Relation of Teachers with Students, Parents and Superiors

A. Teacher and His Students

(i) It is said, ” A teacher is in locoperent is (the second parent)”. He must know the child fully well. The teacher’s work is to discover student’s abilities, interests, aptitudes, likes and dislikes. There should be no scope to misunderstand the child. And in order to understand the child he may have to come down to the level of the child. The teacher should not hesitate to mix freely with the child.

(ii) The teacher must the child; he should sympathies with his fundamental needs and take genuine interest in him.

(iii) Teacher’s behaviour with child should neither be stern and rigid so as to make himself unapproachable. He must himself not rule by fear. India’s Late President Dr. Zakir Hussain says, “The teacher’s task is not to dictate or dominate, he is to help and serve to understand and shape in faith, love, and reverence – yes reverence for the child. Teachers like these can be trusted in our Indian education which alone can bring about the change in our society”.

(iv) He must shun 19th century egotism, false dignity and vanity. He should be able to come down to the level of the pupils. No rebukes should there be on his tongue, and no cane in his hand.

(v) His behaviour should be exemplary. He must act as a model for the pupils and must do nothing himself that he forbids his pupils to do. He must avoid smoking, drinking, gambling, spitting, quarrelling etc. and all such un worthy actions.

(vi) He must be able to inspire the pupils to learn more and more. It is well said, there are no dull and hard subjects, there only dull and hard teachers.

(vii) Tact is another word for common sense. The teacher should be tactful in his dealings with the pupils. He must make judicious use of praise and blame. He must sometimes pat them and sometimes pull them by ears.

(viii) He should neither flatter nor be amenable to flatterer.

(ix) The teacher must pay individual attention towards backward, abnormal and problem students. No body should feel neglected at his hands.

(x) Teacher should be firm believer in fair dealings. Any display of favouritism is detrimental to the best interests of the pupils. The teacher is not only an instructor and task­master; he is a helper and guide to the students.

B. Teacher’s Relation with Colleagues

(i) Teaching is a cooperative enterprise. So a teacher must be able to pull on well with the members of the staff as family members. He should avoid back-biting, unnecessary interference in the tasks assigned to others, criticism of teaching ability of others, untoward behaviour towards colleagues in the presence of pupils. The teacher should be tolerant. He should refrain from speaking ill of a fellow teacher. A desire for self- aggrandisement is to be deplored.

(ii) A teacher out of frustration may criticize the school system in which he works. The older teacher need not fear criticism from young co-workers and the beginners should develop an attitude of respect towards the older colleagues. There are some teachers who carry tales to one teacher against another. This should be discouraged for good of all concerned.

C. Teacher’s attitude towards Superiors

(i) Teachers must work with headmaster or inspecting officer in a spirit of friends understanding and cooperation. Sometimes the headmaster or supervisor creates unhealthy reactions in the minds of the teachers through deliberate partiality and prejudices. Still the teachers should show some breadth of vision and toleration in accommodating the superior officers.

(ii) The teacher may feel irritated over petty matters when he is asked to do a particular work in a particular way that he does not like. He may not able to appreciate the decision of the headmaster and may hold quite opposite views still he should try to have perfect understanding with his superiors-

(iii) The teacher should not entertain any secret hostility and should not say anything dishonouring the headmaster. Even in the staff meetings, he may express difference of opinion but once the decisions have been arrived at it is his moral binding to carry out the decisions.

D. Teachers and Parents

(i) Teachers should have intimate relationship with the parents in the interest of pupils. Teacher may know the pupil better if he knows his parents and his family background. So he should take all measures to have a better contact with the parents of students.

(ii) It is the duty of teachers to educate parents also. He should arrange special lectures, film show, exhibition etc. in the school where the parents should be invited.

(iii) The teacher should understand the financial position of the parents. The teacher should help the students in providing financial aids, scholarships, medical aids and in procuring books, papers and stationeries at concession rates.

E. Teacher and Community

(i) The school springs from the community and works to enrich it. The teacher should re-establish this much forgotten relationship.

(ii) The teacher should not entertain the wrong notion that community has nothing to contribute to the school substantially. If the teacher is resourceful, he can approach the local Doctor, the Engineer, and the Postmaster, the carpenter or weaver and tap the resources of such society members for the benefit of school. The teacher should establish fullest contact with the community. He should make the school a community centre.