What makes a good teacher?

There is a unique concept associated with the teacher-student or Guru-Shishya tradition in India. The Guru or teacher always wishes for the student to succeed, and the student wishes for the teacher's victory. The student wishes for the victory of the big mind or the Guru. It is healthy because if the student feels that he knows more than the teacher, that would mean the learning has stopped, and that his arrogance has killed the wisdom. The student knows even if his/her small mind wins, it is going to be miserable, but if the teacher wins, it is the victory of knowledge, which will only bring good and joy to everyone.

A great teacher understands where the student is coming from and how to guide them step by step.  For example, Lord Krishna was such an amazing teacher! He took Arjuna step by step to attain life’s final goal. Arjuna was initially very confused. When a student starts evolving, they become confused because they see their concepts breaking apart.

As a student, first, you learn that the sun rises from the east. Later, you are taught about the planets and their movements around the sun. So your concepts break at each step as you grow. Great teachers know this. They do not let the student hold on to a particular concept because each concept is a step towards the ultimate goal. And the concepts have to break to reach the next steps. A good teacher helps students overcome their confusion. And, sometimes, they also create more confusion when needed.

Teaching is a great responsibility. A teacher can be a living example to students because children watch them very carefully. They learn values not only from their parents but also from their teachers. Children observe much more than adults do. They notice when you are calm and composed, and when you are tense or unhappy. And they imitate what they see. This is what makes teaching a more responsible job than it may first appear. Parents may have to deal with one or two children, but a teacher has many children in the classroom, and the situation can be much more challenging and stressful. Aspiring teachers should have a deep trust that everything is being taken care of, and that you have been given a responsibility that you can handle. If you think the task is too big for you, then you may find yourself unable to handle it. Instead, you should have the confidence that the task given to you is appropriate for you, and that you will do your best to fulfil it. To handle it, you need to centre yourself a few times every day. Just before lunch, you should sit and calm yourself, or just be with nature for a short time. You can start meditation regularly to increase your energy. A few deep breaths will also help to stay centred. Before a teacher can help children become steady, confident and joyful, the teacher has to cultivate that steadiness within. Once that steadiness is in place, the deeper work can begin. A child is born with basic human values, and teachers just need to uncover them. The human values are compassion, co-operation, friendliness, smile, laughter, lightness, helping nature, belongingness, caring for each other, etc. These need to be nourished and brought out.  Often teachers need to de-program some of the behaviour children would have learnt at home. Any negativity you find in a child is only on the periphery. It is not their nature. With patience, loving attention and care, you can bring out the positive human values in them.

I remember in my childhood, we had a social science teacher who was very sweet and everybody loved to be in her class, but students would get very less marks in her exams. In contrast, we had a very strict physics teacher, and students were terrified of him, but everyone scored very well in the exam.  Great teachers know how to strike the right balance between being loving and being strict. Some children are rebellious. They need more physical contact, encouragement, and pats on the back. They need to feel that they are loved and cared for, and that they belong. On the other hand, sometimes, the teacher can act with a little firmness when dealing with timid children. The aim is to help them stand up and speak out.

Often, the opposite is done. Teachers are strict with rebellious children and liberal with shy ones. Then those behavior patterns continue to remain. The teacher needs to be tough and sweet both; otherwise, they will not be able to guide the student to where they want to take them.  Even seemingly small classroom practices can influence the values a child develops. Usually, children sit in the same place in the classroom every day. This is not a good idea because they become attached to that particular seat. When another child comes and sits there, they quarrel. They begin to feel, “This is my place,” and become possessive about it. Instead, children can be encouraged to sit in different places and next to different children at regular intervals. Making them sit in the same place may be more convenient for the teacher, but it deprives children of a sense of belongingness with everyone in the class. It may make things a little more challenging for the teacher, but it is better for the child’s growth.

The same principle can be extended to the way children are grouped according to academic performance. Usually, children who rank higher sit together and those who rank lower sit separately. This is not healthy for the classroom atmosphere. Instead, a child who ranks high can be made to sit with a child who needs more help and be encouraged to support them. When children begin relating to one another in this way, they develop a greater sense of belongingness, love and caring for each other.

In Canada, some schools give an award to the friendliest child in the classroom. I think this is a wonderful practice and can be adopted by schools everywhere. It encourages children to be friendly and inclusive with everyone.

Ultimately, the purpose of education is not to fill minds with information. It is to enable the total development of the body and mind. Children also need to be taught values like sharing, caring, non-violence, and developing a sense of belongingness. These values should not just be read about but be made part of their daily lives. Teachers always have a very big role to play in shaping the country’s future. They must work together to bring peace and progress to our country. It is the teachers who brought about a wave of change at the time of the country’s struggle for independence. They took the responsibility of inspiring the entire nation. Today, too, teachers must inspire children.

Children are like empty transparent vessels; whatever knowledge you fill them with, they will reflect the same and behave in that way. If you fill them with fear and wrong ideas, then they behave as such. But when you give them good ideals and noble virtues, then they grow up to become ideal and responsible citizens. We can pass on ideals to someone else only if we ourselves have imbibed and demonstrated those ideals and virtues. It is thus very important for teachers to walk the talk in their daily lives.