Leon Bent –
Hannah Kahn once said: ‘Child, give me your hand that I may walk in the light of your faith in me.’ Extremely appropriate and beautiful words, indeed, for Teachers’ Day!”
There is the story of a man in dire trouble who went to his rabbi for help. The rabbi
listened in silence for a while and advised, “Trust in God He will provide for you.”
“Yes” answered the man. But tell me what should I do until then?” Teachers ask
similar questions: “How can I survive until the system changes that I may improve life
in the classroom?”
A man in dire need was told: “Trust in God. He will provide for you.” “Yes,” replied
the man. “But what do I do until then?” Teachers ask similar questions. They, too,
are faced with immediate problems that, cannot wait for distant solutions. How can I
improve life in the classroom, today!
Harold, an experienced Teacher said: I visited a prison last week, and I came back
bothered and burdened. I can’t help thinking about my responsibility as a Teacher.
Every adult murderer or rapist was once a child, who spent years in school. Every
thief, presumably, taught him values and morals. Every criminal was educated by
teachers. Every prison is a dramatic demonstration of the failure of our system. We
need to take a good look at the language of our responsibility.
A story is told about a philosopher who was crossing a big river in a small boat. “Do
you know philosophy?” He asked the boatman: I can’t say I do,” answered the man.
“You lost two thirds of your life,” proclaimed the philosopher. Just then the boat hit a
rock and started sinking. “Do you know how to swim?” asked the boatman. “No,”
replied the philosopher. “Then you’ve lost your entire life,” said the boatman.
In like manner, in the midst of a classroom crisis, all the books in all the libraries are
of no help. All the lectures and courses are of little value. At the moment of truth only
skill saves!
Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The
teacher is the decisive element in the classroom. It is her personal approach that,
creates the climate. It is his daily mood that, makes the weather at school. As a
teacher she has tremendous power to make a child’s miserable or joyous. He can be
a tool of torture or an instrument of torture. One can humiliate or humour, hurt or
heal. In all situations it is the Teacher who decides, whether a crisis will be escalated
or de-escalated, and a student, humanized or dehumanized.
Good teachers have many qualities, including:
• Communication: Teachers need to be able to communicate clearly and
concisely. Communication is a critical skill that underpins all aspects of their work.
• Patience: Teaching can be challenged and requires a lot of patience, especially
when managing multiple students at once. Teachers need to consider that students
may have different learning abilities and be patient and kind with them.
• Adaptability: Good teachers can adjust to changes in their environment.
• Passion: Teachers who are passionate about their work can inspire their students.
• Lifelong Learning: Good teachers are always learning and value real-world learning.
• Classroom management: Good teachers have strong classroom management skills.
• Organization: Good teachers have great organizational skills.
• Energy and enthusiasm: Teaching is a demanding role that requires a lot of energy.
Other qualities of good teachers include: Empathy, Listening, Collaboration, Critical
thinking, Leadership, Time Management, and Teamwork.
India celebrates Teacher’s Day on September 5th every year, to honour the birth
anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the country’s second President and first
Vice-President. Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 and was a scholar,
philosopher, and Bharat Ratna awardee. He was also a well-regarded Teacher and
was considered one of the best Professors by his students.
The first Teacher’s Day in India was celebrated on September 5, 1962, (world
Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5) which was Radhakrishnan’s 77th
birthday. The celebration was prompted by a request from some of his students and
friends to celebrate his birthday, but he preferred to celebrate it as Teacher’s Day
instead, to recognize the contributions of teachers to society.
On Teacher’s Day, schools and colleges celebrate by acknowledging the hard work
and role teachers play in students’ lives. Some ways to celebrate include:
• Role Reversal
Senior students dress up as teachers and monitor junior students, while teachers
attend cultural activities prepared by the students.
• Award Ceremonies
The Ministry of Education organizes a function at Vigyan Bhawan to award the
country’s best teachers, who are selected through a three-stage online process.
The opinion of Dr. Radhakrishnan for the teachers was that, the right kind of
education could solve many ills of society and the country. It is well-known
that, “Teachers lay the foundation of a civilized and progressive society. The
dedicated work and the pain they encounter to ensure that, students turn out to be
enlightened citizens, deserve high recognition”.
Teachers are the cornerstones of our future, and act as a foundation for creating
responsible citizens and good human beings. This day is celebrated with much
fanfare and love, to show our acknowledgement and recognition of the hard work,
put in by our teachers for our personal development.
On this day, students look forward with a lot of anticipation, for the sheer spirit of the
occasion. Acting as teachers, they get a fair idea of the responsibility, so efficiently
handled by their teachers. They bring gifts for their most admired teachers as well. It
is an equally special day for teachers, as they get to know how much they are
valued, held in high esteem and appreciated by their students.
There is a certain glow and halo that illumine Teachers, as many events and
activities are organized in honour of the thankless work they do. Teachers Day
Celebrations, events like singing, dancing competitions, dramas, plays, games, and
picnics, and other fun activities are planned to express indebtedness to our teachers.
Awards Functions are set up to felicitate, highlight and recognize in a concrete
manner, the exceptional work our teachers put in during the year. You can also offer
gifts to your favourite teachers – like Greeting Cards, precious accessories, bouquets
of flowers, and the like, to show your love and thankfulness to them.
Remember, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart and the music of the Soul!”
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.