India, July 12 -- In my Inner Classroom, the lessons do not just belong to my students. They often find their way back to me too.
Aarish was a quiet boy who came to me with an idea for his Common App Essay. He was clear and firm about it. He wanted to write about how he found peace through communication while his parents fought. It was not about any big award or grand event. It was about something soft and real, the kind of truth that sits heavy on young shoulders until they learn how to speak it out loud.
When I first heard his idea, I felt an unexpected block inside me. Maybe because I am the same age as his parents. Maybe because I know stories like his among my friends or people I care about. A child's silent pain when adults forget h...