Teachers have the power to guide, direct, and influence what will become of us tomorrow. The job’s responsibilities transcend beyond class hours to the way the teacher holds up as role models. The relationship between a teacher and a student must be based on respect from both ends. With just a few words of encouragement and a bit of guidance, a teacher can transform and inspire a student’s life in a constructive way.
A large portion of our lives are spent in academic institutions. Hence, developing a student-teacher relationship based on mutual respect is essential. Although, the student-teacher relationship is vital for intellectual and mental growth of students, the whole value system seems to be going astray. The blame rests on both ends.
Teachers today have commercialised their profession. The profession has now become a source of business. Teachers show inefficiency in academic institutions to gain monetary benefits from private tutoring. Teachers of higher level education seem to be indifferent, and their responsibilities seem to be confined within the exam syllabus. On the other hand, students are also becoming careless and disrespectful. The commercialisation of the profession in unison with the negligence of students can hinder the potential of a promising generation.
The teaching method may also be a fundamental cause of the sour relationship. In our country, learning is still confined within books rather than practical knowledge. Thus, this leads to monotony. Students lack interest in attending classes and learning something new. In such a situation, the students are also at fault.
Teachers, who venture out of the textbooks and adapt non-conventional methods to test the concepts, are scorned by the students. Students often show disapproval when a teacher imparts moral lessons or establishes strict rules.
Nowadays, an ideal student-teacher relationship has become rare. Students seem to be mostly driven by the need for good grades. Hence, they mechanically memorise without fully understanding the concepts. At the same time, teachers simply distribute handouts or notes. Teachers are unwilling to experiment with unique teaching styles for effective learning. Field trips, interactive classes, or introduction of new teaching methods are practiced by few.
In the leading universities of Bangladesh, the education system has much more space for efficient operation. In most reputed universities of the developed countries, the practice of teachers writing research papers or books is significantly prevalent. However, in our county, very few teachers are associated with academic writing.
Academic writing holds great value in terms of intellectual development and has universal recognition. Establishing such a trend will enhance academic excellence of both of the teachers and students. Meritorious students will get the opportunity to work as research assistants. This will be motivating and also assist in future academic life.
While negligent students are the cause of such a trembling rapport, some teachers are guilty of misusing their authoritative position. Teachers are often careless when students bunk classes. The tendency of the students’ absenteeism is re-enforced when teachers themselves miss classes without prior notice. Often times, students come from distant places. An unannounced cancellation of class is a source of discouragement and disappointment.
In other cases, teachers expect students to simply obey them. They set unreasonable submission dates and impose impractical rules. However, what should be done is to come up with reasonable solutions fit for all. In order to relate to the youth, some teachers discuss inappropriate issues which contrarily set the wrong standard. A few teachers have also made undesirable headlines. Misuse of their authoritative power has resulted in severe mental and physical assault. As a society, we cannot forgive them.
Society’s outlook on the profession of a teacher plays a substantial role. The status of a teacher in our society has been deteriorating over the years. A teacher’s significant contribution in building the nation’s future is consistently undermined and overlooked. With so many lucrative career options, the value and respect of this profession seem to be gradually decreasing. Although teaching is one of the most respected professions requiring immense knowledge and dedication, a child is hardly ever encouraged to be a teacher.
The relationship between a teacher and a student should be built on respect, care, and friendship. It shouldn’t one that induces discomfort or fear. In order to enhance the student-teacher relationship and to develop an effective learning process, it is essential for parents, students, and teachers to work together.
