The demographics of Indian society is undergoing a radical change with an upsurge of activity in the age group of 18- 45. Young adults are getting ready to handle the challenges of an increasingly globalised environment where traditional belief systems and insular thinking are of little relevance.
In such a scenario, teachers, especially in junior colleges, are faced with the dilemma of needing to satisfy the expectations and capture the interest of a new breed of technologically savvy students. These children have access to a flood of information and ideas from the internet, the media satisfies their every desire for titillation and excitement, and they profess to be able to argue intelligently with their seniors on any issue whether social, religious, economic or psychological.
What then should be the role of the teacher, or rather what relevance does the physical presence of the teacher have in the modern classroom? Is the teaching profession once the most lauded of roles in ancient Indian society doomed to be relegated to the status of a low paying job, sought after only by those who could not secure any other more lucrative position. Or can teachers reinvent themselves and use a more modern terminology to describe their job profile?
My contention is that if teachers enter the classroom with the idea that they are designated to play a proactive and interactive role in the student's growth and development then they will realize how crucial their contribution is to the mental and emotional evolution of their charges. No machine can replace the mature guidance, interest and concern for the welfare of the individual that well read and dedicated teachers can provide to their students.
The modern teachers should visualize themselves as talent hunters on the prey to discern the seeds of latent ability in the eager young faces sitting in village classrooms , air conditioned urban colleges, or in private and public institutions offering specialized professional courses . By introducing a state of disciplined freedom in the classroom they can encourage the youngsters to work, play and express themselves without fear of those whose job is to direct them. During the course of the constructive activities structured for them, the teachers will be able to recognize the inherent potential of their charges and encourage them to exploit their creativity and natural interests.
Instead of confining themselves to merely disseminating knowledge, teachers can influence their pupils with encouragement and example in matters of deportment, courtesy, good manners and cleanliness in dress and language. In the words of the entertainment industry they can project themselves as makeover artists or stylists. The physical appearance of an individual has as much impact on society as his emotional and mental development, and teachers can play a crucial role in shaping and structuring their pupils' appearance.
Finally as the child prepares to leave the institution to take up the challenges of financial independence, the teachers of the graduating classes become celebrity managers. Having identified the capabilities and aptitude of the children under their surpervision, the new age educationists can begin to instill in their pupils the concept of relationship between them and the work they will do. They can take steps to ensure that their students' abilities are exploited to the full and see to it that their talents are channeled into constructive and socially acceptable activities.
As E.R. Braithwaite states in his celebrated book To Sir With Love, "As teachers we can help greatly if we become sufficiently important to them ( the children) ; important enough for our influence to balance or even outweigh the evil".
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