Monday, November 2, 2015

A Teacher for Life.....

Image Source here

Lessons learnt by rod
The little child forgets - all
that remains is pain.....





A child is like a flower. Treat it with a gentle touch, caress the buds, nourish the soil and you find the flower blooming beautifully one day. But neglect it, abuse it, starve it and it is sure to die. So is the heart of the little child which beats and flutters delightfully at the slight sight of affection. But harsh words wither the heart away. Joy flees, innocence takes refuge in some remote world and all that remains is bitterness and pain.

I am reminded of the words of Alexander the Great who said, " I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well." Teacher is the lighthouse in the life of a child who is growing up. The light guides the exploring ship on rocky paths, warning just in time of dangers lurking ahead, and yet letting him go on on his journey. Imagine if the lighthouse blocked the way of the ship and stopped it from moving forward. What would happen then? The ship would be trapped and might drown. 

The role of the caregiver, parent or teacher becomes very crucial in upbringing the child. If the person in charge of taking care of the child is not equipped with the primary quality of kindness, then the future of that child is sure doomed. Without a loving heart and a tolerant mind, the teacher can never instill good qualities in the child, primarily because, the teacher himself is devoid of them. Good guidance includes sensitivity for the other mind. Good mentoring incorporates acceptance of faults and flaws, and their rectification without judgement. Where the mind starts judging, compassion flies away and what is left is bias.

So if you are a teacher, teach with love. Sit next to a child who can not hold the pencil properly. Rebuke him not, but gently hold his hand and let him write. Let him write that he is the best. If he finds it difficult to read, or does not understand the words on the page, feed his imagination. Let him dream, spark up a scene for him and fly away with him to his fantasy world where he will find words to express his feelings, and discover new joys. Let him find pride for himself. Let him feel worthy of what he is, of who he is. Judge not by the flaws. Judge not at all. Praise the goodness in him. For you might not be with him for long but your words will travel with him way longer than you might have imagined. 

Linking it to #Monday Musings on WriteTribe

20 comments:

  1. Right, you are. No one can be a good teacher without love for the student.

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  2. So true ! "Judge not by the flaws, Judge not at all"

    You have expressed it so well here. A judging attitude has no space in nurturing a child. It is demotivating.

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  3. Well written! Teachers are next to parents for a child!

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    1. Thanks Indrani. Yes, after parents, teachers play a major role in the life of children.

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  4. hmmmm well I dont agree with the haiku.. Unnecessary using the ROD will do that.. I have studied during the time when rod was not spared , it has not done anything bad to me.. and I still love my teachers ....

    i think in todays day and age we are molly coddling our kids more ..

    ALthough I also strictly beleive that one should not HIT anyone for whatever reason...

    Bikram's

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    1. I am surprised Bikram. Rod is a rod no matter what. There are better ways of disciplining. Stern but gentle discipline is what every child requires but not the rod. No, never. You are lucky to have not felt the scars psychologically. But they can be damaging in much deeper ways than one can discern. When we teach with patience and love, that does not imply pampering to the extent of spoiling them.

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  5. Sunaina the haiku is so beautiful and the perfect start to a wonderful teaching and paying forward message :)

    Richa

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  6. I have always wished that I had such teachers :) Well written :)

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  7. This is a movingly wise post ... lovely haiku as well. Thanks for sharing this. Bastet

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  8. A beautiful haiku and a wonderful lesson.
    A moving piece altogether . Nice one Sunaina :)

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