Towards better teaching-learning environment

TODAY IT is an accepted fact that the global situation of violence and fear is a stark reality. The reason is the choice of wrong people by the wrong people for the wrong people.

By losing sight of values and spiritual and moral strength, we have created a monster which is trying to swallow the society itself.

Society is sick. At the back of the sickness lies an absence of love - love for one's country and for one's fellow men. The most important concept which helps humanity towards progress, towards development from a primitive stage to a civilised stage is value.

Tension and unrest in the world is due to the wrong choice of values. Therefore it is important that we work for the development of an integrated personality of a child. Peace and security are the basic needs of a child. When a child is encouraged to develop his moral, mental and physical ability in tune with nature, he becomes free from fear.

When society is made up of such children growing smoothly into adulthood, the elders can heave a sigh of relief that the world is not only a safe place to live but is in safe hands too.

Education is a means through which we can achieve this goal. We must understand that education is not literacy alone. Literacy is only a part of it. Education is much more. It is the physical or biological, psychological or mental and the spiritual or ethical growth of a child. Only when these three function smoothly, we can say there is education. When viewed from this standpoint, we come to know that education is nothing but assimilation and analysis.

The most important step forward is to look within. Children are not corrupt. Every youth is not a terrorist. Circumstances force some to get into bad company. The elders, in the guise of parents and teachers, without realising, nurture anti-social environment and allow the children and youth to thrive on it.

To teach them values in life, we must set an example. The best example is the teacher. A good teacher will be respected, not out of fear of punishment, but out of love and admiration. Teachers should help in building the character and integrity of students. Leadership qualities, respect for all religions, perseverance and sincerity form the discipline which a teacher should inculcate in students.

Teachers are capable of opening up the young minds to realise their potential ability and capacity. They alone can sow the seed of fearlessness and love in the young minds. In short, the teacher has a major role to play in shaping the future generation. Does this sound frightening? It should not! As this is the truth.

We all know that the first teacher is the mother. According to medical research and investigation, it has been proved that the emotions of a pregnant woman affect the baby inside. This shows the learning process starts from the womb. A growing infant feels safe and happy in the hands of a content and concerned mother. This feeling of security and happiness forms the basis on which the personality of the child develops.

At school, the teacher continues the development. The outlook and character of the teacher in school is as important as those of the mother at home. In fact, the school is an extension of home. A disciplined and happy child is capable of understanding the lessons taught at school. This results in the child becoming a good student and a good child. There is no tension in him. He is able to absorb not only the lessons taught but also the words of wisdom given by the teacher. Such a child becomes an asset to the family and the school.

What are the steps to be taken to bring about a sound mind in a sound body? We will approach the problem both from the home and the school points of view. Honestly we must admit that it is next to impossible to change and alter the existing educational system overnight.

We cannot close our eyes to the practical implications of the present system of education. It indeed is meant to earn a livelihood. Proper education lays stress on it. When children are free thinking and enthusiastic, their capacity to learn and earn increases.

The home front

It is imperative that the children are given a proper home environment which is conducive to positive growth and development. The role of a mother is of greater importance than that of a father, during the earlier years of a child.

A mother singing a lullaby is actually instilling a sense of music, of rhythm, of harmony of notations in the young mind. When she tells him stories, real and fictitious, she is instilling discipline, moral values and fearlessness. Children come to know from stories that the good always wins over the evil. They love the heroes of folklore because they are physically strong, morally bound and always ready to help the needy. That is why when the children refuse to eat or do exercise the parents tell them - ``If you don't eat properly and do proper exercise, how can you be a hero like..., ...''.

Therefore, it is upto the mothers to groom the children. Mothers should be educated. Motherhood is not an easy job. They should be ready to deal with any situation. Mothers can meet, exchange views, analyse problems posed by children and help each other. They should meet teachers at regular intervals to get some picture about their children in school.

For a male child, his father is always a hero because he commands respect. When the father cultivates habits which lead to violence at home, he becomes a fallen hero for the child. When there is constant fight between parents, the most affected person is the child. Children resent fights and heated arguments. This resentment, if left untackled, slowly grows deeper into the child's psyche.

The more repressed his anger, the more disobedient he becomes. The more disobedient he becomes, the more punishment he gets from the school and from home. When he grows into an adult, either he becomes a very violent person, hating the world or he withdraws into a shell avoiding everybody. In either case, the child is deprived of a normal life.

The school front

Next to parents, the teacher is the most respected and loved person for a child. A teacher's job is the most difficult one, if he or she takes it sincerely and seriously. A teacher, himself a parent or member of a family should handle a student with truth in one's mind that he/she is shaping the physical, mental and moral character of a young mind.

There are many restrictions a teacher faces. But they are only with regard to curriculum and related topics. Setting an example of character and conduct, a teacher can instil discipline in the child. A child gets attached to a teacher when the teacher is kind, lovingly disciplined and humorous. Humour is something children enjoy. Laughter is natural to them. If the lessons are taught, interspersed with jokes and light comments, children remember and retain them easily. The library period should be used to cultivate the habit of reading. Reading and story-telling sessions should form part of the library period.

Clean habits can easily be taught by the teacher. With the help of the members of the family, cleanliness thus becomes a habit for the child. Interaction with the parents or others responsible for the child pays rich dividends.

One major obstacle for a willing teacher is the number of students in each class. With 70 children, how can a teacher devote individual attention to each one of them? The management or authority-in-charge, comes into the picture here.

A class should not have more than 35 children. The management should increase the number of classes and appoint more teachers so that the children are benefited.

School atmosphere should be conducive to the all-round development of a child. The importance of physical work can be practised through gardening and cleaning the school premises. There are parents who object to such physical labour because they are ignorant of the dignity of labour. These objections disappear once the products - the children - turn out to be fearless, strong, happy and concerned individuals, ready to face challenges and contribute positively to the growth of society.

LALITHA RAMAMURTHI

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