RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TEACHER AND THE TAUGHT
It has often been observed that students
tend to score high in their favorite teacher’s subject. Although there is a
funny proverbial note, “The best teacher is that, who doesn’t teach”, I am not,
at all, indicating to be that one. The ultimate recognition, by the students,
is achieved through dedication, reaching the child’s mind, sincere care and selfless
teaching. Teacher’s main motive should be to understand the peculiarity of
students and act accordingly.
My friends often tell me that I, being a
teacher, might be enjoying my work more than others as they are always slogging
their heads in the heaps of files kept on their tables and keep on arranging
them back from one cabinet to another. I simply say to them that no doubt I do
enjoy but imagine what would happen to you all when you don’t find your files
at the place you had kept or find all the texts of your file changing on its
own from time to time. Here lies the difference that you all deal with files
and I deal with LIVING FILES. The students are my files who are never found
where left them last time. Their responses are unexpected. They may smile at
scolding and frown at your polite suggestions. Above all I, being a teacher,
cannot afford to carry my irritation for long, because of one student, as the
other students are waiting to be taught. I have observed that after revealing
this fact my friends look at their files with great affection and relief.
Students spend 5-6 hours with their
teachers and we ought to make it qualitative and fruitful. This task will be
just next to impossible if the relationship between the teachers and the taught
is not congenial. Working as a boarding teacher makes the task even more
challenging when the duration spent with the students goes to 15-16 hours and
our responsibilities get multi-fold. Here I would like to add that the day
schools, where the teacher is interacting with the students only in class
rooms, under ideal conditions, have less idea of what all challenges boarding
teachers face in grooming the students on different occasions. A boarding
teacher’s job starts from lining up the students for PT/Yoga early in the
morning at 6 am, inspecting their turnout, at 7.20 am, before breakfast,
monitoring their meal intakes and table manners during all the meals,
supervising their study hours and ensuring their timely sleep. Now maintaining
a congenial and friendly relationship with the students become a pre-requisite
to make them participate and learn all these throughout the day. Here keen
observation plays a key role in understanding child’s psychology, his
confusions, fears and attitude so that his problems can be combated properly.
We, teachers, need to build strong bond and faith with the students so that
they may approach us for the solution of any kind of complications or problems.
It has been often seen that yelling at the
students is the most convenient way that teachers find to drag students’
attention towards studies but the fact is that even the students need to be
handled and molded towards studies with lot of care and that should be acted
upon only after understanding their psyche. Students come from different
cultures and family backgrounds and they deserve to be respected as an
individual. Their needs have to be understood and such a relation should be
developed with them that they may confide in you all their problems and confusions,
not only academic but related to the life skills as well, so that they may get
a mature and sensible guidance. A congenial relationship between teacher and
students has a positive impact on not only students’ academic results but
throughout their life as well. It enhances their personality and prepares them
not only to achieve the goals but help them in reaching the acme of success and
maintain that position for a longer period of time. I have many students who
address me as “Papa “and “Big Bro”. The girl students often get scolding from
me for not keeping and tying their hair properly and it was so amusing to see
my class 12th girl students tying their hair in two plaits on the
examination days of geography to make me feel good.
They consider me as their guide and mentor
which gives me a strange feeling of responsibility towards them. It has been
experienced by me that the students whom you have pampered for one or the other
reasons during his or her school tenure may not remember you much but the students
who have got maximum scolding would always remember you on various occasions
and keep you updated about their whereabouts through social networking or phone
calls. It is rightly said that people never forget how you have made them feel
so the scolding should never cross the limits to make the students feel
dejected and remorseful. Even a slap can be respected if it is done for a right
cause and in a right way.
Almost everyone has a favorite teacher and
one who is liked less but the thread of respect remains common in both the
cases. To build a positive relation between a teacher and students is not an
easy task and is a little complex too, which can be forged by developing a
pleasant learning environment where the students learn lessons from the teacher
and the teacher also learns and enhances his teaching ability. The present
exposure to media has equipped our students with intelligent queries which
should neither be shrugged off nor taken as a blow. Rather, that particular student
should be appreciated for asking such question which had made you to re brush
and explore your knowledge. Its, actually the qualities of students which keep
us updated so we should never discourage their queries.
We, being teachers, should create an open
environment where each student is respected and not ridiculed, either by the
teacher or by the peer group. Students should always feel free to ask any
question and they should be assured that they will neither be taunted nor
ridiculed on their queries. We all know that taunting and being ridiculed hurt
more than scoldings.
Finally, teachers may not get a strong bank
balance at the end of their careers but they do treasure their students who
remember you and acknowledge your sacrifice and dedication.
Mr Madhukar Priya
The Mann School
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