John Lennon, who co-founded the English rock band The Beatles in 1960, had an unforgettable encounter with a teacher at school. Years after he became a rock star, he shared the experience in these words: “When I was five years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” The popular quote throws two thought-provoking questions at the teaching community: Do you understand life? Do you understand yourself?
Today, almost every student in India is bombarded with the question “What do you want to become when you grow up?” Almost everyone, though not convinced of the response she/he gives, responds: “Doctor” or “Engineer”. Imagine a student responded, “Happy”, the student’s teacher might react: “Are you mad?” In a country where most teachers are obsessed with stories of academic success and career achievement, teachers are scared of narrating or reluctant to narrate stories of happiness and joy. “Happiness curriculum” seems to be a wrong collocation in the lexicon of our education system. Teachers have been trained to script dramas of academic achievement sans happiness, but not motivated to be apostles of happiness.
A number of studies have proved that people who are happy are successful in interpersonal relationships, marriage, and academic performance and creative and helpful. According to a review of 225 studies in the Psychological Bulletin , “happiness doesn’t necessarily follow success. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Happiness leads to success.”
Am I a happy teacher? Do I make my students happy? Do I make my students feel that the purpose of education is to develop a positive attitude, acquire knowledge and skills and lead a happy life? Do I believe that happy teachers make happy students?How do I perceive myself? How am I perceived by others? When teachers sincerely try to find answers to the questions above, they gain self-awareness.
How to become a happy teacher? To become such a teacher, one must become a reflective teacher first and become aware of one’s own thoughts, emotions, potential, characteristics, level of knowledge, skills, source of inspiration, teaching style, effectiveness of their teaching, and so on.
There are many reasons for us teachers to develop our self-awareness. It is the key to happiness. When we know ourselves better, we can change our ways of thinking, speaking and relating with people. It helps us change our behaviour. It can make our lives meaningful and help our students find meaning in their lives too. When we become aware of our thinking process, assumptions and prejudice and realise the need to change ourselves we become happy and successful teachers.
Using Johari Window
How can teachers develop their self-awareness? Johari window is a psychological tool created by Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham for understanding and training. This model can be used in an educational setting by teachers to enhance their self-awareness.
The Johari window model is based on two factors: i) what an individual (Mr. X) knows about himself and ii) what others know about Mr. X. The window has four area quadrants: open, blind, hidden and unknown.
Anything Mr. X knows about himself and wants others to know is his open area. For example, Mr. X thinks that he is passionate about teaching and is able to connect with his students well in the class. His colleagues and students too have known Mr. X as a passionate and happy teacher who is liked by his students.
Any aspect that Mr. X does not know about himself, but others within the group have become aware of, is in his blind area. For example, Mr. X does not perceive that he is a creative teacher but his colleagues and students have perceived him as a very creative person. With the help of feedback from his colleagues and students Mr. X can become aware of his positive and negative traits. In this way the size of the blind area gets decreased.
There are certain aspects about Mr. X he cannot disclose to or share with others. He has a right to do so. When he is aware of such aspects and does not want others to know, this quadrant is known as his hidden area. But, it is always good for a teacher to share their positive qualities and notable achievements with others. The fourth quadrant, known as the unknown area, indicates that there are certain aspects which are unknown to Mr. X and others.
By taking steps to increase the open area, one can decrease his/her hidden area. There are many ways of increasing the open area. For example, teachers can become aware of their strengths, limitations, their teaching style, effectiveness of teaching, and so on, by asking for feedback from colleagues and students.
Here are some ideas for teachers to increase their open area and decrease their hidden area: Note down all your positive and negative qualities. Get feedback from your colleagues and students on a regular basis. Know how you are perceived by others. Be optimistic. Be a good listener. Be open-minded and receptive to new ideas. Be interactive. Be a good team player. Find out whether your students are comfortable with you. Be a happy teacher and become a happier teacher.
Happy Teachers’ Day!
The author is an academic, columnist and freelance writer. E: rayanal@yahoo.co.uk T: @albertprayan
