We feel proud as Indians about our cultural heritage and appreciate the supremacy in the development of our Nation in all facets of life in general and science, technology, medicines in particular, to name a few.
Also, we ensure that to protect our cultural heritage, we will not forget our values while getting influenced by the west or adopting their practices. For example, we Indians still follow our Hindu calendar and practices like fasting and stick to our beliefs to do with our respect for elders and the unconditional love for our parents, spouse, and children. We respect our rituals and the sentiments of others when it comes to festivals and occasions of joy and bonded togetherness.
Another example is that taking our cues from the past, it is very easy to understand why India had her glory on the Gurukul systems that prevailed. The passion for education and dedication towards touching the life of the child has been core to the 'Acharyas' of Gurukul systems.
Role of the Teachers and their tasks:
The role of our teachers is much appreciated for their remarkable contribution to retaining such value systems by society. However, one may also notice a decline in the respect expected recognitions being received for the profession of a teacher being sounded in the modern education setups and scenarios. Our teachers should be proud to be one. Regaining the lost grounds and faith in the profession is vital here. It is time and again proved that the teacher who could establish the connection with their mentees by respecting their ability, innocence, and willingness to seek as a learner are the ones who remembered forever.
Gone are the days where the teacher could have enforced their opinion on the 21st-century learner and just expect them to adhere and accede. The contemporary teaching and learning process endorses the “Gugu-Shishya” relationship by establishing equal status as stakeholders to achieve the learning outcome.
Another area of the modern-day Teacher’s task to retain the glory is by upgrading their domain specialities by updated information through research and deep learning, thinking and acting spontaneously to the changing need. Agility for example has become the need of the hour. Updating oneself will automatically lead to the learner looking up to the teacher for inquisitive learning opportunities.
It also means travelling finding time to engage oneself in peer learning, self-paced learning, and travels the extra mile to adopt and adapt to the changing needs and demands of the learners, unlike a 9-5 corporate job. The teaching-learning process involves patience, practice, and passion from both sides reciprocating each other to cross the milestones consistently and reach the destination. Teachers are shaping lives. They have to touch the hearts of the students; one has to identify the shortcomings, requirements, and potential of each of their pupils. One will never forget the one who played a positive role in shaping their lives. It starts with the Teacher first and that too the teachers of K-12.
However, in some cases, Teachers take it as a low rung job which gives the message of low respect for the profession. If we look at the education sector in India, rightly or wrongly constant innovation and progression are slow in terms of implementation of the same. It does not mean a loss of opportunity for the right person with dedication, passion, and resilience. Catering to the diversity in the classroom through implementation of differentiated learning practices and establishing active learning strategies are of prime importance to ensure quality education meeting the global standards of education today.
Parent’s Role
The only mantra that the parents should appreciate is that “the child is listening and learning” not only in the classroom. It was considered as the biggest boon by many parents during the pandemic that the teachers kept their children still engaged and away from them without compromising on the quality of education to uphold the purpose and objectives of the role of the teacher.
However, the general feeling from the side of the parent for a teacher’s contribution needs to be changed when they seriously measure what it would cost otherwise in the life of the child if the parents don’t respect to endorse the contribution and efforts being made by a teacher. This is one of the main reasons for the mixed responses, disagreements, or conflicts of opinions that have been happening in the recent past. Even in the case of a newborn, the child is never taught to talk, walk and pick up habits. We know that children do what they see and not what they are told. There is a very big need for establishing the missing connections between the stakeholders.
We have live examples of our educators and school leaders bridging the emotional, behavioural, and psychological gap between the parents and students through appropriate counselling and handholding of both the parents and the students. But that requires travelling that extra mile with a broad mind. This can be included as one of the special modules to be taught to the teachers as part of their B.Ed curriculum – why not? All three – the Government, Parents, and Teachers together will shape how this child will become a responsible adult and in turn shape the future of our Nation.
Society’s Role
All of us are part of society as citizens of our country. Everyone is fighting for the same objective to be successful in life. But what we need to avoid is the rat race with a mindset to be victorious in every stage which creates competition. Education means teaching and learning with patience and purpose, practically to walk the talk and not to run over one another to call it a collapse. The long 15 to 20 years being spent in a pre-planned and controlled academic process is to ensure the impact and effect only. The competition curtails it. Sometimes, the concept of letting go of the competition as a parameter of success would help our children gel with the situation better. This may also allow us to build better relations and emotional balances between the children, teachers, and parents.
Each one fighting to become a Civil Servant, An IITian or a Doctor will lead to our inability to tap the element of every individual for their talent and what they are made for in their life.
Since the country’s future is based on how the next generation turns out to be, the society as a whole must pay utmost respect to the stakeholders complementing each other making no stones unturned to ensure the purpose of education of our children meeting the purpose of their life. This would help us leave a legacy as educators and partners in Nation Building.
Other Dimensions
Another very important point we should not ignore is the need for reimaging the teacher training institutions. The bridge between the passion for teaching and the ability to become a 21st-century teacher can only be built through competent teacher education institutions that take up the responsibility to cater to the needs of a trained, qualified, and certified teacher.
An integrated model to work here can be thought of in the form of an internship for the B.Ed students giving hands-on practice and engagement to experience real-life teaching and learning. The governing rules by the authorities may be able to ensure this as we expect constructive changes towards this under its approach to education as part of the New Education Policy. There is no harm in appreciating the efforts of the stakeholders to make the process of building a teacher with added rigour if it ends up producing highly qualified and competent teachers in the years to come.
We can rest assured and be certainly hopeful that we as a fraternity can bring back the pride so that it would be the most sought after, noble and respected profession.