What it takes to be a Teacher…

From the lap or the hands of parents, a child comes in the hands of a teacher. A student indeed spent more time at school than at home. Hence, it is a huge responsibility for a teacher to make sure that the students feel comfortable with the way she deals with them. A teacher plays a vital role in shaping the lives of the students. She performs many roles in the classroom other than teaching. She plays the role of a mentor and nurtures her students. She listens to their issues and helps them overcome problems without being told by the students. She becomes a role model that every student wants to emulate in their life. Thus a teacher creates a very significant, lifelong impact on students. Apart from teaching the particular academic skills, she also helps students foster self-esteem by creating a bond between her heart and mind with that of students. Reinforced self-esteem increases motivation and learning of students. It will not be an exaggeration if I say that a great teacher can change a student's life entirety.

Teachers use different methods to teach, which include lectures, group activities and hands-on learning activities. Besides, teachers play an important role in creating a positive environment in the classroom and set the tone of the classrooms. A strong relationship forged by the teacher affects virtually every aspect of a students' life. Apart from sharing knowledge of subjects, and helping students clear the term papers and standardized tests; imparting important life lessons goes a long way in helping students succeed in their life.

Apart from teaching syllabus and imparting life lessons, teachers play an important role as a counselor. Through, counseling she brings learning through interactive relationships. As a counselor, she not only demonstrates her care and concern towards the student but also guides students and facilitate personal growth. She helps students understand and make wise use of education by showing both vocational and personal opportunities.

But hold on, why I am telling all this to you? This is because being a teacher myself for more than three decades I am pained when teachers are much criticized for their carelessness and casual outlook towards students. It is said that they are not interested in teaching in the classroom, and are greedy for coaching (out of school tuition). They just try to pass time in school and are irresponsible and harsh to students’ problems. By the way, school is the second force that has a place in a child’s life. We know that whatever society wishes it demands from the school to give to the child. And school gives it in the form of a teacher. A teacher is not a static thing. It has a personality of her own. She comes from a part of the society and that part of the society decides her output in life.

We know that in India the job of a teacher is at the 6th or 7th level below the top jobs, e.g. IAS, IRS, Medical, Engineer, Advocate, Government servant. Only when the hope for all these jobs is lost a person try to get a teaching job. I am not saying it for all the teachers but a majority of them belong to such a tribe. I was shocked to read this joke on WhatsApp, “Aye what are you doing nowadays? Have you got a job or still a teacher?”

Though, it is considered that a teacher is always in a well-settled position and thought to be the commander of the field. This is because:

?   Most of the teachers nowadays have a professional degree.

?   They get reasonable if not handsome salary.

?   They have the freedom to follow their plan of action in the classroom.

?   They have prescribed books of the course.

?   They have a fixed time table of the year, for studies as well as tests and exams.

?   They are free after school hours i.e. they need not bother about their job. 

Given the points mentioned above everything in a teacher’s life seems to be a hunky-dory. But it is far from reality. If you go through a teacher’s schedule, you would come to know that she is a slave of her time table. How many divisions, she can make, of her lesson. In the given periods she has to run to introduce even the small tips as she gets only half an hour a day. (sometimes 45 minutes). She never gets the time for revision. She is helpless to know how much has been heard by the student or understood. How many copies she can check is a big question mark. If checked, how many students can take and follow the instructions without individual help? Classroom study is as uncertain as rain in the desert. Is there any mechanism to read the student’s mind? What, he is doing, daily in the class? She is unable to make the students run fast as education or studies take their own time to be digested.

It’s difficult to develop an insight overnight. Well, to wait is the formula. But can we wait for years? No! a teacher is bound to vomit (deliver) all the lectures, show some modal, transform or chart projects, etc. just in one year and just to wait or wish to get the best output (In the form of answer in the exam) of the students at the end of a year. She is helpless to get the cooperation of the students at a particular time and place or desired situation. Most of the time students are uninterested and listen half-heartedly. The classroom setting creates monotony. Unfortunately, she can’t break it as she has to follow, the formal ways of teaching. If she pays extra attention to some or one student, not only other get jealous or prejudiced but it is seen as an act of willful seeking favors.

Nevertheless, teaching to me is less to do with knowledge and skills than with the attitude toward students, subjects, and overall work. Here are a few aspects of the personality of a teacher that will help most of us become a good teacher.

It is rightly said,

“???-??? ?????? ??, ?????? ??? ?????????? ??? ??? ???, ??? ?? ??? ??????

“While drawing water from the well, the rope tied to the pot, repeatedly rubbing the stone placed on the side of the well, leaves a mark on the stone. Similarly, by practicing repeatedly, a person with low intelligence also learns many new things”.

Therefore, it’s not only the student but the teacher too gains confidence during his journey of teaching, through repeated experiences.

A teacher should have an insight into the child’s behavior i.e. child psychology. A student may try to cheat but the teacher instead of punishing should turn his mind from cheating to hard work patiently.

A good teacher should never turn his face from responsibility. We know the mind is swift but to control the mental processes is so difficult that even the great saints have been failed. The teacher slowly but patiently should try to make them learn to control or to discipline their mind. To do this she has to give concrete examples so as students recognize their ability. She should appreciate even small achievements of the student, which in turn will help the student understand his way of learning. I am sure, all of you know the curse given to ‘Hanuman Ji’. That he will forget his all powers when he needed them the most until someone reminds him about the same. It was only when ‘Jambuwant’ reminded him, he could cross the sea to reach ‘Lanka’. A good teacher instead of scolding student about what he has not done should focus on what he can do.   

A teacher should never adopt shortcuts or hurry. Rather, she should set goals for the students which are challenging but attainable. She should remind the student about his capability that you can do it. Even the completion of the leftover work may be a project for some of the students. A good teacher always sets the goals for the different groups within the class. Why is this, that students run behind some teachers while running away from some. This is because most of the teachers only teach – they don’t share extra time or knowledge with them. They never try to understand the student's problems. I know sometimes the problem may not be genuine but the teacher should show concern about his position and should take the opportunity to come close to her student by saying “it’s ‘OK’. Now try to do this again, or try to complete the task”.

We put the flower in a vase in such a manner that the arrangement of flowers looks beautiful. Similarly, a teacher must try to portray different groups of students of her class in such a manner that she can showcase the best even from the in-experienced and innocent students.   

We indeed love a teacher, who touches our hearts. As a little one we were so scared sometime and the teacher who solved our problem or tried to shade us or shed away our anxieties, we still remember her or feel her near our hearts. So now when I am a teacher myself why can’t I think like that? Why are we in hurry to complete the course? Why not start saying ‘take it, easy children! This is natural! You can’t make it easier but can do better than me. These are the words that work as an ointment, and it’s true that the teacher only prepares a land (farm) to grove the harvest she can’t learn or write in place or student.

She inspires to learn or to outperform. ‘Inspiration’ is the most valuable asset that a teacher shares with her students. As a student, we all remember the teacher who had inspired us. Especially, those teachers who without realizing as to how is the student, weak or bright, try to inspire them. Of course, they get paid off by way of laurels of such inspired students.

A teacher who displays concern towards her students not only inspires them but also keeps a solid foundation of an excellent society. By the way, to display such behavior is not hard to have or to learn; this comes naturally when someone loves her job. Moreover by displaying love, patience, sympathy, pride, respect, help teachers create an aura and the work follows in the form of results one desires. 

At the same time, we should not forget that the students have a changing mood, and desires. They do have their self-esteem, which under no circumstances must be hurt. In today’s fast-paced life everyone and especially the students are always surrounded by an environment that is full of de-motivators. As a teacher, while trying to teach the students, we should not end up de-motivating them. Especially, if we are de-motivated the chances of demotivating others increases. In such cases, we should leave our ‘ego’ or prestige aside, must look at the students and try to understand the situation. We must inculcate a habit in them to learn to see the problem and find out its solution by themselves.

A problem is just like a symptom of a disease. But a seasoned doctor apart from listening to the symptoms told by his patient tries to identify signs of the disease by seeking information from the patient. Similarly. A teacher must appreciate that reluctance in studies is just a symptom and try to find out the reason for the same, which will be different for different students.

A teacher must always be equipped with the latest developments in her field, new studies, and new developments in the line of Education. Self-development will bring in new confidence and her body language, which will bring the changes in the body language of her students. No one can exactly remember as to what were you wearing on a particular day but people remember your body language, which conveys confidence, simplicity, or spontaneity.

Mridula Kakkar