Into the fine art of teaching!

‘No man can reveal to you aught but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge.
The teacher who walks in the shadow of that temple, among his followers, gives not of his wisdom but rather of his faith and his lovingness.
If he is indeed wise he does not bid you enter the house of wisdom, but rather leads you to the threshold of your own mind.’
KHALIL GIBRAN
With this quote the fineries of the art of teaching was brought to light by Dr. Bob Richards, the Senior Director of the Higher Colleges of Technology and the Director of Dubai Men’s College, Dubai, UAE.
He also focused on some of the key elements that we teachers need to know in order to mould a character, shape one’s future and transform learners to seekers.

Today’s world is one of incessant change where knowledge doubles and increases with every tick of the clock. It’s also a world where knowledge is easily available and accessible; there are innumerable ways of doing so. Therefore the old concept of knowledge being ‘finite’ and the teacher filling an empty vessel is obsolete. The real world needs synthesizers and evaluators who can use their knowledge to serve their purpose. Hence learning is not just about recalling but evaluating and applying. In other words it’s a process of self discovery. It’s a personal experience between the learner and the teacher. It’s the ‘him’(learner) and ‘I’(teacher).A teacher in other words leaves an imprint in the leaner’s life that he or she considers invaluable and treasures for life.

Motivation, another important element in the teaching and learning arena requires three conditions:
1. There has to be a ‘need’ that’s not satisfied and that need is the learner’s need.
2. The way to meet the need is in sight
3. Learners have a reasonable chance of success in meeting the need.
'Rising tide lifts all boats’ implies that teachers must help raise the ‘tide’ that benefits all. We ought to also change our notion of success because no two people see the same thing. What is success to you isn’t success to me! Therefore our assumption that every learner in a classroom goes through the same experience is totally wrong. Learners are individuals with different and distinct ‘perception screens ’, unique learning styles and retention power.
We must be aware of this difference, accept our students as individuals and cater to their personal needs. The language of “love’ is the key tool to real learning!
‘Reprove sometimes with sharpness but then show an increase of love lest he thinks you an enemy.’----Food for thought for us teachers.

We need to understand that ours is a ‘relationship of account’ where every reaction or response is either a deposit or a withdrawal. And to make it either of the two is in our hands, words, gestures and emotions.

According to Kim Peak, “Teaching is leading when we focus on people and treat them with expectation, confidence and respect when they don’t deserve it.
We must treat people as if they already are what we want them to be.’

Dr.Bob Richard’s aptly concluded the session with the Lennon and McCarthy’s theory of teaching, where we take a ‘sad song, and make it better,where we remember to take them into our hearts and then make it better.'
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