For the Would be Teachers

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Alex has expressed his desire to be a teacher. And a veteran Suvro Chatterjee has some advice for him.

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Thanks for that article from one who has been a teacher by choice for 27 years now, Alka, and best wishes to Alex, who wants to become one. But Alex, especially, be warned:

1) In todays’ milieu, you will have to earn respect the hard way, and that too will be partial (the kids may respect you while the parents may not!), and mixed with a lot of opprobrium and ridicule;
2) You are not very likely to make the kind of money that your talent and your labour deserves – society expects teachers to be poor or at best middle class, while it’s all right for cricketers, filmstars, surgeons and lawyers to be rich;
3) To make things worse, your friends and relatives will call you a fool for having chosen such a ‘bad’ career, so nothing can sustain you except your own convictions and ideals;
4) Most heartrending of all, most of your students will never understand just what you did for them, or will forget quickly, or will take ages to realise and get back to say ‘thank you’!
5) If you want to get rich, you will have to turn your tutorial into a sausage factory, so that all the heart and most of the mind will go out of education, and you will end up selling cram-sheets to allow vast numbers of mediocrities to get through this examination or the other.

Naturally, there are few takers for the career: it’s only the rejects from all other professions who fill up 90% of the posts. What that augurs for any nation’s future is the thought that gives me sleepless nights.

Comments

8 responses to “For the Would be Teachers”

2/20/2008

Alex

The above mentioned views are what one hears about generally. But, i guess, all those who believe in the power/influence of teaching knows that it is a huge responsibility; but coupled with freedom, it has the power to change.

I too have heard similar exclamations from (some) of my friends when i told them that i would teach.

Well, I guess respect will come sooner or later. (Maybe from only very few people who appreciate ‘education’ and hence ‘teaching’)
2/20/2008

Nilesh

hmm. how realistic. i know few people who wanted to be teacher but did not choose that profession just because of above reasons (mainly 2nd one). if they would have, i bet they would also have been excellent teachers.
2/23/2008

Mridula

One day one of the professors I knew mentioned the salary of an IIT director. Take a guess what it would be?
2/26/2008

AmitL

Hi,Alka-this is soo true(What you’ve written and what’s written in the link you gave)- and,something which I’ve never understood-why is a teacher’s job treated as a poor man’s job and salaries paid accordingly? Except for the lesser hours at work compared to office/factory goers,I don’t see much difference in the labour they put in. In fact, teachers whom I know, put in much more hours after school preparing for their next class(es), than people who spend time at work,drinking tea/coffee six times a day and appear tired out at the end.

A secret- even I would have loved to(And,probably been happier, life-wise,albeit,perhaps not financially) pursue my favourite subject- English and either teach or do something related, instead of the Engg course I took up. Today, I’d surely not wish to force my views on the next generation’s choice of studies- coz in order to let latent talent surface, they have to be allowed to take up the course of their choice,instead of succumbing to peer/parent/society pressure.
3/10/2008

Praney

Very true, very bitter, very disheartening !
3/22/2008

Manasa

In the earlier days, holding B.A. or even BSc was considered to be highest degree and getting into teaching/lecturing, banking(State Banks), State/Central Govt jobs(like DRDO, NAL) were considered to be achievement and people preferred them.

Now, with many Engg colleges and other opportunities like fashion designing or MBAs coming up, I see very few people getting into professions like teaching/lecturing or banking(esp State Banks) or even Govt jobs in the Urban areas. People want to make money in a short run.
I vote for Option 2.
3/24/2008

Nawab

The thgs advised are more or less fits for the present scenario….but even then i would encourage the one who is taking it as a career with a lot of enthusiasm in her or his heart…because that is the basic building of a nation in a way….that is the point from where the future of a nation, world and the humanity is getting decided….

Its true that a consistent enthusiasm is needed for such an effort but i swear to God …that would be much more appreciable than most of the works done for the betterment of the society as well as humanity.
3/29/2008

Maverick

But on the brighter side. There are some teachers whom no body hate. I mean we still go to our school to visit our teachers whom we love.

Teaching’s not the same in US. A professor of mine was asking me if its hard to become a professor in India, I had a smile in return. Dont forget that almost 90% of world’s breakthrough inventions(like MOSFET from MIT) came from schools and not Industries.

On the money front , I think Professors make a lot more than their mediocre Industry counter parts, more over they could have a choice of sabbatical and if a tenure comes your way, you are RICH.

great to catch up with u after a while. News is that Im the old Maverick, but i bought a new domain. come visit.