Education is a dialogue not a one way monologue

In Indian mythology, the teacher is given the highest position in the social structure. We call the teacher a GURU. As we hear the name of Guru, Dronacharyajee emerges in our mind and a legendary story of Eklavya donating his thumb as Guru Dakshina on his Guru’s direction without taking a second thought flashes out in our heart.

How do we see our teacher today in the schools?

From Parent’s perspective:

• Respect:

Twenty years back, the parents used to feel perplexed if the teacher used to invite parents at school. Today, with an objective to raise a happy and successful child for nation, the two stakeholders (Parents and Teachers)’s platform PTM is created. But, gradually this platform is used as “COMPLAINT BOX for each other for a child and painlessly in front of the child. Sometimes, a child can see the parent shouting on teacher as if the teacher is a shopkeeper, who has handed over a bad product to his/her parents. “Action speaks louder than words”. Let us look deep into it, what are we teaching to our child.

“Let us pledge on this teacher’s day (5th September”) that we will pay respect to the teacher from heart.”

• Communication:

Technology has created many platforms of communication between student, teacher and parents. School WhatsApp groups meant for sharing focussed information turns to a fish market of unhealthy, unnecessary, irrelevant messages, which depicts our character and the child silently learns lot from it.

• Trust:

The world’s humanity factor is slightly decreasing because of many factors. One of them is trust. Teachers are given godly position in Indian Vedas and Puranas. Earlier the children used to study in Gurukuls away from home. The children as students were given different tasks to be performed in critical conditions which makes the children bright and strong to live and face life in all situations. Time has changed now. We want our child to get all materialistic facilities. We want cameras as spy to be fitted everywhere. But one or two bad news in news channel spreads like a fire, increasing unhealthy instances. Hence, it is even more necessary to trust to bring back the society to normal level.

“Let us see teachers with internal camera of trust.”

From Student’s Perspective

• Relationship Confusion

The teacher for student is guru. Is Guru a friend, mentor, counsellor, complaint box to a parent, strict disciplinarian, machinist for completing lessons as per lesson plan, coordinator – position holder who has numbers in hand etc. for a student is a confusion. The student and teacher relationship (Guru-Shishya) plays pivotal role in bringing best out from students. Today’s students need teacher to be a loving Guru (motherly touch).

• Owner-Customer

Based on the societal learning’s, the student see him/herself as an owner. According to him/her, the teacher’s salary is paid by the fees of the student. The fees come from student’s parents. So, this transaction is perceived as business by today’s students learnt from educated society. Some of the students belongs to multimillionaire parents. This materialistic multimillionaire concept goes into the head of a child which gets depicted in behavioural patterns by him/her. The teacher also takes this materialistic information in her/his head which entirely changes the communication strings. Do we remember the gurukul pratha? The children of King’s were also treated like all other children. The king’s used to respect the guru so much that it navigated to a child’s mind. The gurus never ever changed their teaching skills based on the position of parents.

“Knowledge given by a Guru can never be compensated by money as fees from parents”

KNOWLEDGE THOUGHTS WORDS/SPEECH ACTIONS HABIT SANSKAAR PERSONALITY DESTINY.

So, teachers are shaping the destiny of the child, which is highly precious.

From Management’s Perspective

• A multitasker employee. There is no harm to be a dynamic and multitasker person. But sometimes the multitasker attributes overshadow the core skills needed for teaching. Teaching, nurturing, researching, reading, writing, timely evaluating to zero error tolerance level, co-curricular activity coordination is some of the core skills needed. Teachers are knowledge givers, they are innovators, they need an environment of peace and harmony for academic excellence. Once the environment lost, the purpose of academic institution is lost. Teachers are playing the role of an administrator, lawyer, negotiator, customer relationship manager, technology experts, etc. Every teacher has unique skills, it is the need of an hour for a management to use and nurture those special skills for best academic result/outcome.

Because of some unfortunate incidents actioned by some teachers (disrespectful to say so), the society has started seeing all teachers with the same eye. As a society, it is very unfruitful learning. Educators can never be criminals.

I close the write up with the wish to strengthen the bond of all stakeholders of the academic institutions.

Let us pledge on this teacher’s day 5th September,2018 that we will see our TEACHER / GURU with the eyes of internal camera of trust and respect.