We interviewed some teachers and asked them what they wished their students knew.
Putting Teachers To A Test
“Kids, 5th September is celebrated in India as Teacher’s Day. Now, repeat that after me.” If you have ever been a student, and you obviously have, then you know how important this day is. Every year, students in schools try to make this day special for their teachers and their mentors. Some of us have dressed up as teachers and gone and taught younger classes while others have scripted elaborate programmes and events dedicated to our teachers.
Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, whose birthday we celebrate as Teacher’s Day, probably did not have this in mind when he was born, let us presume. Now, Teacher’s Day is an entirely different ball game. All of us have heard touching tales of students and their love for their professors, those are the things that fairy tales are made of. For the rest of us, Teacher’s Day holds different memories. Have you ever thought of what Teacher’s Day means to the other side of humanity, the Teachers themselves?
#1. “We Teachers Hate Teacher’s Day!”
Did you know that a lot of teachers actually don’t like Teacher’s Day? We, at University Times decided to ask a number of teachers and professors a number of questions, put them through our tests. All of us have seen our dear mentors get so frustrated at times with their students, when their anger is palpable and you can nearly see the steam blowing out of their ears.
This time, we asked them what are the few things that they wished students knew, that would make their life easier or their day a little brighter. From what we gathered, it is quite clear that we dear students seriously underestimate our teachers. Naturally, they are much smarter than us and the joke’s on us if we believe that they don’t see through the nonsense that we take unfailing amounts of joy in flinging at them.
#2. “Is Expecting Students To Know Spellings Expecting Too Much?”
Clearly, as students we go to our schools or colleges to learn – new things and concepts, textbook lessons and life lessons. However, what are some of the things that they expect us to know before we walk into class? “We want students to know basic history, current events, spellings and language. Is that too much to ask?” says Susan George, teaching assistant at St. Xavier’s College.
As far as we are concerned, our knowledge is complete, no matter what our teachers say. After all, trust thy self, right? To this, the head of the English Department at St. Xavier’s College, Dr. Sarvar Sherrychand defers “Today’s generation thinks that they know everything, but in fact they should ‘know that they don’t know’ anything! This acceptance is missing, and to learn is why you come to an educational institute in the first place!”
#3. “Please Don’t Open Your Lunchboxes, You’re Not In School Anymore!”
All of us have, at some point or the other, taken a lot of pride in the fact that we managed to hoodwink our teachers. We’re late but come up with an excuse that we find convincing, hooray for us. Class hasn’t ended yet but the teacher has stopped teaching, that’s our party time. Ever wondered what teachers think about that? “Every year, I see students behave as if they are still in school. If they still have time before the class ends, they would open their lunch boxes. They feel embarrassed to get their own lunch box but they don’t mind attacking the present lunch boxes in class. Its funny and irritating at the same time!” says Pinky Desai, the Economics professor at St. Xavier’s College. We will think twice before opening our lunch boxes in class now, won’t we?
#4. “They Made Me A Doodle!”
Lectures are the one time when the inner Picasso in each one of us decided to take a peek out into the real world. There probably isn’t a single bench in the world or a single last page in a notebook that hasn’t been graced by a student’s doodle. Sometimes, our teachers receive the honour of being featured in our art work. Unsurprisingly, they look for accuracy in those doodles as well. “Once, in a first year class, I found two students doodling in their book on the last bench. I walked up to them and asked for the book and what I discovered was impressive and enraging at the same time! They had actually made my sketch! On the surface, I HAD to appear angry but I was also impressed by their talent as the sketch was exactly like me! I did look for similarities in it, but they thought I was angry!” says Arefa Mansuri, guest lecturer of psychology at the Psychology Department, Gujarat University.
#5. “We Also Hate Assignments! And exams!”
One of the main reasons why students often curse educational institutions and teachers is exams and assignments. However, it comes as a surprise to us that teachers aren’t a big fan of them either. “Teachers hate exams too! And assignments, they are made to punish teachers!” says Susan George. “Students give reasons like power cut at their place, fight with their boyfriend or girlfriend, parents being ill and they also write love letters to us, along with some money and request us to pass them in the given exam!” says Dr. Rupal Mankad, associate professor at DGT College. Come to think of it, after some of the absolute madness that we throw our professors’ way in the name of exam answers and assignments, you can’t blame them for finding it a headache, can you?
#6. “Like We Don’t Know Who You’re Into. Meh!”
College is an especially fruitful time for some of us. Not for any academic purposes, let me inform you. College is the place where ‘love tends to bloom’ season after season. Students tend to find more interest in their classmates than ever, be it for the purpose of love, or for gossip, or for other unmentionable needs. We carry on, hoping and believing that our clandestine flower-y moments have gone by, unnoticed. Our “private” lives are not so private though, informs Pinky Desai, “These students think that we don’t know who they like or are trying to build a connection with. I’ve often noticed students pulling braids and not only that; students look through that teacher at “someone” and trying so desperately to communicate. The teacher is frustrated AND CANNOT COMMENT ON IT, BUT HEY, WE KNOW, and WE ALWAYS KNOW!” Just like the scene in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai where they talk about “Pyaar Dosti Hai,” the teacher is always there, observing!
#7. “We Also Know About Your Phones. Yes, You, I’m Talking To You.”
Cellphones are one thing that has caused innumerable clashes between teachers and students in class. This device has the power to control the attention of students in class, and distract and disrupt a teacher as well. Just imagine, a serious lecture is well in progress, and all of a sudden, a loud cry of “Aayi Chikni Chameli” pierces the silence. This has invariably happened to every professor. Over and above that, we pretend that it wasn’t our phone at all. If we’re lucky, our phone remains on silent mode and thus we can take a peek at our beloved’s text messages under the bench.
Is it really a sneak peek though? “Once, I caught a student texting and casually, as if I was still talking about the chapter, I told that person to keep it away. The entire class, except the concerned individual realized that I was taunting the student! However, after class, the cell phone student couldn’t believe that I had caught him and asked me if I possessed a third eye or something!” says Khushnuma Banaji, Department head of Psychology at St. Xavier’s College. The fact remains that they can make things out by observing our shoulder movements, leg movements and even the reflection off our glasses!
#8. “How Can You Forget Your Roll Number? Really?”
The transition from school to college is not easy, and it takes the ickle first years nearly the entire first year to get into the groove of college. Generally, it is a period of awkwardness, adjustment and a fair amount of pretence, intentional or not. If you think about it, it must be quite entertaining to watch from a teacher’s point of view. “I cannot believe the first years! The worst thing that they do is they forget their roll number! They forget it every time- during attendance and during exams! However, it seems that they can always remember their friend’s number and think that it’s their roll number!” says Arefa Mansuri.
#9. “We Also Want To Bunk Classes!”
While teachers have a lot to teach us, there are so many things that they learn from us and not necessarily good things either. In this exchange, certain things get taken for granted, like the sheer knowledge of physical hygiene in students. Susan George gives students advice on certain things that she wishes students knew, which would make her teaching experience much smoother. “Bath and deodorants are good. Nose picking in class is gross! Don’t Scratch! We also love the snooze button. We need food, loo breaks, sex and sleep just as much as you do. We also want to bunk classes and hang out!”
When we think of it all together, teaching really isn’t the easiest job. Again, we don’t make it any easier either. But then what fun would school or college be if students functioned smoothly and everything was a piece of cake? This is probably something that no teacher will admit to, but they like the chaos that educational institutes carry along with them like a brand mark. On this day dedicated to our teachers, let try to make their jobs a little more fun than usual, bring those smiles back onto their beautiful faces. If for nothing else, then at least for the sake of that one free lecture that we all would die for!
