AMREEN SHAIKH
Our great teachers face several challenges with every coming day but never quit. One of the major challenges for them is to stay up-to-date with the learning technology. With progress in technology, the teaching pattern is constantly changing. Every year, there are new apps, websites and other technology tools created to improve the learning process. It can also be difficult for teachers to manage the behaviour of students along with staying up-to-date with the most recent classroom trends. Teachers have a huge responsibility of shaping the future generation for which they need support and understanding from the students and parents which is lacking today. Parents do not understand the teachers and at times make allegations against them because of the wrong done by their own child or if he/she is unable to reach their expectations. Teachers have to deal with students from different backgrounds and communities and have the daunting task of inculcating good values within them along with imparting knowledge. At times, teachers do not get a response from students, and as a result, it becomes difficult for them to communicate and interact with students. In such cases, they motivate the students and help them to rise up, for which they have to be very patient and understanding. Nowadays, there is an increase in competition, due to which teachers have to face pressure from school administrators to contribute in making their school the best. These are just a few challenges faced by them.

ANISHA HOLKAR
The information boom and the subsequent knowledge explosion have led to tremendous changes in the life of individuals today, and its effect is also witnessed in the field of education. With global connectivity facilitated by ICT, searching for any information today has become a child’s play. In this digital era, the coming generations are quite adept at handling, managing and working with technology. Even young kids and toddlers, probably by way of their genetic inheritance, are able to operate smartphones and other modern gadgets. Thus, these gadgets have been embedded within the daily routine of modern lives. Due to this transformation, there is a contention among some intellectuals about whether teachers can be replaced by computers. One of the most common and pressing classroom challenges for teachers is the fact that some students are not receiving adequate support outside of the classroom. Teachers can work with students only while they’re at school.

MEHAK AJWANI
Teaching is widely considered a noble career because of the role teachers play in shaping the lives of students. Being a teacher can be a very rewarding job. However, teaching is getting more and more complex and challenging these days. Some challenges may include getting parents actively involved. For example, it’s not always an easy task to try to encourage parents to help their children with homework routine, time management, etc. Another challenge is that different students have different learning styles. Yet another challenge is the shortage of teaching resources and increasing classroom sizes. Due to the increase in classroom sizes, teachers are unable to provide individual attention to their students.

Teachers have to upgrade their knowledge and skills to be able to teach effectively. In addition, the ever-changing nature of the education system can make it difficult for teachers to keep up with the latest developments and innovations. A teacher has to always strive to turn a challenge into an opportunity. Another significant challenge that teachers face is the lack of appreciation and respect they receive from society. Teaching requires knowledge of different subjects, and it demands excellent communication, motivation and organizational skills. Being a teacher is a job that requires a high level of dedication, patience and compassion.

SALONI WAGHCHOURE
A teacher is a multi-tasking, educational rockstar who lives to inspire and loves to encourage. Teachers are the epitome of the word ‘all-rounder’, but we also need to acknowledge all the challenges that teachers face today. One of the biggest challenges in a teacher’s life is to get to know each student and the different learning needs of students. Some students are quick learners, whereas most of the students take time to grasp the concepts. Teachers try to help the students with personalised teaching strategies, but it is difficult to manage time in an already packed, time-bound curriculum. Catering to the needs of every student individually is a big burden for teachers because it affects their lesson plans. Apart from correcting exam papers, teachers have to do a lot of paperwork and keep track of the details of each student. It is very hectic for them. Teachers do not have a self-care routine, and they never make time for themselves, which may lead to burnout.

TANAYA GURAV
After the Covid pandemic, there has been a drastic change in the education system. Due to this, the teachers had to adapt to the increasing technology and upgrade themselves. The students are now less communicative than before, and their academic progress, in some cases, has slowed down too. The teachers are trying their best to cope with all of this along with handling their personal lives. School administrations are putting pressure on teachers for their best performance, as competition has increased in all areas. According to a survey done among school teachers, it was revealed that 9 out of 10 teachers have seen a significant increase in their workload during and after the pandemic. Parental support is an important factor in a teacher’s life so as to develop the young minds. Since the pandemic, parental expectations have increased significantly. Teachers have been faced with the challenge of meeting these elevated expectations while they navigate the complexities of virtual instruction and dealing with the impacts of the pandemic on their students’ learning. In spite of all of these challenges, teachers work effortlessly towards the betterment of children and shape their future. May God bless them in all their endeavours.

Through candid responses and heartfelt reflections, the students of St Charles School provide a poignant and insightful look into the realities faced by their teachers. They recognize the immense dedication, creativity, and resilience required to foster a supportive and effective learning environment amidst these challenges. Hats off to our dear Teachers! Happy Teachers’ Day!

Get the digital edition of the September 2024 issue to read the full article.

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We celebrate Teacher’s Day in September, but across the world, teachers are honoured and allowed to have a fun day at different times of the year. We know it’s no mean feat being a teacher, and not being to escape the endless cycle of notes, lectures and tests. Here are a few interesting traditions and events to delight teachers — maybe they will inspire you with a game plan for Teacher’s Day this time!

I bow before thee…

Teachers are highly respected in Thailand and students convey their gratitude to their teachers in special ways. Celebrated as Wai Kru Day, this is the time when students humbly offer bundles of Bermuda grass, eggplant flowers and popped rice to teachers along with chants. It is an honour to be a teacher in Thailand given the level of respect and devotion bestowed upon them. Best of all, in some schools, students dress in traditional costumes when they offer their respects, making it unforgettable for teachers.

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A nation is built by its citizens and citizens are moulded by their teachers. Chanakya rightly said, “Teacher is the maker of a nation”. The kind of nation India should be is envisioned in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. When teachers are convinced by the vision of India as envisaged in the Preamble, they can then help their students to imbibe the core values of the Indian Constitution, thus making a significant contribution to the process of nation-building.

The core values of the Indian Constitution as delineated in the Preamble are 1) Sovereign socialist secular democratic republic, 2) Justice: social, economic and political, 3) Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, 4) Equality of status and of opportunity, 5) Fraternity, 6) Dignity of the individual, and 7) Unity and integrity of the nation.

Along with helping students in their intellectual and emotional growth and skill development, teachers have a great responsibility to instil in students the core constitutional values mentioned above. Only then can they claim to be nation-builders.

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Teachers are some of those most important members of our society. A teacher’s life is hectic, from being the earliest birds awake every morning to being the last to sleep at night, they’re constantly juggling work and home life.

It’s a known fact that teaching is a noble yet taxing vocation, and is rightly given the respect it deserves by today’s society. Teachers are an important part of the workforce, and there’s no denying the physical and mental demands of this profession, which often puts them at risk of serious health complications.

Due to their fast-paced schedule, teachers hardly have any time to think about themselves, much less sort through the sometimes-conflicting claims about the nutritional value of various meals in order to ‘eat healthy’. Especially since snacking on convenience foods is a much simpler option (no matter what most packaging claims say).

I’m sure each one of us can admit that at least once in our lives we’ve all been mean to one of our teachers. From sticking nasty gum to their chairs to purposely disturbing them during their lectures, to reducing them to tears with our atrocious behaviour, we’ve left no stone unturned to make their lives miserable.
But despite all the odds, these loving souls put their best foot forward (something we didn’t quite value back then) to educate, enlighten and train us for every hurdle that life would throw at us, both big and small.

The most frequently-reported health complaints among teachers are lower back pain, tiredness, leg pain, voice disorder, headache, neck pain, anxiety, shoulder pain, varicose veins of lower limbs and sleep problems.

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Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam credited his Science teacher, Shri Siva Subramaniam Iyer who recognised Kalam’s intelligence and encouraged him. The well-known billionaire, Bill Gates, ranks among the most famous dropouts of Harvard’s who founded the Microsoft Corporation. He always acknowledged his Maths and Drama teachers who so encouraged and motivated him in school that he went on to become the sixth richest person in the world and pledged to give away 95% of his wealth to charity. These are but a few examples of teachers who, backed by a keen vision, helped their students become valuable gems of society.

Teachers who are visionaries see their profession as a mission. In fact, teaching is both a call and a choice in life and so should not be looked upon as a job to merely earn a salary. Teachers in turn educate their students not only for earning a livelihood or for gaining wealth and comfort but largely to help them live a meaningful life, i.e., to be persons of value and vision. Teachers stimulate their pupils to be creative and innovative in life. Albert Einstein once said, “It’s the supreme art of a teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Teachers use their expertise and skills to the maximum for the benefit of their students.

Our country is blessed with many great visionary teachers who have made innumerable sacrifices for the sake of their students. All the effort and hard work teachers invest in bringing out the best in their students are rarely acknowledged or appreciated. They can hardly be paid back in mere words or random acts of gratitude. Their greatest reward is the joy and pride of seeing their students become persons of character and nobility.

Every year we observe Teachers’ Day on 5th September. On this auspicious day, the editor and the staff at The Teenager Today reverentially salute all the teachers across the country! And as a mark of appreciation and admiration for them, we dedicate the September 2022 issue to all teachers past and present! May their immense sacrifices and selfless devotion to ‘teaching’ per se ensure the blossoming of the potential in each child for the betterment of society and country! Happy Teachers’ Day!

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Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name four people who have won the Nobel Prize.
Name the last three Oscar Best Actor award winners.

Did you know the answers to any of these questions? The point is no one remembers the headlines of yesterday. These achievers and their achievements are forgotten.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

List a few teachers who aided you on your journey in school.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of the people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Was this quiz easier? The people who make the most difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, most money or most awards. They are simply the ones who care the most. After parents, for most of us, teachers are those lovely people who have influenced us the most.

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Khupi forms a part of the village Bhumiyadhar in Nainital. The place has a very special meaning in my life as it was last year that I had a fall from my scooter in this village and had suffered an elbow fracture that changed many things in my life. It is a sad short story but today the same Khupi is a matter of extreme joy for me. It all started when the Government Intermediate College of Bhumiyadhar called two teachers of Government Primary School, Khupi, to honour them in an unofficial function.

GIC Bhumiyadhar is in itself a small college with around 150 students, but the reason for honouring the two Khupi teachers was that the college found that among the students who took admission in the sixth standard from nearby Government Primary Schools, the Khupi students were a cut above the rest. It definitely aroused my interest to visit this special school and see things for myself. The visit turned out to be an eye-opener as to what miracles two dedicated teachers can produce.

Government Primary School, Khupi, can put many private or public schools to shame. Mrs Meena Bora, the Head Teacher, is a double post-graduate with specialisations in Political Science and Economics with a certificate in Licentiating Teacher (LT), while the Assistant Teacher, Mrs Rashmi Rawat, is a science graduate with a Master’s degree in Economics and holds a Basic Teaching Certificate. Mrs Bora joined the school in 2006 and took over as the Head Teacher in 2010 and in the same year was joined by her present companion in education. With just ten students (4 boys and 6 girls) in the five classes from the first to the fifth standards, it may be difficult to find a smaller school but the school’s final product has to be seen to be believed.

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Apart from our doctors and nurses, I feel the only other profession to get hit the hardest due to Covid-19, was teaching. Our teachers were flung into an almost alternate world — planning lessons and teaching them online with absolutely no notice or training. Whoever saw this coming? To have to do this for a day or a week is understandable. But to do it two years in a row is rather inconceivable. And yet our teachers did it. They dug deep as they always do, and delivered perfectly.

A teacher who was modern, open-minded, with a social media presence, for example, was more proficient in having an online classroom. He/she adapted faster. A teacher who was shy and avoided the camera his/her entire life, felt awkward and put on the spot.

And the children went through the same thing. A shy child versus an outgoing one, a reserved one versus a confident one, an awkward one versus a sure-of-himself/herself one. You might argue that this was the case in physical school too, and you’d be right. But it came more to light during online school.

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Let me ask you a very easy question — what is the one wish that is uppermost in the minds of all the students in the world? The answer is simple: they all so earnestly dream of achieving a high percentage of marks and excellent grades in the examinations.

But sometimes, things do not happen the way we desire and this turns out to be the reason for disappointment for many. So, here comes another question of serious self-introspection: does only high echelons of marks and grades make a sure-shot formula of professional and personal successes in life? Do good marks alone make or mar one’s life?

World history is replete with great personalities who rose to the pinnacle of success without having any outstanding academic excellence and even formal education. They were self-made people who brought about incredible changes in the lives of the common people. They braved challenges, fought hardships and struggled against a host of adversities with indomitable courage and resolute determination.

These great personalities are like milestones that will keep on motivating future generations to realize their cherished dreams despite challenges and critical circumstances they will face.

Mark Twain

America’s most famous writer and humorist, Mark Twain, is immensely popular for his beautiful classic novels. He started his life’s journey with the ordinary job of a printer. He had only minimum formal education in his early life. He used to spend his entire evening reading books in a library after the day’s work. He had a very short stint in the Confederate Army after which he travelled across the country. During this period, he started writing what proved to be the beginning of the historical odyssey of an internationally famous writer. His life is an epitome of the plain truth that formal education and high percentage of marks are not all that is required for a promising career.

Steve Jobs

Do you know that he did not even complete college education? But he was blessed with a superb and exceptionally sharp technical mind. He had only six months of college education but this did not prove to be a stumbling block in the introduction of sophisticated devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad. It was the result of his unfathomable will-power to rise to the apex of success in spite of insurmountable problems.

Henry Ford

He was not only a noted U.S. industrialist and entrepreneur of his time but also an extraordinary visionary who single-handedly created the automobile industry of the United States. He too did not have a high formal education. He left home at the age of seventeen and worked as an apprentice in Detroit. Very few people then might have imagined that Henry Ford’s job of an apprentice carried the seed of the dawn of an industrialist and entrepreneur of global fame and fortune. Lack of formal education never came in his way to the journey of making Detroit (USA), the Motor City.

Winston Churchill

He is considered as one of the greatest political figures of the twentieth century in the United Kingdom. He is also called the “quote machine”. He was born in an affluent family where he was provided with all the facilities for a formal education. But he was very poor in studies, and had no interest in formal education. He used to be punished for his dismal record in school. He suffered in the military services, too, due to a poor academic performance.

Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Known as the Missile Man, the former President of India, Dr Kalam spent his childhood in abject poverty. He used to sell newspapers in his hometown, Rameshwaram, to supplement the expenses of his education. Specialized in aeronautical engineering, he wanted to be a fighter pilot which was his ‘dearest dream’. But he could not realize it as he came in at the ninth position in the qualifying test while only eight slots were available in the Indian Air Force.

Abraham Lincoln

The 16th President of the United States is the most unique example of a person who bravely suffered an array of predicaments and tragedies in his life before getting elected to the helm of affairs of the most developed nation of the world. His life is the story of a self-made and self-educated person.
An anecdote goes that he got a job at a junk shop where a lawyer sold a few old books of law. He went through those books and as a result he turned out to be one of the reputed lawyers of his time. He rose to become the U.S. President and the credit for this achievement goes to his forbearance and self-taught lessons he learnt from his life beset with difficulties and misfortunes. Marks and percentages never prevented him from reaching the highest office of his country.

Albert Einstein

The great scientist, Nobel Laureate and internationally-known physicist, Albert Einstein, was truly a genius with more than 300 scientific papers attributed to his name. He propounded the ‘Theory of Relativity’ which made him one of the legendary figures in the realm of Physics. Can you believe that a man of such spectacular achievements was a school dropout? Yes, he was! He wanted to go for a university education but failed in the entrance examination. Finally, he joined college and got a degree but the fact that the greatest intellectual super-mind of the 20th century was a high school dropout is too hard to digest.

Thomas Alva Edison

The great U.S. inventor and thinker of the 20th century, has to his credit many inventions that earned him unprecedented popularity. Yet he had only three months’ formal schooling. He was sent back home by his class teacher with a written note saying that he was not fit for formal education. But his brave mother took a vow to teach him at home, and she patiently taught Edison, who also had a hearing problem, everything that he needed to know at that age. The rest is history. Edison rose to become the greatest scientist of his time. His quotation about a series of failures in life has become the source of inspiration for millions of people who fail in their endeavours despite their best efforts: “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

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We at THE TEENAGER TODAY gratefully remember that it was Fr Aloysius Rego, an outstanding teacher, who co-founded the magazine with J. Maurus, 56 years ago in the city of Allahabad, now renamed Prayagraj. We pay homage to their revered memory as the country celebrates the Teachers’ Day on September 5.

Moreover, unlike other youth magazines, it was from the premises of the two reputed schools in the above city — St Joseph’s Boys School and St Mary’s Convent School — that THE TEENAGER began its journey to the rest of the country. Again, it was with the wholehearted support of the Principals and teachers of the schools where the magazine was introduced, THE TEENAGER found and still finds its way to the students across the nation. We are deeply grateful to you, dear Principals and teachers, for your unstinting support to us. We continue to count on you.

I remember asking a group of teachers, during a Seminar I gave them a few years ago, as to what they consider teaching to be — a profession or a mission. Here is the gist of what they told me: “Teaching is a mission or commitment, above all. Moulding the mind of a child is a noble mission. We deal with human beings, and no two individuals are the same. We’ve to handle each one of our students with utmost care. Fragile, handle with care is the norm here, while helping them discover and develop the hidden qualities and talents within them…”

Beautiful words befitting millions of our teachers across the country engaged in the mission of setting free the imprisoned angel in every student. Yes, dear teachers, you are precious to us and we are really proud of you! THE TEENAGER TODAY will always be there by your side.

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