A teacher's perspective on unrealistic parental feedback and how it can sometimes even demoralise students

The burden of great expectations

A teacher's perspective on unrealistic parental feedback and how it can sometimes even demoralise students

I have been teaching for almost 17 years now and my basic observation has been that there is too much interference from the parents in the child’s life. All parents want their children to come first in the class. Not everyone is or can be an all-rounder. A student may be good in mathematics and weak in languages or vice–versa but parents are not always ready to accept it. They simply want him or her to excel in all the subjects regardless of aptitude and capability. Another big mistake that parents make is comparing their ward with another. Not all brains function the same way, each one works differently. Parents also argue with teachers a lot on such matters. There is so much pressure on a child before exam starts and yet parents are heard saying that it is their exam. In fact, this tendency is also quite visible during the vacation period. While parents enroll their children in vocational classes or to learn some instrument, they don’t always ask children about their choice. Often, a skill or vocation that the student is not at all interested in has to be forcibly taken up. Over the years, with the increasingly competitive attitude, the classroom dynamics have also changed. Previously, students would quietly listen to whatever is being explained. Now they come prepared. They attend classes or read up on reference books. Due to this, the teacher also has to be well prepared and ready to be asked any question. It is said that a teacher is always first and foremost a student. Hence, continuous learning and updating oneself with new techniques and technologies is essential. One should be able to give real-life examples that students relate to while explaining topics. Sheetal is a senior teacher at Vandana School.