Essay

The Teacher is more than a teacher

Writer- Lalit Sahu

If we visit to any of the school, we find some motivational lines/inspirational quotes quoted on the wall of the classrooms like-

'The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.'

'They inspire you; they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don't know it' But it is needed to understand the real sense behind saying these lines; sometimes it seems difficult to make its interpretation. I remember the day, when an interaction was happening with the teachers in a training program, discussing on the role of a teacher. When they were asked the meaning of the line, which was quoted on the wall in the same room.

The line was- 'A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others'.

'शिक्षक एक दिये के समान है जो स्वयं जलता पर दूसरों को प्रकाशवान बनाता है'

The interpretations were interesting-

'खुद जलता है औरों के जीवन मे प्रकाश फैलाता है'

'स्वयं जलते हुए अपनी ज़िदगी खत्म कर देता है और बच्चों को शिक्षा देता रहता है' ' आदि आदि....

I also made one funny interpretation in this regard. 'दिया तले अंधेरा' All the teachers laughed. What I meant to say all about, it is expected to each of the person who contributes herself/himself to the society for the social transformation through education, needs to understand the real sense of teachers' role to the society. Deliberately, I put a context through an illustration to get through the sense of teacher's role in the society.

Once upon a time a dialogue happens between ‘DIYA' and ‘TUBE LIGHT'. Whose role is significant in the society and who is more useful and important.

TUBE LIGHT- Hey ‘Diya' see how smart I look? I am long, milky, white appearance and people like me and my light very much. Just put on an electric button and see how I spread myself in the atmosphere. In every function I am preferred to get light. And see your appearance, very small, with limited BATI, black smoke and produces limited light etc.

DIYA- I agree with your all logic big brother, I do believe my limitations. But it is certain that what the differences you made by comparing each other cannot be denied but the kind of basic difference is there, can never ever be compared with all your colleagues in the world. What I contribute to the society that you can't – I can enlighten one other DIYA, two DIYAs, ten DIYAs, hundred DIYAs thousands DIYAs from me as single one but you can never make flame other single one tube light, you can't. That's the vital role which I play in the society, and contribute myself for. (मैं एक दिया से दूसरा ही नहीं दस और दिये, सौ दिये, एक हज़ार दिये, दस हज़ार दिये जलाने की क्षमता रखता हूँ जबकि आप एक ट्यूबलाईट से दूसरा ट्यूबलाईट नहीं जला सकते)

The concern is not only to play his/her role as teacher in the society but to changing of his/her own attitude through lancing the society holistically. Teacher's role in education doesn't mean only to educate children instead of how does a teacher perform his/her role best as a facilitator, an inspiring, an enabler, a motivator, a psychologist. Overall, as a good human being to the children who believes that education is not merely to provide; instead of,

How do I understand education?How do I live through?n How do I make understand?

So that I would be able to perform my role as a facilitator more; rather than teacher who creates a conducive environment for maximum learning as well as constructing children's own knowledge. The teacher needs to search out as well as understands his/her role in the society. This is what the society expects from a teacher yesterday, today, and tomorrow everlasting.