Teaching, is a noble profession that molds every other profession. Since time immemorial, we have learnt about the attributes of a good teacher, yet ignored the role of teachers as counsellors. So, who is a counsellor? A counsellor is someone who understands the need of the other individual and hence, guide in attaining his/ her goal. The key words are “Understand”, “Guide” and “Goal”.
When asked people about what type of traits they can reflect of when they think of counselling, expressions like empathetic, understanding, trustworthy, reliable, kind, caring, listening, etc. are being expected. Yes, these are undeniably the strengths of upholding the best rapport between the teacher and a student. Hence, when trying to fit into all these shoes, the three most important essentials (Understand, Guide and Goal) are left unfulfilled. Now the interesting part is, in order to carry out the role of a counsellor, teachers need to be aware of themselves and answer to the question of why they have selected this profession. Did you select teaching for a short period of time until you get hold of the right one? If so, you will be busy wondering which job to try out next. Did you select teaching for the sake of rewarding salary as compared to other professions? Definitely, you’ll be in a hurry in completing the syllabus. Or was it the last option? Is there job satisfaction at all? The most important question is, “Do you enjoy teaching? Or do you even love the subject you’re teaching? “Unless we understand these questions, we will not be able to understand the students’ needs. More so, as the teachers try their best in equipping themselves as good teachers, they lose track in appreciating the students.
Similarly, every student does not go to school with the intention to educate and bring changes in the society. Some students go to school by force, some for the sake of getting the qualification certificate, a few just to get away from their home environment, others to meet their parents’ dreams, etc. Consequently with such purposes, the roles of teachers as counsellors play significant role to guide the students in the right direction.
In order to understand the students, consider them as “Emotional human beings” and not merely as “Students” , who have enlisted their names in the school to educate with flying colors. Smile, and discuss about other topics that are outside the syllabus with them. Do a lot of group activities together, which will help in building rapport with them. Yes, there are some exceptional students in a class who are expected to bring laurels to the school. However, it is wise to realize that they are not meant to win or attain every battle. Otherwise, in trying to meet all the expectations from the school, such students get lost and end up in depression in the long run. They might also suffer from identity crisis because they have spent so much time listening to the voice of other individuals. Interestingly, they might not realize the root cause of their state of mental health and blame some other issues that they’re experiencing in the present.
Another group of students tend to make their own rules in the school. The more the teachers try to correct them and talk behind their backs, the worse the relation with them becomes. These students really need someone to listen to. Therefore, lend an ear to them. Of course building rapport with them will be quite challenging. However, once the rapport has been build, they will be full of surprise packages. Each student has other stories or issues that they carry with them wherever they go. On the other hand, those students who exaggerate and panic in small things are those, who need to work on their self- esteem because their talent and skills have not been appreciated before.
Respect the students as “Students”, and not by their “Names”. Whatever the issue it maybe, it’s always good to first approach the students and discuss the matter directly with them. Only when the situation is not being handled, we can communicate with their parents, along with the students’ knowledge.
Be mindful of your emotions as well. Sometimes, when teachers are caught up with several tasks to take care of and are filled with mixed feelings, some students tend to manipulate the emotions and use it on their advantage. However, most of the teachers don’t realize that and begin to act sturdy and hence, fail to comprehend the situation.
Teacher’s role is to teach and educate the child; though unconsciously, we ignore the word “Educate” and tend to focus more on ‘Teaching”. Therefore, be mindful not to evaluate their performance solely based on the level of labor we put into preparation alone. As we strive diligently in becoming reliable teachers, we hold the students responsible for not obtaining much knowledge as expected. Consequently, while we’re busy focused on teaching, we forget to educate the students. “Everyone who remembers his own education remembers teachers, not methods and techniques. The teacher is the heart of the educational system.”(Sidney Hook)