Teaching Is the Profession That Creates All Other Professions - Nishant Sharma

A good teacher can touch so many lives in so many unexpected ways and it is the time when we need good and honest people to take the command in their hands to shape the future of this country.

1. Tell us more about your experience as an educator.

As an educator, if I have to describe my experience in one phrase I would say it has been a ‘ Fun-ride’ so far and what I have learnt out of my experience is that I need to constantly evolve and grow as a teacher to be able to drive the growth of my students without pressurizing them because education must be an easy process and should not be forced upon to students.

So as an educator one must try to create an environment where students are willing to learn and the process of teaching-learning should be such that whatever is taught to students in the class can be put to use in real life also and not just in exam halls.

Also, to be a successful educator one must have a passion and flair for teaching and that’s true for all other professions as well.

2. What is your opinion of the Indian education system and how would you like to change that?

The Indian education system needs to change a lot. I won’t point out the individual issues that plague the Indian education system but there should not be any denial that the system needs serious overhauling. The students are still not getting THE BEST when they actually deserve it.

Though there are so many changes that I would like to see in the Indian education system and the NEP will also pave the way for a few of such systematic changes but one particular change that I would love to see in the Indian education system is that education should be FREE FOR ALL AT ALL THE LEVELS from primary till PhD across disciplines and fields.

Education should very strictly be seen as a public good and a necessity. There are so many children deprived of education despite having brilliant minds full of excellent ideas. And if their dreams cannot be put into reality than I would call it a failure of the system.

We need to nurture each and every brain of this country and that will be possible only when education is free in all institutions at all levels and for all. Also, we need to put more focus on personalized attention to the students. The class size should be limited to 15-20 students so that teachers can focus their attention and help students in all possible ways to realize their dreams.

Also, there should be more objective criteria of measuring a student’s performance and we need to blend the traditional pen and paper form of assessment with other assessment methods such as practical training and performance review on a compulsory basis.

3. What changes in the teaching methodologies have you seen in recent times?

I believe in recent times many new methodologies have emerged and at an individual level, different teachers/educators use different methodologies to bring the best out of their students.

Some follow case studies, some follow role plays, some may also follow out of class teaching techniques etc and now with the existence of this pandemic it has become even more important to incorporate novel ways of teaching.

So I think the shift from physical classrooms to digital platforms is the biggest change and for some people, this change is being troublesome but from the perspective of students, this surely is a positive change as long as it is not one way or passive and clubbed with an interactive touch of a traditional classroom setting.

4. How does education help one do well in their career?

This depends upon the type of field and career a person chooses because there are so many fields that don’t require a formal educational degree. But in general, if one decides to excel in traditional jobs such as engineer, doctor, manager, teacher, accountant etc. a formal degree certainly gives a boost to one’s careers.

However, while saying this, I would also emphasize upon the fact that there are so many professions which do not require an academic degree such as singing, acting or any other talent-based professions but even in these professions academic education and experience may help one polish his/her already existing skills. So, education in all the fields is a Thumbs-Up.

5. Do you think teaching as a profession is viewed at par with corporate jobs?

No, Not at all. In fact, I don’t think that it is even justified to compare teaching as a profession with corporate jobs because the goals of both professions are very different.

Undoubtedly corporate jobs offer more monetary benefits in comparison to teaching but the prime purpose of teaching as a profession is not just earning money but the zeal to make a difference and when you see your students achieving success and rising up that’s your real reward and that gives you a sense of accomplishment.

But surely teaching is still a noble profession and is highly respected in society so perception wise I would say teaching still has its charm over corporate jobs and teaching anyways is the profession that creates all other professions.

6. How can we adopt technology to make teaching more effective?

Very Simple. Keeping an open mind towards technology and accepting the fact that technology is here to stay. So, shying away from latest technologies is not the best option for educators now.

They have to learn, unlearn and relearn the technologies because students will come prepared with these technologies and in order to keep pace with them it is a pre-requisite to keep an open mind and approach towards new technologies.

7. Why does India need more educators like you?

Well, I believe India needs more educators in general not only quantity-wise but also quality-wise. Every educator has his/her own set of skills and expertise and teaching anyway does require variations in one’s approach. So, it is not possible to codify or unify educators on one parameter.

There are so many people out there making huge contributions towards the field of education but presently India needs more educators who are young, energetic, self-driven and willing to make a difference.

A good teacher can touch so many lives in so many unexpected ways and it is the time when we need good and honest people to take the command in their hands to shape the future of this country.

Interview By - Shruti Kaval