TEACHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIP

Perhaps I have a fairly eccentric outlook at times about teaching but I do see some things going on in classrooms which i am not going to say are wrong- but that I feel are perhaps not so conscious ways to relate to kids. I think some schools do not truly understand the value of the work we are involved in by our being with kids. This fact is often overlooked but also matters over and above what subject they may or may not actually be learning in the classroom. I am talking about how we relate to kids. Are we being honest and open? Are we stressing relationship above lesson goals? I hope so!

Personally, for example, I don`t choose to teach kids because it is my job or because teaching is my first choice of occupation, but simply because I realised that I am in love with being with children. And I really believe that if that is not your starting point, then no matter how good a teacher viz. a presenter you are, your children will never really have juice for you. The fact is their brains are a lot more intuitive than yours or mine, and they can sense instinctively if you are truly being open with them or not.

Thus, I believe this is what really counts most when teaching young children- in spite of whatever our so called educational goals are - and even the fact that we have a responsibility to act viz. teach them well. Nevertheless, unlike the kids, we are being paid to instruct well also! If there is truly the trust to let there be an opening between adult and child, this amounts to an equal exchange of love/intelligence/awareness- i.e. no one is profiting more or less. Compare this with conventional education and lifestyles which are all about selling utilitarian values: how to get more, experience more, avoid this or that; turn out more polished products or professionals.

Now lets follow a brief self enquiry. Close your eyes and visualise, asking yourself from memory which of your teachers do you remember best, and is it still a clear memory? Now tell yourself what makes these teachers outstanding?

My favourite teachers obviously had a natural skill and ability to communicate knowledge but what they were educating first of all were the opening of our minds and hearts. So how did they do this

so well and not get ignored? The answer is easy- they really cared not just about the subject but about us, the students. They possessed such an enthusiasm of life to make you share it too. That enthusiasm and their focus on nurturing the student-teacher relationship was felt by us and was not overlooked.