Why should you become a teacher? Some people do it because nothing else worked out. There are still others who genuinely like teaching and wants to do nothing else. The choice is straight if you fall in either of these extreme categories. If you don’t, like me, you should consider much better reasons for becoming a teacher.
You can take up the role of teacher almost anywhere - you can help others to learn and learn with them yourself in any social or professional situation; and since you would not have the identified position of a teacher, you would not take your role and your superiority for granted. You must win the respect of the students and retain it every day, at every instance. You must inspire them and help them to prosper. You must be a mentor who says “go ahead and do what you want, I shall take care of things if you mess up. Give it your best shot without fear.” Imagine what wonder this can do to your own psyche and your capabilities.
Being a teacher is an attitude. It requires you to learn on the job, and then understand the process better than others, so that you can develop it into systematic knowledge that can thereafter be transferred.
Becoming a teacher makes you an evergreen learner. It requires you to give up the pretense of being an infallible expert and let others question your learning.
Being a real teacher makes you realise that knowledge alone is of no use, knowledge management and knowledge sharing is what makes the difference. Becoming a teacher involves learning to communicate. It teaches one to understand the need of the audience, and to be sensitive to the thought process of other human beings. Ever met a teacher who knew exactly what you were thinking? He has mastered the art of student perception - understanding the unspoken thought process of individuals that either supplicates or inhibits learning.
A teacher works hard to learn things better so that they can teach better, faster, more efficiently.
No matter who you are - manager, doctor, lawyer, saleman, accountant, entrepreneur, wife - you probably teach someone in the course of a normal day. Maybe your boss, clients, readers of your blog, project guide, or the arrogant physics professor or even the person on the street who doesn’t know how to behave - only way you shall succeed with them is by being a good, perceptive, earnest teacher. Think more like a teacher - treat those people who you need to win over as your students - they’ll call you a people’s person.
You can take up the role of teacher almost anywhere - you can help others to learn and learn with them yourself in any social or professional situation; and since you would not have the identified position of a teacher, you would not take your role and your superiority for granted. You must win the respect of the students and retain it every day, at every instance. You must inspire them and help them to prosper. You must be a mentor who says “go ahead and do what you want, I shall take care of things if you mess up. Give it your best shot without fear.” Imagine what wonder this can do to your own psyche and your capabilities.
Being a teacher is an attitude. It requires you to learn on the job, and then understand the process better than others, so that you can develop it into systematic knowledge that can thereafter be transferred.
Becoming a teacher makes you an evergreen learner. It requires you to give up the pretense of being an infallible expert and let others question your learning.
Being a real teacher makes you realise that knowledge alone is of no use, knowledge management and knowledge sharing is what makes the difference. Becoming a teacher involves learning to communicate. It teaches one to understand the need of the audience, and to be sensitive to the thought process of other human beings. Ever met a teacher who knew exactly what you were thinking? He has mastered the art of student perception - understanding the unspoken thought process of individuals that either supplicates or inhibits learning.
A teacher works hard to learn things better so that they can teach better, faster, more efficiently.
No matter who you are - manager, doctor, lawyer, saleman, accountant, entrepreneur, wife - you probably teach someone in the course of a normal day. Maybe your boss, clients, readers of your blog, project guide, or the arrogant physics professor or even the person on the street who doesn’t know how to behave - only way you shall succeed with them is by being a good, perceptive, earnest teacher. Think more like a teacher - treat those people who you need to win over as your students - they’ll call you a people’s person.
Thank you for this post!
ReplyDeleteIt is simple, and this simplicity has made me think again about what I really want to do in my life. :)
thats a very rewarding comment, thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThis is an extreme oversimplification. Becoming a teacher and becoming an academician are not the same things. The difference is subtle and not many people can understand it often thinking that they are the same. There is a saying "Those who can - do' those who can't do - consult; those who can't do or consult - teach". An overwhelming majority of the people get into teaching because nothing else worked out (as you have rightly observed), some get into it because they like it for various reasons.
ReplyDeleteThe only genuine class of people who can truly be called teachers are those who pursue scholarship - those who get into teaching because they want to become scholars in a given area - these kind of people are pure academics. Unless a given person does not have this kind of drive he/she should stay miles away from teaching.
You kind of missed the point, probably my fault as the author :)
ReplyDeleteThere are professional teachers, and there are academicians - none of them are subject of this post. If you read the post a little carefully, you'd see that I am saying having the traits of a teacher in day-to-day or business circumstances can prove to be very beneficial. For instance, when a lawyer like yourself argue in a court, and the matter involves a completely new aspect never dealt with in that court, you may have to take the role of teacher and help the judge grasp the basics of that subject.
what academics should do and who should become academicians is not a concern for the purposes of this post :)
I am yet to see one judge who is willing to be treated that way! Whether or not they know the law is one thing, but they sure do act like they know it all even if it is quite clear they do not. It is called ego.
ReplyDeleteI see the point you are making. I read your post again. Not sure if I totally agree with you - that having the traits of a teacher can help you. But you have a point. (I happen to be a teacher too!).