ARE YOU A CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHER?

ARE YOU A CONSTRUCTIVIST  TEACHER?

("Teacher's job is not to teach, but to find the ways & circumstances of learning for the students." Here the author focuses on the personality & spiritual characteristics of teacher which can play as a facilitator to children. The author is very hopeful to achieve renaissance in the learning & society.)    

Falling in the love of ‘teaching profession' out of the hundreds and thousands of choices is not a joke at all. Those who have loved the same for their lives are great, very great? Building a generation is not so easy as compared to the job of an engineer to build a structure or a doctor to cure a patient. Very sensitive role the teacher has to play. Building a generation means to give a shape to the future society what the country and the universe need now. And the better generation is the only panacea of any type of problem that our society faces today. Our society now needs the gentle minds to work peacefully, the lovable hearts to hug everybody & the strong body to protect and serve the country and the world. When this is the only dream that we recommend, then the society pleads for the ‘constructivist teachers' those who aim at "change"-within first, then in the generation as the children are the best link between the society & wisdom. The teacher is a creative learner who sits among the several learners to create a conducive environment in learning. Thus a big change is possible; a renaissance can be with us very soon if the preparedness is with us...

Spirituality is the prime necessity of a teacher. As spirituality is the fire, the teacher purifies himself by going deep in to it and becomes more creative by this. Every meditation charges him with potential energy to feel and to start anything new and positive for the society. Today, teachers are totally attached to their self family which makes them busy to solve their own problem. But when the teacher knows himself as a soul & the whole universe as a big spiritual entity, he realizes his "Dharma" & treats every one as the family member. He thinks for a change, transformation in the society. Unless & until the transformation takes place within him, how can he dream for a transformed generation out of him? That's why Yogi Sri Aurobindo said, "The teacher must be a yogi". Here yogi means a sense controlled man having abundant energy to motivate the children. He must be a sadhaka- a spiritual preceptor. He must have the right living style to inspire the children. A teacher who lacks morality has no good impact upon the children.

Teacher is the source of energy- the vibration. The students become charged by him & become more energetic even than the teacher. The spiritual eye of a tacher is so powerful that it touches all the souls in the class. His attachment in the very smile makes the classroom easy going. Just we can think of a spiritual guru when he speaks something the whole people are trapped with the vibration spread by him. When a teacher becomes lovable, spiritual, dynamic within, then all things can be done in a very short time. The main centre of energy is that powerful soul within the teacher. The change within the soul of the teacher is the basis of all creativity & dynamism in the system of learning.     

Understanding the child is possible only when the teacher understands himself. If the teacher is busy with so much misunderstanding within him, in his family then how can he spread the value of understanding within the children? A teacher must understand the needs & the problems of the students. He should go to the level of the students to understand their personality & requirements. By understanding their state of mind & psychology only, the teacher can motivate them.

Teacher is the example in front of the children. If the teacher himself is an angry man, has no patience then expecting the values of patience & calmness are fruitless job of him. This thing happens in respect to the parents also because parents are the so called demy God of the child. The young mind of the child grows with the circumstances around him. He sees the culture of the parents, elders & teachers & learns the same from the very childhood. Teacher must be a learner first. He should ask the question to himself in the calm mind about the change he dreams to fulfill.

The teacher must be always innovative to adopt new methods to motivate the learning among the children. He must take up the child centered methods of teaching such as group discussion, seminar, panel discussion, field trip, brain storming, role play, etc. According to Albert Einstein, "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."School will be a right platform to fulfill the goal of education if the relationship between the students & teachers maintained properly. Teacher is the friend, philosopher & guide of the students. A teacher is the best motivator, a sparker and a charger. Students are inspired by their captain i.e. teacher.

All education is there within the learners. Only the work of the teacher is to facilitate, motivate, & inspire so that all qualities from their hidden treasure will be unfolded. All creativity lies within the children. Child posses the divine soul within which lies the source of all potentialities. Due to ignorance of his/her potentialities & abilities a child fears to do something. A teacher is a spiritual guide to enlighten the students' soul. Just like a brother a teacher helps the students in their growth. The teacher is a magnate to attract the iron like children. His personality itself provides ample spirit, huge energy, and immense motivation to the children. Teacher is the sun to radiate his power of motivation to build a world of students with strong characters. Personal involvement of the students in an activity gives inner motivation to them. They feel themselves precious of doing impossible possible.

To err is human. But the good actions must be praised. Every child has some good qualities within him. The role of the teacher is not to criticize him for his mischief but to praise his even single good quality & at the same time to inspire him with giving assurance of potentialities within him. The system of praise the single good quality grows the confidence within the child & he starts feeling himself worthy & valuable. All students are not born for academic education. They have their natural aim & tendencies. A teacher must identify the hobbies & natural abilities within a student so that he can motivate in that area build a nice & successful human being with special qualities.

Smile plays a very important role not only in the boundary of the school but also even in the outside world. Smile is the expression of love. It's the magnate, which pull all towards it. As everybody wants a smile, School should also be the platform of smile. A teacher touches the heart of a student through the magnetic touch of smile. Smile creates confidence & love among the children. The development of the children on the subjects happens only when they start liking & loving the teacher. ‘Unless the children love the teacher, how can they love the subject?' Smiling face of the teacher creates vibration among the children who become fearless to express everything. They ask questions. ‘Freedom automatically happens when smile exists in the classroom'.

Be a friend to the child. Friendship can help you to understand a child more & more. A child expresses his difficulties/problems only to his/her friend; he/she may be his/her mother, father or teacher. Once you exhibit your role as a taskmaster or ringmaster to your child, you spoil everything. The child starts hating you & hiding everything to you. He develops fear to you. That's why some parents & teachers are found to be in the problem that the child is not free & frank to tell his problem. Actually it's not the mistake of the child. It's the fault of the parents, teachers & elders who lack the art of ‘how to be a friend of the child'

          A teacher can motivate the children to read more books. This is only possible when the children will find the teacher in reading. Books are the sources of energy & motivation. The teacher should be a regular reader of books & magazine & collect knowledge to inspire the children by telling new things. Teacher can create his own library & inspire the pupils to create small library their own.

By asking creative questions a teacher can create a thinking channel among the students. According to Socrates ‘the classroom is a fighting ground between the teacher & students & the weapons are the questions.'

The teacher himself is the motivation for the students. Through his personality, reading habits, physical culture etc he can show him as the example in the society & before the students because the pupils always like to follow their teacher. Thus a teacher can do a lot through his power of motivation. It is because of his motivation the pupils enjoy & learn in a very friendly environment. A teacher should realize his/her power of motivation & use it properly when & wherever needed. He has to demonstrate the essential values such as optimism, motivation, willingness to learn & teach, truth, non violence, never to think ill to others, creativity leadership, love etc.

Every child is different & unique. They are with many more specialties. The wicked children of your class are having the highest possibilities & multi-dimensional personalities. They become naughty, as they need more work to do, more fields to work & show their personalities. Choose the most naughty children of your class & assign them some works & see how quickest they are! Within fraction of minutes they do the work. The naughty children are the future's best human resources. The teachers & parents have to understand this truth more & more & should try to find out the possibilities & capabilities within them, so that "Every child will be special" in time to come. Children are born already with unlimited potentialities. It is we who either misguide & deform or help to develop them & make them worthy in every field. Every child has immense potentiality within. Teacher's work is to inspire the child in his own pace of creativity & innovation. Then only you can guide him/her to reach at his/her highest level. Recognizing the unique personality of a child & encouraging him is our duty.

The role of a teacher in the changing social scenario is becoming very challenging. The society is becoming more materialistic & values appear to be pushed into the background. There is nothing unusual about it. But the situation would not remain like this for ever. There are enough indications that our country would awaken once again to those eternal values for which this land has stood for many centuries. We are at a transition time during which it is essential that the values are maintained & nurtured. Only an ideal teacher whose life itself is a beacon light of values can lead a society in the right direction.

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