Without learning spirit and education, life would come to standstill. Ask the millionaire businessman without education, in confidence. However, today there is a lot at home, in school or college, and on the way, in the society to distract from studies. Atop is the siren call of the digital world with bombardment of irresistible messages dissuading the students. That is a big challenge a teacher faces today.
Let student be a seeker, not a ‘hero’
Ethos of students today is more in sync with social media and electronic devices than academic pursuit and overall well being. This makes it increasingly ticklish for teachers and parents to handle and guide the learners. Gone are the days of a hard task masters whose methods kept the erring student on tracks. A simple verbal reprimand in class room, let alone corporal punishment may lead the flared up parent interrogating school authority next day for the alleged harassment of the child, quoting the guidelines in place. No wonder, numerous teachers in capital cities face a police case to defend his alleged ‘misconduct’. Irrespective of his academic performance, the student needs a trendy bike, a premier smart phone, and attires superior to his father’s. It is as if entire society, media, politician and child rights activists collectively back up the student’s whims (men chahe ye karun, men chahe wo karu, meri marji). Far from being a ‘seeker’, a student is made a hero to be served by one and all!
And why not! A child is often raised in a system where he obliges parents by finishing his breakfast, completing the home work, and visiting his grandfather on his return from the mall. Teachers and parents often find the student unmanageable, let alone motivating him.
Education boards pampering students
Over years, education boards have also been pampering students by liberal marking in written papers. “If a student is short of 3 or 4 marks to pass, write down the answer yourself with your pen, so the student gets through”, announced a senior CBSE official briefing the answer sheet evaluators in the orientation session. Further guidelines: “No mark to be deducted for an approximately correct answer.” At the end, students and parents celebrate the glorious results in big way; it is different issue though that he he could not seek admission in desired course of his choice since the cut off was 97 percent or so. A dutiful teacher is in fix to teach an unwilling lot.
Conditions in engineering, management and other institutions are hardly better: uninspired students sans professional commitment. As for parents they want their darlings to somehow grab an MNC job on a decent package. That was the message being ingrained in the children over years.
In our mundane pursuits we often overlook that at the back of any innovation – scientific, technological, spiritual, or else, is the saga of consistent, painstaking efforts and discipline. It is only the arduous journeys of the committed individuals that lead to grand destinations.
Teacher is a ‘giver’ and a ‘compass’
Teacher, basically a ‘giver’, offers to the disciple what nobody else can. Wielding enormous capabilities in creation and annihilation, a teacher is not an ordinary person, said Chanakya. Like the downwards drift of flow from abundance to scarcity, a teacher imparts knowledge, wisdom, know-how and foremost the blessings, reason enough he is held in high esteem in all communities and regions. In grooming the learner Aristotle placed good teachers above parents who just produce them. However, only a teacher with abiding spirit to learn can deliver the best. In an era when student choose to learn by ‘seeing’ and ‘listening’ on screen rather than ‘reading’ and ‘writing’, he assumes the role of “a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils” said the famed teacher Ever Garrison.
Teachers without teaching attitude
Unfortunately, in recruitment of teachers scholastic record weigh more than teaching aptitude. Consequently, those aspiring to be in civil service, police, trades, etc. join teaching; many of them use teaching as platform for competitive exams and switch over at first opportunity to become Tehsildar or police sub inspector even at lower salary. The situation tells on the quality they deliver viz. without enthusiasm or loyalty to profession. The founder of Infosys Narayan Murthy is on record to lament that engineers from our premier institutions first choose management degree from prestigious colleges, then get busy selling soaps and oils for MNCs.
Learning spirit: Prerequisite for teacher
We grow only so long as we keep learning, unlike non-living entities that entail no intrinsic change or improvement. “Education is not preparation for life,” said US educationist John Dewey, “It is life itself.” One with eyes on future is reflexively attuned to learning. He has to stay updated in expanding his knowledge and understanding of latest in his arena. Then only, the students can be benefitted in turn. It is with premise that in-service/ refresher courses are being regularly conducted by authorities.
Rapport with student
Apart from the sound knowledge of the subject, today’s teacher needs good understanding of modern tools and gadgets.
We learn only from those we trust or love. A teacher having taken students into confidence shall be heard. Only when a proper rapport has been established between the two that message shall go down the learner’s heart. Assuming a role beyond delivery of subject, a teacher with captive learners can give any turn to the lives of the young hearts. He shall eliminate the unwanted. He does not want his students to follow his footsteps, but seeks to lead them along the next ladder, which gives him great satisfaction.
As for parents, they can disengage their children from e-devices and social media [deterrents to their studies] to the extent they first keep themself away from these distractions.
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Based on the articles published by this author in Deccan Herald on 5 Sept 2017 and in The Pioneer on 8 Sept 2022; Link of online version of newspaper: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2022/columnists/task-of-teaching-pampered-generation-of-students.html
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Other blogs by Harish Barthwal
There are numerous challenges a teacher faces today. A teacher cannot show his colors to the student and exhibit that he is a hard task master. So ticklish to teach today!
I thank Shri Harishji for touching this serious topic.