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Be an Understanding Teacher

Usually I share my feelings with people speaking to me. As no one is with me right now, then I found a reason to write. Right from the morning, I am writing something or the other. I have written a list of differences I have observed in the United States and few places in India(as much as I can) and also wrote some of the similarities as well. Then traced few lines as how to make myself a better teacher, some changes I would like to see in my style of teaching. Honestly, I gave a lot of thought into my writing.


Towards the end of the day, Susan came and took me to an Indian couple, basically from Mumbai, who had come with their daughter studying in the 9th grade. The girl had problem hearing with her left ear and her parents had come to know about the girl's progress and importantly to express their concern about their daughter's difficulty in following the classes. I should tell tell you this. I had the couple's permission to take part in their conversation after all I was an outsider. But I was still worried as how the girl might feel to tell her problem in front of a stranger.

We went to the Special Education Teacher's room and I introduced myself. I was a silent listener all through. The teachers told really encouraging words about the girl's progress. I found the parents quite happy. The girl spoke very confidently. I sensed her much matured and friendly. The girl told she had trouble listening to her left side in the classes and asked her teacher to place her favorably. Many students in her class spoke so softly that she cannot listen. I was moved by the way the teacher and her parents responded to her.

The father told us that she writes good and also good in oil-painting. When the teachers asked her to write in her blog, the girl responded emotionally that now she finds it very difficult. She said she had written few really cool things when she was in 7th grade which the girl attributed to her then English teacher who according to the girl was "very very good".  Eventually when she came to the 8th grade she got a teacher who was very insensitive to her where her writing took a back seat. She almost became silent. She had her genuine complaints about the grading system of assessing through marks that let her down.

Having thought for the whole day on improving my style of teaching, I feel the girl taught me the most crucial lesson on the importance of being an understanding teacher than thinking merely about techniques of teaching.

Think! The girl here is fortunate as she has parents and teachers who can understand her openly and accept her. They have instilled in her the most required qualities called courage and confidence to express herself. We have kids who, unfortunately, are afraid of elders thanks to our tradition. Let us learn to treat our kids as the most important stakeholder in education, let us respect their individuality Moreover let us listen to them because they know better what they want.

This was my 1st blog penned on 13th Oct 2011 when I was on my visit to the USA as part of the Teachers and Cultural Exchange Program.

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