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Spotlight

The secret of good
teacher-student relations

Tabassum Mokhduma

OFTEN we ask ourselves, who is a good teacher and who should be regarded as a good student. A teacher is the person with whom a student spends almost 5-7 hours a day for almost 10 months every year. No doubt, a teacher is the person who plays the major role in shaping up a student's life. On the other hand, when we talk about good students, first thing that comes up in our mind is a picture of a well-mannered student with high scores in almost all the subjects and who is the apple of every teachers' eyes.

But, do these lines define a good teacher and a good student?
I am sure most of the people reading this piece watched or heard about the super hit Hindi movie “Taare Zameen Par”. This movie actually revived the age-old questions which most of us ignore Who is a good teacher? How a good teacher can change a student's life? On the other hand, another blockbuster Hindi movie “3 Idiots” chased the entire education system while showing who would be regarded as good students and what should be regarded as a good teacher-student relations.

We spend a major part of our lives with our mentors. Starting from pre-school, a teacher-student relationship is a long and important one which makes us aware and responsible individual.

There was a time when in this part of the world a good teacher meant a person with a wonderful personality and excellent teaching capability; presence of whom used to force even the naughtiest student in class to pretend as the most disciplined one; a teacher whom everyone used to respect and yet whose very name would evoke fear in the minds! While at the same time a good student meant to be one who always got good marks in exams; who was well-disciplined and of course who never argued with teachers! And I am pretty sure with these two definitions readers can picture what good teacher-student relations meant. But times have changed and so has the concept of an ideal teacher, or a student and with that good teacher - student relations.

The first day - whether at a pre-school, an elementary, a college or a university - is always special for both teachers and students. When parents take their children to a school for the first time, they see the dream of their kid's successful future ahead. But this success lies on a good and healthy teacher-student relation. While the students are young, the responsibility of a good teacher-student relation mainly falls on the teachers, but when the students grow up, the responsibility rests on both teachers and students. So, to make a maximally productive relation between student and teacher, certain attitudes and commitments of each to the other must reflect. Firstly, for a teacher, it is really very important to know her/his students individually, to explore the inmost depths of their hearts as well as examining the outer details of their lives. As the teacher's familiarity grows, so the potency of his advice gets deeper proportionately. Then the second most important thing is that the teacher must express love and affection toward her/his students because it is this affection that dissolves the students' natural tendency to resist being told what to do. Thus, the advice can penetrate more deeply and effectively. Then once again it is the teacher who must take time to reflect upon his students' improvement, refining and adjusting his vision of how best to influence them for positive change.

Beyond any doubt, teachers have to bear more responsibilities to make a good teacher-student relation. But when students grow older, they have to take up some of the major responsibilities as well to make the relation work. And for that, the first thing that a student must do is respect her or his teacher and hold her/him in the highest esteem. Besides, students must trust teachers' concern. Students must believe that teachers are there to facilitate their endeavours. If students would sense some ulterior motive, some self interest, or even carelessness in the teacher's instructions, s/he would not be able to have full faith in the teacher's advice, and this would make the entire exchange meaningless. And last but not least; students must obey their teachers. Just as a doctor's orders must be followed specifically, as failure to do so could cause more harm than good, so a teacher's “prescription” must also be obeyed with equal meticulousness and reverence.

Another thing that we mostly are ignorant about is counseling. Though it may sound new to many, it is one of the very important elements to help build good teacher-student relations and thus make a student more focused on her/his work and come out of the problems s/he is facing. In most of the schools abroad, especially in the developed countries, an academic institution without counselors is impossible to imagine. Every student has their own learning styles and not to mention has their own problems, both at home and school and which may lead to a situation because of which a student feel disinterested in school activities. In such situation the counselor can do the real magic. In such cases students need to be referred to counselors who are trained to handle their problems. Whenever the students have special problems, the counselors usually notify the teachers so the information can be beneficial in the classroom. Besides, when teachers detect abnormal behavioral patterns in students, a counselor should be notified so the student can receive expert help if it is needed. But this needs expertise as well and the counselors have to be especially careful about trying to solve student problems that relate to the home. Students can be helped immensely when the teacher, counselor, and parents work together. But however, it takes a great deal of understanding, training, and a certain ability to deal with people, to affect a student's life in a positive manner. Honest but poorly aimed attempts at counseling may create more problems than previously existed. But nonetheless, counseling is a major part nowadays to establish a good teacher-student relationship.

My personal experience taught me how important is a good teacher-student relationship. Today, whatever I am is because of some wonderful teachers who helped me to believe in myself and get focused on what I do. It is of no doubt that a teacher is someone who can help a student to think differently, to chase their dreams and turn it into reality. It is the teachers who can help students believe that they can do great work for the people of this world. Teachers can make the learning experience an enjoyable one, making the classroom a great place besides making the extra-curricular activities a real fun.

Photos: Ranak Martin
Location: UODA, Department of Fine Arts