Teachers-Students` Relationship: Connecting the Dots                

Beginning with a problem is never a good idea but I chose to do so. To be honest, the biggest problem of the modern world is the inability to connect the dots. Until you properly connect them, you can't get meanings out of information. To be able to see a whole picture while discussing a problem, the first thing we need to learn is the art of joining the dots. It simply means that collecting some random information doesn't mean the acquiring of knowledge. Let's connect the dots to see what spoils the relationship between teachers & their students.

Joyce Meyer says that teachers can change lives with the right mix of chalk & challenges. But when it comes to defining "TEACHER", people have a great number of ideas. They may have a trillion views about how to define teachers. As far as my definition is concerned, I am fully clear when saying that anything animate or inanimate, living or non-living, local or alien can be called a teacher if it motivates you to think high and helps you learn something fruitful. After all, it is the learning that matters. To be perfectly honest, I agree with people when they say that teachers must have a great amount of knowledge, but I also do believe that merely having immense knowledge of academics won't help them teach properly. They are expected to have the ability of sharing their knowledge with their pupils. They must know how to teach a mixed group of students in an easy way.

Here, please note that the word "RESULTS" doesn't talk about a piece of paper given to students, it speaks about the behavioral changes to be noticed in students after every academic session ends. It happens to all teachers that after a chapter ends (especially in Social Science), students try to extract meanings out of the taught contents. Ignoring the context, or thinking outside of the box with a fresh approach, they begin to see the things in a different way and this is the point where separation begins. Not always this tendency is harmful, it is indeed useful as long as the learners are logical/rational and honest in their approach. If students challenge something which is taught in classes, teachers lose control and force them to strictly abide by what they taught them. Don't forget that respecting others' views is the first quality of a fine teacher and if you can't have respect for the thoughts proposed by students, you must stop complaining about being disregarded by students.

Abraham Hicks correctly says that a teacher is only as effective as his ability to understand where his student is. Let's take an example. If a man says that he wants to reach Model school Pindwara, we won't be able to help him until he is able to tell us something about his exact location. We know where the Model school is located but until we come to know about his location, no help can be provided to the man. It proves that students must let their teachers know where they stand at a specific point of time. Since not all students will let their teachers know about the exact point they stand at, (and of course it isn't the physical point of location when it comes to learning and teaching) it becomes the duty of teachers to find it out. When teachers fail in accomplishing the task, their respect is lost. It simply means that true teachers are always fully acquainted with the mental status of their students. They know about the exact point they must begin with while teaching students.

Good teachers aren't expected to ignore the idiosyncratic talents at schools. They have to keep their eyes wide open every second of their time spent with students. A true teacher always tries to transform the attitude of all students towards learning, their aptitude towards dealing with challenges, and their thought process and decision making abilities to ensure that they don't get astray. We can't turn a blind eye to the universal truth that students learn a lot from their teachers, and that's why teachers are always expected to lead their students from the front in all conditions. When it doesn't happen, teachers will have to struggle for achieving respect from students but they will fail.

The next issue to deal with is "RESPECT". Generally, teachers expect students to respect them. They always want that all their instructions be followed by students. At the beginning, students too try to fulfill all expectations of their teachers. Whenever new teachers join in, they find all students respectful, dutiful and obedient. Students, as a whole, think good for their new teachers & try to keep them pleased by attending to their instructions. But things start getting derailed in no time. The same teachers, with a thousand complaints, accuse their students of disobeying them and students also begin to feel that their teachers don't deserve their respect.

Let's find out what spoils the faith between teachers & students. The accusations from teachers that students disobey them, mock them, and don't let any chance go to trouble them are worth discussing. On the other hand, students accuse their teachers of being unable to get their point. They say that teachers, accidently-on-purpose, create a number of problems for students. Whatever the case maybe, one fact is clear that the relationship between teachers and students needs to be examined.

Before I begin to amplify my thoughts on the issue, let me urge my readers to read the article thoroughly before they jump to conclusions. Teachers can't be tyrants. They must allow sufficient room for empathetic treatment to be given to their struggling students. Those days are now past when teachers used to get respect because of (their) being teachers. In today's world, students have higher expectations & they do want their teachers to be mentors, guides, pathfinders, philosophers, and above all, counselors. When teachers don't fulfill these expectations, they are likely to lose respect in the sight of students.

Sometimes, it is seen that teachers (not all teachers) begin to try to airbrush the existence of students out of schools and activities. It may happen in forms of ignoring or labeling students as being notorious or quarrelsome. They may have some reasons to do so but it, in the long run, undermines the faith of students in their teachers. The absurd thing happens when the same teachers are found to be angling for respect from students. It all really makes them a laughing stock because the thing they are looking for, is achieved, and can't be borrowed or stolen. Don't forget that all achievements call for dedicated hard work. Since we can see that RESPECT is the key to a healthy relationship between students & teachers, a question must crop up in your mind- what things teachers must keep in focus to maintain healthy relations with students.

You must know that History is considered as being the best of all laboratories where the sociological truth is revealed. Readers must refer to historical events to Understand how & where teachers make mistakes. Sometimes, teachers disassociate themselves from students by forming the idea that they must not be strict with them. Just because you are silently approving of everything your students do or engage with, it doesn't and won't help you get respect from them. You will have to sweat a lot by going above the regular school hours to meet the expectations from students. Never forget that you have to be able enough to answer their purpose by going above & beyond the call of duty. Don't even think of being unnecessarily strict to make them fall in line.

In fact, when I decided to begin the Spoken English classes for our students at the school, I received mixed reactions from people. The most general thing was a thought that no teacher could train students in the art of spoken English in a short period of time. But our principal sir, the participants and their parents always showed their firm faith in me. They all said in one voice that some superb results would come out soon. Principal sir Mr S.S.Vyas called me in his chamber and we had an hour long discussion on the initiation of the classes. His final words were: “Mubarak Sir, I count on you and so do all students and parents. Go and get your class started, you are sure to win." These words flooded the environment around me with positivity & strengthened my will to work.

The last thing I would like to take out from my bag is the increasing stress in students. They generally have high dreams for their future. They may be thinking of turning into IAS, IPS, doctors, engineers or businessmen. They are innocent and don't know about the cut-throat competitions they are likely to face sooner or later. Their parents too burden them with heavy expectations. When they go to schools, teachers say their future will be finished if they lag behind in examinations. When they log into social media, scammers, disguising as motivators, tell them to find short cuts to get success. When they turn to coaching institutes in hope of getting rid of all problems, they end up with tears, sadness and immeasurable sorrow as they find themselves completely caught up in depression. Family or personal problems worsen the situations. They begin to think that their future is lost and gone forever.

It all makes them feel that their lives are of no use and this is the point where they take some very dangerous steps which are mostly irreversible. Whom to blame? We need to understand that schools will have to think on it. Teachers, instead of creating or putting pressure on students, must have some plans to let their students learn how to counter the pressure. Before you burden students with the fear of failure, you must learn how to prepare them to counter the same fear.

For struggling students, the salt of the earth is the one who stands by them, helps them overcome their fear and teaches how to hide their Achilles heel from being exposed to others. Don't run out on students when they need you. Help them and you will begin to feel peace in your hearts. To cut a long story short, teachers must stop judging a book by its cover. Be affectionate to your students, try to know the exact point whereupon they stand, call a spade a spade and let your students realize that you will stand up for them as long as they are right.

At the same time, be strict when students begin to get astray, scold them in a way that makes them introspect on their deeds. Never label students with negative labels. If you can't pour their hearts with confidence, you don't have any right to weaken the same. Teachers must inspire students to read up on historical personalities. It will make them see that every successful man has a long history of failures buried beneath his grand empire of success. Let students learn that reliance on hard work with a positive mindset is the key to be successful.

There is no need to be argumentative to teach students, you can do it by being polite and humble. Always remember that a teacher isn't expected to be quick on the trigger, take your time to plan up and face students and their innumerable queries with confidence. Never forget that teachers have to achieve respect and the only way to gain the same is to keep thinking for the betterment of students. You may have a thousand of reasons to justify your detachment from students but it won't alter the truth & the truth is easy to understand that teachers and students must develop mutual faith.

In a nutshell, if you put your mind to opening a hundred doors of opportunities for your students, the Almighty will help you open a thousand for them. We mustn't forget that a teacher is always bound to have the carrot in their one hand and the stick (of course, in form of admonitions) in the other.

Love your students, respect their thoughts and help them set & achieve their goals, they will never disrespect you, nor will they forget you.

ACT LIKE A TEACHER TO BE CALLED A TEACHER.

                                                                                   With lots of love to all students of the universe

                                                                                                          Mubarak Hussen