This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 2, the second edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. Guru Sakshath Parambrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha. (tr: Guru is the creator Brahma, Guru is the preserver Vishnu, Guru is the destroyer Siva. Guru is directly the supreme spirit — I offer my salutations to this Guru.) -Adi Shankara
We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thoughts controlled
There is no sarcasm in the class room
Teachers leave them kids alone
hey teachers leave them kids alone! – Pink Floyd
Though I voted for this topic but when I sat down to write about it I found that I am a not a “student” anymore its been about decade I had anything to do with a “Shikshak” or teacher so How do I write about ‘Teachers Aaj’ part. But since this is a topic at hand I go ahead and write.
Do you think the two quotes above are inappropriate or out of place. I mean first one was written ages ago and the next one not so long ago but it holds true still today. And don’t they provide a very contrasting view.
Ok lets talk of the topic “Teachers – AajKal” or teachers now and then. Lets begin with teachers today.
Today and this today can include a decade or so more in recent past, the teaching is just like any other profession where people go to work do the work(teach) take their dues and theres nothing more to it. Do you this is wrong in this age of extreme professionalism?
I must say that my extended family has or had many teachers. My mom is a trained teacher but dropped the profession to take care of us the kids, My father is currently a visiting faculty so I have a ‘Shikshak’ at home only. And I see him work really hard to prepare notes, presentations(Few moths back my sister & I taught him MS PowerPoint) and books. But what he says is that most of the effort is not worth as noone is interested to ‘learn’.(Don’t worry guys even our teachers alleged that).
Today the teachers in private sector are paid a meager amount. So where do they get the motivation to ‘teach’, quite naturally they resort to other sources of income like tuition, writing suggestion books etc. I can talk about an incident where a college student asked the professor to teach from a particular suggestion book as it was easier for ‘him’ to study and the professor had to comply, as a complaint from the “high fees paying student” could have been detrimental for the professor’s own job itself. Sad right but true, Ok I am not trying defend or offend anyone but facts are facts. (Another allegation, now all the students must be looking for me to break my bones).
The scenario in government institutions is little different as “teachers” are selected through a ‘stringent’ selection processes and paid well but there too we have corruption. Which is used by teachers to get into ‘plum’ institutions. Like all other government employees govt. teachers too take their job complacently. Add to that the retirement age is so high. So what we get? Old & grumpy often sleepy teachers. (Now teachers are searching for me I guess).
All in all what I get is the situation is looking grim today. But is it really like that?
Now lets talk of teachers of Kal or yesterday, Now yesterday can be right from the beginning of civilization. Well in India the Guru-Shisiya (teacher-student) relation has been one of most sacred of the relations. So if we see down the lane there have been great gurus (teachers) in our mythology/history like Dronacharya, Chanakya equally great shisyas(students) Eklavya, Chandragupt. Recently I read a newspaper article where a group of high profile, well placed students of a revered teacher gifted him a new house as he could afford it. The students had paid their guru dakshina because he deserved it. I would like to express my gratitude to my English teacher for working on ‘me’ and not only improving my miserable English grades but inspiring me to keep writing in English.
So the point I am trying to make here is we should judge teachers in reflection.That is to see the quality of todays teachers we have to wait for few decades maybe when the students grow up and if they still remember or express their gratitude then we can say that they were great but by then they’ll be “Teachers yesterday” :D.
In end I would just say that teachers of today or tommorrow like yesterday will be good, bad and ugly the matter is who do you run into.
The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton are Vipul, Rajalakshmi, Ranee[1], [2], [3] , Avada, Indian Pundit, Sojo, Aneet, Pramathesh, Aativas, Sid, Pra, Ajinkya, Lakshmi, Govind, Shilpa, Bharathi, Shankar, Mytuppence, Azad, Pawan, Pankaja, Saimanohar, Guria, Shruti, Vishnu,Nasrajan and Richa. Click on their respective names to read their posts on Teachers : Aaj Kal. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.
Sep 05, 2009 @ 01:20:36
In end I would just say that teachers of today or tommorrow like yesterday will be good, bad and ugly the matter is who do you run into.
Thats the point.. Great article with nice insights:)
I hop u survive the thrashing frm both the students nd teachers.. lol
Dhiman: 😀 I hope both read this one !
Sep 05, 2009 @ 03:15:47
hello Dhiman dada
i will agree with Vipul.
Last line is perfect.
i also loved the TRIBUTE you paid to your english teacher.
Cheers.
Read my perspective on it:
http://republicofdream.blogspot.com/2009/09/teachers-now-and-then.html
Dhiman: Thank you very much for the generous comments … I am moving on to your post to read it 😀
Sep 05, 2009 @ 04:44:52
“Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara. Guru Sakshath Parambrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.” so true.. nice article.. enjoyed reading it.. “a college student asked the professor to teach from a particular suggestion book as it was easier for ‘him’ to study and the professor had to comply, as a complaint from the “high fees paying student” could have been detrimental for the professor’s own job itself.” -> this is really sad.. I never knew such things could happen
Dhiman: Thank you Ashwini …. Yes its sad but true….actually the education scenario in India specially the private sector is very pathetic but still teachers are trying best to do what they want to do!
Sep 05, 2009 @ 04:45:19
I have written a post on this.. Read my perspective too
Dhiman: Yes dear I am just hopping onto your post to read it 😀
Sep 05, 2009 @ 07:04:59
Today we have come a very long way from the cavern
it’s coz we learned a lot while life put us in a churn
can’t really blame teachers for what we couldn;t learn
for along with the oxygen everything needs a spark to burn.
Today a teacher is only a facilitator of what you want to learn. In the olden days a teacher could use her power to silence her students, now they need authority- an authority on their subjects, lest we throw the internet on them.
Dhiman: I agree with you exactly todays teacher have to face a much more aware student who can catch you easily if you are not an authority in the thing you are teaching
Sep 05, 2009 @ 08:16:05
So i was eager to see who will use to quotes from the past and you used one of those ! Goood ! i mean the the “Guru Brahma… ” part. Yet another one , let me see if anyone touched it in their topic. Overall nice thoughts. 🙂
Dhiman: Thank you Lakshmi … When started writing this one this was the thought that came first to my mind “Guru Brahma …”
Sep 05, 2009 @ 08:22:04
I really liked the way of ending the post.
Dhiman: Thank You so much….
Sep 05, 2009 @ 09:33:52
Nicely written and fully agree to who do you run into..but these days student fill the appraisals of their teachers so I really pitty on the teachers.
Dhiman: Actually its the times that the teachers are in. As you know today there are so many sources of information like mentioned by Govind…. teachers are bound to appraised far more critically …..
Sep 05, 2009 @ 12:43:37
Really good post on Teacher’s Day.. You made me remember my school days.. When we had fear of teachers, especially the principle with a wooden stick in his hands… Things are changing anf shall continue to change buddy.. May be in future there may be no teachers at all.. Just a laptop at home to teach kids…Ha Ha.. Our next generation will read all this with amazement too… 🙂
Dhiman: Thank you !!! You know what if a day like that comes when we don’t have human teachers it’ll be bad I guess…. because I feel theres nothing like a teacher teaching personally good or bad ….
Sep 05, 2009 @ 13:13:05
i love the last line…it is so true…there are teachers i’m no longer in touch wid, bu hold close to my heart and others whose i failed to ever respect. but at the end of the day…there’s something to learn from each of them…if not abt the subject matter…then a lil about life. 🙂
Dhiman: Thats what teachers are for teaching the subjects or life skills…
Sep 05, 2009 @ 17:33:12
Thanks, You made me think of my English teacher!
And true. – teachers of today or tommorrow like yesterday will be good, bad and ugly the matter is who do you run into.
Dhiman: Ya Sojo I owe a lot to my English teacher….
Sep 05, 2009 @ 17:58:55
As like many, I too liked your last mine. btw you started well aswell.
Dhiman: Thank you so much!
Sep 05, 2009 @ 18:57:52
good post! Now a days corruption is everywhere and it had not spared the teaching field! Still we have some great teachers today! happy teacher’s day to your father!
Dhiman: Thank you so much ! Corruption is the biggest ailment of this country….
Sep 05, 2009 @ 19:12:46
I guess, the last line, sums up the topic so very aptly!!
An interesting post with great insights!! 🙂
Dhiman: Thanks Shilpa ! I am glad that I could convey my thoughts …
Sep 05, 2009 @ 20:28:12
A very nice post dhiman… very impressive start…good flow through the middle and nice ending which gives a brief about the topic…and which reflects your points very well…. a very nice post….. all the best buddy.. hope you get enough votes to win Blgo-a-ton 2….
Dhiman: Thank you so much Shankar and honestly the pleasure for me has been in participating in Blog-a-ton and the fact that I have received such encouraging comments are beyond my expectations …
Sep 05, 2009 @ 20:55:43
The first words make u d winner man…who wud have thought…Adi Shankaracharya and pink floyd…superb!!!
Dhiman: Thanks Sid…and these are two quotes came to my mind first when I wanted to write this post…and yes Your post was very unique I liked it very much…
Sep 05, 2009 @ 21:01:16
Nice article.
Dhiman: Thanks a ton!
Sep 06, 2009 @ 11:11:41
What a way to begin and what a way to finish?!
Am completely impressed with the way you have dealt this!!
Check out my attempt on this!
Dhiman: Thank you Shruti 😀 you too did with great elan 😀
Sep 06, 2009 @ 19:25:40
Pink Floyd’s The Wall and the Guru shloka! Great way to go! And I really agree, I learned that, a good teacher is something whom you find or run into. Like everything else, there’s the bad and there’s the good! But there is no alternative to one (good teacher). 🙂
All the best for Blog-a-Ton2 !! 🙂
Dhiman: Thank You ! All the best to you too 😀
Teachers: Now and Then « Stung by the splendor of a crazy thought
Sep 07, 2009 @ 07:50:48
Sep 07, 2009 @ 11:39:45
I’ve often thought about what motivates us teachers, Dhiman, especially in these days of “bottomline education.”
I think the reward is the same through the ages: that one moment of shell-shocked expression of realisation and self-discovery in a student’s eyes will make any true teacher give up his/her salary for a year!
“Teaching” is never about money. The business of being a teacher is different from the experience of teaching. You are so right about us having to wait a couple of decades before we can make pronouncements of the present lot of teachers.
The guru-shishya tradition is not dead. It cannot die. I suspect that in every age and time, there are and have been both “teachers” and professionals involved in the business of teaching. Every student has had and will have experience of both.
I liked your post very much.
Ranee
Dhiman: I am glad that you like my post !!! I have to agree because I have seen my sister who had taught little kids in a local school quite sometime back and used to talk about a boy whose father was a small time grocer yet the kid was very bright but the school has long closed down yet my sister always says that she hopes that boy could continue his studies as he needed it and would ‘shine’ one day !!! So as we remember our teachers I think they too remember us which is really amazing… I feel !
Teachers – Aaj Kal | Ginger Chai
Sep 07, 2009 @ 18:30:33
Sep 07, 2009 @ 21:25:19
Your post reflects the reality. great post..keep blogging
Dhiman: Thank you for the appreciation !
Sep 07, 2009 @ 22:37:46
Hey good comparision of the past, present and future scenario. Its a vicious cycle of the system, teachers and students which needs to be corrected to get a better tomorrow
Dhiman: You in the various posts on this issue I find that what is coming up…. our society in general should learn from the past experiences and keep improving…automatically teacher/student relationships too will improve
Sep 08, 2009 @ 05:02:48
I feel ‘teaching’ is now confined to coaching classes alone. Nicely written article
Dhiman: I agree with you I have seen whole class going for tuition which is really bad…
Teachers : Now and Then… | Miles to go..
Sep 09, 2009 @ 08:51:57
Sep 09, 2009 @ 09:31:34
An award awaits u! Chk out my latest post
http://vineetazdiary.blogspot.com/2009/09/thanks-to-all-my-bbs.html
Dhiman: I humbly accept the award I am honored Thank You!
Sep 09, 2009 @ 09:47:28
Good one.. 🙂 Especially, the “waiting factor” associated with the teachers today. I have worked as a teacher 5 years back. One thing I have experienced is, it is very difficult to gain respect in this era of information explosion. Kids respect only those teachers who can outrun their knowledge and info. But, once the respect is gained, everything is in your hands. 🙂
Dhiman: Gr8 to know about your experiences 😀 . I think its justified enough I mean respect should be ‘earned’ right 🙂
Teachers – Now and Then « SCRATCH YOUR SOUL
Sep 09, 2009 @ 12:46:17
Sep 09, 2009 @ 20:16:43
My concept of choosing this topic was exactly wht u hv written and that is that past or present teachers cannot be classified as good or bad as the time goes
Dhiman: I think thats what has come out ultimately from all the posts….That there’s good & bad in every age and time but its only the good that is remembered …
Sep 10, 2009 @ 01:44:42
good article
teachers are automatically respected when they show the knowledge.
Dhiman: Now-a-days thats more because today’s children are much more aware and informed so a teacher has to have more knowledge than the students to be respected…
Sep 10, 2009 @ 04:12:45
Hey I have tagged you for something. check out my site and complete it.
Dhiman: Checked will do it soon !!!
Sep 10, 2009 @ 12:59:38
nice article …. extremly well put forth the concept called Teacher
Dhiman: Thank you so much 😀
Sep 13, 2009 @ 20:44:19
Interesting post with nice insights!
The quality of teachers are going southwards with every passing day. These days… if someone cannot get a job… they join teaching… and the results are there for all to see. Unfortunately! The education system in India has become a casulty of politics/power/commerce nexus. Sadly!
Dhiman: Exactly … my father was also complains the same thing actually he is sometimes frustrated with the conditions…
Teachers: Now and Then » Ash's Cerebrations
Mar 30, 2013 @ 03:40:19