Are we happy with our teachers??? Naked truth behind the profession

July 21, 2012 - PRLog -- It is a crime to disagree with our teachers in the class. We should not ask questions that can make a teacher annoyed. We learned to make presentations which have less content and more animations. Last minute preparations matter in an examination than learning the concepts-These are some of the teachings and common perception which is paralyzing today’s education system and questioning the role of teachers in an educational institution. Focusing on these issues happening in the current scenario, Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata organized a workshop today for the teachers on the topic “Changing role of teachers” sponsored by TEQIP Phase-II and was addressed by Dr. Harish Chaudhary, Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi. Dr. Chaudhary has a broad experience in education management and is a motivational speaker for today’s teachers in educational institutions. He had addressed in many other workshops conducted by various educational institutions from schools to universities across the globe.
During the workshop, Dr. Chaudhary told that todays’ teachers are deviating from their roles.  Moreover they are becoming dictators rather than providing the students a learning platform in the classrooms. “Are we creating a teaching facility or a learning facility in a classroom?” asked Dr. Chaudhary to the audience. Many educational institutions create teaching facility but they are unable to create learning facility as they are aloof of the basic difference between learning and teaching. The basic mistake a teacher makes is that he or she doesn’t know how a child learns. A child learns through observations and experiments but the same facility and orientation nowadays teachers are unable to create in the classrooms for which lectures and other activities become boring for the students. “Nothing can be taught unless one has the hunger to know. A teacher has to create this hunger for knowledge among the students which is primarily missing nowadays,” said Dr. Chaudhary. Also Dr. Chaudhary told that students learn from those people faster whom they respect and like. “Are we as teachers able to create such respect towards us among the students?” said Dr. Chaudhary in the workshop. He also spoke about essence of domain knowledge and the human quality, humbleness which are very much important for teachers. “Teachers should be co-learners for their students and in the present time just the opposite is happening. If you want your students in learning mode, ask yourself whether you are in a learning mode,” said Dr. Chaudhary.
Questioning about the poor condition of education in the country, Dr. Harish Chaudhary cited the following reasons:-
“We imitated a lot from the foreigners in educational philosophy which is one of the reasons why education has taken a set-back in our country. Such imitation had not been rightly implemented. Secondly we lack sufficient skilled manpower and thirdly we have many other priority areas in development other than education which has forced us to shift our focus from education in terms of priority. But then many positive developments are occurring in this field which is slowly transforming the scenario.”
Questioning about the lucrativeness of teaching as a career and profession, Dr. Chaudhary said that due to the lack of social status and respect, teaching is becoming less lucrative career for individuals. “We don’t recognize and felicitate the contributions of teachers in the society and moreover we try to highlight the negative news of teachers in the media rather than the works of a good teacher in the society. There are still good teachers in the country for which India is still the Knowledge hub of the globe.”
Questioning about the fast progress which is happening in China in compare to India, Dr. Chaudhary said that law and order is very strict in China for which China is making a rapid growth in terms of education than in India.
The workshop was coordinated by the HR team of Heritage Institute of Technology spearheaded by Mr. J.L.Basu, the HR Head of Heritage followed by the Joint Director of Heritage, Prof. D.C.Ray and the Principal, Dr. Pranay Chaudhuri.