Giving Knowledge From Syllabi Is Not Enough

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1. Tell us more about your experience as an educator.

Teaching is one of the respectable professions among many, so is the feeling of being an educator. Though it was quite challenging in the beginning, challenges make us crazy to work further. The same thing happened with me as well and I traveled the journey from challenge to satisfaction of being an educator. Being a mentor gives a feeling of pride and pleasure.

2. What is your opinion of the Indian education system and how would you like to change that?

The Indian education system on the one end is the toughest if followed religiously, but on the other hand, has several loopholes that make it easy to attain degrees. This puts the Indian Education System at stake. With the new Education policy 2020, the education system in India will go through radical changes, but the changes cannot take place overnight, it is going to be a gradual process. The time has come to impart more practical knowledge to the students and skilling them up not only for a job but for life as well.

The new education policy may drive us to this path but this requires acceptability from the side of industrialists, educators, students, and parents. The stakeholders now need to be made aware of new systems while welcoming upgrades as and when required.

3. What changes in the teaching methodologies have you seen in recent times?

Recent times are considered as one of the most challenging and horrible times for the human species in the last hundred years. Due to crises, things changed upside down and it took a lot of effort to carry out learning during these days. The educators learned new methods of delivering lectures. All the educators had to become tech-savvy overnight. The educators have now understood that it is difficult to ensure learning through online classes so they are trying all sorts of technologies.

To include a touch of humor and keep class alive and more interactive they are discovering new modes of delivering lectures for every class. Online classes are challenging but open up a new world of systems and technological inclusion in learning. Be it videos, 3-D images, annotations, or speaking during lectures or providing the recorded sessions, everything is good enough now to ensure learning.

4. How does education help one do well in their career?

This is a known fact that education contributes to the career of every individual but it is a gradual process of learning, understanding, developing creativity & thinking. The educational process brings maturity as we keep on gaining experiences. Education is not only getting knowledge from books but also developing one’s social skills. It helps to develop an understanding of dealing with others, identifying not only your well-wishers but also back biters.

Education also makes you competitive and inculcates the skills of staying ahead in the competition. It helps to identify and creation of opportunities for yourself by developing a vision for the future. Education a long term process and you grow up with gaining an understanding of surroundings with education.

5. Do you think teaching as a profession is viewed at par with corporate jobs?

Of course yes in the current scenario! Gone are the days when teaching was easy or single role job. The teaching profession has extended to a number of additional activities. Now teachers are no more ‘teachers’ only. They are researchers who identify issues in the surrounding, get deepen into them, and suggest solutions for the betterment of society.

The teachers are now administrators as well as taking care of all other tasks considered necessary for student development and well being. They are mentors, counselors, guides, and philosophers for their students. Teacher’s job is not restricted to their colleges only but gone beyond the boundaries. They are working on a global level for enhancing self-learning and transferring it to students.

They need to inculcate the habit of competitiveness among pupils along with sharpening their skills to meet out the competition. In fact, in comparison to other corporate jobs, it is a far more customers (students) oriented job.

6. How can we adopt technology to make teaching more effective?

Technology is an ocean of opportunities. We need to choose wisely what to include and what not to. In the first instance, technology provides opportunities for more self-exposure and learning. You need not move places for gaining knowledge. The knowledge is available at your desk in the form of a laptop or in your hand in the form of your phone. A decision has to be made regarding which information is authentic.

There are hundreds of ways particular information is explained but which one is to be considered, will guide you in a right or wrong direction. Similarly, the information is available for students also but not all of them are wise enough to find out which information is right and which is wrong. Here the educator’s importance comes in to play. They use technology not only for lectures but also to get students to prepare their assignments.

In fact, all researches are based upon the internet as it is the easiest way to find out what others have done in your area of research. The teachers guide students on how to search and extract the right information. The educators use videos, graphics, PowerPoint presentations, and other modes to ensure maximum understanding.

7. Why does India need more educators like you?

Being a teacher one needs to develop an empathetic understanding with their pupils. The teacher should have the ability to relate core concepts with practice. Education is one way of teaching students but giving knowledge from syllabi is not enough, a real teacher knows real-life requirements and mold students accordingly. The educators must understand when a student requires their guidance and work upon uplifting those who look down on themselves meanwhile encouraging those who can excel in their studies.

An educator possessing the skills of a counselor and mentor is hard to find. Furthermore, the educator has a reputation in the international arena as a renowned researcher adds value to the education system.