TEACHING IS AN ENDLESS JOURNEY

Teachers need to realise that teaching is an endless journey and it is not only about helping students quench their thirst for knowledge

“CARPE diem!” That was the idea Professor John Keating instilled in his students in the 1989 movie Dead Poets Society.

This mantra, translated as seize the day, helped his students to seize the day, value every opportunity and make their lives extraordinary.

This should be a good source of inspiration and reference for teachers to make learning a worthwhile experience.

Metaphorically speaking, teachers and learners may be compared to the interdependent relationship of yin and yang.

They need each other and stay together to form a complete circle. Despite playing different roles in the process of teaching and learning, both are each other’s motivation, inspiration and solution to problems.

Teachers are inspired by enthusiastic learners. The willingness learners to learn is the source of strength of teachers who make time and effort to cater to the needs of the learners.

As learners gain understanding from the knowledge shared by the teachers, the latter would learn how to improve teaching skills and vary pedagogical methods while self-reflect from the learners’ behaviour, as well as garner their feedback during the teaching and learning sessions.

It is interesting how the teaching and learning experience piques the curiosity of teachers and students.

As the young learners explore subjects, teachers feed their curiosity by searching for answers. As a result, teachers will understand factors that shape learners’ personalities that influence their thinking and learning styles.

True teachers embrace differences of learners and make them feel special the way they are.

Challenges are inevitable, so they should not be barriers for teachers from staying passionate in teaching and continue to design creative lessons that boost students’ engagement.

The challenge may be greater when dealing with problematic learners. But as Oscar Wilde said: “Everyone may not be good but there’s always something good in everyone.” Instead of feeling burdened with the responsibility of educating uninterested learners, teachers should feel honoured to have the chance to help somebody change for the better.

When it comes to ameliorating a situation, it is better to make students feel surprised and overwhelmed with something they can do rather than make them feel bad while focusing on what they cannot do.

This will help students prove judgmental people wrong as teachers develop their potential while making them believe that they can achieve greater heights. This is when students experience that learning is a continuous process and delayed gratification is a sweet result of their accomplishments.

In conjunction with World Teachers Day on Oct 5, teachers need to realise that teaching is an endless journey and it is not only about helping students quench their thirst for knowledge.

MUHAMAD SOLAHUDIN RAMLI

Marang, Terengganu

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