Where Do All the Teachers Go Class 6 NCERT Guide

Poem Overview and Central Idea

The poem is built on a child’s curiosity. The speaker sees teachers mainly inside school, where they appear serious, knowledgeable, and in control. Because of this, the child imagines that teachers may not have ordinary lives like students do. The questions are humorous because the answers are obvious to adults, but not to the child. Teachers also go home, live with families, eat, relax, and make mistakes. The deeper idea is that children often place teachers on a high pedestal. The poem invites us to see teachers as human beings, not magical people who exist only in classrooms.

Key Ideas and Words to Know

Speaker

The voice in the poem. Here, the speaker is a curious school child who is trying to imagine the private life of teachers.

Humour

A light, funny effect created by innocent questions such as whether teachers pick their noses or wear pyjamas.

Point of view

The angle from which the poem is seen. This poem uses a child’s point of view, so simple doubts become important and amusing.

Theme

The main message of a poem. Here, the theme is curiosity about teachers and the realisation that teachers are ordinary people too.

How to Write a Good NCERT Answer for This Poem

1. Identify what the question is asking — Check whether the question asks for the speaker, the meaning of a line, the central idea, or your opinion. Do not start writing before you know the focus.
2. Use the child’s point of view — Most answers should mention that the speaker is a child who sees teachers mainly in school. This explains why the questions sound innocent and funny.
3. Add one detail from the poem — Support your answer with a reference such as teachers going home, wearing pyjamas, watching TV, or being children long ago. This makes the answer specific.
4. End with a complete idea — Finish by explaining what the detail shows. For example, it shows that teachers also have normal lives outside school.

Worked Examples: Understanding Lines and Ideas

• Example 1: Why does the child ask where teachers go after four o’clock? Step 1: Notice that school usually ends around afternoon time, so the child sees teachers only till then. Step 2: The child cannot imagine teachers outside the school setting. Step 3: The question shows curiosity, not disrespect. Final answer: The child asks this because teachers seem to belong to school, and the child wonders if they also go home and live normal lives like everyone else.
• Example 2: What is funny about asking whether teachers wear pyjamas? Step 1: Pyjamas are ordinary home clothes, while teachers are usually seen in formal school clothes. Step 2: The child connects teachers only with neatness, rules, and classrooms. Step 3: The contrast between a serious teacher and a homely image creates humour. Final answer: The question is funny because it imagines strict, formal teachers doing simple everyday things at home.
• Example 3: What does the poem teach about judging people? Step 1: The child first sees teachers only through their school role. Step 2: The questions slowly suggest that teachers may have families, habits, and childhood memories. Step 3: This helps us understand that people are more than their public role. Final answer: The poem teaches us not to judge people by only one part of their life; even teachers are human and ordinary outside school.

Exam Tip: Avoid These Common Mistakes

Do not write that the child is mocking or insulting teachers. The tone is playful and curious, not rude. Also avoid giving only yes or no answers. If the question asks whether teachers were ever children, explain that the child is surprised to think that teachers too had a childhood. In literature answers, always connect the detail to the idea: ordinary actions show that teachers have normal human lives outside school.

Important Points to Remember

• The poem is written from a child’s innocent point of view, so the questions are simple but meaningful.
• The repeated questions create a rhythm and show the speaker’s growing curiosity.
• The humour comes from imagining teachers doing everyday things like going home, wearing pyjamas, or watching television.
• The poem does not make fun of teachers; it makes teachers seem more human and relatable.
• A strong answer should include both the literal meaning and the feeling behind the question.

Practice Questions with Solutions

• Q: Who is the speaker in the poem Where Do All the Teachers Go? A: Step 1: Read the questions in the poem and notice their simple, curious style. Step 2: These questions sound like the doubts of a young student, not an adult. Step 3: The speaker wonders about teachers after school, which shows a school child’s viewpoint. Final answer: The speaker is a curious school child who wants to know what teachers do outside school.
• Q: Why does the child find it difficult to imagine teachers at home? A: Step 1: The child usually sees teachers only in classrooms, teaching and correcting students. Step 2: In school, teachers appear disciplined, knowledgeable, and different from children. Step 3: Because of this fixed image, the child cannot easily picture them relaxing at home. Final answer: The child finds it difficult because teachers are seen mainly as school figures, so their ordinary home life feels surprising.
• Q: Explain the humour in the question about teachers watching television. A: Step 1: Watching television is a normal activity that many families do at home. Step 2: The child thinks of teachers as serious people connected with books, rules, and lessons. Step 3: The funny contrast between a strict teacher and a relaxed person watching TV creates humour. Final answer: The humour comes from imagining teachers doing a simple everyday activity that the child does not usually associate with them.
• Q: What is the main message of the poem? A: Step 1: List the child’s questions about teachers going home, wearing pyjamas, and having families. Step 2: Notice that all these questions point to ordinary life outside school. Step 3: Connect this to the idea that teachers are human beings, not just classroom figures. Final answer: The main message is that teachers also have normal personal lives, and children should understand them as real people beyond their school role.

Frequently Asked Questions