The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : What makes a good teacher?

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Sunday, Jul 13, 2008
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What makes a good teacher?

Staff Reporter

The human element is vital to classroom teaching: Sri Dayananda Saraswathi

— PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

Tips for teachers: Sri Mitrananda of the Chinmaya Mission addressing teachers at ‘The Progressive Acharya’ seminar organised in Chennai on Friday. Mrs. Y.G.Parthasarathy, dean and director of the Padma Seshadri group of schools, and Chairman of Educomp Solutions Shantanu Prakash are in the picture.

CHENNAI: While using technological advancements and multimedia aids such as computers in the classroom, teachers should also ensure that the human element is not lost. It will be a tragedy if the human element is lost, said Sri Dayananda Saraswathi, founder, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam.

He was speaking at a workshop titled ‘The Progressive Acharya’ organised by the Padma Seshadri Group of Schools in commemoration of its golden jubilee.

The two-day workshop features talks by eminent persons from the academia and industry and has teachers from various city schools participating.

Speaking on the role of a teacher, Sri Dayananda Saraswathi said: “A teacher’s job is to help students see what he or she sees. Irrespective of the modern aids that may be used in class, a teacher should have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter.”

While it may be foolish not to use technological aids, it was vital to ensure that the human element — the teacher —was given adequate importance, he emphasised. “Problems of the children are really problems of teachers. Knowledge is not a creation on the slab of ignorance ... there is no super structure, there is only removal of ignorance,” he said.

Setting an example by word, deed, action, in attire and decorum was very important, he said.

“Be creative. And if you have to be creative, you have to care for your students ... respect the learning mind, respect your audience,” he told teachers. “You are someone very important as you are shaping lives.”

Delivering the key note address at the inaugural earlier, Sri Mitrananda of the Chinmaya Mission said: “A progressive teacher never stops learning. He or she changes according to the times and is always willing to learn,” he said. “The day we think we know it all, we will be merely repeating what we do and will stop growing,” he added.

Highlighting the significance of the seminar, Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarathy, dean and director of the Padma Seshadri group of schools, said: “This seminar was thought of as soon as the golden jubilee was thought of. A progressive acharya is one who teaches children how to learn, and not what to learn. It is more of a facilitator’s role.”

Teachers should make children think and be facilitators in the learning process, she added.

Chairman of Educomp Solutions Shantanu Prakash was present at the inaugural.

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