“Children have always needed adults in their lives, but home and community have less influence than they used to. Sometimes teachers are the most stable adults in a child’s life, the people they can count on the most,” says Machuk.
It is fantastic being a teacher. Having to cater to the high expectations of students, parents, management and society, teaching is indeed challenging.
I have observed that teaching styles and requirements have changed over the years. When I first started teaching, we implemented activity based learning (ABL) followed by Samacheer and currently CBSE. I have realized that it is essential for a teacher to keep pace with the changing times.
Supporting my students’ growth:
For the first 2 months of the academic year, students were not regular to school which I thought was due to lack of interest and motivation. So to encourage them, I started appreciating my students for every work they did and offered gifts to those who regularly attended school. Such words of appreciation and small gifts excited them. They became motivated to attend school every day and developed interest towards learning. This also helped enhance their competitive skills and they actively participated in all the competitions and events at school. Probably, incentives work better than punishment for children belonging to the current generation.
‘One size fits all’ concept doesn’t work while teaching as each student who walks into my class is different. Some struggle with Math while others with English. Some need extra support whereas some learn really well. Hence, as a teacher, it is important to be flexible in restructuring plans and also to have alternate ideas as a backup. I believe that good communication skills and efficient planning to accommodate different learners can help ensure that students receive the complete benefits of the educational and social experience that a school can offer.
As my students love listening to stories, I narrate inspiring stories and play videos of celebrities and legends depicting their life stories wherein they overcome many hurdles to become successful. The seeds of inspiration and values sowed early might go a long way in taking them along the path of progress.
As a teacher it is important to understand the community to which his/her students belongs to, as their exposure and needs differ. My students are from a rural community and many of them are first generation learners. These children do not have much exposure and most of them don’t even realize the value of education. To help them out, I provided individual attention to my students, talking about their future and their goals. Periodic discussions with parents has enabled them to be actively involved in their child’s education.
Growing as a Teacher:
Since a teacher significantly impacts the overall development of students, the development needs to begin with the teacher himself/herself. Teachers like students need to constantly keep themselves updated with the rapidly changing world. With the advances in technology and the kind of exposure that children have access to, there is plenty of information available - both good and bad, relevant and irrelevant. Only a teacher who is adequately informed and updated, will be able to deliver the right content to this generation. Moreover, children might look down upon a teacher’s ignorance and lose interest in his/her class. A well-informed teacher on par with the recent advances in all spheres of life, will be able to attract the attention of children.
There are different ways in which a teacher could keep himself/herself updated, both formally and informally. Formal ways could be by attending seminars, workshops, reading books, journals and publications related to the pedagogy and knowledge of their subject. Informal ways could be by discussing with colleagues, parents and students, and learning from resources available on the internet.
Going beyond the conventional practices of using the blackboard, it helps for a teacher to be open to the requirements and interests of his/her students. Use of technology like computers and audiovisual projections in the classroom can greatly support in efficiently delivering knowledge.
Despite all the challenges faced, the selfless love exchanged between the students and the teacher, and an atmosphere of learning something new every day makes teaching the most satisfactory and fulfilling profession.
For a teacher, it is an unending journey of searching, learning and providing something new to our children…
Highlight:
A teacher has a significant impact on the overall development of her/his students. This being the case, the overall development needs to begin with the teacher himself/herself. For a teacher, it is a never-ending journey of searching, learning and providing something new to our children…