Hyderabad: Teachers are subject to newer challenges as school students say they prefer more practical and engaging topics as they believe that this learning would be more beneficial to them in the future. Most are in favour of a teaching methodology that is filled with pictures, videos and meme-based.
Recalling the days gone by, many teachers said that earlier they had to be thoroughly prepared on the topic well and think of a simple activity that could engage students. In those days, when a student was scolded or punished, the parents or the student asked for an apology. Today, teachers cannot even use harsh words, said many teachers from the city.
Children need practical-oriented contextual teaching, said Sunita Rao, principal of a private school. She said that now teachers have a challenging job as they have to make each and every topic appealing.
Another teacher working for a private school, Akruti Dave said that earlier students would behave according to the teacher’s mood whereas now the mood of students dictated the terms. Parents are very supportive of students, irrespective of their behaviour.
She added “We are asked to first be friends with the students, which takes away three months' time at the minimum.”
The teachers are asked to resign or give a written apology to the student and the parent for saying “I will slap you if you did not study well”.
A government school headmaster, G Sharada said that the students only listen to teachers who connect with them emotionally.
“Students need counseling as most of the parents are abusive. If the teachers are polite, they would want to talk to them as friends,” she said.
Students find digital classes boring as the videos are not interesting enough.
A Class 12 student said that teachers always try to control students inside and outside the classrooms. “The school feels like a jail. We do not have a games period and there is no playground. Girls are asked not to talk to boys. A teacher once told me that he would thrash me. When I told him that he cannot talk to me like that, he called my parents and has stopped talking to me ever since.”
