DO YOU LOVE TO TEACH…??

 

When I was  in school , I had a few favourite teachers ( just like any other school going kid ! ) and a few ‘ nightmarish’ ones too.  Even to this day , I remember  those few good teachers ,who have in some way or the other contributed to the kind of person I am today…And whenever I think of them , I do so with a lot of love and affection….

That is when I began to ponder over those qualities that make these teachers stand apart from the rest in the crowd…; what was it that made them so unique ,that their students ( me and many others like me ! ) still feel attached to them..

A little more thinking brought   to me  the answers …and when I became a teacher myself I did try ,to inculcate those qualities in myself too , though whether I succeeded in my endeavour , is for my students to answer… !

 

Based on my experience as a student  , and later as a teacher , I have concluded that a good teacher should possess the following qualities :

• A cheerful disposition : A teacher who smiles and enters the classroom will pass on  the positivity , to her students as well. A long-faced teacher , will only contribute to loss of interest among the students and make them sad too…
• Hard working :  As they say there is no short cut to success…Similarly , to be a good teacher one has to do his/her homework.  A teacher should be well prepared for the class and dedicated to the subject. Students have the uncanny ability to gauge you level of preparation…
• Patient : A teacher has to have loads of patience to answer the queries of the inquisitive students and never discourage questions ( unless they are completely unrelated to the topic at hand ! )
• Understanding : A teacher needs to have a good understanding of his/her students , their abilities , their aptitudes and also of their weaknesses and  work accordingly. Performance is relative in nature and what is good for one , may not be considered good for a student with more calibre.
• Establishing a good rapport with the students 
• Make the class interesting : Merely reading from the book or lecturing the students will only distract them from the subject and lose interest. A teacher should be able to use examples from real life , books ,even movies ,  and current affairs to make students identify with the subject matter ( this is particularly useful while teaching History and science )
• Class discussions and debates : A class , particularly the social sciences ,can get monotonous and boring for the students if not handled well . So a good teacher is onw who can retain the curiosity of the pupils by engaging them in various subject related activities.
• Not hurry with the syllabus : It is important to complete the syllabus on time ,but that should not be the criteria on which to base one’s teaching.  A teacher’s aim should be to enhance the knowledge of the students and enable better understanding of the subject in them ,while also motivating them to read further on the subject.

HERE ARE A FEW SIGNS , THAT YOU STILL HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO !!!

• Your students welcome you with groans and moans….
• When the bell goes , they are not willing to wait for a second more to let you complete your sentence.
• You find many of your students yawn and a few even steal a cat nap , in between your class
• Your students express happiness when you tell them ,you might be absent for a few days !
• When you meet them outside the school ,most of them turn way from you or pass by without wishing
• The performance of your students deteriorates from time to time.
• your ex-students make no effort to stay in touch with you or show any other kind of attachment to you

 

You will know you are an ‘AWESOME’  teacher if :

• You love your job !
• you love your students
• you are greeted by smiling faces ,when you enter your classroom
• your students are filled with enthusiasm regarding the topic at hand ( chances are your class is a noisy one ! )
• you are asked umpteen amount of questions related to the topic 
• willing participation of the students in class discussion
• most of your students develop a new found love for your subject
• You are greeted and wished ,wherever you meet
•  Your social networking site is filled with friend requests from your ex-students , after you have left the school  !
• Even after years , they remember to stay in touch

 

 ALWAYS REMEMBER , TEACHING IS A PASSION , NOT A VOCATION OUT OF COMPULSION ! DON’T BE A TEACHER BECAUSE YOU NEED A JOB , BE A TEACHER BECAUSE YOU LOVE THE JOB !!!

 

STAY POSITIVE , STAY HAPPY……:)

Life is a brilliant teacher .When I got married , ten years back , I was barely 21…and completely inexperienced in the ways of the world. I was  naive and gullible . I trusted everyone  I met and ,believed , everyone wished me well. But it took some unpleasant experiences ,to teach me the harsh reality of life…not everyone who smiles at you, is a friend. When I first realized this,it came  to me as a terrible blow. My self esteem suffered a severe setback. I started doubting my own capabilites and  my sense of judgement was temporarily impaired.

But , with time I realised the truth.The world is filled with all kinds of people and each one of them with their own unique way thinking ,and behaving. It is hence, impossible for me or any of you to change the people  living around us.So then what can we do…?? How can we make our lives stress free ? We can do so….by causing the change in ourselves not others.By change , I do not mean altering our personality to suit others….By change , what I mean is to gain a more positive outlook towards life and all things or people associated with it. 

POSITIVE THINKING changes our whole preception of things ,people and places.If we believe that whatever happens , happens for a reason and the reason is going to be  good, we are able to see life from a completely different angle .We learn to enjoy our own life more and value ourselves better.

NEGATIVE PEOPLE are found everywhere.There are those who are caught up in their own problems,so much so  that they hardly find time to see the beautiful things in life.Then there are those, who are so insecure about themselves and unhappy with the life they lead,that they are filled with ENVY for anyone they think is better or happier than themselves. Many of you may have had friends who are forever complaining and whining about everything in life,from the maid who turns up late or the boss ,they cannot stand. Such people can never find happiness in their life, nor will they allow others to do so.

POSITIVITY , implies that you start looking at the best in everything. And no matter how much others try to bog you down , you don’t give up…but rise up even stronger and happier.Try to fill your life with optimistic people , those who give you hope and inspiration and, break away from those that try to pull you down constantly ,and transfer their negativity to you.

I was an eternal pessimist  ,wedded to an eternal optimist. But my partner’s positivity began to rub off on me too .He has often told me ” If people are mean to you, that is none of your business…its theirs.You should stay the way you are and see them seethe  with envy ”

Life is all about living  the way you want,and not the way others want you to. If someone ,be it your friend or partner, expects you to change into something completely different from who you really are,  he /she obviously doesn’t deserve you. Positivity doesn’t mean running away from negative situations, but rather looking at them with a whole new outlook.

Overtime , I have realised that we are the master of our own life.Whether we want to be happy or sad , depends on us and our attitude towards life. A change in our attitude , can bring a sea change in our perception of people and places. We can be in the best of places in the world but if we are  negative in our approach towards life,we cannot be happy.

Life isn’t always fair , but  how we handle it ,will determine our happiness. Positivity is tranferable .When we learn to be positive ,we are able to transfer our positive vibes to others who interact with us. The more positive and happy we are , the happier  we make the world around us. Have you tried smiling at a stranger this morning or complimenting another person  ,on a social networking site? Next time ,try it and see how a simple smile or compliment , helps in spreading happiness into another person’s life. While we may not always be able to see it, our kind words and actions can make someone’s day today…. A  truly happy person will have a good sense of self esteem and no insecurities , which will enable that person to praise or be kind to another person , without any negative or hidden agenda.

So the next time someone mocks at you or tries putting you down ,just smile at them and walk away…they deserve sympathy not anger….

Music also helps me stay calm and positive…two of my favourite songs that lift my spirits up when I am having a bad day  are  Louis Armstrong’s  ”what a wonderful life”  and  Bobby McFerrin’s  ” don’t worry be happy “……They really fill me with a lot of positive energy and then I am ready to take on the world !!!… You all must try listening to them too…:)

Stay happy….stay positive…:))