Anyone in the field of teaching will tell you that teaching is becoming increasingly difficult. The new generation of students is becoming more and more assertive and intractable. Teaching them may turn out to be a sour experience for new recruits or those already in that field. But teaching has to be done. On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, let us reflect on what our job consists of and what we can do to make it easy and enjoyable.

Teaching can be sheer pleasure as well as a veritable uphill task. Teachers confronted with a class of 35 or more students may find their work a real drudgery if they fail to handle their class. A class is usually made up of students of different temperaments. There are those willing to learn and therefore cooperative and tractable. On the other hand there are those uninterested in their studies and therefore uncooperative. Very often a class is a mixture of these learners and teaching in such a class is no picnic.

Such a class can give teachers a tough time and make their work doubly difficult. And this situation may sour their attitude towards teaching and make them develop a distaste for the job. Yet teaching has to be done and can be done in such a class but it all depends on teachers and how they handle the situation. If they fail, there is no teaching and they become misfits.

Without class control, there is no teaching. It is a sine qua non in the process of teaching and learning. When a class is under control, fifty per cent of the teacher’s job is done. The rest is used for delivering the goods. In the absence of class management, there is no teaching and learning. Teachers just talk to the wind and tire themselves to no purpose. No attention is given to their teaching, which is frequently interrupted. Every now and then, they have to call the trouble-makers to order. Their train of thought is thus frequently interrupted and their temper begins to fray. Besides, students who are interested in learning are penalized since they are disturbed or they do not get the best of the class because of certain irresponsible classmates.

Why should the class lose because of a handful of irresponsible learners? Why should teachers be disturbed in the discharge of their duty, thus tiring themselves unnecessarily for a situation which they are responsible for?

<B>The right emotional condition</B>

Teaching and learning depend to a large extent on the climate in the classroom. The transmission of knowledge and its reception are feasible only if a good working relationship exists between teachers and pupils. The creation of the climate is the sole affair of teachers. Noone can do it for them. They are the only ones responsible for any class situation. If they want to teach and succeed as teachers, they must be able to set up the right climate for teaching and learning. And failure on their part to do so will incur them the label of a square peg in a round hole no matter how good they may be at their subject. And they will have failed lamentably in their job.

The uppermost function of teachers is the creation of the emotional climate for learning. Despite the mastery of their subject, if they fail to create the right climate, they will have failed to whet their pupils’ appetites for what they are going to dish out. Much of the teaching and learning depends upon this important factor. The right emotional condition will assist teachers in their task and help the learners to study in a disturbance-free atmosphere.

Again this is the prerogative function of teachers. Noone can do their job for them. Teacher are the decisive element in the classroom. Their personal approach creates the climate. Their daily mood makes the weather. Teachers are like captains of ships. They are the sole authority in the classroom. They dictate and should not let themselves be dictated to. But their dictates should be imbued with love, care and understanding. On no account should they appear as monsters, but as people who really care for their charges, who have their interests at heart and want them to get optimal benefit from their teaching. For this reason they will not wink at any misbehaviour or disturbance which disrupts their teaching.

<B>Psychology</B>

At this stage, dialogue is vital between teachers and pupils. Teaching does not mean writing figures and letters on the blackboard only or rattling off a lecture in front of a class, it also means educating and shaping for a better society. A talk between teachers and learners can help greatly to ease their work and bring about a smooth working relationship between the two partners. Modern teaching demands a solid dose of psychology to promote a healthy atmosphere and entente between the teacher and his charges. Since corporal punishment is strictly forbidden in class, teachers must use psychology to assist them in carrying out their duties.

Many students do not know why they are in a classroom and where they are going. Many think that they are there to day-dream, talk, disturb or put a spoke in the wheel of teachers. As teachers, it lies with us to tell students where they are and where they are going. We have to underline the paramount importance of a solid cooperation between the teacher and the learners. Cooperation is a necessity for class survival. Without the help and cooperation of learners, teachers are utterly bogged down. We should bring home to them the importance of classroom interaction. They should help us to help them. Without their assistance and cooperation there is no teaching and without teaching there is no learning. Therefore they are the sad losers.

The teaching-learning process depends upon class management, which automatically generates help and cooperation to assist teachers in doing their classes. Once we learn how to apply this principle in the classroom, we shall no doubt give teaching and learning a new dimension. We shall create the right climate conducive to teaching and learning.

<B>Raj PANEKEN</B>