Are we teaching?

Recently a few students of mine took the proctored online test. Their result was not at all as per my expectation. Immediately I went and informed the head of the department about the scores obtained by the students in the tests taken. I was upset as my set of expectations were completely different than what I have observed and gained.

The person with whom I was discussing had immense experience than me. He asked me to calm my nerves and to let him know in detail what went wrong with the class?  Why did it happen so?

As a teacher, I started explaining to him the efforts that I put before taking any of the scheduled classes, how I prepare my presentations, how I deliver the same in the classroom, and how students stay in the discipline while attending my classes? No doubt that I have completed a decade into teaching. I know I always try to put my best foot forward. Due to COVID 19, when the mode of delivering sessions shifted from traditional classroom teaching to online teaching, I missed that connection with the students. I was low at confidence as I could not connect with the students. I missed the interaction with students, their presence that always boosted my level of confidence. Probably, I ended by blaming the transformation and informed that this could be one of the reasons for the poor performance of the students.

Sir, who was listening to me, praised me because it was me who at least thought of the reasons for such an unexpected result.

He tapped the call bell and asked peon to bring in two cups of tea. He knew that I was upset and was worried about the students.

With a sip of tea, he started talking about how COVID 19 has impacted our life. Recalling his college days, he began with an anecdote. He said that after finishing his matriculation when he joined Marwari College, Darbhanga, to pursue B.Com, he could hardly understand the basics of accountancy or commerce.

The concepts were in English as he chose to study in the English medium. The journey from Hindi medium to English medium itself was tough and challenging. Initially, I thought and questioned my own decision, whether to pursue B.Com was correct or incorrect, moreover in English medium?

Well, I decided to drop and pursue B.A in the Hindi medium. The day I was going to hand over my application to the Principal, it has changed my career. While standing in front of Principal's door, I was waiting for my turn to enter, I met Dr. Jha, who was one of my faculty members, who was currently teaching accountancy. He inquired the reason for my standing their. I handover my written application. He read the letter, looked at me with a broad smile, and said, "Can you meet me during lunch break and postpone handing over this letter to the Principal till the time we meet?"

I was waiting for a lunch break to meet Dr. Jha. He asked me to enter his chamber and asked the reason for my decision. I honestly started the problem that I was facing that was the difficulty in understanding the concepts of accountancy. He said he understands my problem but questioned me why I never raised any doubt in the class, nor I shared my problem anytime with him. I felt ashamed but told him that he teaches very well.

He again smiled and said, not to worry and to postpone my decision for a week. Every evening, he started spending two hours teaching me the concepts of accountancy, apart from this subject, he started teaching me the English language too.

After a week, I thanked him but said that I still feel low at confidence. He assured that his support would continue and thanked him for his help. I have qualified B.Com, M.Com, M.Phil, and Ph.D

Looking now at my face, Sir said, look these days what I often think is that teachers are not teaching. Sheer explanation of any topic in multiple languages, cannot be defined as teaching. There is no doubt that the interest among the learners has reduced a lot. Students can learn through different platforms that eventually help them in gaining information. The biggest challenge for the present-day teacher is to make students not only understand the concept but also assist them in the application of the knowledge.

The introduction of semesters has increased the number of subjects. It failed in enhancing knowledge skills. Teachers are in the rush of finishing their syllabus. Students are in a hurry to gain information and writing their exams to score and secure good percentages.

Time has come when teachers need to reform and transform their style of teaching. Whether it is offline or online, it is teachers who need to rethink and must bring change. As a teacher, when you enter the classroom, you must remember, a student who is a slow learner and finds difficulty in developing interest in studies, needs you more than those students who are comfortable in studies. Of course, you being a teacher must focus on every student.

Now, I want you to think, what benefit did Dr. Jha gain when he took extra classes of mine and had taught, his approach of 'thinking out of the box' had helped me in improving my language skills?

The day when each of our teachers believes in teaching to teach the students so that they can apply the concepts in real life, there won't be any dissatisfaction. Students will attend classes with interest. So, can you ponder on what went right and what went wrong in your classes? How can you bring desirable change that is acceptable by all?