KARACHI:
The moment a teacher enters the classroom, he darts his attention towards the student who is found to make some mischief. The teacher reprimands the student, and in some cases, he spanks the latter too. More often than not, the teacher continues his harangue, disengaging the student in particular and all students in general from the learning process in the classroom. At least the targeted student sulks all day long. He does develop a negative attitude towards the teacher and later towards learning.
Instead of that, a teacher must plan that entering the classroom, he would applaud the student who will be waiting anxiously for the teacher or doing some pre-studies. It will relay a message to mischievous students that what they are doing is not admirable, or even noticeable. Good behaviour when appreciated is always envied. The teacher in the second case will exhibit positive vibes, thus encouraging the students to join in the learning process. Students learn less to nought in an intimidating environment. Moreover, a teacher’s role is to bring forth the latent goodness in students not to infect them with negativity.
Our education system is also responsible for indoctrinating a disciplinarian attitude in teachers. The teacher who acts Orwellian Big Brother and maintains discipline to the level of pin drop silence is “eulogised” as a successful teacher. In fact, all his energies and capabilities are directed towards chastising his wards. And equally, it becomes the students’ prime concern to evade the teacher’s wrath by learning their lessons parrot-fashion. Only a friendly and enabling classroom atmosphere nurtures in students the spirit of inquiry that helps them explore new vistas. Where the world is shifting towards hands-on pedagogy, we are still fixated on lecture-based dissemination of knowledge that suits best to mannequins.
M Nadeem Nadir
Kasur
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2024.
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