir Naqash, Mufti Ab Rashid, Qari Hafiz Naseer Ahmad, Qari Sajad Ahmad, Hafiz Khursheed Alm, Hafiz Mohammad Rafeeq Karnahi and Zakir Hussain Zargar.
Their contribution reminds us that education is much bigger than academic qualifications.
A truly educated person needs knowledge, but also character, conscience, humility and a sense of responsibility.
Books can tell us what humanity has discovered. Teachers can help us understand how we should use that knowledge. Every profession begins with a teacher
Today, when we speak about doctors, engineers, journalists, professors, administrators, entrepreneurs and other professionals, we often celebrate the final achievement.
We rarely think about the beginning.
But every professional journey starts somewhere—with a teacher.
Before the university professor comes the school teacher.
Before the professional comes the student.
Before confidence comes encouragement.
And before achievement comes someone saying:
“Learn. Try again. You can do better.”
That is why the contribution of teachers cannot be measured merely through examination results.
A teacher's real achievement may be visible decades later—in the character of a former student, in the profession they choose, in the family they build, in the society they serve and in the values they carry forward.
A personal thank you On Teachers’ Day, I want to remember all these teachers with gratitude.
My Mom, (Life, Walk and talk)
Master Ab Gani Ganie. (Basic)
Master Mohammad Sultan Ganie.
Master Manzoor Ahmad Mir. (Humbleness)
Master Gh Mohammad Dar.
Master Gh Mohammad Malik.
Master Ab Rahim Bhat.(Sympathy)
Master Ab Ahad.(Math)
Master Nazir Ahmad Lone. (Science)
Master Nazir Ahmad Baba.(emotions)
Master Sunaullah Dar.(urdu)
Master Mohammad Shafi Shah.(hostry)
Master Guftar Ganie. (Ahsas)
Master Dilshad Rather.(poetry)
Lecturer Nazir Ahmad Najar. (music, acting)
Prof. Bashir Ahmad. (urdu)
Prof. Mehraj Din. (Strictly)
Prof. Mushtaq Sahib. (college life)
Dr. Mohd. Iqbal Malik. (Discipline)
Dr. Hilal Sanai. (Administrative skill)
Mrt. Mahjabeen Mam (Cursive writing)
Dr. Javid Iqbal (motivation)
Dr. Javid Maqbool (CSC)
Prof. Dr. Parvaiz Pathan. (Calmness)
Molvi Fayaz Ahmad Shah (Noorani Qaida)
Qazi Mohammad Imran. (Spiritual growth)
Mufti Tahir Naqash. (Arabic)
Mufti Ab Rashid. (Stage)
Qari Hafiz Naseer Ahmad. (Noorani Qaida)
Qari Sajad Ahmad. (Talafuz)
Hafiz Khursheed Alm. (Professionalism)
Hafiz Mohammad Rafeeq Karnahi. (Friendship)
Mr. Munawer Zama (confidence)
Syed Junaid ul Islam (journalism)
Shafqat Qazi (journalism)
Mr. Mohammad Ashraf Lone (Carpentry)
Ms. Rimpy. (Hindi, Panjabi)
Zakir Hussain Zargar. (Expectations)
Each belongs to a different chapter, but together they form something larger: a story of learning, guidance and gratitude.
Some may remember the lessons they taught. I remember something even more important—the fact that they were there during different stages of my journey.
The legacy of a teacher. The world has changed dramatically.
Artificial intelligence can answer questions instantly. Smartphones can place libraries in our hands. Digital platforms can connect students with knowledge from every corner of the world.
Yet one thing remains irreplaceable:
The human teacher. Technology can provide information. A teacher provides direction. Technology can explain an answer. A teacher can teach us why the question matters. Technology can assist learning. A teacher can inspire a life.
That is why Teachers’ Day should not be reduced to a single celebration.
It should remind us of our collective responsibility to respect educators, strengthen schools and universities, support teachers and ensure that every child—whether in a village classroom, a city school or a university—gets the opportunity to learn from capable and committed educators.
From their classrooms to our lives
Every teacher leaves something behind.
Sometimes it is knowledge. Sometimes discipline. Sometimes confidence. Sometimes a value Sometimes a question that continues to occupy the mind for years.
And sometimes, simply, a memory.
We may eventually forget individual lessons, examination questions and textbook chapters.
But we rarely forget the teacher who believed in us.
My journey from primary school to university and professional life is therefore not mine alone.
It carries the fingerprints of many teachers.
To all those who taught me, guided me, corrected me, challenged me and encouraged me:
Thank you.
Whatever I have learned, whatever I have achieved, and whatever I may still become carries something of your contribution.
Because ultimately, a teacher's greatest reward is not the certificate hanging on a student's wall.
It is the knowledge that somewhere, in the life of a former student, a lesson they taught continues to live.
Happy Teachers’ Day to all my teachers—and to every teacher who continues to turn young minds into confident human beings.
