How to be a good teacher.

To be able to understand that, you first need to know how to be a bad teacher. Consider the following conversation (based on an actual incident):

Student: Sir, I have a doubt. Why can't we...

Teacher: Do you know about X ?

Student: I'm sorry I don't. (with regret) But why can't we do that if we go by this, "...."(tries to explain)

Teacher: Do you know about Y ? (frustrated)

Student: I'm sorry, neither that. I guess the real problem is that I don't know the terms you are talking about.(more regret)

Teacher: How can I tell that when you don't know a thing about anything? What do you do to improve your knowledge? When you want to know about this you got to have a basic knowledge of something. This is not what you expect from a student of your age. (frustration and anger)

Student: ...speechless...(Thinking I really shouldn't have asked him) Sir, do you want me to learn about them first? (tries to withdraw)

Teacher: I just want this to get over with, give you grades and let you go!(extreme frustration)

Student: ...puzzled...

So what went wrong? First identify the following:

1. The student is willing to get his doubts clarified, thereby increasing the frustration.
2. The student is curious to know about things he doesn't know, but asking questions seems to frustrate the teacher.
3. The teacher is unwilling to get down to the student's level and explain.
4. The teacher never answered the real question "why can't we..."
5. Remarks like the last one are rude, outrageous, disgusting and can have a negative impact.

The wrong on teacher's side is that he could have replied in variety of ways and made an attempt to explain the answer. Some are:

• Student: Sir, I have a doubt. Why can't we... Teacher: That's because...
• Student: I don't know about X. Teacher: Okay. So then I need to explain what X is. Well X is nothing but ....
• Student: Sir, do you want me to learn about them first? Teacher: Yes. That will explain why can't we do that. So read about A,B, ...

As we see, the whole idea is not to make the student realize that he knows nothing and he is a fool. The attempt is to first understand where the student has a problem and then try to correct him and explain it to him. If he is unable to grasp that, then present the solution in a simpler way. And if still he is unable to understand, the provide him the grounds and show him the way that he should follow. And not get frustrated over such petty matters. Its in realizing that your getting frustrated or angry will make you less approachable.

Its sad how some teachers just don't realize this. Teaching is an art, and more than that, an art that requires patience and will. You just can't go to a plant and get angry as to why ain't its branches blossomed with flowers and laden with fruits. You have to give it water and wait for it to grow to become a tree. That's how teaching should be. And not just teaching, but many day to day things.

We all must have heard the classic analogy between a potter and a teacher. A potter slaps, changes and bends the pottery from outside but also provides support from the inside, concerned as to not break it, and to give it the right shape. What good are you if you can't provide that support...That's what separates a good teacher from others.

Inspiration: "How to have a fruitless debate" - Ethical Toolbox by Anthony Weston.