A Teacher and Teacher's Role.

As teacher: You are not

• a fountain of all knowledge.
• a book with all the answers.

You are :

• a facilitator
• a mentor
• a guide
• an encourager
• an inspirer
• a role model
• an epitome of character.
• an expert in your subject.

As a facilitator:

To facilitate learning, world is around us. Nature around us provides answers to all questions of human curiosity. Being a teacher does not mean, every book written is crammed, every scientific research is known. Every theory is derived from Nature. "We are nature. It is us," says Mr. Gavin McCormac, Principal at Farmhouse Montessori School, Primary Education 6-12 Trained Montessori Teacher Children's Author,Sydney , Australia.

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• So, all answers are concealed in knowing ourselves well.
• KNOW THYSELF is the highest knowledge all scriptures vouch.
• KNOW THYSELF AND WORLD WILL BE KNOWN TO YOU are the words of the authors of greatest scriptures.

As a mentor:

Father gives body, mother gives birth and teacher gives soul are the words of the wise.

• True - a teacher gives soul.
• Father earns, mother cooks and helps the child so that the child may become a good person in the future.
• Some mothers also work and earn. Reference here is to household mothers. When a child is born, the child cannot help itself.
• Parents and elders in and outside the home help the child to be a sociable person.
• Family, friends and well wishers challenge the bad habits of the child. Child should be thankful to them as they have challenged the child to improve and be what the child is today. Take the reprimands from family and friends positively and you will remain mentally peaceful.
• Complainer or realist are the two categories of humans in the world. Use the power of choice whether to be complainer or realist. Realists always appreciate and see the good in every behaviour and every thing around them as NATURE does.
• Those who have good families should thank their families.
• The child has faith on Teacher as much as child has on the mother and the CREATOR in later stages of life.
• Child follows the teacher blindly - right or wrong advice.
• Good teachers are like candles that burn themselves to show the light to the people and misguided around them.
• Moral values, ethics, etiquettes and manners as well as child's role and relation to the family, friends, society, nation and world at large is largely defined and described by a teacher.
• Good behaviour and bad behaviour is tamed and trimmed by using skills of discipline by the teacher. Good behaviour is appreciated and applauded by a good teacher.
• For bad behaviour, disciplinary action is brought into force. Teachers are hence referred to as "Builders of nations." Teachers are not only those who are working in schools and colleges but includes those too who teach informally in religious places or guide in villages for better living.
• No society can survive without teachers.
• Teachers read and learn big fat good books and skimming best knowledge disseminate the same through capsule teachings.
• As a mentor, the duty of teacher is to uplift and motivate the dampen spirit of the student so that the child may regain the confidence in learning.
• BOOKS ARE THE BEST FRIEND. SAME TODAY, SAME TOMORROW AND SAME AFTER 10,20,30, 100 or 1000 years after.
• BOOKS are life time companions and mood boosters.
• Importance of reading books and learning from them needs to be inculcated among the young minds.
• Expertise in any field of work can be had by reading Books.
• As a mentor, this is the prime duty of a good teacher to talk and explain the importance of reading books so that the students start "LOVING AND READING BOOKS."
• For becoming an expert, relevant books help a lot. Reading them makes a lot of difference in the reader's knowledge and makes the reader an expert.
• Yes, irrelevant non contributory books should be avoided but just scanning and skimming without any proper FOCUS. Gathering irrelevant information is like drawing water with bucket from a running river and throwing the same on the sand on the bank of the river. No benefit. All tiredness and wastage of valuable time. Choice lies with the reader. Good books contribute to make life better.
• During mentoring sessions, listening is a gem. 90% listening and 10% speaking is suggested. In general talks too, good formula is 2/3rd (67%) listening and 1/3rd (33%) speaking. Soft positive words, saying yes, yes, and you are right work wonders while mentoring. Keep a note pad ready to jot down the major problems of the student and focus on them when the student has left. NEVER COMPARE. Comparison is an insult to the student. All in this world are different and need different strokes to be understood.
• Talk in the language of the student and better if the environment is natural and liked by the student. Pleasing and soothing words by the mentor work wonders.
• Give a new session date and time to re-discuss the problem with the student. This helps a lot. Ask the students to write everything and bring that write-up for mentor's use. Writing heals the head. Daily journal writing is a good habit.
• Always believe and keep in mind: MISTAKES ARE THE PROOF THAT A STUDENT IS TRYING.
• As a Guide:

"I am always there. Call me whenever you have a problem and need guidance." This is a general assurance from good teachers throughout world.

• Many of my students are in foreign countries and are in touch with me for the past over 15-20 years (since I am in full time independent teaching profession since 1998 ) .
• They call me, send me emails and tell me their problems. Thank God most are satisfied and respect more their own elders and relatives. So, teacher's role as a guide is a source of life long association with the student.
• Be a good guide. Teacher's role is not limited to teaching the syllabus and that's all.
• Good guidance for study in India and abroad, career and career progression, social living, personal living, health and mental health + .
• Greatest wealth is Health. Good health (mental and physical) gives true Happiness or no work, no social status, no good food can give the inner peace and enjoyment. Helping the students emotionally and positively is more than helping financially.
• Student can earn money themselves but THEY have other problems that trouble them. The problem can be a person at work, the work itself, career, unfounded fears about future etc. etc. Teacher is senior in age and experience. Lend the student a helping hand.
• Just the words from the mouth of the teacher: THIS IS NOT A BIG ISSUE. WAIT AND WATCH FOR A WEEK AND THE ISSUE WILL BE RESOLVED. This helps the student to sleep soundly.

Teacher as a guide need to guide the student on this aspects of life too. Some students even seek guidance for their married life too.

• A couplet from the mentor:
• Marriages are settled in heaven and celebrated on Earth, but Union of two souls is written right from birth soothes and pacifies the student. Rest follows.

As an Encourager:

Not only students, but anybody grows quickly and faster with less difficulty if he has an encourager in his kitty of well wishers. Discouragers and toxic friends destroy the best talents and skills of a person.

• A pat on the shoulder of a student in difficult times especially when the child faces failure can turn the child from LOSER to WINNER in life. When in distress, everybody needs a shoulder to rest head. Soft, supporting words work wonders.
• This skill of the teacher is highly appreciated by the children without any words or open appreciation.
• Positive, encouraging words produce immeasurable results. DEVELOP IT.

As an inspirer:

WHO does not need it?

• The new born or 80+ everybody requires this mental booster.
• The new born stops weeping when inspired with polite non-verbal gestures by mother, grandmother or any elder brother or sister.
• What about 80+ grandpa or grandma. They also need it and live more day, months and years when inspired and appreciated for their contribution to family, society, nation and world. Inner grey cells trigger and they feel to live longer in this world.
• Now to inspiration. A child was studying in 8th class. Teacher asked to write an essay. 20 words out of 400 words essay were wrong. Teacher took red-pen and rounded those 20 words. This discouraged the child and the child left the studies and is still selling tea. An analysis: 95% essay is correct. No appreciation or inspiration. 5% is wrong - long repreminand and shaming the child in front of full class. WHO IS AT FAULT? Teacher or child. My opinion is TEACHER. A student is declared pass with 33% or 35% marks but in this case the student is FAILED with 95%. Who needs to improve? Student or teacher?
• TEACHER'S ATTITUDE MATTERS.

Such negative teachers are unfit for the profession. Please excuse. Learn to inspire. We- the teachers- have capacity to make or mar the careers of kids.

• Read books, read good articles, listen to motivational videos and train the students to be happy inhabitants of this world.
• FEAR has two meanings. Fear Everything And Run. And second FACE EVERYTHING AND RISE. Believe in the second and practice the second for uplifting the student mentally.
• Readers are leaders. Read and be leaders, Leader does not mean merely leader in politics, business or in any other field.
• You are yourself the leader. Be your own boss, be the architect of your life and feel that you are the leader. And you are the leader.So, inspire your students to BELIEVE in themselves and Work for BIG dreams.

As a Role Model:

"Papa I will become like my teacher." are the general words of a tiny school going children. Here a teacher is a role model. Teaching is a most satisfying and respectable work in this world. No wealth or money can bring you as as much satisfaction and respect as teaching profession can. Devote yourself to your passion of teaching and the world will respond.

As an epitome of character:

Our father of nation honorable Mahatma Gandhi says:

• Wealth is lost, nothing is lost,
• Health is lost, something is lost,
• Character is lost, everything is lost.

A teacher is an epitome of character. Once this mirror is broken, it cannot be welded in the minds of the students and others. A teacher's behaviour and character should be such as may be emulated by one and all in class, school and society.

An expert of the subject:

This is the basic trait of the teacher. The teacher should be well versed with the subject taught.

• Expertise does not come with the books read and learnt in school and college or degrees obtained, but with regular practice and focus on the subject by reading books, listening to audio and watching videos, searching and reading the material on internet, attending the seminars and conferences conducted by experts on the subject and other aspects of teaching.
• General awareness helps in making a teacher more expert in the subject and in the art of teaching.
• Write a blog. It's Free.
• Join groups on Linkedin and participate in discussions.
• Write more. Maintain a personal journal to write your feelings and emotions. Reflect on those feelings, emotions, actions and reactions and over a period of time, being a teacher you will be more expert and have control over yourself. You will be more happy and adaptable with the real world. You will accept the real world more than required. Inner peace will start dwelling in your personality.
• Yes, do use code for writing journal.
• One professor said: I use code "E" i.e. emergency for my wife, code" H" for my father. H stands for Hitler. This way if they read my journal they will never know who I have referred to. I smiled at his way of concealing identity. Isn't it helpful? Use and you will also be more mentally FREE. Exhaling emotions and sentiments openly backfires in relations which are vital for life.

NOTE: I thank my online friend Mr. Gavin McCormac, Principal at Farmhouse Montessori School (BA Hons) Primary Education 6-12 Trained Montessori Teacher Children's Author,Sydney , Australia for borrowing inputsfrom his comment in a Linkedin discussion.