Love is timeless; it has existed before you, and it will last after you. It is said that love grows by sharing. Love yourself and spread that love, and if you are a teacher, it is one of the indispensable values for you. It is giving your best without expecting anything in return. It is a feeling of a strong attraction and emotional attachment. It helps to gain the confidence of your students. It opens the door to conversation.
I share one of my experiences. Dakee, a quiet girl from my House at school, was an excellent basketball player. She was passionate about her game and never used to miss her practices. One day a teacher brought to my notice that she had missed her prep (self-study time). It shocked me as she was a disciplined girl, very particular about her studies. As she was new to the school, I thought she was not aware of an additional prep during the Half Yearly exams.
At night I was waiting for her in the dormitory; she came and threw her books on her bed.
I share one of my experiences. Dakee, a quiet girl from my House at school, was an excellent basketball player. She was passionate about her game and never used to miss her practices. One day a teacher brought to my notice that she had missed her prep (self-study time). It shocked me as she was a disciplined girl, very particular about her studies. As she was new to the school, I thought she was not aware of an additional prep during the Half Yearly exams.
“So good that you’re here with your books,” I said to Dakee. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Would you like to talk? You look unhappy, or are you upset?”
“I don’t want to talk to you, to anyone. Leave me alone.” There was silence. The clock could be heard ticking softly on the wall.
“Not a good time to talk, I can see that,” I replied.” But if you ever want someone to listen, if you ever want someone to try and understand, sign me up, coach.” There! You could actually see some of her anger melting as she quietly moved to her bed. What had happened? What was essential but invisible to the eye?
Dakee wasn’t angry with me but with that teacher who had called her in for prep as she was playing basketball. That had made her furious. I felt compelled to drop a pebble in the pond and see where the ripples went. The reason was simple: she couldn’t concentrate on her studies till she had her evening games. Perhaps love is the ability to see more deeply, understand the changes in the lives of the teenagers, and know that love heals their wounds when all else has failed.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou.
So it is love that will help bring quality in the class, create a happy environment in the class, a solid student-teacher relationship, good communication skills, listening skills, patience and a friendly attitude.
Rachna Bharrdwaj - The Doon Girl’s School, Dehradun