Sunday 15 / June / 2025
Schools should not be just about measuring performance whether children get top grades or completely fail from their studies.
Well trained teachers teach their students social skills not just math and science. I feel that there is a violation of human rights if a child is not taught the values and purpose why they are here in this world. Reading, writing or to score high in examinations are never enough. What teachers do not understand is that a child grows up in many emotional conflicts.
They come to a class surrounded by other children who may not be in the same mental frame. As a result, some disrupt classes while the rest sit quietly too afraid to participate.
Good teachers would understand that. They would work out a method of teaching to calm the nerves of their students by making classroom activities much more relaxed. Imagine a teacher walking into the classroom with emotional hangover just because something went wrong at home last night. This teacher is not really a “beacon of light” for the students.
Schools are not just an “oasis” of learning but a place for children to feel secure with their feelings and thoughts. When a teacher creates a haven of calm in the classroom then students look forward to wake up in the morning and rush to school. This is particularly important if they come from an abusive home environment.
Teachers certainly need to go beyond the boundaries of the syllabus. Assigning homework, preparing for tests or covering the topics is not anymore enough. Take this example: would students excel in classwork when they do not have a stable home? Or if they thoughts are crippled by something beyond their control?
Learning certainly is beyond the academic curriculum. The world is fast changing but it seems young elementary students are left behind by teachers following outdated techniques. When students feel disconnected with the real world then they get disconnected from the reality, too. It is when they feel demotivated and find hard to get involved.
It is easy to know if your students are not interested on what you are teaching them. When they are muted and fail to respond then you have lost them. That is the time when a teacher has created an invisible curtain between the lessons and students. Teachers can remove that curtain by using real examples or topics that connect with their lives.
That’s how students can orient themselves with life when they identify themselves in the scenarios teachers create for them. They feel it when they study something that excites them. This way, they look forward to attend the classes every day. Remember, young people these days feel frustrated very easily.
For example, instead of teaching global warming with a list of facts, a teacher can begin with a real life example of a young person who helped the community to fight it. It does not only engage them but they feel connected because someone their age was involved. It also raises curiosity and they start asking questions to learn more.
That’s how teachers get modern day students hooked up. Otherwise, a very boring subject told in a monotonous way will make students ask “why do we have to learn this?”
