BACK TO THE CLASSROOM
As far as the quest of composing remotely lucid paragraphs in English is concerned, most of us started the overwhelming task back in second grade by trying to tackle challenging (for a seven-year-old) topics such as “Myself” or “My Aim in Life”. The aim-in-life essay has been a creative dead-end for some less ambitious souls like me. Although we tried, we just could not get our heads around the innumerable opportunities that lay ahead of us and ended up writing about becoming a doctor or engineer (as mommy wanted). Some brave kids ventured further, dreaming of becoming the next Ronaldo or Tendulkar or Miss World. There was one in my class who wanted to become the President of America (confusing, really, considering he was a Bangladeshi, but never mind). Personally, though, I think the bravest were the ones who wanted to become teachers. Yes, back in those days, when we were all scrawny little kids with snotty noses, we held our teachers in awe. They were the awesomely cool people who knew the answer to everything. However, if I asked you now, how many of you would want to take up teaching as a career? Ooh look, there are about…zero hands in the air.
You have got to ask “why?” After asking around a bit, the answer seems to range from “unchallenging” to “bad pay” to “boring” to the snarky “are you freaking kidding me?” In short, most young people today think of teaching as a boring , badly paid job that does not challenge their abilities and is thus not worth their precious time and energy. Some think there are more worthwhile jobs than teaching. There are also quite a few who seem to have lost respect for this profession altogether, courtesy to coaching centres and the evolution of a highly commercialised private education sector in Bangladesh, with some people teaching solely to earn money.
But teaching can be one of the most respectable, challenging and aesthetically pleasing professions. It may not turn you into Bill Gates, but the job carries with itself an immense responsibility: shaping the future of the nation.
Think back to your favourite teachers and see how much each of them has affected you. You will be surprised to discover that you have indeed learned a great deal from them and they have contributed immensely in making you the person you are today. Even the ones you did not like (or the ones that you whine had “hated” you) have played a significant role in your upbringing. Being a teacher also requires a huge amount of knowledge and wisdom. Refer to your memories of primary school to figure that out, since being a teenager often clouds a person's judgement with unnecessary rebelliousness. As for the unchallenging part, try babysitting a couple of toddlers or a single six-year-old. Or try to hold a conversation with a pre-teen. Yeah, you will start to appreciate the people who tried to shut you up and make you learn something. According to Lubna R Kalam, “Teaching is very challenging. Controlling a class and keeping the group of students focused are skills one needs to master. It's quite stressful and sometimes class work needs to be checked at home as well. Every time you do class work you get 165 copies! But I still love teaching. No matter how hard the work is, it's worth it.”
The general apathy felt by young people these days towards teaching as a profession is an alarming development. If the profession is made into a lifeline for materialistic people who are using it as a way of making a few quick bucks (as it is slowly becoming in this country), you can imagine the effect this will have on the future generations of the nation. We will end up with a load of coaching-centre-hopping, memorising machines who are not grounded on solid concepts. To resist this trend, we need good teachers. “I strongly feel that students will not have to take help of private tutors if they have good and committed school teachers. I think that time spent going to private tutors can be much better utilised,” says Arafat Hasan.
I am not saying that we should give up on our dreams of becoming rich and famous. However, just maybe, we can also dream of turning into a legendary teacher with plenty of students who become successful in their respective fields and above all, fantastic human beings. I have had the good fortune of knowing a few people who have followed their dreams and according to them, there is no greater joy than teaching. Teaching does not have to be a part-time job or a last resort, a career to take up when all else fails, or a way to earn money by “selling” education (or rather, good grades).
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Arafat Hasan,
who teaches Economics and Law at Sunbeams School, thinks that teaching is incredibly motivational, and teachers can influence young minds positively. He decided to go against the flow and chose teaching because of the level of freedom and independence the job offers.
Lubna R Kalam,
a junior high teacher, took up the job because it offered her flexible hours and more free time, but has come to enjoy it. “Something that really charms me about this profession is that people respect you. Students, parents and other people as well treat you with honour,” she says.
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