Every field is becoming competitive and professional, and so is teaching which now has many options for aspirants. Prof M Sen Gupta tells you more

In the process of enabling the child to create knowledge the teacher has a pivotal role to play. Teaching involves communication with the learners, aptly termed as a soul to soul exchange of ideas. Active interaction with learners by using appropriate teaching skills, developing professional competence, commitment towards the profession, conviction and positive attitude raise the teaching career to the level of a professional endeavor.

Indiahas had great teachers in the past for whom teaching was their life’s mission. later, however as the number of teachers, students and schools increased and educational system got democratised, teaching came to be considered as a profession much like the medical or the legal. It inherently meant professional training like DEd, BEd, MEd. or four year courses of teacher education.

These days, stress is on reflective teaching. A reflective teacher analyses, introspects, makes amends to improve mainly based on self evaluation. The profile of the students too has changed considerably in recent years. While students coming from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and with a wide range of ability are entering the classrooms the demography of classrooms has changed in favour of masses instead of classes. The elitist classroom environment of yesteryears has been replaced by an egalitarian ethos. All these changes call for variations in teaching methods and techniques on the part of modern day teacher. Not everybody can enter a classroom since it has transformed into a specialised job. He has to be sensitive to students, understanding of their needs and not only a master of his own subject but also an effective communicator, a manager, a facilitator, a guidance counselor and an experienced practitioner who can use various technological aids to optimise learning on the part of the students.

This obviously calls for teaching skills, professional training and periodical updating and upgrading. Seen in this context the professional degrees of teacher education today have become absolutely essential to become a teacher at any level. Apart from pre-service training it has become necessary to conduct refresher and enrichment courses for in-service teachers throughout their professional life.

With universalisation of elementary and secondary education and opening up of higher education opportunities in diverse fields career in teaching has widely spread quantitatively. Post operation blackboard period requires at least two teachers per primary school. The four year course of B.El Ed. has been giving excellent professional preparation and the products largely are becoming primary teachers in Government schools in Delhi. The State Council Educational Research and Training (SCERT) are producing DEd. products and  district institutes of education and training (DIETs) are bringing out professionally trained elementary teachers who are eligible to teach up to middle level.

Even prior to primary stage there are nursery teacher training courses for nursery and KG classes. These teachers require a distinct pedagogy. Early childhood care and education is another area providing opportunities in anganwadis, balwadis and day care centres run privately or under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Products from M Ed (elementary) course are trained to become elementary educational administrators or teacher educators.

Those who opt for BEd course get ample openings in secondary and higher secondary schools both in urban and rural areas. Many of these products go for higher education ie either MA (Education) or MEd. in different specialisations.

Teaching as a career becomes challenging in certain big chain of schools like Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Schools, Navodaya Vidylayas, Sainik Schools, Tibetan Schools, Progressive schools, Public Schools of high repute and also those run by DAV, Army welfare and many others. Private sector has today come in a big way in school. They provide good remuneration and facilities to the deserving candidates.

Professional teachers can also become entrepreneurs and open their own schools, colleges and guidance clinics. Research is yet another area for which funding is available. In other words opportunities are endless. A teacher today can rise to any heights depending on his integrity, honesty of purpose, competence and commitment.

(The writer is a professor with KIIT, Gurgaon)