Parna Banerjee - Interview

Editors Desk: You have been associated with 1 To 1 Tutor for quite considerable amount of time. So we would like to know how 1To1 Tutor happened to you. Parna: As far as I remember, it was the beginning of 2008 when I saw your advertisement on The Times of India and I applied for the job. I got the interview call; I had the Math test and the interview. Fortunately I was selected and I started as a Tutor. Then, after working for a few months, I couldnt continue with you as I joined another tutoring company. Then again I resumed working for 1 To 1 Tutor from November, 2010. Editors Desk: Which tutoring company did you work with when you left 1 To 1 Tutor? Parna: It was Tutor High. They also do online private tutoring. I worked with Tutor High for about 2 years. Editors Desk: What are the different roles you played in 1 To 1 Tutor so far? Parna: In my first spell of working with 1 To 1 Tutor, I worked as a Tutor and I used to tutor SES students. I had a few number of private students also. When I joined for the second time, I joined as the Academic Supervisor and till now I am continuing that position. Initially I used to prepare Student Learning Plans, now I am acting as an Academic Counselor also. Besides, I am creating contents for SAT. Editors Desk: Which role did you find the most challenging and why? Parna: I think working as a tutor has been challenging for me. Since SES students are not so interested in tutoring, so getting hold of them was challenge for me. Editors Desk: Now-a-days home based job has become a revolution, but it was not so when you joined our organization. How comfortable were you when you joined our organization? Parna: I didnt have any negative idea or doubt about it. I was absolutely comfortable. Editors Desk: In due course of time, how did it help you to maintain a balance between your financial requirements and other commitments? Parna: I have a son who has passed out class 12 this year. So he was quite grown up at that time. I couldnt work when he was small. He was in class 8 when I joined Tutor High. Since he is grown up now, my commitment towards him has become lesser. Had it been him being in class 2 or 5, it would have been a little more difficult. Since I was in a nuclear family, so it was easy for me to manage, such as sleeping till late in the morning after I finish my work at night. I could organize my work as per my convenience. I work because I want to work, so it was never because of a financial need. The payments which I receive are an extra income for my family. Editors Desk: Where do you see yourself 5 years down the line from now?

Parna: In next 5 years I would like to be promoted to the position of the Academic Counsellor and to any other position exists above that. Editors Desk: In order to be an Academic Counsellor, what qualities do you think you should possess? Parna: Firstly you have to be a very good listener and at the same time you need to have immense knowledge so that you can counsel properly. If I am not confident about answering any particular question, then I would take some time from that student and would try to know from anyone else or from the internet and then would get back to the person again. Assessing the students strengths and weaknesses is another requirement for counselling. One should have some test report or something like that in order to be able to assess the student and to provide necessary guidance. Editors Desk: How would you define Parna Banerjee as a person? Parna: I would say that I am committed to whatever I do. I try to give my 100 percent in everything. When I start working, I keep the rest of the world away from me. My son sometimes complains about that. Even when I cook, I try to give my 100 percent in that. So its not only my work, my entire routine is like this. I am very focussed about whatever I do. Editors Desk: Which trait in a man do you find most appealing among the following choices? Good looks, knowledge, intelligence, sense of humour, sense of responsibility, honesty and innocence? Please tell us the reason why you think so. Parna: According to me, intelligence is most appealing. You have to be intelligent to maintain a balance in your life, to apply your knowledge into your work or whatever you are doing. So intelligence is a very important trait one should have. Editors Desk: What would you choose next as the second most appealing quality? Parna: I would choose sense of responsibility, not only towards ones family, but also towards other things as well. He should be able to prioritize among his different responsibilities. Editors Desk: We are giving you a few characters from different fields of real life. Whom among them do you find the most appealing to you and why? What qualities do you find in that person? 1. Soumitra Chatterjee 2. Shahrukh Khan 3. APJ Abdul Kalam 4. N. R. Narayana Murthy 5. Satyajit Ray 6. Nasiruddin Shah 7. Jyoti Basu 8. Rituparno Ghosh 9. Sachin Tendulkar Parna: My choice is Satyajit Ray, firstly, because I am a blind fan of Satyajit Ray. He was just a legend; everything in him was in born. He had knowledge; he had education and a lot of other qualities. Editors Desk: What does love mean to you?

Parna: I would say that love means everything to me. Love doesnt only mean loving people, you can love your work also, you can love yourself, and you can love the house you have built. I have designed my own house. I love my house. Even if I go and stay in a five star hotel, when I come back home, I feel more comfortable. So love is not only loving a person, love is loving everything that you have around you. Editors Desk: Parna, when did you get married? Parna: In the year 1993. Editors Desk: How did you meet your prince charming? Parna: I had 5-year courtship with him. We met in 1987. I even remember all the dates. It was 8th March, 1987 when we first met. On 2nd December, 1989 we decided to move on together. We finally got married on 18th November 1993 we got married. We used to go to the same tutorial when I was in class 10. Editors Desk: How was love in those days? Parna: The concept of love has changed now-a-days. We didnt have a mobile phone. We couldnt contact each other so easily, we had to send friends. We did a lot of sacrifice for love which I dont see now-a-days. Editors Desk: We know your son is quite grown up now. Tell us your experience in different phases of motherhood so far. Parna: Being a mother has been a wonderful experience for me. I went to Bombay with him alone when he was one and half years old. Before that, we used to stay in a joint family where he was always carried by someone or the other. When I went to Bombay, he was all alone. He had only me around him. So he used to cling to me all the time. It was even difficult for me to go to the bathroom. I used to do my work when he used to sleep. It was a bitter experience I must say, but I enjoyed it a lot. My husband used to leave home early in the morning and come back late at night. So I was the only one to do all the household work and to bring up my child. We were there for 12 years. We came back to Kolkata when my son was in class 8. So by that time he was so attached to me that he didnt know what the outer world was. When he came to Kolkata, he saw his family around him and he started opening up. Bringing him up had never been a challenge as he was good in his studies from the beginning. After he grew up, when he started having his friends, he stopped listening to me blindly. He started judging on his own. So it was not so good experience for me. I was a little hurt when he would not listen to me. Now he has passed out 12th and will be joining engineering soon. So now I am a little less responsible for him. But as a mother what I still cherish is that my son is still dependent on me on several things. Editors Desk: If you have one month of vacation in hand, which place would you like to go and why? Parna: Going to Switzerland has been our dream, so I would go there. In India, I would like to go to Auli in Uttarakhand. But that place is not accessible right now due to the disaster in Uttarakhand. Its full of snow in winter and Auli is famous for skiing. There are stretches of snow where you can walk or ski.