Keep it simple, but significant
Over the years, I have had thousands of conversations with students and teachers – intense ones, random ones, ones involving just shooting the breeze. If I were to cull meaning from these conversations and come up with one most important topic at hand, it would be about teaching techniques. And the most important teaching technique turns out to be the simplest. It is not so much about innovation in the classroom, projects, games, creative thinking exercises, critical thinking activities. It is not so much about 'constructivism', 'differentiation', 'metacognition' or 'divergent thinking'. It is far simpler.
So, here are some vignettes of these conversations, without any long-winding context:
'Mr X is a really strict disciplinarian and a perfectionist and nags us constantly. But he also genuinely cares about each and every one of us, he wants each of us to do well. So we, kind of, put in more effort for him' – a student of Grade 11.
'Ms X doesn't have any preconceived notions. She treats all of us like smart students. She engages with us like we really have something valuable to say. So, we all compete to do better in her class' – a student of Grade 10.
'I met my junior school teacher, Mrs X today! I still remember being in her class. She was so concerned about us – not just me, all of us – that I feel safe just thinking about her' – a student of Grade 12.
'X has still not submitted the draft of her essay. It is so unlike her. I have not been able to get through on the phone, maybe I should drop in and see if all is well' – a Grade 12 teacher, whose student finally got an 'A' in the said essay.
'My previous online tutor used to keep his camera off all the time, so I always wondered if he was doing something else, after setting me some work' – a Grade 11 student.
'I enrolled for my project with Mr X because senior students told me he actually reads the material and gives good feedback, even though Mr Y is actually the expert in this area' – a Grade 10 student.
'I feel a teacher should try to help students sort out their personal problems. Of course, my students message me 24/7. It's difficult to cope, but I can empathise with them' – a teacher whose courses have hundreds of takers each year.
I can go on… The message is quite loud and pretty clear in all these conversations. It goes back to the age-old tradition of teaching, cutting through the swathes of technology, sophistication and artificial intelligence. The message from all these conversations emerges that students learn better and perform best when they realise that their teachers care. When they leave the safety of their homes – be it at age eight or eighteen – they look for genuine concern and caring at school. And once they find teachers who care, they put their best into their studies. It's a simple formula.
Recently a student filed a formal complaint with a reputed American university's business school, citing the excessive use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the course materials handed out, and requested reimbursement of tuition fees for that course. It has created an uproar in the academic world. While professors argue that gathering course materials from library books is much the same as gathering them from the same books through AI, students are crying foul.
I feel, at the heart of this debate, at the heart of all the scandal created by this debate, is the simple question: Does my professor care enough to take the trouble for me?
To make a difference in their students' lives, teachers don't really need to always be brilliant and perfect – they need to care. Only, and only, after this basic foundation is laid, comes innovation in the classroom, projects, games, creative thinking exercises, critical thinking activities; and 'constructivism', 'differentiation', 'metacognition' and 'divergent thinking'.
P.S: The simple act of caring becomes heroic in this profession.
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