A Winter Day to Remember!
Date : July 18, 2025 By
In my earlier blog, ‘How My Stutents Shaped Me’, I mentioned my experience teaching Engineering Drawing to one of the three divisions of first-year engineering students at SSBT College of Engineering and Technology in Jalgaon.
Given the constraints of the semester system, time was perpetual short for both students and teachers, making it challenging to cover the syllabus comprehensively. As we approached the end of the semester, some important topics still. needed to be addressed , so we decided to conduct a combined lecture for all the three branches. I would lead the session on the ‘Development of Surfaces’, while my colleague Prof.L. P. Patil would engage the session on the ‘Penetration of Surfaces’. We posted a notice on the bulletin board to inform students about this arrangement.
On that Sunday of December 83, the M J College authorities provided us a small classroom. The combined lecture was intended for all three divisions, each comprising 60 students, making a total of 180 attendees. Given that it was an early winter morning and. the students were busy with their term work submission, we anticipated that only a few students would attend. Therefore we felt comfortable with this arrangement.
However when I arrived at the classroom, I was taken aback to find a large crowd gathered near the door. Upon entering, I discovered that the room was packed with student standing in the aisles. Despite the winter cold, I found myself sweating for a moment! My students’ eagerness completely defied my expectations!
Concerned about their comfort, I suggested splitting the session into two parts to alleviate any inconvenience. However, my students with their characteristic, enthusiasm and determination, requested that I continue, assuring me that they would manage the situation. Their commitment was truly inspiring.
I proceeded with the lecture which lasted about three hours. During this time, I thoroughly explored complex problems regarding the development of surfaces, starting with a simple one- A 45° auxiliary inclined plane intersecting the axis of a cone at its midpoint. The satisfaction I felt while creating a colourful drawing on the board to illustrate the solution was immense!
At the end of the session, I told the students, ‘Dear students, this was my last lecture on this subject. Here I have completed the syllabus of Engineering Drawing. I wish you all the best for the upcoming examination!’
As I spoke those words, the classroom erupted in applause. The sound still resonates with me today as I reflect on my journey as a teacher and a significant role of my students have played in shaping my experience!
Dr. Mahendra Ingale, Pune
February, 2025 P.S. It really proved to be my last lecture in Engineering Drawing. Being a civil engineer, I taught structural engineering subjects thereafter.
