Let's engage our students in conversations to help them come out of the virtual world
Teaching today, to me, doesn't exude the same vibrant memories that it used to, maybe even a decade ago. My interest in this profession was kindled from an early age with the conversations between my father Professor Bennis Fernandez of St. Joseph's College, Tiruchi, and his students. Appachan was a strict disciplinarian admired and revered by his students. I used to stealthily listen from behind the curtains the conversation between Professor (Appachan) and his students. Sometimes, it ranged from a casual hello to permission for non-submission of assignments or an earnest plea of forgiveness for mistakes committed in the classroom or issues related to career growth.
Whatever the subject, the aura of respect and love that emanated from the mere presence of their Professor amid them intrigued me, and kindled the spirit in me too to take up teaching as a profession. During Diwali, students used to knock gently at our door with a box laden with goodies and in a trembling voice ask us, “Professor irukangala,” which meant whether the professor was at home. Appachan was a stickler for values and one among them was a complete no-no to gifts from students. He used to take a small piece of murukku to appease them and then tell them gently and forcefully not to bring home anything except their wishes.
At railway stations and banks, shopping centres and markets, Appachan used to be greeted with love and affection. Some persons used to bring their newly-wedded wives, come in at times during quiet evenings to share their success stories or simply drop in to say ‘hello'.
Another picture still etched in my mind is the discussion of question papers enthusiastically after the exams. The students used to follow Appachan right from the college to the quarters in Britto Colony where we used to stay. I used to be aghast at their verve and excitement to get to know the corrections and do better next time.
That was perhaps in the early 1980's. I pictured all this and more to happen to me too when I took up this profession as a lecturer. But every time an examination gets over now, I hardly get to see my students come back and discuss, save to tell me that a few questions were out of syllabus in their judgment and I had no right to include them.
Things have changed a lot. Today, my students are all with me 24x7 in Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter but their virtual reality is nothing compared to the warmth that I could sense Appachan being showered with by his students. Mobile phones and emails are flooded with forwards that arrive in bulk, but rarely with a personal tone.
The fast pace of life has eroded the joy of being a teacher to the students everyday of our life. Students are busy with gaming, surfing, messaging and downloading. Teachers are too busy to be bothered! Akin to the world environment day, mother's day, father's day, we need a day devoid of any technological gadgets and see how we relate to each other that golden day. It's time to engage in conversations with our students to help them come out of the virtual world and experience the joy of exploring themselves along with us!
(The writer, a Professor in Management at Dhruva College of Management, Hyderabad, can be contacted at: agi_joein@yahoo.co.in)
Keywords: teacher student relationship, teaching
Comments:
When I read this article, I was reminded of my father, who died four decades back at the
age of 98. He retired as the headmaster of the Govt high School at kunnanuam in the third
Decade of the last century. When I was young, and till my fathers death, his old students
used to come to his house in a village called Ramanattukara near Kozhikode. I have
interacted with many of his students, and they told me that my father was a strict dicipliarian
But he at the. Same time evinced real concern in the growth of children. He has never
caned a single student during those days, when caining was the order of the day!. I
remember , for my sisters marriage, nearley 15 years after my fathers retirement, senior
Rajah of the Mankada police, came to our house and presented Veshti to all the family
Memers of my fathers family and my family and the depend ants of both the families!.
That was a special way of honoring the teachers in yesteryears. Will that relationship come
Back? C.P.Chandra Das USA
Very Interesting! As an old student of St.Joseph's College, Tiruchi during the late sixties, I too remember another professor - the unassuming Rector Rev.Father Dr.Casimir and his Christ-like love and compassion. He left this world later as Archbishop of Madras. As rightly said, after the exams some of us would assemble at the lecturers' place to discuss the answers. They were always willing to help the students. We had enjoyed great infrastructure and facilities, freedom within limits, encouragement, discipline, healthy and tasty food at the hostels and more. There was high regard and respect from students for their teachers - barring some undesirable elements that are always there in any part of history. Compare that to what prevails today! Students shun the teachers as much as teachers shunning students excepting when they assemble for special tuitions. Are we really progressing? What have we done to the children except forcing them to score higher and higher marks?
Sorry!I do not agree...Perhaps the writer has to spend more time with
her students to understand them, and let them get to know her too.
Students are warm, loving, caring and eager to learn too....
I agree with the comment above.The teacher-taught relationship is two way traffic. You give respect you get respect. A teacher who sees only the classroom , its benches, desks,notebooks and answer papers is not looking. The" personal touch " is missing ,true , but isnt it the teachers who are impersonal fortified in teacher towers?
I think too much competition, pressure and private tuitions are the key factors for the decline of the relationship. I agree that students are caring and loving. But present day situations have made these feelings hidden. The attitude of students have changed and it is also because of lack of good primary education. Schools teach science and math but no moral science (through stories). Atmosphere at home has also changed. Children's relationship with parents is also not good. Parents should give time for their children which is valuable. We should see values being taught at home and at school.
Yes, I remember some very good teachers in my life and I have had the good fortune to visit some of them later in my life. I remember the sincere work done by my teachers at St. Joseph's college - Father Casimir, Father Kalarickal and Prakasha Reddy - at the Raja's College Pudukottai - Mr. Lakshminarayanan, Mr. Ramaramanan Unni - and at Yale - Marshall Fixman - just to name a few. All of them taught the subject with great guesto which gave me the inner strength to pursue a career with honesty of purpose and a critical mind. My father - P. V. Ramachandran - was a Professor at the Raja's college, Pudukottai. Affectionately known as PVR he was always shown the respect he deserved so much. Unfortunately I can not say the same about many others, who were mere time servers and lacked the sincerity required to be a good teacher. Yes, respect is earned. As in any walk of life, a teacher must show his interest in teaching, do his job well and help his student's to earn their respect.
As a student, I can tell that agony that a student suffer when his own beloved teacher asks to pay fee or do not attend my next class, given this how can you expect a from a student to form a bonding with their teacher.Gone are the days when teacher used to teach not for the monetary benefit but for the development of the student and so gone are the days that you mentioned above.
I can see very few teachers from my childhood who spoke heart fully in and more importantly out of the class room.. Only a teacher can inculcate interest in a subject which enables a student to select his route in the future.. Now a days, teachers are becoming too busy in rote learning process, a step which lies like a wall between the teacher and student.. I agree with the article… Its time to develop a friendly relation between a student and a teacher…
I truly agree that virtual world has eroded the noble relationship between the teacher and student. With commercialisation of the education and advent of social media the students have little time left to express reverence for their pathfinders.
True. Love of teaching is always endeared. Virtual cannot substitute
the feel. May be you get a lot of information. But truth in virtual
how many really look for a lot of information as a matter of routine.
Virtual leads you to things that are not that much needed.
Today, advancement of virtual classrooms cannot really substitute real
class room.
I used to teach by virtual video conferencing i used to find a lot of
anxiety in the learner to pose his question as he s in queue with
others some times he loses his question correct construction.
Advancement apart the feel personal is terribly missing.I as a
management faculty used to teach in the class room, and i find even
today they look for me and contact me from all kind of different
places of world. personal touch cannot be replaced at all, as long as
virtual cannot innovate personal touch except key board touch!
I strongly agree with the writer's opinion that the students of our present age have been, might be highly influenced by technology,changed incredibly,and is changing day by day.I have been working as a teacher for 10 years both in India and abroad.Years ago mobile phones and internet were not easily accessible to students but today the scenario has changed and students generally find more time for enjoying with the help of these modern gadgets.The everpraised pious student -teacher relationship has sufferd major setbacks and has come to a stage where the same is observed for just name sake like process.However, i agree that there are some exceptions,I agree,I have had students,who respects me and loves me still.I wish I had that sweet time come after again.