Students do what you do, not what you say!
If you’ve been in the teaching profession for long, you may have already known by now that students are keen observers. And not only are they keen observers, but they are terrific imitators as well! Some students love doing what their teachers do. And that’s exactly why it is upon the teacher to make a positive impact on his students.
As much as we as teachers would want the students to be punctual, sincere, and hardworking, if we fail to meet up to their expectations, we may end up becoming an object of ridicule. The aphorism ‘Practise what you preach’ sums up what is being said here. As teachers, you need to set an example by being punctual, sincere, and hardworking. Students should want to be like you, and for that, you have to traverse the extra mile.
‘It is interesting to note that some teachers chastise the students for being late for a session, but they themselves seldom adhere to the timings,’ says Sr Joseline, former principal of a leading convent school in Mayur Vihar Phase - III, Delhi. ‘I have always stressed that punctuality is the topmost priority for a teacher,’ she adds. That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? ‘With what right can we scold the students if we ourselves make the mistakes we want them to correct?’ says a teacher who requests anonymity. ‘I have never asked my students to do things that I have found hard to do,’ he adds, letting out a laugh.
Some learners, nevertheless, feel that they would accept their follies if their instructors set a precedent. ‘I admire my Statistics professor. He has never been absent, and even now, he is delivering excellent online classes. I just hope he stays well,’ says Maria Thomas, a B Com student. Shashank Negi says he can’t agree more with what Maria says. ‘I think she has a point. A lot of us do what the teachers do. We hardly do what they say,’ he says.
No doubt teachers have to show their relevance. To do so, they have to stick to their words. A teacher who doesn’t mince words or go back on what he said is widely revered and admired, but a teacher who doesn’t follow his own pieces of advice is sure to face criticism and rightly so.
If you're a teacher, feel free to share whether any of your students have followed on your footsteps. If yes, what are the qualities you think such students look for in you?
As much as we as teachers would want the students to be punctual, sincere, and hardworking, if we fail to meet up to their expectations, we may end up becoming an object of ridicule. The aphorism ‘Practise what you preach’ sums up what is being said here. As teachers, you need to set an example by being punctual, sincere, and hardworking. Students should want to be like you, and for that, you have to traverse the extra mile.
‘It is interesting to note that some teachers chastise the students for being late for a session, but they themselves seldom adhere to the timings,’ says Sr Joseline, former principal of a leading convent school in Mayur Vihar Phase - III, Delhi. ‘I have always stressed that punctuality is the topmost priority for a teacher,’ she adds. That makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it? ‘With what right can we scold the students if we ourselves make the mistakes we want them to correct?’ says a teacher who requests anonymity. ‘I have never asked my students to do things that I have found hard to do,’ he adds, letting out a laugh.
Some learners, nevertheless, feel that they would accept their follies if their instructors set a precedent. ‘I admire my Statistics professor. He has never been absent, and even now, he is delivering excellent online classes. I just hope he stays well,’ says Maria Thomas, a B Com student. Shashank Negi says he can’t agree more with what Maria says. ‘I think she has a point. A lot of us do what the teachers do. We hardly do what they say,’ he says.
No doubt teachers have to show their relevance. To do so, they have to stick to their words. A teacher who doesn’t mince words or go back on what he said is widely revered and admired, but a teacher who doesn’t follow his own pieces of advice is sure to face criticism and rightly so.
If you're a teacher, feel free to share whether any of your students have followed on your footsteps. If yes, what are the qualities you think such students look for in you?