Role of Teacher - K Bhanumoorthy

                                      Role of the teacher 

Teachers continue to shoulder a big responsibility to nurture children entrusted to their care, even in the present day world of IT revolution and virtual class rooms. A transformation that a teacher’s role has undergone to develop proper perspectives. Globalization, liberalization, computerization have made a stance impact on every aspect of Human life. Education is one of the areas of human endeavor greatly influenced by these changes. Students have greater access to information, thanks to IT evolution.

 

Multi - Tasking Role of a teacher
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A teacher has to determine his/her role against dynamically evolving society, to understand social ethos of the present day times and reconcile them with ideals of education. Sincere attempt is to be made to perceive the reality and a teacher has to equip with courage and conviction, make the children, to have faith in eternal values of Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

We are fully aware a teacher is a facilitator who is able to provide the right kind of learning experience, through active interaction thereby basic skills are developed such as, observation, collection of information, drawing inferences and end up with conclusion. Another important aspect is character building which is the need of the hour. If it is firmly laid, definitely learning shall be easier and rest of other things shall fall on line to equip themselves.

 

Sri  Aurobindo  has mentioned 3 principles of learning.

 

(Sri Aurobindo)

“The first principle of true teaching is that nothing can be taught”.

A student is a soul in evolution and contains all possibilities within, a child definitely comes out with success. With due apology, I would say let us not think that students do not know anything. The child is not a blank slate where a teacher could write. The teacher’s work is to show the student how to acquire knowledge, for self. The teacher has to drive the child to understand his instruments of knowledge to, powers of concentration, observation, memory, reasoning, imagination and intuition. The most important thing is to create interest, enthusiasm to learn.

 

A teacher has to perform so many role 

To quote: ”Education is not for sophistication, but it is the manifestation of perfection already in man.”  -----Swami Vivekananda

 

“The second principle is that the mind has to be consulted in its own growth”.

We do believe every individual is unique, has a purpose for which he is born. Sri Aurobindo   says “Everyone has in him something his own, a chance of perfection and strength however small it could be”. The main task is to find out, develop it and use it.

Creativity among the students is widely present. Here comes the role of teacher, making the students think for themselves. Every child has the ability and quest for excellence. In short, “Teaching is a revealing.” So let us make the students learn under a conducive environment.

 

“The third principle of education is take the mind (work  from ) what is near to what is far, from that which is so that which shall be…”.

To be specific, the first step to establish a context which is familiar, relevant to a student.

You have to remember as a teacher everything cannot be forced on the mind. If you wish to have genuine development you have to have a free and natural growth, so to say controlled freedom. At the same time we have to remember a child has to be physically strong emotionally stable, psychologically befitting. There has to be gradual progress in order to sustain .Teaching may be conceived as both a science and an art. The science of teaching is esoteric (mysterious) aspects of life and learning, while teaching as an art, accumulating all the best that is within an individual. Students do have latent capacities in the mind, we teachers have to facilitate, make them realize /understand that they do have enormous potential.

 

Conclusion

A true teacher is a stimulator, does not impose on the other hand, reads the child's mind, motivate ,guides, help, encourage, counselling at the right time, to unlock his full potential and attains one’s personal excellence.

 

To quote Swami Vivekananda-

“What we are now has been the result of our own past action, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present, so we have to know how to act”.

K Bhanumoorthy 

K Bhanumoorthy is a retired Principal of KVS with more than 30 years of teaching experience. He is the Director of Southern region of All India Ramanujan Maths Club.