Teachers are role models Dr G Ramachandram

Teachers are role models

Dr G Ramachandram

In my observation, most of the teachers are poor communicators. They don’t make efforts to improve their communication skills. Although we can understand the regional accent of English language, the spoken English of teachers in most cases is faulty and grammatically incorrect. Some teachers, particularly those teaching mathematics and science subjects, even have the temerity to suggest that 'communication is not that important as the mastery of the subject.’ But how can a teacher make the students master his subject unless he communicates effectively in the medium of instruction in a correct and acceptable idiom? Not only is the communication poor, even the voice of most of the teachers is not audible beyond the front one or two rows. It is also unpleasant and embarrassing. Often teachers do not realise that raising and maintaining the voice at a certain level throughout the lecture session in a class of about 100 students is very important. A soft spoken voice and conversational language cannot make a lecture effective. The back benchers should be able to clearly hear what a teacher is saying from the podium or behind the table on the platform. It is desirable that a teacher uses a microphone with sound speakers while having absolute clarity of spoken language. Some teachers have a habit of sitting on the table or on a bench in the middle of the class room and talking to students. This is a very unhealthy practice. Many teachers walk into the class room without adequate preparation. Students are the best judges. They can make out how good or bad a teacher is in teaching. The most distressing thing is that teachers do not groom properly to make themselves more presentable in a class. They dress shabbily and walk into class rooms. Again, the attitude is, ‘it does not matter how you dress but how you teach.’ This attitude shows the low self esteem that teachers have of themselves. Students would like to see their teachers well dressed in a formal way. They do not respect teachers who are shabby since an average student being trendy is smartly dressed. Teachers should have a democratic temperament of tolerating different opinions, view points and disagreements of their students. They should be humane and humble. Teachers should be reasonable and impartial in treating students and should never identify them on the basis of caste or creed or region. To students, teachers are not only the depositories of knowledge, but also the role models and embodiment of ideals and values. A sincere and honest teacher commands more respect from his students. Dr G Ramachandram is a professor of Political Science and retired Principal, Kandivali Education Society’s College