Meenal Arora lists challenges that teachers face and how they can overcome them
A teacher is a mentor who influences and encourages students to get inspired and explore under his guidance with the appropriate directions and instructions and knowledge imparted by him. Rightly said by former the late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam: “Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual.” Teaching has always been full of challenges but teaching, nowadays, summons to all the more difficult task. A teacher is to look after a good number of students in a class. A class is generally full of students having different needs and different pace of learning. To ensure that positive learning takes place in such a situation in itself is a big challenge. A teacher, therefore, should be well equipped to face the day to day challenges with efficient ways to overcome them.
KNOW YOUR STUDENTS
Handling so many students together is not a child’s play. A good teacher should excel in the art of getting familiar with the children so well that they feel connected and understood properly. The challenge for the teacher is to develop a good rapport with the children to read their minds. If need arises, any teacher can take help of the internet or can even consult the school child psychologist.
BE RESOURCEFUl
Whenever a child faces any difficulty in learning, a teacher should give a hand. A teacher should find ways to show creativity in helping a child facing difficulty either through activities or other aids. A teacher should help children whenever they seek any advice or any kind of assistance. Regular counselling can even help the children bring back on the track who have gone astray.
MANAGE TIME WEll
One of the biggest challenges that any teacher faces today is dealing with the time constraint. Teaching methodology has undergone a big change. Now, teaching is not restricted to imparting education through books only. A child’s all round development is taken into consideration while imparting the education by the teachers in the best ways possible. A teacher has to manage time for activities, competitions, preparing lesson plans with innovations, students who need more attention and designing interesting assignments.
BE UPDATED
Technological tools have a greater influence on children’s lives than their home or community. Technology has become an inseparable part of education as even classrooms today are equipped with latest technology having smart boards, computers, etc. Two of the biggest challenges for teachers are to keep a pace with technology and also to keep a watch at school so that children should not misuse the technology.
KEEP PARENTS UPDATED
In today’s fast world, parents are very busy as mostly, both of them are working. They are concerned about their children but have very little time to spare with them. Such a situation obviously affects a child’s behavioural aspects. These behavioural issues are indeed a big challenge for a teacher to deal with. A teacher should seek parents’ cooperation to correct the behaviour and must regularly update the parents for a child’s well-being.
BE INSPIRING
Another challenge that a teacher should take up is to be a role model. We can expect outstanding results from an ordinary child if he is influenced and inspired by the teacher. This challenge requires a teacher to be disciplined, principled, organised and systematic. This even inspires children to regulate their behaviour. Thus, a teacher should lead by example.
In the end, a good teacher is bigger than his challenges. In fact, he treats challenges as opportunities to develop and hone skills which enable him to lay down a strong foundation for children for life.
The writer is executive director of Shemrcok Preschools & founder-director of Shemford Futuristic Schools