Teacher - Aaj Kal =A blog-a-ton 2 post

This post has been published by me on the occasion of the Teachers' Day as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 2; the second edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

Hi friends, I am time...I flow continuously. I have witnessed so many things! But I am helpless. No one had been ever so helpless than me! I have to see everything... I can't change things, I can't stop things, I can't alter things. I just have to watch them as they happen! But now I feel I have to do something! So I am here today to discuss , share things with you .

Why today? Today you are celebrating a teacher's day. Teachers are supposed to shape minds of the new generation. So if I have some expectation of change what will be a more suitable day than this day? With great powers comes great responsibility. Teachers have great power over the minds of the children. They get the respect in the minds of students and their parents automatically. So with this power they have a responsibility to bring a change. A great expectation lay upon them!
I have seen changing this occupation continuously. A vast change has occurred from The Guru to a school teacher. This change has occurred in different stages. Sometimes gradually, sometimes abruptly and sometimes very gently. They changed, they evolved but they never became extinct. They were there, they are there and they will be there as long as I exist. I know that they will remain even if some of you believe that in future their place will be taken up by machines.
Even if I have mentioned Guru I am not going that much back today. I will restrict only to the teachers of today! This term 'Teacher' must have started around 1900 AD in India. After East India Company crushed the Freedom Fight of Kings in India in 1857 and established their sovereign empire in India; the concept of schools and schoolteacher caught roots in India. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_in_India

Prepare yourself for a long journey and come with me to that part of my period. Say you are going in past with the time machine or you are taking a plunge into my memory pensive.
All kinds of restrictions were there. India was reforming. Coming face to face with other cultures. Coming to know many inadequacies in their own culture. They were forced to change the pace, mode of their life very abruptly. They changed really very fast. Many started schools and became teachers with a motive. They wanted to create new generation to fight for their freedom. They wanted to create the new generation with great knowledge to bring about the change and move forward as flawless, strong culture. To achieve this they worked hard and with dedication. They moulded themselves to become ideal personalities in front of their students. They gave everything they possessed to each and every student. As a result, many great personalities with same dedication and idealism were created.
After a generation, India got Independence. Then this new breed of teachers wanted to create a generation who will bring progress and prosperity to the country. Idealism and dedication was there but the intensity was somewhat lost. The Self discipline was somewhat reduced. The demands to have a comfortable life increased. So they created the generation which craved for physical comforts and cushy lifestyle.
The teachers from this new crop were now teaching mostly to a generation born in free India. Many other friends of these teachers who were in other professions were leading a more comfortable life. Many of the teachers were not so by choice but by need. They did not have as much dedication as earlier teachers as they did not have any goal for new generation other than self comfort. They also had many restrictions as parents became more interfering. They had restrictions as there was a set curriculum to teach. They started their own private classes to earn extra money.
Now we have teachers of the generation who are very confused. They haven't seen any ideal personalities. They haven't seen any dedicated personalities. They have some vague ideas about individuality. So these teachers just go to school, teach the students what they have to and come back home. They even don't know the names of students they are teaching. If somebody suggests them even a trivial change, they feel offended. They are generally averse to adapting for the sake of their students. If they do any small thing out of ordinary they become a sensational news. They have to fight for their needs very hard.
Yes, teachers have changed. They are no more responsible for the development of the new generation. But as I see it they have changed as the other people around them have changed. This change was inevitable. This change was not intentional. Think if these generation of teachers started doing the same things as the teachers of the first generation, would that be appreciated? So now you have to change the norms to measure the teachers as well. As a society you have to start thinking of new aspirations and goals. Then only you will get the inspiring teachers to create a new generation.
There were bad people in the first generation of teachers as well. And there are really very good teachers in this generation also. I have seen making them big difference. I have seen them creating history. Now at this point also India is facing a big transformation. So now is the time to think and act. Bring the changes which will bring happiness and prosperity to all of you. I will be very happy to witness that day in my life...

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.



The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton are Vipul, Rajalakshmi, Dhiman, Ranee[1], [2], [3] , Avada, Indian Pundit" , Sojo, Aneet, Pramathesh, Aativas, Sid, Ajinkya, Lakshmi, Govind, Shilpa, Bharathi, Shankar, Mytuppence, Azad, Pawan, Pankaja, Saimanohar, Guria, Shruti, Blog-a-Ton.http://blog-a-ton.blogspot.com/">Blog-a-Ton.<> />

Comments

Anonymous said…
That was a nice post on this topic..liked it :) read my take on this topic @ my blog
Gr8 insightful post yaar :)
i concur with u coz
"CHANGE IS THE ONLY THING WHICH IS PERMANENT"


keep blogging :)
cheers!!!
Anonymous said…
Your post reminds of the Mahabharat in DD ... "Main samay hun" kinda thing... quite unique approach of the teachers changed gradually and didn't feel your post was very long :D
Shilpa Garg said…
Cool! You have taken us gradually from the ancient times to the present times!! It made an interesting read! :)
Prashansa said…
Thank you every one!
Avada; I have visited your post already!
Sathish: Yes change is life...
Dhiman: Yes I have taken the idea from Mahabharat only! Even the picture of the wheel is from the serial! LOl!:-)
Unknown said…
good one..pra.. u have written very well aboout the yesteryear teachers and till present date.... very nice post..read mine too.....
Siddhesh Kabe said…
wow...you are teaching about teaching...superb!!!
Bharathi said…
letting the time talk is a very creative way of presenting the topic. all the best.
Prashansa said…
Thank you Shilpa, I am happy that you liked it!
Thanks Shankar for your inspiring comment. I liked your post!
Welcome Bharati to my blog! Thanks for visiting me.
You guessedright! I am a teacher..So aadatse majaboor!!:-)
Indian Pundit said…
"With great powers comes great responsibility"

Thats "SPIDERWOMAN" Pra speaking....haha

Great insightful post pra.

i loved the NARRATIVE OF TIME......very good.

Cheers
Shruti said…
Pra!!
Cool post re!!
I felt like travelling in a time machine!

Good!!
Pri said…
Good one...:)

Very nice presentation of the reality and the changing times...:)

I had definitely found the Guru in my school teachers and honestly wish I could continue to find them thereafter too...

Do have a look at my tribute to my them on my blog, when free :)
http://emotionsunveiled.blogspot.com/
Lakshmi Rajan said…
I liked the time concept , reminded me the mega TV serial ! ops forgot if it was mahabharat or ramayan.

I like the concluding part - As a society you have to start thinking of new aspirations and goals.

Good luck ! :)

Lakshmi Rajan

www.gingerchai.com
Prashansa said…
Thanks a lot IP for visiting and commenting! Yes that is the sentence from Spiderman! But fitted well there so couldn't resist!:-)
Shruti: Thanks a lot!
Welcome to my blog Pri and Mr!!
Thank you for your valuable comments!
Mr :The serial is Mahabharat!
confused rants said…
hey Pra ,a really unique way of presenting your thoughts ..reminding of Mahabharat lolssss
I would say
Good teachers cost more but a bad teacher is costlier..
Vipul Grover said…
Mahabharat's Samay Chakra meets H.G.Wells Time Machine :)
Brilliant nd sound analysis frm Historical perspective..
Its true thr a gud nd bad teachers in all generations:)
Anonymous said…
very scientifically written post I must say
pawan said…
True!
Good that you even mentioned the origin of the word teacher, which only came into existence after the British empire thrived in India and also the yesteryear teachers part was too good!

Good work!
Richa Singh said…
hey nice i like the whole starting very apt or the whole topic and like the fact that it is soo informatic
Pankaja said…
It sounded like the english translation of Mahabharat serial.But it took me through a nice journey in the time machine. well narrated!!
Unknown said…
Very good post. You're right, teachers are very important, and society don't often recognize it, that's why I think they become uninterested in shaping their students, and that's such a shame.

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