It was smiling since morning,
and it seemed the rains bade adieu
but suddenly the sky looked sad,
a sea of clouds welled up in the horizon,
birds were swiftly turning homeward,
a pall of grief, so breathtakingly beautiful,
fell on a part of the earth,
The two temples on two sides of the road
declared that
God was still there,
What will happen if we reached home safe,
What will go wrong if
we are caught up in a downpour,
the stranger asked,
and there was an eternal hunger in
his eyes, to be one
with the greens, the water,and
the sky.
The brooding, nonchalant bull stood undeterred,
he was to run for shelter, but later,
The water under the bridge was swirling
in rapid motion,
There was again a flood, but in
another river,
the sufferers were the same, earthlings,
The sky looked down threateningly,
Still painfully beautiful,
But it still didn't rain
It was a cloudy yet a clear day and we fifty teachers sat listening to our resource person elaborating on the effective methods of teaching English in a classroom. Evidently, in order to bring in the important issue of teaching human values by being more loving and humane to our students, she narrated to us how God made the sculpture of a teacher and was in deep thought as to what to do to complete because this was the character that was going to create generations. It was the angel standing behind God who saw drops of tears in the eyes of the sculpture and told God that He had already completed it and there was nothing more to be done.
Today, there is a departure from the beautiful anecdote that foretold that a very rare species of human beings were being created by God.There is a visible drop in moral and human values in the present generation of young people. Changes in thinking and life style has been drastic and not often for the better. The social set up has changed and Western and European examples have been followed but often without taking into account our age old culture and value system. The shift is not well balanced and is causing crisis before a complete overhaul of our social and economic structure is made possible. In this context, the role of teachers acquires relevance because they are the only fraternity who affect thousands of life together through there vocation.
These are indeed difficult times because gone are the days when life used to be black and white and people thrived on simple rules of ethics and goodness. Time and technological revolution has showed that human beings have a lot of gray shades to them. There was a time when teachers were the most revered citizens of the society and their words were wisdom and the profession of teaching was regarded as holy and sacred. In the present society, education has undergone a whole revolution with the mushrooming of English medium schools .Nowadays, teachers are regarded as mere service providers. The relationship equation between the teachers, parents and students has undergone a drastic change. It is no more personal, respectful or value-based. It’s more of a professional relationship based on quality service and customer satisfaction.
In the changed scenario, the role of teachers assumes huge significance as they are the sole social class who come in contact with a large number of children every day and moreover, they are the people who raise the future citizens. In the earlier society, knowledge and love sufficed for a student to be motivated. But in the current set up, skill, information and technology are the things that rule the roost. So, a teacher is expected to have many things besides having knowledge in some particular subjects. Good teachers of today are ideally expected to possess the following qualities:
Good teachers love to teach. Not doing it for the money, prestige, or glory, they teach because it brings them an incredible feeling of satisfaction knowing they are contributing positively to the futures of others. If a teacher doesn’t have this inner satisfaction, and does not enjoy what they do, they’ll never be able to make lasting impressions in their students’ minds. Passion has great impact and this is something that all really good teachers have.
A good teacher has the responsibility of bridging the gap between themselves and their students, so good communication skills are a must. It’s difficult sometimes to relate to people, especially children, so that learning can happen in their minds, but excellent teachers are masters of this. Relating to students on the student’s level, these teachers have developed many ways to reach their students, and communicate using terrific speaking skills, visual aids, and even in their body language.
Admirable teachers lead lives of high moral ground, and they set an example to their students because of it. Really though, admirable teachers are more credible than others. We as people are much more likely to listen to those we admire, because we wish to be like them. Models of who we would like to someday be, really good teachers help show us the way.
Instead of using strict punishment to discipline students, good teachers know how to use positive reinforcement to discipline instead. These teachers understand that negatively hinders how their students learn, creates resentment in the students’ minds, and ends up breaking the ties of the student-teacher relationship. Often these teachers reward their students for doing a good job, so they are more apt to doing it in the future.
Equality is an ideal that good teachers hold dear to themselves. They treat their students equally, yet giving them the individual attention they need. No child is left out in the mind of a wonderful teacher, and they make it a mission to teach them all the same. In doing so, they end up teaching their students the importance of equality and fair treatment, even if the teacher hadn’t intended to do so.
Teachers are leaders. In the classroom, they own the spotlight, and have the responsibility of being strong instructors so that students listen to them with determination. They have to lead their students on the right path through the learning experience, and help by showing the obstacles that may stand in the student’s way.
There is no doubt that a great teacher is committed. They go above and beyond the time requirements of a typical teacher, and are willing to help students whenever they need it. Good teachers are very committed to the curriculum they teach, and like their students, are always continuing to learn in the hopes of becoming even better teachers.
Great teachers understand their students better than most people. They understand where their students came from, who they are, and know the best avenue to take them to who they will become. Good teachers have an uncanny understanding of what they teach, because they are experts in their fields of knowledge.
There is suffering in the world, and a good teacher recognizes this and has the inner desire to help. Teachers help by teaching, because they know that by giving knowledge to the next generation, they are creating individuals who will have the skills, compassion, and dedication to end suffering. Good teachers care about the world and what they do and wouldn’t have things any other way.
A teacher can’t teach without confidence. Students won’t believe in a teacher that first doesn’t believe in theireselves. Good teachers are confident that they know how to teach, and in what they are teaching. Nothing stands in the way of this confidence, and the teacher does their best not to become arrogant about the job they do.
Teachers always remain prepared. They know the steps necessary in their curriculum to teach students, and follow them well. Teachers are always ready to go when the time calls for it and they never leave their students lost and not knowing the direction they are headed. Good teachers stick to the plans they’ve prepared, in order to teach the beat way possible
Professionalism is the sign of a good teacher. They know that as someone who is responsible for helping people learn, they must take their work seriously. Terrific teachers dress well, have good hygiene, and treat their students with respect. They believe in timeliness, and are never late and rarely miss days they are assigned to work. In doing so, they earn the respect of their students, and the students are more willing to learn from them.
Besides this, teachers see each child as a child, and not a diagnosis. They see the class as individuals and not as a drawer full of case files. They keep their sense of humour against all odds and deal with upset kids, clueless administrators, and pushy parents with great dignity. They are not afraid to be flexible and creative. They know when to make a stand and when to fight their battles. They see parents as allies, not enemies and never give anybody any doubts as to why they went into teaching. They love their job and it shows on their countenance.
To be a teacher is not an easy task. To renew the physical courage every day even after teaching six to seven periods is not an easy task. With their eyes and hair smeared with chalk powder, their vocal chords always under stress, their legs and knees stiff out of continuous standing, their bodies dehydrated because they forget take enough water, their eyes under constant pressure out of correcting notebooks and exam papers, their minds and brains under continuous pressure coordinating between the management, the authority, the parents and the children - being a teacher is not an easy task at all. Despite all this, they love the students, try to understand and sort out their problems, learn, unlearn and relearn for their sake, and sometimes learn from them. They laugh, sing and dance with them, share personal problems and suggest solutions, appreciate them and are appreciated.
Teachers are unique in their responsibility and their contribution to the society. They hold the key to the future of a nation at all times. They are truly gifts.
