What qualities should a good teacher possess? My friend asked me in mail.
Now before I start all the blah blahs let me share some of my experiences during school years.
My father had a transferable job. He used to get transferred to remote villages as well as towns. So I had completed my schooling in 5 schools. Among them, the years I spent in Baliapal and Karanjia [Both belong to state Orissa] were the best.
Baliapal at that time was a populated small village famous for its fish and betel cultivation. The primary school was small but neat and clean and most importantly maintained disciplined atmosphere very strictly. I completed my class 2 to 5 there. This place taught me to love education. It shaped my reading style and grasping power. The way the teachers taught always generated interest to listen what they are saying. Till day, I remember my science teacher, explaining the fundamental concepts of pressure practically, with a match stick, a narrow mouthed bottle and a boiled egg. First he put the egg in the mouth of the bottle, so narrow is the mouth... how will the egg go inside? He asked. We were puzzled. Then he put a lighted match in the bottle and closed it with a cork. The match burned for sometime and then stopped. In a fleeting second he opened the bottle in one hand and put the egg again on the mouth of the bottle with other hand. Pop, the egg went inside.
Magic. We were all now staring him open mouthed, owl eyed. Now he explained, the stick stopped burning 'coz there was no oxygen inside after some time. Since that much amount of air got consumed in the process, pressure dropped. But outside air pressure is normal, that is greater than inside the bottle. So when the bottle was again opened, outside air tried to enter it and took the egg (though broken during the process) with it also.
Study was much fun there. Homework was always given in articulated measure. So it was never a burden. Plenty time used to be in our hand after completing homework and we were happy with our education. I always remember these facts while watching schoolbag and homework burdened faces of my cousin sisters and brothers. What is the point in giving so much homework if the pupil is not capable of doing and assimilating them. It only compels them to hate school and study.
While Baliapal taught me how to read, Karanjia taught me what to read. I completed my Class 9 and 10 in Karanjia Girl's High School. It is a small, hilly, friendly place situated in Mayurbhanja District of Orissa. Inhabitants were few and quite friendly. The Teachers were just fabulous and they shaped my life along with many others. Especially I remember my Hindi teacher Anjali Di. She was a dignified widowed Bengali lady and quite strict .
We used to have three languages to read First language Oriya, Second language English and the third was either Sanskrit or Hindi. My family has a long tradition of opting for Sanskrit and you can raise 100 out 100 marks in Sanskrit, if u were good at it. But in Hindi it is tough to get 90 marks also. I had to face quite an opposition while opting for Hindi. Bapa (my father) was not happy at all. Some pressure, some fear of the good teacher, and finally some love for the subject made me acquire 98 out 100 in the final exams. I was really happy when Bapa said "not bad" for my Hindi marks. Next time when one of my brilliant cousins will make her mind to take up Hindi, I think there will be no objection.
It is always the teachers who shape our thinking. Since my science and geography teachers were very good, they shaped my life afterwards also. I was happy, when I opted for Science in college that has become my living now.
Not to forget that my graduation and Msc teachers were also good. They consciously brought out the best in me. I am lucky that in PhD also my guide is a good person and very much in love with studies like me. Touch Wood!
I feel a teacher must be good sympathetic person first of all. Next s/he should have some canny understanding power to read the confusions and doubts on the students' face. A doubtful mind is always a clouded sky. It is a teacher's responsibility to find the sun among the clouds so that later it can help to grow the trees; the wisdom trees impregnated with knowledge.
Another fact is that each student has special preferences and interests. It is very crucial for a teacher to know that what interests the particular student in question and how it can be nurtured and blossomed properly. It is like a mother's duty you know. Every mother knows what food her child prefers. The only difference is that teachers cultivate minds rather than food.
A humble soft spoken teacher goes a long way controlling his/er students. One cannot expect all the students to be obedient and dutiful. Some will be wayward, some uninterested, some fickle minded and some lazy. Only patience works with them. On the other way anger, punishment and sarcastic comments ignite their bad habits more. They subdue once you catch a good trait in them and suggest something of their interest. Like someone has very poor marks in Science but his extracurricular activity marks are fantastic. The next time you give him/er a small simple science project to build as part of the extracurricular activity, the results will not be that bad.
Well these are my personal thinking. I try to achieve these 'coz I want to be a teacher in future. I have just one month of experience being a teacher so far. Wish me luck.
Some of these thinking I conveyed to my friend over mail and hope she will be contended with the answer.
Now before I start all the blah blahs let me share some of my experiences during school years.
My father had a transferable job. He used to get transferred to remote villages as well as towns. So I had completed my schooling in 5 schools. Among them, the years I spent in Baliapal and Karanjia [Both belong to state Orissa] were the best.
Baliapal at that time was a populated small village famous for its fish and betel cultivation. The primary school was small but neat and clean and most importantly maintained disciplined atmosphere very strictly. I completed my class 2 to 5 there. This place taught me to love education. It shaped my reading style and grasping power. The way the teachers taught always generated interest to listen what they are saying. Till day, I remember my science teacher, explaining the fundamental concepts of pressure practically, with a match stick, a narrow mouthed bottle and a boiled egg. First he put the egg in the mouth of the bottle, so narrow is the mouth... how will the egg go inside? He asked. We were puzzled. Then he put a lighted match in the bottle and closed it with a cork. The match burned for sometime and then stopped. In a fleeting second he opened the bottle in one hand and put the egg again on the mouth of the bottle with other hand. Pop, the egg went inside.
Magic. We were all now staring him open mouthed, owl eyed. Now he explained, the stick stopped burning 'coz there was no oxygen inside after some time. Since that much amount of air got consumed in the process, pressure dropped. But outside air pressure is normal, that is greater than inside the bottle. So when the bottle was again opened, outside air tried to enter it and took the egg (though broken during the process) with it also.
Study was much fun there. Homework was always given in articulated measure. So it was never a burden. Plenty time used to be in our hand after completing homework and we were happy with our education. I always remember these facts while watching schoolbag and homework burdened faces of my cousin sisters and brothers. What is the point in giving so much homework if the pupil is not capable of doing and assimilating them. It only compels them to hate school and study.
While Baliapal taught me how to read, Karanjia taught me what to read. I completed my Class 9 and 10 in Karanjia Girl's High School. It is a small, hilly, friendly place situated in Mayurbhanja District of Orissa. Inhabitants were few and quite friendly. The Teachers were just fabulous and they shaped my life along with many others. Especially I remember my Hindi teacher Anjali Di. She was a dignified widowed Bengali lady and quite strict .
We used to have three languages to read First language Oriya, Second language English and the third was either Sanskrit or Hindi. My family has a long tradition of opting for Sanskrit and you can raise 100 out 100 marks in Sanskrit, if u were good at it. But in Hindi it is tough to get 90 marks also. I had to face quite an opposition while opting for Hindi. Bapa (my father) was not happy at all. Some pressure, some fear of the good teacher, and finally some love for the subject made me acquire 98 out 100 in the final exams. I was really happy when Bapa said "not bad" for my Hindi marks. Next time when one of my brilliant cousins will make her mind to take up Hindi, I think there will be no objection.
It is always the teachers who shape our thinking. Since my science and geography teachers were very good, they shaped my life afterwards also. I was happy, when I opted for Science in college that has become my living now.
Not to forget that my graduation and Msc teachers were also good. They consciously brought out the best in me. I am lucky that in PhD also my guide is a good person and very much in love with studies like me. Touch Wood!
I feel a teacher must be good sympathetic person first of all. Next s/he should have some canny understanding power to read the confusions and doubts on the students' face. A doubtful mind is always a clouded sky. It is a teacher's responsibility to find the sun among the clouds so that later it can help to grow the trees; the wisdom trees impregnated with knowledge.
Another fact is that each student has special preferences and interests. It is very crucial for a teacher to know that what interests the particular student in question and how it can be nurtured and blossomed properly. It is like a mother's duty you know. Every mother knows what food her child prefers. The only difference is that teachers cultivate minds rather than food.
A humble soft spoken teacher goes a long way controlling his/er students. One cannot expect all the students to be obedient and dutiful. Some will be wayward, some uninterested, some fickle minded and some lazy. Only patience works with them. On the other way anger, punishment and sarcastic comments ignite their bad habits more. They subdue once you catch a good trait in them and suggest something of their interest. Like someone has very poor marks in Science but his extracurricular activity marks are fantastic. The next time you give him/er a small simple science project to build as part of the extracurricular activity, the results will not be that bad.
Well these are my personal thinking. I try to achieve these 'coz I want to be a teacher in future. I have just one month of experience being a teacher so far. Wish me luck.
Some of these thinking I conveyed to my friend over mail and hope she will be contended with the answer.
No comments:
Post a Comment