Role of a teacher in shaping a child’s personality

Noornika Khuraijam
Human beings in general are varied in nature. Our genetic configuration, our different upbringing, makes each one of us unique and special. Along the same lines, children are varied and different from one another. One child may be outgoing and confident while another may be shy. One may have a natural talent in music, another in sports. The qualities and special gifts that a child has are best nurtured and highlighted with the help of parents and caregivers.
It is in this regard that a teacher’s role in a child’s life becomes increasingly important. The teacher has an extremely sensitive and profound role in shaping a child. It is in the teacher’s presence and guidance that a child gingerly steps into a completely new experience of classroom-learning, amidst his/ her peers. It can be a new and daunting experience. It is here, especially in primary school going children that the teacher plays a crucial part in shaping the child’s confidence and self esteem.
A good teacher understands the diversity in the nature of all children and refrains herself from comparing one child to another. Phrases like “so and so has finished the calculation before you” can be extremely detrimental to a child’s self esteem. This becomes especially prominent when a mixed group of children are present. Varying socio- economic conditions, backgrounds, religions and especially age groups can mean that children react differently to different situations. From the perspective of a small child, a classroom can feel challenging and at times intimidating. The presence of peers can add pressure where an unkind word from the teacher may be a source of humiliation or embarrassment. Hence it becomes the teacher’s prerogative to choose her words carefully while admonishing a child. Moreover, in small children the tone of voice used to admonish the child is also equally important. A kinder tone, a nicer choice of words can go a long way in building a healthy rapport between teacher and student.
Perseverance and diligence may be hallmarks of a good teacher but the most invaluable virtue a teacher can possess is patience. It was patience and kindness that helped Ann Sullivan teach her blind, deaf and mute student Helen Keller, and spurred her on to become a prolific writer and the first blind and deaf person in the world to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in upheaval in all industries, including the education sector. In this era of virtual classrooms, the situation has somewhat flipped. The classrooms are now within the confines of the child’s home. The teacher may feel pressured with the knowledge that the judgmental views of other family members are upon them. Moreover, the teacher now has to somewhat, function under constraint without actual physical interactions with students. Understanding and compassion can work in both directions. For a small child also, the scenario has suddenly changed from that of a formal
classroom setting to a less formal one with perhaps more distractions. This can be confusing for the child as well as for the teacher. It is here that a good teacher realises that encouraging words and a kinder attitude is the right way to go. For, though the atmosphere may feel more casual, the classroom and the peers are still very real.
In the words of Nobel Prize winner Anatole France - “Nine tenths of education is encouragement“.
Noornika Khuraijam is an Ophthalmologist and mother of 2 boys.