Let us take a look at how Hellen Keller thrived under the tutelage of her teacher Anne Sullivan

"My teacher is so near to me that I scarcely think of myself apart from her." - Hellen Keller

Mark Twain once called a lady ‘The Miracle Worker’. She was Anne Sullivan, the teacher and the lifelong companion of author, political activist, and lecturer Helen Keller. Sullivan was herself visually impaired and had a troubled childhood. But what Sullivan achieved was remarkable. She was the force behind one of the most influential women of the 20th century.

Sullivan and Keller’s 49-year long relationship is an inspiration to all of us in many ways. In between them, there existed a unique teacher-student relationship. Sullivan being the disciplined teacher and Keller being the obedient student. The task Sullivan had when she was asked to tutor Keller was huge.

Her student was just 7-year-old and she herself was only 20. But somehow Sullivan knew what it takes to teach someone who is deaf and blind. In fact, she just did not teach her, Sullivan opened the doors of the world to Keller. The determination and courage these women had have stunned the world. Both their lives are full of lessons, full of inspiration and full of miraculous achievements. Here, let us mere humans see what made these two beautiful souls so different.

1. Attitude towards life

It was not the person with disabilities but the author and activist in Hellen Keller which made her an influential figure. She did not let her disabilities stop her and Sullivan made sure of it from the very beginning.

2. Faith

Hellen Keller’s breakthrough learning moment did not immediately happen right after Sullivan’s arrival. It took a while for Keller to understand that the words spelt into her hand by her teacher symbolised something. Sullivan never lost faith in her student and Keller always knew that her teacher will always be with her.

3. An undying desire to learn

Helen Keller remained a student all her life. She was learning something every day of her life. At the same time, her teacher was also learning from her student. They both learned and taught each other forever.

4. Strong will power

Probably the backbone of their miraculous story was their strong will power. Against all odds, they stood strong and won.

5. Involvement with nature

Helen Keller has often spoken about the influence nature had on her. Anne Sullivan used to teach Keller outdoors. She taught her everything about nature and to value and appreciate the beauty of nature.

6. Hard Work

It was hard work which made ‘Little Bronco’ the Hellen Keller of 20th Century. Although life was hard due to the disabilities, with practice and hard work they achieved far more than what most people would ever do in life.

7. Caring

Both these incredible women were caring souls who valued all life forms equally. They were kind, generous and worked for the welfare of everything around them.

A great teacher inspires, teaches the art of living well. If we have a thousand Sullivans, we could have millions of Kellers and the world would immediately become a far better place to live. We all have a Sullivan in our life. We just need to look closely.(By Deeksha)

Sullivan and Keller’s 49-year long relationship is an inspiration to all of us in many ways. In between them, there existed a unique teacher-student relationship.
Source:  http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/the-teacher-student-bond/article19536784.ece