PenPencilEraser Blog

The teacher and the student are partners to each other in the teaching-learning process. They share a lot of mutual experiences together within the classroom by virtue of this process. However, their lives outside the classroom can be very different. This essay tries to understand the daily world of the student and the teacher, the interaction of these worlds within the class and why a teacher should not let any external issues come in the way of her relationship with the student. It takes into context a small boy in class and a lady teacher.

The student, he is in his own world with no pressures whatsoever. He is still growing and needs his nutrition, play and sleep. He gets ready on his own and prays to God to help him win the running race. He helps his mother by doing the chores and gulps down breakfast and milk, although he might do so sulking. He comes to school, greets his teachers and friends and follows the instructions of his teachers. He is happy and waits to learn something new every day and tries to get his doubts cleared. He eats his snacks and lunch on time and plays with his friends. He tries his best in everything, has no ill feelings towards anyone and maintains good relations with all those around him.

The Teacher, She gets up early in the morning, cooks for her family, does the household work and sends her children to school. She quickly gets ready, says her prayers, gulps down her breakfast glancing at her watch all the while and rushes outside to catch the school bus. She is present in the school to teach the child something new each day. She has many pressures at home and at school. She constantly worries about the well-being of her family and knows that a lot is expected from her by everyone. She may not be able to complete all the tasks on time and would be under constant stress to complete the jobs assigned to her.

The Interaction

The teacher and the student are the ‘Guru’ and the ‘Sishya’. They engage with each other on the same platform. The boy eagerly awaits a good word from the teacher in front of the class for a job well done, perhaps for submitting a good home assignment. However, she is having a lot on her mind at the moment and dismisses the student in a brusque manner. At this point in time, the teacher is doing her job mechanically without consideration. The boy trembles and is afraid the next time to submit his assignment fearing that he may be told off in front of the whole class.

One cannot expect a child to understand the issues faced by the teacher that may have led her to snap at the student. The boy only knows how he is expected to behave in class and he does not know what a harsh word is. On the contrary, a teacher will definitely understand the mind-set of the boy and lends a helping hand whenever it is needed.

Irrespective of the pressures that a teacher faces either within the school or from her home, she does not have the right to send a ‘butterfly back to its cocoon state’. She must plan her syllabus well in advance, prepare for the classes and be organised. Her duty as a ‘Guru’ means that nothing else can come in the way. She is expected to interact with children in a lively way and help them come out of the metaphorical cocoon. While teaching a lesson, she cannot miss any opportunity to teach the child the importance of morals and values. The student is more likely to absorb such values through the moral of a story that the teacher has taught compared to a scolding. Childhood can deeply imprint thoughts and memories onto the minds of children that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching is a task that should ensure that only the best and most fruitful of these memories stick with the child. One day, when the boy becomes a man, he will know and realize the importance of his teacher. At that precise moment, all the pressures and struggles that the teacher may have felt will seem miniscule compared to the values she has endowed upon another human being through her teaching. This is why we teach. At the end of the day, we are more than teachers.