Every existence is a state of consciousness. As the famous philosopher Rene Descartes said:
“I exist because I think”.
Without thought, without self-consciousness, existence – even if it is –
has the same value as the mirror has for a blind man. This is that basic level
of life and existence where a teacher stands. It is the teacher who evokes
‘self-realization’ in the child, creates his consciousness, and thus paves the
way for his endless journey in the realm of existence. This is the fundamental
and perhaps the ONLY role of a teacher. A teacher cannot produce
potentiality in a child in the same way as a farmer cannot impregnate a seed
with power to grow into a mighty tree. That power is already infused in a seed
by the Almighty God. The role of the farmer is only to ‘sow’ the seed in a
fertile soil, expose it to proper light and required amount of moisture, and
then believe in the certainty of its growth as a natural law.
The role of a teacher is equally like a facilitator. Every child is a
potent seed that needs the right exposure and teacher is like the farmer who is
responsible for this divinely-ordained task. How a teacher fulfils this role is
what makes him distinctive and successful. We are all familiar with “The
Parable of the Sower”by Jesus Christ. A
man went out to sow his seeds and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and
it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a
rock; and as soon as it sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and
choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bore fruit a
hundredfold.
Every teacher can decide for himself or herself if he or she wants to be
a ‘casual teacher’ – just ‘standing on a wayside’, working in a school merely
for a salary and treat the children as passers-by who just came on their way,
or he or she wants to be a ‘rock’ giving no fertility at all to a child or a
thorn who gives a suffocated space for growth, or, what is the best course, to
be a ‘good ground’ for children to provide their limitless growth. A
child’s destiny is thus in the hands of a teacher. Baha’u’llah, the
Prophet Founder of Baha’i Faith, said: "Every
child is potentially the light of the world, and at the same time its triple
darkness. . . . Therefore make ye every effort in order that these children may
be rightly trained and educated and that each one of them may attain perfection
in the world of humanity."
The role of a teacher in society is very significant. It has a
far-reaching influence on the society he lives in and no other personality can
have an influence more profound than that of a teacher. Students are deeply
affected by the teacher's love and affection, his character, his competence,
and his moral commitment. A popular teacher becomes a model for his students.
The students try to follow their teacher in his manners, costumes, etiquette,
and everything. Thus, a good teacher can play a prominent role in making
the future of his students. At the same time a teacher who is oblivious of his
role and negligent of his duties can harm the society more seriously than
anything else. A bad politician, a corrupt officer, a treacherous
generalissimo, a pervert individual can harm only in a limited ambit but a bad
teacher can spoil the mind of a child and thus destroy generation after
generation. That is why Dr. Radhakrishnan – the noted philosopher – used
to say that Teachers
should be the best minds of the country. He maintained that the
importance of a teacher as an architect of our future generations demands that
only the best and the most intelligent and competent members of our
intelligentsia be allowed to qualify for this noble profession. However
the present scenario is contrary to this ideal.
What is important to understand is that in the same proportion as
teachers are responsible for contributing to a healthy human society of
tomorrow, the society of today is no less responsible to recognize the vital
role the teachers are playing in nation-building. At present, our teachers are
not looked at with the same reverence as doctors, engineers, IAS officers. It
is ironical, however, that these doctors, engineers and IAS officers are
‘moulded’ by none other but teachers.
Furthermore it is also important within our educational frame-work to
set a clear-cut definition of a ‘good teacher’. Who is a good teacher? The one
who has a latest diploma and certificate in education, a post-graduate degree,
doctorate? Or is he or she a capable teacher who has attended many national and
international seminars? While a good educational background is very
important for teachers so is their participation in national and global events,
but these factors alone cannot be the elements of the definition of a ‘good
teacher’. When we speak of good teachers it means that a teacher must be
a model of faith and piety –
a moral mentor for his students.
No price tag can be placed on the value of Teachers who mould and
educate our children. Teaching the leaders of tomorrow is an honour bestowed
only on teachers. In today's dynamic world and demanding pedagogies; teaching
should be considered as one of the most important jobs. Teachers can be called
the last revolutionaries - no one can make a difference to the world as
teachers can do.
To perform their jobs in an effective manner, it will greatly benefit
them to recognize their role in the following avenues:
Creating Literate Adults:
Teachers play a direct role in spreading literacy so that more and more
people can read and write.
Encouraging Acceptable Social Behaviours:
Teachers should help students to learn how to become worthy members of
human society. They can also help them learn emotional intelligence by
practicing behaviors that will lead to increased awareness of societal
expectations.
Cultural sensitivity:
By integrating lessons and discussions about culturally and racially
sensitive topics, they can discourage racial and cultural bias through
education.
Social & Environmental awareness:
Teachers can help children to become more aware of the world around
them, and how they might play a part in making it a better place.
Sense of Citizenship and Community:
Teachers play a large role in helping students understand how their
actions may affect the future of their community.
Goals & Dreams:
A teacher can model a successful individual who has discovered that
education is the way to reach goals and dreams to help reach students who need
encouragement to overcome adversity in their lives.
Through serving these wide avenues of human life by educating children,
teachers can become change agents of today’s society. They can create an
ideal world that has been the dream of prophets and seers.
That is why a teacher is called to be "an engineer of good thoughts in the minds of
students, a doctor of his bad habits, an architect of his values and attitudes,
a poet of the ideas in his heart, a friend for each and every feeling & a
guide for his whole life-path”.
Tina Olyai
Director LAHS
Gwalior
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