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A critical incident is any unplanned event that takes place during the class. It is something we interpret as a problem or challenge in a particular context, rather than a routine occurrence. The incident is said to be critical because it is valuable and has some meaning (Joshi, 2018).

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I have come to believe that critical incidents make you (teacher) stronger, and wiser, help you help learners and in a way, a necessity. Critical incidents if understood well help build rapport with learners, make the necessary connections, and lets them know that you are in it for them.

If I ask you the question “Who is more fragile? A 13/14-year-old born around the 2000s or a 50-year-old born in the 1960s? The answer is pretty simple, provided you understand the perspective of being fragile.?A teenager, of course, seems more fragile. The reason for this is multifold. If there is no internet from tomorrow, the 50 year-old will not be hit as hard as the teenager. Imagine a day without Mobile phones, WhatsApp, and Instagram and a day without the so-called “social connect”. Suddenly there is no scope for instant gratification! The reason for all this is the unlimited exposure to complexity. The more technological prowess we expose ourselves to, the more complexity we move into, the more disorder we move into and therefore the more fragile we are.

Critical incidents, therefore, are also going to grow more complex and would need more time, patience, and a sound understanding of learner expectations.

One such critical incident was with a learner, Jenny (name changed). She was in Grade 8, wonderful in Visual Art, passionate about photography & mediocre in academics per se. For her to be able to pursue her dreams, she had the challenge to pass all her Grade 8 subjects. She is a very well behaved learner, will not disturb your classroom ambiance and or get into an argument. For me, a critical incident starts when a learner seems very ordered! With Jenny, the concern was very different. Her grades started to dip. More complex concepts of Chemistry were being taught and she started to perform poorly.

I remember it was around December and she managed an “E” in Chemistry and like is the case we can opt for our choices only in Grade 9, which meant that she had to pass Grade 8, whether she liked it or not. Since all the other variables seemed very controlled & beyond our scope, my only hope was to talk to her about the concern.

I asked her a question. Is there something wrong with my style of teaching or is it that you don’t like Chemistry??

Our interaction turned out to be quite an eye-opener for me, although I did have this understanding before, I felt more helpless.

She said: I love your class. I love the way you interact with us. You are one teacher who does not judge us for our responses. It is one of the classes, where I dare to say something even though I know that may be stupid. But Chemistry is not something that I am passionate about.

There was a range of questions she had.?Sir, should I have been born in a more progressive and developed nation? Why the school or the education system does not give Artists, Musicians, and other vocational learners an opportunity to flourish??I did not have answers to her questions but could get her to buy my idea towards doing well in Grade 8.

I picked a list of people who have done well in the field of Finance. They were all Engineers who then went on to do an MBA and are now successful as CEO’s and CFO’s. If we look at their job profiles and the education route, we may say the Engineering does not make sense.?She thought the same.

The reason that combination was successful is because of the kind of academic rigor and analytical thinking ability that is built through the course. The scientific temper & critical thinking ability is so well developed, it helps you take the most dynamic decisions. It is not about if I want to make a career in Science.?It is about how I make the most of these skills in my formative years.

She was not very convinced, but she got the idea. She cleared her Grade 8 with a “C” in Chemistry and is working hard towards becoming a renowned Visual Arts specialist.

Most critical incidents are resolved by the trust that we build around our learners. If we make them believe the idea that we are there to help them do well in their journey, they will buy the idea. ?At the end of the day, we do what we do for our learners. Sometimes, a disclaimer that you as a teacher are a human being and ought to make mistakes and are open to being corrected by them, goes a long way in building the much-needed rapport.

#Connect #Rapport #Learnerwellbeing #growthmindset #education #lifelonglearning #experiences #loveforlearning