Why not a students’ day?
The teacher-student bond is not a one-way process but a journey in which one learns from the other.
A bilingual film (Irudhi suttru in Tamil, Saala khadoos in Hindi) has won the hearts of audiences across the country. Beyond the knockout performances (no pun intended!) by the entire cast, the film sensitively portrays the nuances of the relationship between a coach and his protege. It is a journey that they undertake together, where individual egos clash, symbolically perhaps represented by the boxing matches inside the ring! It is a relationship in which each learns from the other and grows, blossoming to reveal their true potential. The coach brings out the spirited fighter in his student, channelling her aggression into a productive medium. Through his student, the coach gets an opportunity to bring to light his ethics, where he places the interest of the sport above his own career considerations.
NOT ONE-WAY!
As teachers, we are often seen as guides, navigating learners towards achieving their true potential. “Teacher’s day” across the world is often celebrated by a narration of how teachers have affected and been a part of a student’s journey. However, this journey is often not a one-way process; the student equally affects the teacher’s own growth, and, depending on how open the individuals have been to learn from each other, the transformation is often a flow between the two. As teachers, our identity and strength are derived from our students, for we do not exist without them. A colleague who has taught for many years says that her students challenge her to constantly look at herself and her own conditioned beliefs. “Even the ones who caused me the most trouble have taught me much more than a manual on teaching ever could,” she says. Perhaps, in our harried busy schedules, trying to complete the syllabus and marking papers, we need to just take a moment to appreciate the gifts that students have given us!
SOME INSIGHTS
Many years ago, I faced the challenge of dealing with a “difficult” student. The student was wheelchair-bound, and, as a trainee, one carried a certain sympathy factor in interacting with her. Being the smarter of the two of us, she promptly decided not to follow instructions and intentionally disrupt the class! She had realised that I was too intimidated to take any action. Things snowballed, and, one day, all the barriers dissolved, and I conveyed to her, in no uncertain terms, that her behaviour was not acceptable. For the first time, there was a look of respect and a twinkle in her eye. This student has been a model for me, and in the many interactions after that, I always silently thanked her for teaching me to face my own insecurities and apprehensions.
Students can also provide us insights, while implementing changes in the education system. About 15 years ago, inclusion of children with special needs into a mainstream setting was gathering momentum. During that process, I was hired as a facilitator to work with a student with special needs in a regular classroom. I would sit with her along with the rest of the class and play multiple roles — from being a scribe to helping her integrate into the classroom schedule.
During that period, I had a mainstream student assault me during a combined games session. Once the anger and shock of being attacked wore off, investigation into the incident led to a startling observation. The student broke down and confessed that she felt resentful of the attention and special privilege that she perceived my student was getting. The fact that we were constantly asking the rest of the class to accommodate her needs was creating resentment in some of the pupils. This led us to creating a play, where we used theatre to address the issues at hand. It was the beginning of creating some kind of dialogue and understanding. A priceless gift — as it really showed us that policies have a human dimension that is organic, and nothing is written in stone.
THE UNIVERSE, A TEACHER
To be open is to realise that every experience can be a teacher. We realise that we are most often reacting from a place of our own egoistic needs. Life constantly shows us that there are no ready-made answers and that true courage comes from facing ourselves, even when our whole world is turned upside down. When we have nothing to prove, we allow life to teach us. In that sense, we are all eternal students, discovering our true nature. Byron Katie, a spiritual teacher, says, “I learn from every woman, man, cat, dog, tree that comes my way.” What a beautiful way to live the life that is gifted to us.
Enjoy your own journey as a student and teacher,
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Keywords: Between Us, teachers and students
Source: The Hindu, 22-02-2016
