TEACHING- An Act of Inspiration or Desperation?

We have been through that phase and some others might be still going through that educational period of their busy lives. And I bet that at least once knowingly or unknowingly we might have thrown a comment at a teacher’s way of spreading knowledge or in simple words we brazenly question whether they deserve to be a teacher! Though that seems to be incorrect (sometimes correct: P) and oblivious to the teachers themselves, the bottom line is

Why did he or she become a teacher? Was it the only option?

Does teaching profession act like a safety valve when they are clueless about their career?

Are they satisfied the way they teach?

Do the students understand the way the teachers want them to understand?

Are they boring and monotonous? Are they lazy? Are they inspiring the students?

Or are they shoving knowledge or are they stifling young minds by compelling them to learn by rote?

Okay by this time I think I might have got your attention by asking these set of impertinent questions. I think most of you can vouch that around 60-70% teach for the sake of it. Complete the syllabus in time and you have one happy teacher.

Teaching or rather I’ll say teachers should be synonymous with practicality, out-of-the-box thinking, inspiring, pushing us to the limit by making utmost use of our grey cells, which are otherwise idle other than those few days of rigorous training during tests.

Teaching is a profession which requires passion, dedication and love to propagate and channelize that knowledge into a student’s mind.

Is that happening?  

Let me give you an example Walter Lewin. He is an astrophysicist who teaches three core subjects in Physics at MIT and this guy is known for his unorthodox methods of teaching and has a huge number of subscribers on his YouTube channel. We all have studied the mechanical conservation of energy, but have you seen it in the practical way?

Why can’t most of them do this? Or at least TRY to emulate and follow their steps and make the subject interesting! When something is taught in a practical, colorful way that particular concept forms an indelible print on your mind.

Some of the stumbling blocks which might hinder some enthusiastic teachers are lack of resources, which is a valid point because you can’t expect a local university to compete with MIT, Stanford or Yale. Or an Indian government school with international schools. Their funds are bigger and better than those offered in ours. Also their method of teaching is quite contrasting from ours and their pay grade is much higher but money ain't a reason for passionate teaching. You just need the fire to keep burning and it’s never too late to rekindle that. 

Has teaching become a mainstream profession where people study B.Ed, M. Sc, M.Tech etc and then randomly jump on to the teaching bandwagon? Or do they hear a calling, a calling from their heart to make a decision, to make a change which will ultimately affect the students they’ll be teaching and also the society.

We need good, real, effective teachers who can make a difference, not only from the day we join our professional colleges but right from the day we step into schools. Let it begin from elementary, through high school and all the way up. We need such educators who help students think and not muffle their opinions. We need them to encourage and inspire and not compel them to learn by rote or punish them whenever they ask stupid yet thought provoking questions.

The solution lies in the way a teacher is picked. Let it be a dreadful process so that people who don’t deserve can be eliminated. Brand teaching as the most feared profession,make it a profession wherein mundane people have second thoughts before entering it. Make it a demanding profession where people who can’t influence have nothing to do with it. But only those who can influence, empower, build character and bridge dreams. Only those will thrive and be satisfied that they have the best profession ever with a whole lot of self satisfaction that they might've have created a better individual. 

Well I'm not lambasting such teachers but just trying to convey the message that maybe they should try to be novel in their methodology, improvise and innovate so that teaching becomes a pure and unadulterated experience.  

- Benedict.R.Gershom, Bangalore