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All the time. Parents and students, especially the last two weeks of the grading period and again after report cards are sent out, come to me and ask me to raise grades so the student can have a passing grade or a better grade so they can get into college. I hear so many sob stories. I make it clear in my policies, I do not change grades and I do not give extra credit points. Students have to do the regular work and turn it in on time. I have so many students turn in late work that I only give 10% credit for late work. Students who turn in late work are waiting to copy from a student who had their graded assignment returned. I tell them the 10% is for acting like a copy machine. I do not accept any late work during the last three weeks of a semester. If I did, I would get so much that it would be physically impossible for me to grade it all. When I was younger, I would try and would end up staying awake for 72 hours straight to do it. I ended up having a stroke so I stopped this madness. I turn in my grades on the last day of the semester and go home and enjoy my break. I spend it with my family.There were two times a principal changed my grade for me. In CA, the teacher is the only one that can assign the grade. Administrators are not allowed by law to change grades or direct teachers to change grades. If an administrator directs a teacher to change a grade or changes a grade without the teacher’s written permission and full cooperation, then the administrator can have action taken against their credential and can be immediately fired by the district.One time, I had a student who was a star basketball player. Unfortunately, he was a straight F student. On top of that, he had been suspended for fighting several times. He should have been expelled. The school board had a policy that students who got into fights twice in a year were to be expelled. He had been in 5 fights that he started by the time basketball season started, and he engaged in a few more fights during the basketball season. During the first semester he earned all failing grades and yet somehow he was allowed to play. The principal said that since he was a special education student, he could make an exception for the student. I knew that was wrong so I reported it to the district.A few days later the basketball coach was told to remove the student from the team, he was not qualified due to grades and the principal could not make an exception. Within a few days, the student was back on the team. I asked the coach and he said he made grades. I said he still had an F in my class and had an F in his math class. The math teacher was a good friend of mine. I was told he had Cs in all of his classes.I checked his grades online. The coach wish right. So I went to the registrar to fix the mistake with the biology grade. The math teacher did the same with the math grade. Two Fs disqualified the student from playing. She notified the coach and the district office. She then put in a request to find out how the grade changes happened. When a grade is changed, the system records the date and time and who did it. There is also supposed to be a written grade change request on file with the school’s registrar.The investigation discovered the principal emailed the assistant superintendent of the district to ask him to change the grade so the kid could play basketball. The kid was black and so was the principal and assistant superintendent. The reason was to provide this kid a chance to get a college scholarship through basketball. This kid was illiterate, he could not even read at the first grade level. He was a junior with 35 credits, 30 of which were not legitimate. All the grades were changed back. I filed a complaint that was heard by the school board. They took it up in a closed session. I testified and the principal was asked to explain himself. He denied making the changes, even with his email. The assistant superintendent admitted his part. The school board voted to terminate the employment of both, effective immediately. Had they not, I would have filed a complaint with the state commission on credentialing.The second time was with the principal that was the replacement. I had a transfer student. She had been expelled from a private school and she did not have a transfer grade. She transferred in half way through the second quarter. I informed her and her mother she would need to make up the work for the time she was not at our school since she did not have a transfer grade. If she did not make up that work and take those tests she would be credited with 0s for those assignments and would fail the semester. Mom thought this was not fair. It is not right that she gets a semester’s worth of credit for 5 weeks of work. Our district does not offer partial credit.Mom wanted me to transfer the grade she claimed her daughter had before the expulsion without any proof. She said due to the expulsion, the private school would not provide transfer grades. It was not my problem and I could not go on her word. The student did no work during the rest of that 1st semester and so she failed.The second semester, she did work and maintained a grade of C. In that semester I had a stroke and ended up being off for 2 years. Mom finally was able to get official transfer grades. The principal told mom that I would change the grade to an A because that was her transfer grade in biology. The principal tried to change the grade but the registrar refused and said I had to do it.The principal tried to call me at home and actually became upset because she could not understand me. She thought I was purposely avoiding her. I had lost the ability to speak and was paralyzed on my left side due to the stroke. It took two years of speech, physical, and occupational therapy to rehab. It took a year for my speech to be coherent enough for most people to understand me. Even then, I would still easily become confused. I could not go anywhere on my own because I would get lost and while talking I would forget what I was talking about.The first day back to work, the principal came to me and said I had to change the grade to A. She promised mom I would and told mom the daughter would not have to make up the 1 semester of biology. I did not have a chance to see the transcripts or even look at the student’s grade from two years before. I was trying to get back to dealing with the complexities of teaching, and I started a week into the second semester.Well, it turned out the principal looked at the wrong transcript, she had the transcripts for another student with a similar name that had transferred into a different class of mine around the same time. I had calculated her grade correctly.The student that came from the private school still did not have transcripts. So I went to the registrar. She contacted the private school to have a frank discussion with their registrar. The sent us the records. The student had been expelled 6 weeks before she was enrolled in our school. mom took a 6 week vacation before enrolling her daughter at our school. She had not been enrolled in biology at all. She had no biology transfer grade.I then printed out my emails from two years prior showing I offered to let the student make up the work and mom said she would not because there would be a transfer grade.I went to the principal and showed her what her mistake was. The principal did not want to go to mom and own up to the mistake because it meant the daughter would not graduate. The principal directed me to change the grade. I said, are you sure you want to do this. She said yes.I sent an email to the principal with a synopsis of the issue and asking again if she was directing me to change the grade. She responded by email that she was directing me to change the grade to an A.I filled out the change of grade form and in the box for the reason, I wrote directed by the principle to do so even though the student has not earned an A and legitimately earned her F and has not done anything to warrant a change in the grade. I attached the email I sent to the principal and her response. I emailed the entire thing to the registrar.I then stopped by the registrar’s office to make sure she had all she needed. She did. The next day I got a notice to appear before a closed session of the school board the following week. Yep, you guessed it, the meeting was on a Tuesday night. During the meeting the principal carefully explained why the grade should be changed because she made a mistake due to both girls having very similar names. She had spoken to both mothers and confused them and thought this was all about the same student. She had promised that the grade would be changed and because of that the girl did not take the 1 semester of biology when she had a chance and now it is too late to do so and she would not be able to graduate due to the principal’s mistake. She is further confused to be explaining this before the school board because she thought I was okay with this.I did tell her that for being a former English teacher, she really has little reading comprehension. What part of if you direct me to change the grade I will take this to the school board because this is unethical and a violation of the Education Code.At the conclusion, she was terminated and told to not bother returning to school on Wednesday. Her belongings that were still in her office would be delivered to her house.A month later we learned she was facing Federal charges for misappropriating federal money at the high school she was a principal at before she came to us. We were told she came to us to live closer to her home. That was not true, she was fired from that job and she signed a non-disclosure agreement and the district gave her a glowing recommendation. She misspent federal grand money that was supposed to hire extra armed security to protect students from the gang activity in the neighborhood and used it instead to fund theater productions and buy books for the library. She was a theater arts teacher when she was a teacher. As a result, there was a shootout on campus between rival gang members. It started off campus and moved onto campus. There were no armed guards to protect students and a couple of students were killed and several were injured.She ended up with 2 years in Club Fed and loss of her administrative and teaching credentials and loss of her pensions. Upon her release, she had to move in with a daughter. She had divorced her husband when she became a principal.

PLEASE BE SURE TO GET A GLIMPSE OF MY CLASSROOM!PHOTOS APPEAR AFTER THE TEXT!I say this with the kindest of hearts:You don’t have a clue.Do you believe that teachers are fairly compensated for their jobs (much less held in esteem - I mention this because the two are inherently connected)?Please, let me enlighten you.Please. No. I mean,REALLY, REALLY LISTEN.I’ve often read similar things written by teachers or teacher-advocates (similar in scope to what I’m going to try to convey). Often, those writings are angry, and, unfortunately, that anger is the impetus for reader alienation. These writers desperately attempt to communicate the realities of an almost impossible situation. The authors are furious and exasperated that they have to defend and explain themselves after working like a banshee to teach our children.Well, actually, they don’t mind explaining and informing. What they do mind are the subsequent dismissals of the realities they sought to portray and the insinuations or outright accusations that their portrayal is not genuine or is exaggerated.Teachers realize that they are not (nor are their students) considered properly, effectively, or rightfully during the budget-building processes of every single oversight agency or board that ultimately determines such things. They smell the defeat before they even open their mouths.Yet, great people continue to teach! They watch children floundering in society and the resultant educational system produced by that society. They understand the importance and necessity of smart, capable children to our futures. They make do, sacrifice, argue, plead, and beg - all for the sake of our children. It is a thankless cause that feels like the right thing to do.But, unbelievably, teachers stand by in horror as they perceive that the educational system, whose constraints they work within, is deteriorating wordlessly. They are witnesses to the dangers and sound the call, but are met with speculation and derisiveness. They sense the silent infiltration of their ranks by scavengers bent on feeding from the dying beast - sexual predators, power mongers, egomaniacs, work-haters who hide in a system desperate for their warm bodies, unhappy child-haters who long to abuse children’s minds - even if only by denying them the education of the subject matter that they were hired to teach - much less the berating and killing of children’s spirits and souls.If you do not know these things, it is because you choose not to know. It is because you stupidly trust the system to mimic the previous system you remember and expect it to prevail, despite a million and one newer, heavier pressures that are breaking its back. It is because you cherish your money more than you cherish your children and the people who teach your children. And it is because you will never sit up to pay attention until your child suffers in some horrible fashion. Even then, you will mock and blame teachers for your own sins.If these words mean nothing to you, then schools are truly dead. But let me at least leave you with a truthful litany of my personal financial experiences, and otherwise, in the teaching of the most glorious kids I’ve had the pleasure knowing - just so you can’t say that you didn’t know.TRUTHS ABOUT TEACHER SALARIESIt took me YEARS to reach the $40,000 mark in salary. I retired when I was making JUST over that amount. There was one incredibly ridiculous year when we even had to give back some of our salary to the state! No, I’m not kidding.I had approximately $600 deducted from my paycheck each month for a 70/30 health insurance plan that left me with potentially thousands of dollars to pay in deductibles and co-insurance.Another amount of approximately $200 was deducted each month for vision and dental insurance. Again, that left hundreds to pay in deductibles and co-insurance, with many services not covered.I paid a few hundred dollars each year to maintain memberships in vital professional organizations, only partly because they offered liability insurance.I worked for FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS with NO RAISE.I spent hundreds of hours over the years providing free tutoring, sometimes even on Saturdays. There were times when I was compensated, but the vast majority was unpaid.I regularly performed non-teaching duties for free just to help keep the school running and safe (Sports Duty, Bathroom Duty, Bus Duty, Hall Duty, Morning Duty, Lunch Duty, Test Proctoring, etc.) These duties took valuable time away from my day - even part of my planning period - every single day! They often also required many hours of my personal time before or after school.TRUTHS ABOUT OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSESAll of the following were paid for out of my own pocket.I purchased my own technology for my classroom because there wasn’t enough to go around (projectors, laptop, ink and toner, printers, iPad, etc.)I purchased my own whiteboard because the chalkboards were cracked and peeling. The only option offered by the school system was to tack white shower boards from the hardware store over the chalkboard.I purchased my own monochrome laser printers dedicated specifically to making student copies because teachers are allocated only a small amount of copies per semester (no where near what is needed for teaching students). That meant that I also purchased my own toner cartridges and paper.I spent hundreds of dollars on class sets of novels, sometimes only to be informed at the end of the year that I would be teaching a different grade level for the next year. That meant that I had to do it all over again.I spent hundreds of dollars myself purchasing both new and used novels to help build a library in my classroom for students. They complained that the school library did not have the titles that they were interested in.If any student ever requested a specific title that wasn’t in our library or on our class shelves, I immediately went out to purchase that book. I mean, if a child asks to read, well, that’s a no-brainer.I spent tons of money for art supplies so that I could provide creative projects and assignments.Each year, I purchased hundreds of dollars in school supplies for students.Sometimes, I paid for certain students to take field trips because they were unable to pay for themselvesEvery time our class had a pizza party to celebrate achievement, I paid for some students so that they could join in the celebration.I twice purchased shoes for students because theirs were barely staying on their feet.I purchased laundry soap, dryer sheets, shampoo, and soap after joining forces with colleagues and staff so that certain students could shower and wash clothes on school property. Their homes had no electricity. We saw that they were getting bullied for their appearance and body odor.I often paid for students to attend prom, sports banquets, and military balls because they were unable to purchase tickets themselves.I paid for certain students’ cap and gown because they were unable to purchase one themselves. So did my principal. I’m sure that many other teachers and staff did, also. It’s something that you don’t advertise, for obvious reasons.I purchased or rented locks for student lockers if certain students were unable to do so themselves.Before book bags were handed out for free, I purchased book bags for certain students who were unable to purchase one themselves.I sometimes paid for students to eat breakfast and lunch because they didn’t receive free lunch. Usually, they didn’t get free lunch because their parents couldn’t be bothered to fill out the required paperwork, or else they needed assistance filling it out and either didn’t ask for or receive help. During my last year, I taught a teenaged girl who never went to lunch. She begged me to stay in the classroom during lunch period, and I let her even though it was frowned upon. Each night, I would make my lunch - enough for two people. I would pretend that my husband always made me more than I could eat and begged her to keep me from throwing it away by eating it. Soon, we had a routine without the false pretenses. She would walk up to collect her lunch, and I would hand it to her as we discussed poetry, the weather, a new novel, etc. Never once did she forget to sneak in a soft Thank you.I often used my gas and time to pick up or take students home because they faced a 1–2 hour walk in the scorching heat or in a thunderstorm or in the snow.Once in a while, I paid for certain students to receive their class photos or yearbook.I often paid for certain students to purchase tickets to school plays and other similar events.I paid for certain students’ college applications, once, when I was struggling to pay for my own child’s.I purchased cards (or else purchased art supplies) for students so that they could give their mothers and other important women in their lives a Mother’s Day card.Each year, I bought a variety of small Christmas gifts, wrapping paper, etc., so that certain students would be able to give their parents and/or brothers and sisters Christmas gifts.I used to listen carefully and purchase Christmas trees for students to carry home to their families. Eventually, I talked to the local Walmart manager. He agreed to donate live Christmas trees to help. However, I argued that they would be in the same boat next year, and I convinced him to donate boxed trees instead! Not once did a single student express dismay at having to carry home an unwieldy Christmas tree box on the bus. In fact, from my experience, they couldn’t stop smiling.I’m sure that there are moments I’ve forgotten.A TINY BIT OF TRUTH ABOUT TEACHER WORKING CONDITIONS AND THE STRUGGLE THAT IS TEACHINGI suffered through years of giving my students textbooks that were missing their covers, missing pages, unreadable due to graffiti, or were so outdated that I had to provide supplemental materials at my own expense.Valuable classroom space was used to house these nasty textbooks because there wasn’t enough for every student to take one home. This fact meant that I could not assign outside class readings, etc. This handicap seriously hindered my ability to be effective and to move along at a reasonable pace.Almost always, there were not enough class sets of novels per grade level. This meant that teachers teaching the same class had to (by necessity) rotate the novels from one class to another. This prevented co-teaching, common curriculum, student book clubs, extra-class discussions, etc. Imagine your students being second in line to receive the books. You soon find that their friend from the first class divulged the book contents, the answers to the test, etc. Chaos.Almost every year, I personally had to hunt down desks for my students. There were times when students had to temporarily sit on the floor. Perfect conditions for discussing the class syllabus, right?It was rare that I was able to have my room to myself during my planning period. Usually, a roaming teacher taught in my classroom during my planning period. A roaming teacher is one who does not have a room assignment due to overcrowding, so they use a cart to carry their teaching accoutrements as they move throughout the day from one free room to another. Even our hallways were One Way because there were too many students. As for me, I couldn’t get any meaningful work completed for the interruption. Some teachers chose to pack up and work in the library during their planning period in a desperate attempt to be productive, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Every time I would return, something would be broken, missing, or destroyed. Then, there’s this (true story): Once, there was a beautiful human being named Ellen. Ellen was a well-liked teacher. Sadly, she developed cancer, and the prognosis was grim. Ellen was the single mother of a teenaged daughter and had no family. Her daughter was going to be left all alone. Ellen’s heart was full of worry. She had to work in order to keep her insurance. Otherwise, she would not be able to afford her treatments. Imagine my fury when I found out that Ellen had been assigned, during the last year of her life, to be a Roaming Teacher. This meant that her frail, sick body had to push a cart from room-to-room each day all over the school as she fought the student population in the halls. As I discussed this with her, I told her that I was going to fight for her to get a room. At the very least, she could have mine, and I could roam the halls for a while. Ellen begged me not to because she didn’t want to see me at odds with anyone on her behalf. I will always regret that I listened to her. I couldn’t stomach watching her struggle that year with the physical challenges that haunted her because she was a roaming teacher. I cried about this on many occasions, and once thought I would become sick after seeing her wobble past me, pale and breath labored. THIS IS ONLY ONE INSTANCE OF THE NEVERENDING DIFFICULTIES THAT YOUR SCHOOLS FACE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PROPERLY FUNDED!THE TRUTH ABOUT THOSE FREE TEACHER SUMMERSI regularly worked each and every summer doing some form of the following:I attended professional development courses to gain expertise and to meet state qualifications for licensure renewal (which often required payment of a fee for the classes as well as payment to renew my license.)I thoughtfully planned the curriculum for the upcoming school year, replacing weak areas and implementing new ideas, ensuring that the plan carefully and smartly followed state standards. Usually, this also entailed physical meetings with colleagues.I read the latest books about methodology, subject matter, the learning process, etc.I spent hours and hours on the Internet, researching and collecting ideas.I spent numerous hours analyzing my students’ data, searching for insight and patterns.I read young adult novels to stay relevant and to be able to make inspiring recommendations.I sometimes partnered with colleagues to attend conferences. Many times, I was a co-presenter with my colleague.I studied the goals and objectives for my subject area and grade level.Then there are many other aspects I’ve not thought to mention.My personal account is not a rarity. And these lists are intensely personal, containing information that never was meant to be discussed. Please do not think me exceptional. I am no more than my dedicated colleagues who do the same, if not more.And please know that I do not wish to argue with anyone. Frankly, the realities speak more loudly than I ever could! If the teachers in your district are not facing these specific problems, let me assure you that their problems are just as voluminous and serious, even if somewhat different.I ask you to take a stand in support: Do this verbally, financially, and institutionally. If you fight for your teachers, they will use that momentum to take back the schools for our students. Fight for your teachers and your children. Only with your unflailing support will the public school system be able to prevail against the vultures and live up to the glorious expectations that you so naively demand.You can see part of our classroom library in this view. Seats remain this way to encourage discussion and participation. I use unconventional grading techniques, such as Reading Conferences, Writing Conferences, and a Reading Log that is designed to prevent “pretending to read.” When I do need to use a traditional exam, the students simply separate their desks temporarily. After one time, they have the hang of it so that the transition is simple and quick.The black and white mini-posters on the wall each display a copy of a popular young adult book cover for a book that is either in our classroom library or in the school library. After reading a book that has its cover on the wall, students must stop at the corresponding poster to hand write a 4-sentence book review for their peers (they follow a rubric for the assignment). Students read the reviews to determine which books they wish to add to their reading list.P.S. Over the years, I’ve learned “tricks” to finding materials. For instance, I asked a textbook publisher to provide me with 35 copies of their preview textbook (not yet published) for my kids’ grade level in exchange for my honest and detailed review. In addition, I provided FREE editing. It was a great deal of work, but it was worth it!

This is a journey which i feel worth remembering, worth cherishing life long and worth sharing here.Before i start, i will love to express my identity as a Proud Navodayan.I belong to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Dhenkanal, Odisha, which is a residential school.I had my schooling there since my sixth standard and it is there, where my zeal to enter this noble profession of medicine was intrigued.POST 10TH CLASS DAYSWe Navodayans appear a entrance test in class 10th i.e.Dakshana, which if qualified gives the student an opportunity to take free iit coaching( now extended to medical coaching also) for two years in 7 to 8 selected centres all over India. In the 2015 summer holidays, after my 10th exam, i was having a very tensed time.Having lost my father two years ago, i never wanted myself to be a burden on my mother.Hence i could not go for a Summer course, which has become a trend nowadays, keeping in mind the adverse competition.Still God was so kind to me. I read the books and references by myself and noted down whatever doubt i had. My School was 2 to 3 kms from my house and during April month( when the school was open) i used to go there to ask my doubts to our teachers as well to my seniors. So kind were my teachers and my seniors that often they would not let me leave the hostel after clearing my doubts, rather would compell me to take lunch with them and come out only after the sun calms down.Mean while, Dakshana entrance results were out and i along with two of my other friends had qualified it.My principal sir was happy and insisted on joining Dakshana IIT coaching at Kottayam, Kerala, but later when he knew that i had a life long dream of becoming a doctor, he advised me to stay back.Not only that, he even assured me that under his leadership and mentorship, i will qualify NEET without any extra coaching. So i didn’t join Dakshana, and stayed back in my alma matter- JNV Dhenkanal.From that day onwards, i fixed the goal.I knew i was losing a chance to enter an iit, still i listened to my conscience, which everynow and then pushed me towards this profession.With my regular classes, i studied from extra preparation guides and magazines of mtg and arihant from my school library.All my teachers were so cooperative and loving that i never faced much problem.But who knew, the problem was yet to arrive.HURDLES IN Class 12th( blessings in disguise)As soon as i finished my class 11th, almost all my teachers got transferred to some other Schools, under some schemes of our Navodaya vidyalaya system. In their place, we got some contractual teachers, who though were very young, friendly and taught well, still lacked the experience which our previous teacher had. We used to show our concern infront of principal sir.Being a man of reality and of words, my principal sir -Mr.N.C. Kar would say, “keep your faith in me.I will hold myself responsible if your result comes bad or even if you fail to qualify NEET, but remember i have seen students perform much better whenever there is a lack of teachers. Remember if any one cracked NEET OR JEE, it is due to his own zeal and effort. No teacher can ever give you this.”Anyhow, sir arranged excellent physics, chemistry and biology faculties from nearby colleges, who used to come once, twice a week to make us understand the tough part of some chapters.Taking this opportunity, i used to ask them my personal doubts. My principal sir and my teachers are the sole force behind my NEET success.I was free to enter the principal’s chamber anytime and write on a paper whatever doubts i had in whichever subject and my principal used to whatsapp those doubts to his known colleagues all over india and i often had my doubts clarified.We were given a LCD projector and a no of videos on whatever chapters we had doubts in concepts.Our computer madam used to download lecture videos on those topics we wanted, and we watched it during games period of 4 to 6 pm,and whenever time permitted.From the end of the november 2016, i along with few of my friends formed a group and together we would discuss and practice particular chapters everyday.There was cbse board and keeping that in mind i had to give time for other subjects also.Meanwhile, some coaching institutions started coming to our school for advertisement.They would bring their faculties and would take a half an hour or an hour long class.During this time i got closer to two such amazing teachers of chemistry and physics.When ever i had any doubt or problem, since mobile phones are not allowed in our school, i would take the phone of our house master( in charge of hostel) or of principal sir to call those teachers.They helped me clarify my doubts.Towards end of december, i realised that i am already forgetting some of my 11th class Concepts. And to have a grip on them, i started devoting extra two hours everynight, after finishing that day’s tasks.I used to appear whatever olympiads, tests i could.Side by side, my school arranged 3 full length tests of NEET for NEET interested students and JEE MAIN for jee interested.Meanwhile, i was blessed once more by the almighty.I came to know that Dakshana -which had been providing free coaching for JEE earlier, as i had mentioned- was now giving 1 year free coaching after 12th class both for JEE AND NEET. So i appeared for DAKSHANA once again in the month of february.From the middle of february,time was completely devoted to CBSE preparation.No. of sample papers were solved, chapters were revised again and again.Numerous problems of mathematics were solved again and again.Our school used to arrange early morning classes from 5 to 6.30 am and after dinner classes from 8.30 to 10 pm for us- the 12th class students.Then came the CBSE board, which was successfully tackled.POST 12TH CLASS PERIODAfter appearing the boards, on the last day at my school,(which is a residential school and more than a school its just like a family), i went to my principal sir to ask him whether i should take crash course or not.Because i had no knowledge about this and i felt that crash courses might help me, so i went to my living deity in school i.e my principal sir.He talked with one of the head of a coaching institution and even let me talk with him directly.That sir, a generous, a kind and an excellent physics teacher, advised me not to join in any crash course. “Crash courses don’t teach you concepts , they teach you questions and answers which you may find in some books. By Joining a crash course, you are not going to benefit yourself, since you can’t read a single chapter properly. You better prepare some chapters than haphazardly running through all chapters. I don’t know what is running in your mind, but my suggestion would be against crash course.” He told me by phone. Even my principal sir told- “ This crash course will be a waste of money.You better prepare yourself at home or else you will take a year drop and no need to bother for financial problems.We are there to help you.Now go home and eat pakhala( native and famous food of my state Odisha), work hard.Leave the result in the hands of almighty.God will bless you.”Even sir allowed me to take books from the school library though i was no longer a legitimate user of school library, as i was literally leaving the school.I came home relaxed and determined.I could not think about taking a year drop.I worked day and night.I remember those days when 2 am was the normal time for me to go to bed. My mother would not call me for dinner, rather would keep the dinner in the kitchen, covering it.She would repeatedly check in the night whether i have gone to bed or not.There were days when i would sleep on my books and she would keep my books aside, wake me up and take me to bed.Few days later, Dakshana results came and again i had qualified it. So literally, i got an insurance of free coaching.I kept on practising previous year question papers.Revised 11th class concepts.Whenever required, i went to school( again to remind , it was only 2 to 3 kms from my house), took help of teachers.I even appeared JEE MAIN and got a score of 189 that boosted my confidence.There was a marriage ceremony of one of my cousin sister towards the last of April.I had to avoid it.The one and only thing that flashed in my mind was NEET.THAT CRUCIAL 1 WEEK AND NEETI evaluated last year cutoffs and fixed my mind that anyhow to secure a seat, i need to score 530- 580. 4–5 days before NEET, my naughty tonsils gave way( perhaps due to my fault of not keeping heed of eating in time).I could not swallow hard things. With Little fever on my body, i felt like i am going to lose NEET.I even wrote a poem on my emotions during that period. My mother comforted me in the name of almighty.I got well before may 7th, the NEET exam day, due to some home made medication of honey and something by my mother.I wrote NEET.I was very happy.I finished my bio portion( attended some 82 questions)within 25 mins.Then chemistry(some 40 questions) and at last physics( some 39 questions).While coming out of the examination hall, i knew i am going to make my mother proud this year by becoming the 1st boy of my village to study medical science.While my journey back to home through train, i got a mobile phone from one uncle sitting beside me and took the answer key of allen, matched it, found that i am scoring 598.I was very happy, still at home i had to read again as JEE ADVANCED was on next sunday followed by AIIMS AND JIPMER ON following sundays.I had appeared Jipmer on my birthday i.e.on 4th june.Anyway, time passed.Results came.With 96.8%in CBSE, i was the regional topper in BHOPAL region of Navodaya Vidyalayas.With 144 marks in jee advanced, i had got a seat in chem engineering in IIT guwahati.Did not join it.Got 1289 rank in AIIMS and my rank didn’t allow me to grab a seat in AIIMS.JIPMER WAS still worst with 1250 rank, though seats are only 200.Got the NEET AIR- 4532 and state rank-118 with 586 marks.I even appeared AFMC interview at Pune, got AIR-51 but as my destiny had it, now i am continuing my MBBS study at SCB MEDICAL COLLEGE CUTTACK, ODISHA- one of the best medical college of east india.Whatever i am today, or will be the day after, the sole force behind that is the blessings and support of my Principal sir, my teachers( even those teachers who have clarified my doubt through phone calls or whatsapp), my loving and ever encouraging mother, and all my family members - be of my god given family or of the navodaya family i was blessed with from my 6th class onwards. As i feel today, hard work is really the key to success, but more than hardwork what all students need to practice first is to respect their teachers.Obey them.Their blessings can do miracles in your life.Thanks for A2A.