I am a teacher by profession. On June 9, I attended a workshop conducted by the Oxford University Press. The workshop was a huge help as it brought out difficulties and challenges and also the solutions to these problems.
Teaching these days has become a mechanical process – to be more precise, like a business. We are producing a group of literate individuals rather than a group of educated ones. Yes, there is a limitation as we need to focus on completing our syllabus too.
Irrespective of all this, we need the alertness to find out whether the child is growing as an individual or not. We know that each child is special with their uniqueness. We need to build a platform where the child feels free to share their problems with their educators. It is highly imperative to understand the psyche of the student instead of asking him or her to get a 90% in their exams. We need to create a level of communication which, in turn, helps the child to flourish in the practical world. It will be easier for that pupil to face the harsh reality.
We need a classroom where the learners take the most active role. Everything should be done with the aim to develop one’s communicative ability. These days, we have seen that students write more but speak less which leads to a communication barrier. Therefore, to overcome this, we need to bring the reality of the world inside the classroom. Make them comfortable to have an open-ended response.
As teachers, we need to know the learner’s perspective, their psychology, their capabilities. Along with that, we also require a sound knowledge of the subject. It is the need of the hour that we build responsible citizens rather than a bunch of insensitive individuals.
We need to put academics aside for a bit and try to explore the non-academic side of a child. You never know what extraordinary qualities a child may end up having – qualities that could perhaps change the world.
We as educators and builders need to explore the unexplored phases of these pure souls. It is time to change the old traditional way of teaching and cultivate a way which has a communicative approach and where we’ll get to know our pupils better through diverse situations. It will open up various avenues for the child in the future. Let’s expand and nurture their horizons and I guarantee that you will be amazed to find such unique qualities in them.