Strange. Right!
Since I am a school teacher myself, I may be biased in my analysis. Forgive me for that and please feel free to contradict my analysis and give me an insight of your perspective on the issue.
This issue has been haunting me and my colleagues for quite some time. Let me put it across, a little systematically.
TEACHERS बनाम STUDENTS: Never before the respect for teachers has been this low. The students treat the teachers as employees whose payments come from their parents (read ‘from them’). Now a days they are not only discourteous, but disrespectful also towards their teachers. As the teacher enters the class room, they dont even want to wish the teacher. Out of habit, the teachers wish them and then lazily some of them get up and wish. The others remain sitting and busy in their own conversations. While the teachers are teaching or say trying to teach, they are busy passing chits or writing mundane things. Then during revision they want the same lessons to be repeated. Again they wont pay attention. Sadly, homework can be given but will not be done. The teacher can not scold the child (gone are the days, when they could be given a slap). At best, a note can be written in their diaries, which will never be shown to the parents. Keeping names for teachers is an age-old practice. I dont want to take away this enjoyable right from them. But at least do not give them cheap/vulgar names.
TEACHERS बनाम STUDENTS’ PARENTS: They are the ones having the biggest stake in a student’s career. Understandably, they should be most concerned in a student’s progress and hence are most demanding. Unfortunately, they also happen to be most confused and cosequently confuse the teachers also. Agreed they want the best for their children. They are also right in expecting the teachers to help them. But they dont want the teachers to be strict. By being strict I dont mean that the teachers be given a free hand to hit the children. No way. The problem is, that if the teacher raises her voice or makes the child stand in the class, she is accused of humiliating the child. Although the parents do tell the teachers to be very strict with their children, they cant tolerate any teacher being slightly strict also. She is labelled as inhuman and insensitive towards children. If one writes a note on the errant conduct of the student, to the parents, they have no time to read it. Now, very few children want to show such a note to their parents. They will only show it, if the teacher reprimands them. Obviously, the parents resent it. Fine. But then, should they not take out time to check their children’s diary!!
I wish they were clear in their heads as to what do they want and how do they want the teachers to achieve their common goal. It will help all the parties concerned.
TEACHERS बनाम THE LAW: I understand that there are laws restricting a teacher’s rights viz a viz students. A good move from the law makers. It restricts those teachers who indulge in severe punishments. There have been so many cases where the child has suffered permanent physical/emotional injury courtesy their teachers. But what about teachers!! Will you not call it humiliation of teachers when the children indulge in cat calls, back answering, or even simply refusing to do class/home work. Now, who will make laws to help the teachers in performing their duties!! Interestingly, if it is brought to the notice of parents, they refuse to believe it. I know, every child is innocent in his/her parents’ eyes. But please listen to others also. Parents must believe that the teacher is concerned about their child and hence bringing his misconduct to their notice.
TEACHERS बनाम GENERAL PUBLIC: Whenever some one meets a teacher the reactions are predictable. How lucky! Half day work! So many holidays! etc. etc. What about half salary? My generation has seen a lot of male teachers. But the growing difference in the salary of teachers and other sectors has restricted the entry of male teachers in schools. No wonder, low salary is restricting good teachers too. The ones venturing into school teaching are either too passionate about it, or (sad, but true) the ones looking for ‘some’ job as they are qualified and have time on hand. In general public’s language, they are there for ‘time pass’. Yes, this is how we all are labelled as.
Having written all this, I would like to share a few more things. I came into teaching by default. But soon started enjoying it. At present I love every bit of it. It is such a wonderful feeling to be able to influence and guide so many young ones. And the compensation is not my salary, but my students’ success. It gives immense pleasure when I see them succeeding in their respective fields.
कच्चा Lemon 
You have answered your own question in a way. You say that students in particular and society in general, don’t respect teachers but that is because now teaching is deemed a profession. Since teachers (most at least) have started teaching for money (including shifting jobs for pay hikes) I think it is fair on all that teachers be treated as any other professional workforce and be given the treatment and respect that they have earned through experience and not just because they are teachers. Students will always respect teachers who teach because they love to do so, not because they are paid to do so.
वाह! चित्त भी मेरी, पट भी मेरी!!!
You want teachers to be treated as ‘professionals’. Be it.
Pay them as any other professional. In that case, the society and parents should be satisfied as long as the teachers finish the syllabi and help the students secure good marks. We teachers should not be expected to indulge in moral and character building. The double faced society scorns at the teachers and interestingly use ‘teachers’ to terrorise their children as if each one of us is ‘Gabbar Singh’. Believe me, it was very embarrassing, when on one occasion, I joined a birthday party just to find out the children leaving the party from back door.
In that case let me tell you that teachers are actually paid at par with other professionals if you take into account half day job and the terrific vacation!
i don’t think parents expect too much moral and character building from teachers since they already thing their “little angels” are perfect… After all they find nothing wrong when a child throws a tantrum in the middle of a supermall demanding a toy or another article. Today, I believe, parents are only looking for teachers who can help their kids reach the top academically.
Terrific vacation! Did I read it right? And ‘paid at par with other professionals’!!!
Coming from you is surprising and sad. You have seen me slogging during vacations. You have seen me going with school trips. Although looks like free trips, they are not picnic for teachers. We are supposed to take care of the students stay, their food and so on. We are expected to sleep after all of them sleep and get up before anyone gets up. Simply inhuman. And when one comes back, people like you think we have come back refreshed from a pleasure trip.
And salary, the less said the better. I am about to retire and you have just started. Your income tax is almost equal to my salary.
You have voiced the anguish of a majority of committed teachers. The behaviour of young people has changed mostly for the worse, when it comes to teachers and this makes it difficult to even teach them. Due to their misbehaviour the good students also suffer. As Siddharth has pointed out, parents don’t expect teachers to teach their kids any moral values, only help them score marks.
No Zephyr, the parents are questioning the teachers while expecting the teachers to inculcate moral values in their children.
‘Why did the teacher not inform us when the child was bunking school’?
‘What was the teacher doing when the children were misbehaving?’
And so on.
I can give a long list. the problem is, that we are expected to perform with our hands tied by the prevailing laws. I have brought up two children. I am not saying that they are perfect. But they dare not misbehave with elders. I can reprimand them and show them the right way without anybody’s interference.
m speechless!! you have put today’s scenario so effortlessly.. when i was in school the scene was so so different.. there wasn’t any concept of parents-teachers meeting.. parents were allowed to come to school and meet the teachers anytime to enquire about their child’s progress.. and what they paid?? in my case it was Rs.45/3 months which comes about Rs.15/month.. for boys it used to be little more.. when i was hit by teachers with cane, no one in my family even knew about it.. i knew it will be me me and only me who will face the consequences.. they wud have have interrogated me like a police, why?? what?? how?? and so many other questions.. so i preferred not to tell them..
both of my little cousins go to international school and my uncle has to pay 6000/month i.e. 78,000 annually.. which is more than average engg college’s annual fees, i don’t know why there is this word “international”.. may be just to put the impression “we are global”..
watevr i hav read so far… my my.. plz dnt giv up teaching.. dey will all b grateful later on..
well i m..
🙂 🙂
Miss I ll only say…ignore all this…you have created a few very good human beings like us (I am counting myself :p) who would always respect a person for who that person is and not what his/her profession is or how much money he/she makes!
Reading Siddharth’s reply…well please “hadpofy” his salary hehehehe
There is quite a lot thats been written and i to an extent understand why siddharth says “Students will always respect teachers who teach because they love to do so, not because they are paid to do so.”
Since the time i’ve moved out of HHS, i have seen a lot teachers/profs who have a lot of knowledge but cant share may be due to communication issues or for any other reasons. They also tend to teach something that may be right but in a way contradicts the essence of what the books say.
This makes today’s “smart” students stick to the books to acheive the grades rather than to attend the lectures (bunking). Trust me i’ve had to see a few very good teachers whom I respect sincerely (like U, Mrs. Siraj and many more at HHS), and a few who are the cause of the apathy that you have described in the blog, and the ones that siddharth call the ones that teaching just b’coz they are paid to do so!!
Putting everything in perspective, both you and Siddharth, are right but since probably because Siddharth has seen the teachers like the ones… his opinions are such..!!
Thanks, Ram.
You no longer belong to the breed of today’s students. Even after more than 10 yrs of passing out from school, you have respect for me, when actually, I never taught you, although I was your class teacher. Students like you have made my journey as a teacher, worthwhile.
Arey baap re.. aap ne toh mujhe budha bana diya! 🙂
Mujhe school chode sirf 9 years hue hai.. but the learning keeps continuing every day! Each day, I learn new things sometimes from the ‘newbies’ in my team sometimes from others.. but the its a continuous process
As part of my job I also give training/Triages and I commend, the job of teachers truly because I realize how it is !
Dear Miss, As i see, there are a lot of factors contributing to the way the current scenario is. I am just going to try and summarise what i feel and please don’t think that I justify the behaviour. Firstly, i feel that the children that you are teaching are typically in their teens. You have taken upon yourself to teach students at their toughest, most rebellious (to the extent of being disrespectful) stage. They are at the point where they think they are adults and with no one to correct them from time to time. Hence, the attitudes are flying high from all directions. We, world wide, have moved into an age of nuclear families, mostly single children and both working parents. For the lack of genuine council at the home front, the exposure to uncensored content via internet, TV (in the name of openness promotes healthy minds) at too early an age, children assimilate all kids of things and progress to enact what they think is heroic or ‘trendy’. Since, both parents are working, they have a sense of guilt towards the children for the lack of parenthood, and hence go on to pamper them beyond their own good. Growing up, i never had a doll, and now children have an i-phone at an age of 7! With 2 salaries coming and lesser dependents, affordability is also better and that brings in more gifts / comforts as well.Having said that, i do believe that a child should be made to realise his mistakes. that does not mean indulging in corporal punishment like caning or slapping. The child should be made to run around in the ground (in turn gives him a better health) while making him realise that his mistakes wont go unnoticed… When we missed something, we wrote it 50 times, which we hated.. but it improved our writing, maybe our knowledge as well. PTA should be a must where both parents must attend – take leave from office. The society has to come up with laws which work towards family welfare and children welfare. a leave for a PTA should never be questioned at work. Finally, the last bit about salaries – I agree that there is a huge disparity. Anything related to finance has huge payoffs, but immense risks as well. while there may be greater salaries, there is an expectation of the round the clock work accountability, minimal annual leave of 10 days in most places and the risk of being fired any moment. A lot of pressure with huge risks and huge gains. Last, but not the least, every individual grows up and realizes at some time in their lives, that their school and teachers had the biggest hand in their current success and the nice memories keep their heart glowing with warmth, fond love and regards.
You are right. Today’s parents dont have time for their children. Since they are guilty of not spending ‘quantity’ time with their children, they talk about “quality” time. All an eye wash!
Actually, parents are not inculcating values in their children and are infusing disrespect for other human beings. What they dont realise is that these uncultured children will grow into wild adults.
By the way, we were discussing problems of teachers in this post 🙂
😀 Yes Miss. 🙂 Its a sorry state of affairs. the disrespect is uncalled for. But, what i hoped to do with the above comment was to try and help you ignore this stupid behaviour as best as you can, having known the root cause. Being a teacher, you will always inculcate good behaviour. But, when a student is incorrigible, you should stop paying attention to their callous talk. You can only spoon feed, but not digest it for them! But, know for a fact, that every good value you impart, gets absorbed somewhere and does make a man of a wild adult.. sooner or later!