‘Teachers should become guiding light for students’

Manav Mander

Tribune News Service

ludhiana, november 21

In an effort to revive the ‘guru-shishya parampara’ which is going into oblivion due to violent behaviour of students, a Principals Meet was organised by The Tribune Group of Newspapers, in collaboration with Chitkara University, on the topic ‘Strengthening The Student-Teacher Bond’.

Addressing the difficulty in establishing this bond in times when students do not have reverence for teachers, Col DS Cheema, author and motivational speaker, said teachers should become the guiding force of students’ life. 

“Tutorials should be re-introduced. Informal meetings at the end of every week, where students and teacher share their problems, can help attain comfort level between students and teachers,” Cheema told educators.

Recalling Steve Jobs’ famous words, the speaker said, “Success comes when you find what you love. I wonder how by simply passing teacher-training programme, one becomes eligible to teach. It is not possible for everyone to become a teacher. It is as difficult to teach a Nursery student as it is to teach nuclear science to an MSc student.”

Stressing upon the importance of primary education, he said, “These are the years when a student should be given utmost care. I saw my daughter teaching her son how to hold a pencil, and it was really difficult.” 

Sharing his views on textbooks and syllabus, the orator said, “NCERT books are designed by senior educationists. Huge money is spent on publishing these books. However, school teachers and principals should be assigned the task to write books, as they are the ones who communicate with students daily and teach them.” 

An ideal teacher-student ratio is 1:16, which according to Cheema is followed only in Army. He expressed concern over the fact that in schools, 60 students were being taught by a single teacher. According to him, tuition culture killed students’ creativity. If one could learn during classes, there was no need of tuitions, he said. “The attitude of students, teachers and parents hinders learning. In the absence of students’interest in studies, teachers feel demotivated to teach, and as a result, parents complain that their wards don’t know anything,” he elaborated. 

Cheema encouraged educators to teach students the relevance of ‘please’, ‘thank you’, ‘excuse me’and ‘sorry’. He also asserted that students must be taught to respect everyone’s personal interests. 

Offering solutions to the problems faced by both teachers and students, he said the curriculum should be more realistic, and teachers as well as principals should be involved in compiling books. “Teachers should turn into mentors. The task of a coach is to polish specific skills, but mentors support students all time.”

“Teachers have the responsibility of churning out responsible citizens. Mentors should learn from the elders and in turn help students brighten their intellect. The more you know, the more you know, the more you can impart to students. It is important for teachers to stay updated with the latest technology and developments in education,” Cheema advised the principals. 

NCERT books are designed by senior educationists. Huge money is spent on publishing these books. However, school teachers and principals should be assigned the task to write books, as they are the ones who communicate with students daily and teach them.— Col DS Cheema, author and motivational speaker

Principalspeak

The principals should not only make notes, but also implement the tips discussed during the session. My vision is to apply the strategies suggested at an early age for pupils’ development. — Col Amarjeet Singh, Meritorious School, Ludhiana 

After listening to the speech, I was re-assured that what I am doing at the work front is right. I always try to attend such events because they are learning platforms that help change one’s mindset.  — Sangeeta Sharma, OP Bansal Modern School, Mandi Gobindgarh

Tuitions should be banned so that students can attend their classes seriously. Pupils should focus on classroom lectures. They should not go to school only for the sake of attendance. — Poonam Dogra, Bal Bharti Public School, Ludhiana

Many sensitive topics were discussed. Moral science classes alone are not enough. Pupils can imbibe values through peer groups. The school environment moulds students’ personality.  — Jaswinder Kaur, Nankana Sahib Public School, Isru

We aren’t able to balance our rights and duties. Due to this problem, we are unable to bring the studies pattern on a par with other countries. It is difficult to introduce changes in syllabus. — Bandana Sethi, BVM, Udham Singh Nagar

Tutorials before regular lectures can strengthen student-teacher bond. They allow teachers to impart lessons in an informal way and give attention to individual needs of students. — Amardeep Gill, Nankana Sahib Public School, Budhewal

The foundation of students is laid in primary years. We plan classroom lessons in various styles that suit the needs of different students. Teachers should guide pupils in every sphere. — Rajdeep Kaur Aulakh, Darshan Academy