Comments on: Merely a Teacher! http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/ Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:08:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Alka Dwivedi » Blog Archive » For the Would be Teachers http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-55344 Alka Dwivedi » Blog Archive » For the Would be Teachers Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:25:40 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-55344 [...] Chatterjee: Thanks for that article from...Suvro Chatterjee: Thanks for that article from...Tarun: Hi, Alka how are you?...Sudipta Chatterjee: [...] […] Chatterjee: Thanks for that article from…Suvro Chatterjee: Thanks for that article from…Tarun: Hi, Alka how are you?…Sudipta Chatterjee: […]

]]> By: Suvro Chatterjee http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-55301 Suvro Chatterjee Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:59:27 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-55301 Thanks for that article from one who has been a teacher by choice for 27 years now, Alka, and best wishes to Alex, who wants to become one. But Alex, especially, be warned: 1) In todays' milieu, you will have to earn respect the hard way, and that too will be partial (the kids may respect you while the parents may not!), and mixed with a lot of opprobrium and ridicule; 2) You are not very likely to make the kind of money that your talent and your labour deserves - society expects teachers to be poor or at best middle class, while it's all right for cricketers, filmstars, surgeons and lawyers to be rich; 3) To make things worse, your friends and relatives will call you a fool for having chosen such a 'bad' career, so nothing can sustain you except your own convictions and ideals; 4) Most heartrending of all, most of your students will never understand just what you did for them, or will forget quickly, or will take ages to realise and get back to say 'thank you'! 5) If you want to get rich, you will have to turn your tutorial into a sausage factory, so that all the heart and most of the mind will go out of education, and you will end up selling cram-sheets to allow vast numbers of mediocrities to get through this examination or the other. Naturally, there are few takers for the career: it's only the rejects from all other professions who fill up 90% of the posts. What that augurs for any nation's future is the thought that gives me sleepless nights. Thanks for that article from one who has been a teacher by choice for 27 years now, Alka, and best wishes to Alex, who wants to become one. But Alex, especially, be warned:
1) In todays’ milieu, you will have to earn respect the hard way, and that too will be partial (the kids may respect you while the parents may not!), and mixed with a lot of opprobrium and ridicule;
2) You are not very likely to make the kind of money that your talent and your labour deserves - society expects teachers to be poor or at best middle class, while it’s all right for cricketers, filmstars, surgeons and lawyers to be rich;
3) To make things worse, your friends and relatives will call you a fool for having chosen such a ‘bad’ career, so nothing can sustain you except your own convictions and ideals;
4) Most heartrending of all, most of your students will never understand just what you did for them, or will forget quickly, or will take ages to realise and get back to say ‘thank you’!
5) If you want to get rich, you will have to turn your tutorial into a sausage factory, so that all the heart and most of the mind will go out of education, and you will end up selling cram-sheets to allow vast numbers of mediocrities to get through this examination or the other.

Naturally, there are few takers for the career: it’s only the rejects from all other professions who fill up 90% of the posts. What that augurs for any nation’s future is the thought that gives me sleepless nights.

]]> By: Alex http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-50224 Alex Tue, 18 Dec 2007 06:30:30 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-50224 Alka, And this is the reason why i want to teach. :) Alka,

And this is the reason why i want to teach. :)

]]> By: l http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1143 l Wed, 20 Jul 2005 17:40:32 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1143 Really apt thoughts... But then what was the result of the survey...??? Really apt thoughts… But then what was the result of the survey…???

]]> By: Gangadhar Ambati http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1073 Gangadhar Ambati Thu, 14 Jul 2005 15:04:04 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1073 Well said,Alka..Nicely presented.. Well said,Alka..Nicely presented..

]]> By: Deepak Jeswal http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1066 Deepak Jeswal Mon, 11 Jul 2005 10:03:14 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1066 Ditto with Sanguine, she has summed up what i had in mind! Ditto with Sanguine, she has summed up what i had in mind!

]]> By: sanguine http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1064 sanguine Mon, 11 Jul 2005 08:03:46 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1064 sahi kaha. n i wish the teachers of today wud realize it too. some of them really screw up the kids ( for that matter even in the proffessional colleges ) .*sigh* sahi kaha.
n i wish the teachers of today wud realize it too.
some of them really screw up the kids ( for that matter even in the proffessional colleges ) .*sigh*

]]> By: utkarsh http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1060 utkarsh Sun, 10 Jul 2005 06:16:13 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1060 nice post .. as usual for you .. but it's a pity that even with such lucrative incentives as "getting the opportunity to write on a blank slate" .. people still prefer to be doctors and engineers. The reason behind that could be the money factor, other than the fact that it is one job, which has been portrayed by many ( cinema especially ) as a boring or TOOO idealistic a career option. No wonder we are short of teachers in most rural schools in India. nice post .. as usual for you .. but it’s a pity that even with such lucrative incentives as “getting the opportunity to write on a blank slate” .. people still prefer to be doctors and engineers. The reason behind that could be the money factor, other than the fact that it is one job, which has been portrayed by many ( cinema especially ) as a boring or TOOO idealistic a career option. No wonder we are short of teachers in most rural schools in India.

]]> By: Aravind http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1059 Aravind Sat, 09 Jul 2005 21:26:27 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1059 " you think a person comes in contact with so many impressionable minds? " - is an eye opener to me ....... ” you think a person comes in contact with so many impressionable minds? ” - is an eye opener to me …….

]]> By: Anand Sharma http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1058 Anand Sharma Sat, 09 Jul 2005 10:47:33 +0000 http://www.alkadwivedi.net/merely-a-teacher/#comment-1058 HI, I have always wondered how impressionability of mind diminishes with age,or does it not? Anand sharma HI,
I have always wondered how impressionability of mind diminishes with age,or does it not?
Anand sharma

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