20220727 : Teachers

I have come across many teachers over the years. I don't mean just teacher in the classroom setting in school/ colleges. Any interaction where one person (the teacher) is trying to teach something/ impart knowledge to the other/s (student/s) 

As a broad generalization, in my mind, I have grouped them all into 3 categories.

1. Teachers who really want the student to learn what they are trying to teach. They come from a genuine intent to impart the knowledge. They will try different things to make it easy for the student to pick it up. Basically, they put the onus of the student successfully learning on themselves. They may not be experts themselves, but what they know, they will impart very effectively.

There are very few of these. When we come across them, it is a memorable experience. When we are usually asked to recollect teachers who have made an impact on us, they are usually the ones that make the cut.

2. The second category is folks who "go through the motions". They will teach in the way they are comfortable with. The onus of the learning is with the student. They could be experts in the field, but it doesn't matter - the student has to pick up what they can.

This I think constitutes the bulk of folks. When we are asked to recollect teachers, we rarely even remember their names - because what we learnt was because of us and not because of them.

3. The third category of folks are not exactly teachers. Not because they don't know stuff, but because they don't want to impart the knowledge. Why are they teaching in the first place? Because they have been asked to/ forced to by someone or the circumstances.

They will impart information or knowledge in a way that is very hard to grasp anything. They take the onus on themselves to ensure the student is not successful. Setting someone up for failure basically.

They are memorable experiences as well. We usually recollect them not as teachers but as terrors. I would like to say they are few of them as well, but unfortunately there are more than a few folks in this "wolf in sheep's skin" variety. They will usually show evidence that they did their part well but the student/ learner didn't learn because they are not good enough. Many a times (owing to the circumstances), this outcome it predictable and can be anticipated - but unavoidable. 

The third group has a subgroup of two.

The first subgroup is straightforward. They simply have a crooked intent and conduct themselves accordingly (deliberately).

The second subgroup is an interesting group. Not because the outcome of the process is different, but the trigger for the behaviour is.

Most of the time, they don't even realise they are sabotaging the process themselves. It could be a misdirected emotional reaction to something else etc. 

All of us are susceptible to being in this subgroup at one time or another if we are not watching our mind carefully...